of #hot #takes - When #Trump was elected in 2016, it was clear to me political conflict in the U.S. would intensify, by conflict I mean uses of all forms of contentious street politics. Unfortunately, this view has proved to be correct.

Over the course of the last four years, in conversations with foreign investors, businesspersons, and former US government officials, people generally seemed surprised at my level of concern.

Those conversations made me more worried because they showed the extent to which myths about U.S. democracy had become unaccepted truths.

Now, I suppose, events have prompted some real rethinking, though it is too early to tell.

The violence of the January 6 Trump popular rebellion - still unfolding - has been gut wrenching to watch, for all of us.

The intentions of the apparently leaderless rebels do not seem crystal clear to me. We know Trump wanted, and got, carnage, but he failed to get the mutinty that could have spurred an attempted self-coup.

I see some characterizations of the events as an insurrection, which is one form of rebellion.

I do not have a problem with calling it insurrection, but I think it is important to situate the actions in the context of the generalized rebellion Trump launched from the White House. That rebellion continues, as far as I can tell.

Last, for lessons learned and moving ahead, my first proposal starts with what is in front of us: the reality, and extent, of the #TrumpCult needs to be recognized in order for us to avoid future personality cults.