The 'Proud Boys' sentencing recommendations are insane.

The Proud Boys are awful. They’re poser idiots who blast white supremacy and idiotic chauvinism into the discourse. They make the Oathkeepers seem like responsible guardians of the Bill of Rights. But recent news that federal prosecutors are seeking three decades behind bars for prominent members’ role in the January 6th uprising? That is batshit insane. On average, people convicted of first-degree murder get less time.

The announcement has been met with a curious reaction in liberal spaces. Take the New York Times. An op-ed published today lays out the insane sentence of Enrique Tarrio in the lede:

On Thursday, Department of Justice prosecutors threw the book at the Proud Boy leader Enrique Tarrio, recommending a 33-year sentence for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. If applied, this would exceed even the 18-year prison term given to Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the Oath Keepers militia, who was — like Mr. Tarrio — convicted of seditious conspiracy.

Prosecutors argued that the stiff sentence would reflect Mr. Tarrio’s leadership role in the unrest, despite him not being present at the Capitol that day. They highlighted that he is purportedly an “articulate, charming and gifted communicator,“ who excels at attracting followers and creating “compelling spectacles.”

But then it completely moves on from this shocking information, to do a deep dive into the existence of Latino white supremacy. That’s important and it’s about time we recognize that literally everyone is racist, but how is this a more important issue than the federal government’s ability to put someone away for more than three decades?

On social media, the response is to the effect of “fuck around and find out.” The blogger Emptywheel, an important and influential left voice during the War on Terror, decried the government’s inability to slap them with all-encompassing terrorism charges.

THE CHALLENGE OF TREATING THE PROUD BOY LEADERS AS TERRORISTS

That language is a succinct statement of the terrorism committed by the Proud Boys.

But the document as a whole is a testament to how the asymmetrical treatment of terrorism in the United States makes it much harder to hold men like Enrique Tarrio and Joe Biggs accountable for attacking the Capitol that it would be if they were Islamic terrorists, rather than right wing Trump supporters.

“Absolutely. Bye L'il Ricky Feds seeking 33 years for Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio on Jan. 6 conviction,” tweeted prominent race scholar Tim Wise in approval.

I’m not downplaying the January 6th storming of the Capitol, or more generally these loser incels’ pernicious impact on the culture. But looking at a 33 year sentence — especially for Tarrio, who wasn’t even there— and gloating about it is not a win for liberalism, it’s a sign of how deep carcereal mindset runs.