their issue is their own stupidity. they didn't have malicious intent for the sake of malicious intent. all that line of thinking, i confess, makes me think of them as less culpable than they could otherwise be thought of.
I suppose this is true to an extent. But not a significant extent. They are choosing to believe nonsense, but they are still rational adults. IE not insane. they know right from wrong. They know what the law is. They know that attacking democracy or kidnapping government officials is wrong and very illegal.
The fact that they chose to believe the nonsense isn't much of a defense. If someone murders their child because they dishonored the family, this is something that some cultures/religions say is severely punishable. Those beliefs do not excuse a murder. Similarly, choosing to be delusional does not reduce the magnitude of your crimes.
