American Democracy Will Die in 100 Days

[HomerJS]

Clutch your pearls, wring your hands, stand near your fainting couch as you feel the vapors coming on.

This is how it will go down. There will be an election, Trump will most likely loose, he'll make all sorts of claims about fraud and rigged elections, then come inauguration day, he'll leave. He'll then spend the rest of his life telling the world how his presidency was the greatest ever, and Joe will wander the white house smelling women's hair.
All will be right with the world.

Edit: Dumb typo.

Because like previous President he follows norms. No President would ever shoot and gas their own people for peacefully protesting....

Oh wait, Trump did that very thing.

 

[Moonbeam]

Do you ever worry you might completely misread a situation? I think Trump will lose the election and Biden will be President at the appointed time and all this concern is a waste of energy.

 

[mikeymikec]

Do you ever worry you might completely misread a situation? I think Trump will lose the election and Biden will be President at the appointed time and all this concern is a waste of energy.

The US under Trump has ticked most of the 'rise of fascism' tickboxes including most notably the secret police turnout. Pretty much everyone on the planet should be concerned. Trump has a track record of exploring territory that normally didn't need extra rules because people with an ounce of self-respect and respect for the office wouldn't have pushed the boundaries that far already.

Plenty of US conservatives are playing ignorant (or at most are unconcerned) to current events under Trump and have been easily distracted under his direction. Can they be convinced to accept a particular key event (most likely staged) where say delaying an election or a change in office becomes logical upon accepting the narrative? Will key people stand by and not do the right thing while BS unfolds? Who in the GOP / Trump administration is left who could be trusted and has sufficiently sway to do the right thing? The US under Trump has already demonstrated time and time again that the rules don't matter.

I don't make any guesses as to the likelihood of this kind of thing happening, but under Trump it's definitely plausible.

 

[ch33zw1z]

Article employs hyperbole in some ways, but the use of hyperbole is perhaps justified. There is a real threat here, more in relation to Trump trying to de-legitimatize an election result than from cheating to a win. But a serious threat nonetheless. I don't think one can be faulted for erring on the side of over-alarmism. In a circumstance like this, complacency is unacceptable.

I understand conservatives here do not see it this way, because they are being fed an alternative, benign, and utterly false interpretation of Trump's behavior on Fox News and other sources. I see no way around this because we just don't agree on facts.

Nailed it.

 

[FaaR]

I did not know it would be lit off with a deadly global virus, but I knew it was gonna happen somehow.

Covid truly is the frosting on the Trump Shit Cake...

Trump is no thief.

Well, he is a thief, though. A thief, and a fraud. He's got a decades long history of stiffing others by not paying his bills, then either suing pre-emptively to not have to pay what he owes, or getting sued and then typically settling for half, or else threatening bankruptcy, in which case the other party likely would get nothing at all.

Remember the story of the family business piano retailer who sold Dumpy dozens of pianos for his orgy in tastelessness Atlantic City casino? Dumpy didn't pay of course - as is his tradition - for months and months, and in the end the guy only got half of what was previously agreed. The guy's company almost went under, as did the guy's family. All because of a lying, conning son of a bitch who sees himself as a genius.

Only genius he has is circumstantial, that he stumbled by chance on a winning formula (which is that rich people get away with things the little guy never would), and simply stuck to it through the years.

 

[brycejones]

This text is written by someone who can't even wikipedia Nazi Germany and Adolf Hitler. A rather glaring exploit(yes, this is a geek forum, so it makes sense to use such language) in the laws coded essentially gave an open door to someone like Hitler to essentially end the republic it once was. The American system, ironically in direct response to FDR being the closest to actually being like a dictator, has a hard-coded protection since the 50s to make sure Presidents only have 2 terms. That Amendment to the Constitution was ironically spearheaded by the Republicans of yore.

Trump barely won the states that used to be blue the last time. Why don't the Democrats get back to good ol' economic welfare and pro-labor "traditional" Marxism? The embarrassment is how Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin turned on Hillary because of her pro-Wall Sreet corrupt image. Trump is no thief. But he's a joke who is showing that no one in Washington really cares about the lower classes except when absolutely necessary.

Also is ignorant of the nature of the very country he lives in. There are....50 sovereign states managing the DAY-TO-DAY affairs that are affecting YOU the most.

Trump is merely paving the way for future Presidents to expand their power even more, but it is not unique to him. It's just that Obama and Bush and all the predecessors had "political doublespeak" to de-emotionalize the expansion of powers and make it boring news.

Facism is merely a road to domineering statism that worked because it had scientific credibility to "pop intellectuals". Back then, Darwin's discoveries led to abstraction from the scientific observations that leaked in politics. Neither side of the American populace really cares about anti-statisim. Never do they think, "though this law/action benefits me, I'd rather not have it because in the future, other laws based on the same justification might curb rights".

User name checks out.

 

[Moonbeam]

I don't make any guesses as to the likelihood of this kind of thing happening, but under Trump it's definitely plausible.

You say you don’t make any guesses and then added it is a possibility. But that looks to me like that IS your guess. My guess is that even under Trump it’s implausible but insufficiently enough so that my guess causes me some worry. I am betting on inertia and if you are right at least we will finally get gun control. Can’t have liberals buying weapons in case the threat becomes the state, right?

 

[Jhhnn]

Article employs hyperbole in some ways, but the use of hyperbole is perhaps justified. There is a real threat here, more in relation to Trump trying to de-legitimatize an election result than from cheating to a win. But a serious threat nonetheless. I don't think one can be faulted for erring on the side of over-alarmism. In a circumstance like this, complacency is unacceptable.

I understand conservatives here do not see it this way, because they are being fed an alternative, benign, and utterly false interpretation of Trump's behavior on Fox News and other sources. I see no way around this because we just don't agree on facts.

"Benign" isn't the word you want. "Malignant" is.

 

[zinfamous]

The Nazis are ANYONE other than people that VOTE FOR WHAT WE WANT!

It's like you don't even read what people are saying.


Yes, I'm going to keep making this same reply to this same brainless statement that you make, because what you are saying is just profoundly lazy and purposely unread.

 

[woolfe9998]

"Benign" isn't the word you want. "Malignant" is.

No it isn't. The version they are fed on Fox News is designed to sound benign to them, which is why they think this thread is absurd.

 

[Juiblex]

Our democracy died many moons ago. If you think voting means something in a 2 party system where both sides are loyal to the same foreign entity...
Yeah.. keep on hoping and keep on dreaming. One day maybe...

 

[Starbuck1975]

That would be the ones you imagine libs to have, I take it.

Just as the GOP lost control of the Tea Party and Trump, its going to be real interesting to see the Democrats respond once the different factions of their coalition expect them to deliver and start making demands.

 

[Indus]

Just as the GOP lost control of the Tea Party and Trump, its going to be real interesting to see the Democrats respond once the different factions of their coalition expect them to deliver and start making demands.

Well unlike some authoritarians.. their demands are simply healthcare and a living wage. Not unreasonable considering I'm paying $880 a month with a $4400 deductible for me and my wife.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Well unlike some authoritarians.. their demands are simply healthcare and a living wage. Not unreasonable considering I'm paying $880 a month with a $4400 deductible for me and my wife.

Inyet they can't agree on some very simple stimulus items to keep shit together.

God forbid you give folks money consistently when the economy will be shut down for 9+ months straight....

No no no - gotta go by the establishment party method of occasionally shelling out peanut $1,200 checks on occasion.


The progressive region of the lefties are mocked, laughed at, and ridiculed by the establishment.... And the majority are bending over saying "Yes sir, may I have another?"

 

[Greenman]

Well unlike some authoritarians.. their demands are simply healthcare and a living wage. Not unreasonable considering I'm paying $880 a month with a $4400 deductible for me and my wife.

Pretty good deal. I pay $1400 and a $6k deductible.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Pretty good deal. I pay $1400 and a $6k deductible.

that is straight up insanity. and to think for our current degree of overall health expenditure ($3T/yr), we'd be able to cover everyone in america under a single payer system - and that doesn't include cost savings associated with UHC

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

that is straight up insanity. and to think for our current degree of overall health expenditure ($3T/yr), we'd be able to cover everyone in america under a single payer system - and that doesn't include cost savings associated with UHC

Yes - but DONT WORRY!

Obamacare fixed it for Greenman. It was an amazing package that fixed our healthcare problems. Just look at his amazing deductibles and monthly payments!

All we need are more establishment plutocrats to pass ONE MORE bill to fix it!

 

[brycejones]

Yes - but DONT WORRY!

Obamacare fixed it for Greenman. It was an amazing package that fixed our healthcare problems. Just look at his amazing deductibles and monthly payments!

All we need are more establishment plutocrats to pass ONE MORE bill to fix it!

God damn lay off the straw people they didn’t do anything to you.

 

[cytg111]

Yes - but DONT WORRY!

Obamacare fixed it for Greenman. It was an amazing package that fixed our healthcare problems. Just look at his amazing deductibles and monthly payments!

All we need are more establishment plutocrats to pass ONE MORE bill to fix it!

So, singlepayer?

 

[Starbuck1975]

Well unlike some authoritarians.. their demands are simply healthcare and a living wage. Not unreasonable considering I'm paying $880 a month with a $4400 deductible for me and my wife.

There is little consensus on how to provide what you’re asking for. Take the GOP out of the equation, and it still becomes a clash between monied interests and the people...the only difference is there would be less Jesus.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

So, singlepayer?

At minimum, my philosophy has always been public option.

If Single payer sucks - then it will set the minimum bar for capitalism to have a better plan.

If government option is great - then single payer will naturally take-over.

The.... problem.... in my mind - is I imagine a public option that is complete shit to the tune of Greenman's plan and calling it a good deal.

 

[Jhhnn]

Inyet they can't agree on some very simple stimulus items to keep shit together.

God forbid you give folks money consistently when the economy will be shut down for 9+ months straight....

No no no - gotta go by the establishment party method of occasionally shelling out peanut $1,200 checks on occasion.


The progressive region of the lefties are mocked, laughed at, and ridiculed by the establishment.... And the majority are bending over saying "Yes sir, may I have another?"

So dishonest. Dems advocate extending the $600/wk UI benefit thru the first of the year.

 

[cytg111]

At minimum, my philosophy has always been public option.

If Single payer sucks - then it will set the minimum bar for capitalism to have a better plan.

If government option is great - then single payer will naturally take-over.

The.... problem.... in my mind - is I imagine a public option that is complete shit to the tune of Greenman's plan and calling it a good deal.

I am going to go Sanders on you here, most of Europe is doing a damned fine job with "singleplayer". Another part of singlepayer is the cost of medicine... well you know the Sanders speech, all I can say is its true. I live it. I've seen my fair share of the inside of that institution, been under the knife many times, and it always leaves me proud and amazed. Going back soon for a few cuts for shit I've done to myself over half a life of being 'active'.

 

[Jhhnn]

There is little consensus on how to provide what you’re asking for. Take the GOP out of the equation, and it still becomes a clash between monied interests and the people...the only difference is there would be less Jesus.

And less glorifying greed as a virtue.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

So dishonest. Dems advocate extending the $600/wk UI benefit thru the first of the year.

I'm not talking about unemployment benefits - that only applies to a selective group of individuals silly billy.