Is America heading towards dictatorship?

[Yuwipi Woman]

I suppose locking up his opponents?

There's a large section of the population who would be all for that, including public execution of Trump's political opponents.

 

[emanymton]

There's a large section of the population who would be all for that, including public execution of Trump's political opponents.

I think this is something to keep in mind. To a certain extent Trump is more moderate than many of his supporters and some of those around him. It isn't really Trump himself I'm mainly worried about, as awful as he is. It is the people he brings with him and what they will do over the next 4 years to secure power for their side in the future.

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

I think the fact that Trump chose the person who wrote Project 2025's chapter on the Federal Communications Commission to lead the Federal Communications Commission is a sign of things to come

Trump picks Brendan Carr to lead the Federal Communications Commission

Carr, the top Republican on the commission, wrote Project 2025's chapter on the FCC.

www.nbcnews.com

His Vice President wrote sections of it too.

 

[Sue]

I think this is something to keep in mind. To a certain extent Trump is more moderate than many of his supporters and some of those around him. It isn't really Trump himself I'm mainly worried about, as awful as he is. It is the people he brings with him and what they will do over the next 4 years to secure power for their side in the future.

Yes, people are concerned about Trump's plans. I'm not convinced he has much in the way of plans but those round him do.

 

[hitmouse]

Who knows what the next crisis will be? I will predict that, whatever it is, Trump will handle it badly.

I mean, Los Angeles is on fire right now, that's not not a crisis, especially if you live there. And then there's bird flu, dunno what the odds are of that one turning into a full-on pandemic but the track record suggests he won't do a great job at handling it if so.

 

[The39thStep]

There's a large section of the population who would be all for that, including public execution of Trump's political opponents.

Night follows day

Why executions by firing squad may be coming back in the US

The image of gunmen in a row firing in unison at a condemned prisoner may conjure up a bygone, less enlightened era.

apnews.com

 

[Elpenor]

Perhaps Greenland is being earmarked as the preferred location for a gulag

 

[Pickman's model]

Perhaps Greenland is being earmarked as the preferred location for a gulag

guantanamo
greenland
i'm seeing something of a pattern developing here

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

Night follows day

Why executions by firing squad may be coming back in the US

The image of gunmen in a row firing in unison at a condemned prisoner may conjure up a bygone, less enlightened era.

apnews.com

To be fair, I think I'd rather go out by firing squad than lethal injection. There's been many botched executions with lethal injection with prison officials spending hours trying to find veins and obvious thrashing about after it was supposedly impossible.

 

[Coffeecup]

I think it’s the authors of project 2025 are the danger. Find a perfect idiot who would do anything for power and money, support them and back them up. Polish their ego constantly and get them into high office to do their bidding.

https://docs.house.gov/meetings/GO/GO00/20240924/117685/HHRG-118-GO00-20240924-SD018.pdf

 

[moochedit]

This post may age badly but...

I'm tired of all the Project 2025 talk. It's a wish list from the Heritage Foundation and I've yet to see any evidence that it's Trump's plan for government. OK there's some will point out that there's some association between the people who drafted it and Trump but that's a matter for political point scoring from Trump's opponents, it's not telling us much about what's to come.

Like all these "think tank" reports they'll probably just cherry pick a few ideas from it. But it's not just trump, its the congress that has to approve anything. (No i haven't read the 800 pages but a quick skim of the wiki article it didn't look good).

 

[emanymton]

Night follows day

Why executions by firing squad may be coming back in the US

The image of gunmen in a row firing in unison at a condemned prisoner may conjure up a bygone, less enlightened era.

apnews.com

Honestly I think it's better than the electric fucking chair.

 

[The39thStep]

To be fair, I think I'd rather go out by firing squad than lethal injection. There's been many botched executions with lethal injection with prison officials spending hours trying to find veins and obvious thrashing about after it was supposedly impossible.

I was thinking more from a spectator's point of view at a public execution tbh.

 

[Coffeecup]

This post may age badly but...

I'm tired of all the Project 2025 talk. It's a wish list from the Heritage Foundation and I've yet to see any evidence that it's Trump's plan for government. OK there's some will point out that there's some association between the people who drafted it and Trump but that's a matter for political point scoring from Trump's opponents, it's not telling us much about what's to come.

I think it’s more than political point scoring, although there is that and to be expected. A lot of the ranting and raving of Trump shows he’s not that intelligent. He’s energised by revenge and his puppet masters I think.

 

[Pickman's model]

I think it’s more than political point scoring, although there is that and to be expected. A lot of the ranting and raving of Trump shows he’s not that intelligent. He’s energised by revenge and his puppet masters I think.

let's not get into the intelligence of politicians, they're predominantly remarkably stupid

 

[Wkdloz]

Democracies have in the past voted for dictatorships - remember Hitler!

 

[Coffeecup]

Trump gets “Unconditional Discharge” in his sentencing today.

Trump Will Be Sentenced In Hush Money Case Today—Here’s What To Expect

The Supreme Court rejected Trump's last-ditch effort to pause it Thursday evening.

www.forbes.com

He can’t carry a gun. He may not be allowed to travel to some countries.

 

[Coffeecup]

let's not get into the intelligence of politicians, they're predominantly remarkably stupid

I will if I want to.

 

[moochedit]

Trump gets “Unconditional Discharge” in his sentencing today.

Trump Will Be Sentenced In Hush Money Case Today—Here’s What To Expect

The Supreme Court rejected Trump's last-ditch effort to pause it Thursday evening.

www.forbes.com

He can’t carry a gun. He may not be allowed to travel to some countries.

Not surprised sadly

Would have been amusing if jailed. Could he have ordered the fbi/army/cia/whatever to break him out of ny state jail after the 20th?

 

[Pickman's model]

Not surprised sadly

Would have been amusing if jailed. Could he have ordered the fbi/army/cia/whatever to break him out of ny state jail after the 20th?

would have been good if he'd been ordered to pick up shit in parks or similar

 

[moochedit]

He may not be allowed to travel to some countries.

Technically correct but i expect many countries would overlook it in practice.

 

[Coffeecup]

Not surprised sadly

Would have been amusing if jailed. Could he have ordered the fbi/army/cia/whatever to break him out of ny state jail after the 20th?

I should think it’s a very awkward period for many right now. There is so much to consider and many right minded people feel their hands are tied. Lots waiting to see what Trump does after entering the Oval Office. I would guess a few executive orders in the first few days probably to send out covert threats and make people feel vulnerable. He’ll stamp on his authority. It’s going to be so boring.

 

[smokedout]

Interesting, my impression is that Trump doesn’t have the capacity to think in terms of legacy, he’s too lazy and myopic. Look at his business record, a series a short-term con-jobs that all end up bankrupt. He can only think in terms of one-off transactional relationships where he fucks somebody else over. I think he'll have the following goals in his presidency:

(1) Self-enrichment - use the levers of power to loot as much as possible for him and his cronies:
(2) Revenge - seek revenge on his real and perceived political opponents;
(3) Self-preservation - ensure that when he leaves office he will be able to evade criminal and civil liability;
(4) Sadism - my impression of Trump is that he is a sadist - he enjoys inflicting pain and misery, he will use his power to cause as much harm and suffering that he perceives to not threaten his own self-interest.

I think all those things are likely factors in how his presidency may manifest but that doesn't mean he doesn't have a strategic vision, or is incapable of longer term planning. He's clawed his way up to the position of the most powerful politician on earth - twice. I don't think viewing him solely as a short-termist malevolent narcicissist driven purely by base emotion and self preservation is accurate.

I think he genuinely believe that tax cuts, deregulation and slashing social spending will usher in an era of prosperity just the same as any other neoliberal - and it might for the rich. Where he breaks with the consensus is his desire to use the power of the state to regulate free movement of goods and labour and boost what he sees as the national economic interest using tools such as border controls and tariffs - and possibly using state or military power to break organised labour, protest movements and anyone who he believes might hamper his plans. But none of this is really outside of capitalist orthodoxy.

His crusade against wokism is really cover for a crusade againt any kind of socialism or regulation of capital, disguised as a populist movement and he is happy to sacrifice minority groups for that aim. His expansionist comments are basically a threat with the same purpose, reminding countries what the USA is capable of doing if they fuck with his plans for trade or at the border. But they also seem to me to be a way of feeling out what might be possible under the guise of trolling.

I do think he cares about legacy. I think he believes his economic plans will rekindle industry, reinvigorate the rust belt, make him a populist hero and well, make America great again. But being the president who brought security and prosperity to the fine American citizens of Greenland would be the icing on the cake and fits very well with his economic aspirations. Unification with Canada may be a punt too far though.

If any of this sounds familiar it's all because he's only a more extreme version of what we've seen in Western politics for the last four decades. But comparisons with the Hitlers and Mussolinis of the past, who saw the state as central to all parts of society including economic planning and were filled with a novel and radical ideological zeal are way off. He's much closer to Thatcher imo, albeit a worse version, which is chilling enough on it's own.

Having said all that who knows what's in his head and his impulsiveness and ego could send him off in myriad dimensions, as could events outside of his control in an increasingly turbulent world. But his ideological basis has always seemed to me to be a fairly mundane freemarket capitalism with a greater willingness than most to use the state to intervene in the global freemarket if he believes it is in the national economic interest

 

[brogdale]

I think all those things are likely factors in how his presidency may manifest but that doesn't mean he doesn't have a strategic vision, or is incapable of longer term planning. He's clawed his way up to the position of the most powerful politician on earth - twice. I don't think viewing him solely as a short-termist malevolent narcicissist driven purely by base emotion and self preservation is accurate.

I think he genuinely believe that tax cuts, deregulation and slashing social spending will usher in an era of prosperity just the same as any other neoliberal - and it might for the rich. Where he breaks with the consensus is his desire to use the power of the state to regulate free movement of goods and labour and boost what he sees as the national economic interest using tools such as border controls and tariffs - and possibly using state or military power to break organised labour, protest movements and anyone who he believes might hamper his plans. But none of this is really outside of capitalist orthodoxy.

His crusade against wokism is really cover for a crusade againt any kind of socialism or regulation of capital, disguised as a populist movement and he is happy to sacrifice minority groups for that aim. His expansionist comments are basically a threat with the same purpose, reminding countries what the USA is capable of doing if they fuck with his plans for trade or at the border. But they also seem to me to be a way of feeling out what might be possible under the guise of trolling.

I do think he cares about legacy. I think he believes his economic plans will rekindle industry, reinvigorate the rust belt, make him a populist hero and well, make America great again. But being the president who brought security and prosperity to the fine American citizens of Greenland would be the icing on the cake and fits very well with his economic aspirations. Unification with Canada may be a punt too far though.

If any of this sounds familiar it's all because he's only a more extreme version of what we've seen in Western politics for the last four decades. But comparisons with the Hitlers and Mussolinis of the past, who saw the state as central to all parts of society including economic planning and were filled with a novel and radical ideological zeal are way off. He's much closer to Thatcher imo, albeit a worse version, which is chilling enough on it's own.

Having said all that who knows what's in his head and his impulsiveness and ego could send him off in myriad dimensions, as could events outside of his control in an increasingly turbulent world. But his ideological basis has always seemed to me to be a fairly mundane freemarket capitalism with a greater willingness than most to use the state to intervene in the global freemarket if he believes it is in the national economic interest

Quality post.

 

[moochedit]

I should think it’s a very awkward period for many right now. There is so much to consider and many right minded people feel their hands are tied. Lots waiting to see what Trump does after entering the Oval Office. I would guess a few executive orders in the first few days probably to send out covert threats and make people feel vulnerable. He’ll stamp on his authority. It’s going to be so boring.

There will be a lot of shit things we will hate over the next 4 years but inevitably there will be fuck ups/maga vs maga beefs/u turns/sackings etc etc to cheer us up

 

[Jeff Robinson]

If any of this sounds familiar it's all because he's only a more extreme version of what we've seen in Western politics for the last four decades. But comparisons with the Hitlers and Mussolinis of the past, who saw the state as central to all parts of society including economic planning and were filled with a novel and radical ideological zeal are way off. He's much closer to Thatcher imo, albeit a worse version, which is chilling enough on it's own.

Well he did attempt a pustch, he talks about immigrants 'poisoning the blood of the nation', he calls his domestic enemies 'vermin' and is currently talking about annexing and invading three neighbouring countries to name just a tiny selection of the fascist-type shit he's done. I'm afraid most of the left are wide off the mark when it comes to Trump, he's not just some slightly worse common or garden right-winger, he represents something far darker. We need to heed the warnings of history.

 

[Rompipalle]

Trump gets “Unconditional Discharge” in his sentencing today.

Trump Will Be Sentenced In Hush Money Case Today—Here’s What To Expect

The Supreme Court rejected Trump's last-ditch effort to pause it Thursday evening.

www.forbes.com

He can’t carry a gun. He may not be allowed to travel to some countries.

I hope the UK is one of them.

 

[Cloo]

I have a depressing feeling the rest of my life may be lived under the shadow of everything that happens in the US the next 4 years. I mean that's true of many political things, but with this one it'll be truly overt.

 

[emanymton]

Well he did attempt a pustch, he talks about immigrants 'poisoning the blood of the nation', he calls his domestic enemies 'vermin' and is currently talking about annexing and invading three neighbouring countries to name just a tiny selection of the fascist-type shit he's done. I'm afraid most of the left are wide off the mark when it comes to Trump, he's not just some slightly worse common or garden right-winger, he represents something far darker. We need to heed the warnings of history.

I agree with much of what you say, but I'm not sure I'd go quite as far as this. I honesty see Trump more as a Putin than a Hitler. I can absolutely see him having his political opponents locked up on fake charges, or have them developed a tendency to be reckless around windows. But I don't see him sending thousands of people to camps. Although maybe the difference between those 2 things is just circumstances?

But as others have said there is still enough opposition and structures in place in the US to prevent either of those cases, but that is precisely what is going to be under relentless attack for the next four years. I'm still less worried about Trump than I am whoever is next.

I absolutely agree with you that too many see Trump as just business as usual but a bit worse, when I think his win is a step change, into something new.

 

[Jeff Robinson]

I agree with much of what you say, but I'm not sure I'd go quite as far as this. I honesty see Trump more as a Putin than a Hitler. I can absolutely see him having his political opponents locked up on fake charges, or have them developed a tendency to be reckless around windows. But I don't see him sending thousands of people to camps. Although maybe the difference between those 2 things is just circumstances?

But as others have said there is still enough opposition and structures in place in the US to prevent either of those cases, but that is precisely what is going to be under relentless attack for the next four years. I'm still less worried about Trump than I am whoever is next.

I absolutely agree with you that too many see Trump as just business as usual but a bit worse, when I think his win is a step change, into something new.

I don't think he's the next Hitler but I do think he's a fascist (as is Putin), whether he can establish a fascist system of government is a different question. He will build concentration camps though, they'll just be called 'migrant deportation facilities'.