The emergence of our new authoritarian government

Discussion in 'Political Opinions & Beliefs' started by HumbledPi, Apr 15, 2020.

  1. HumbledPi

    HumbledPi Well-Known Member

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    Earmarks of authoritarianism:

    1. Contempt for and fear of the free press, and constant efforts to weaken and de-legitimize it
    2. Efforts to compromise and use the justice system, both the courts and the police, for personal advantage (protection from investigation and prosecution of his own malfeasance's and vendettas against perceived political enemies)
    3. Aggressive disregard and/or undermining of other branches of government for the sake of one-man rule
    4. Use of the military for personal political reasons
    5. Alliances with other authoritarian rulers around the world
    6. Dismantling of alliances with democratic governments around the world
    7. Political exploitation of "lowest common denominator" nativist and racist divisions to gain and hold power
    8. Ruling by fear
    9. Fostering notions that conflate the person of the ruler, rather than the office of head of government, with the nation
    10. Exploitation of the advantages of occupying the office of head of government for great personal monetary gain
    This is a list of how Trump has repeatedly abused the office of the presidency. He is a textbook example of an entirely self-interested megalomaniac. Trump has taken over our entire government and in the process has destroyed what has endured for 240 years. Trump's base has enabled this and each of them shares the guilt of tearing this country apart.
     
  2. Kranes56

    Kranes56 Banned

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    Meh I will wait to say authoritarian until the polity score is below 6.
     
  3. Sleep Monster

    Sleep Monster Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Polity score?
     
  4. Golem

    Golem Well-Known Member Donor

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    And even as authoritarian dictator wannabes go, it was just our luck that we'd be the ones stuck with the incompetent one!
     
  5. EyesWideOpen

    EyesWideOpen Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    That's not a list, it's a rant. You provide no proof, just one conspiracy theory after another, followed by vague inferences to more conspiracy crap
     
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  6. Kranes56

    Kranes56 Banned

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    Basically it's a score to see how democratic or autocratic a country is. The US I think dropped down to like 8 last time I checked, but here's it's saying 10 (very democratic). When it drops below six it's no longer considered a democracy.
    http://www.systemicpeace.org/polity/usa2.htm
     
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  7. Facts-602

    Facts-602 Banned

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    Free press? All I see is a bunch of paid corporate shills.
     
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  8. God & Country

    God & Country Well-Known Member

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    The"free press" you are referring to became sniveling, drooling, Obama worshipping tabloid gibberish and still is.
    Can you say that with a straight face? C'mon Eric Holder? Loretta Lynch?
    How about weaponizing other branches of government, the FBI,CIA and the IRS for political purposes?
    Girly man didn't have much use for the military.
    How about Obama's hot mic moment with Russian president Medvedev?
    How about Obama's world wide bum kissing tour?
    The US became more divided under Obama.
    Half of America lived in fear during the eight years of the Obama administration
    You're kidding,right?
    What is the community organizer's net worth today?hmmm?

    This is a list of how Obama repeatedly abused the office of the presidency. He is a textbook example of an entirely self-interested megalomaniac. Obama weaponized parts of the government to attack political opponents. Obama had dreams of destroying America but ran out of time, he enlisted Hillary Clinton to finish the job but she failed to get elected. Trump has tried to repair the damage wrought by the Obama crime family and so far has done pretty well and will continue to do so in his next term. MAGA
     
  9. HumbledPi

    HumbledPi Well-Known Member

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    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Apr 16, 2020
  10. God & Country

    God & Country Well-Known Member

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    Brilliant!!!!
     
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  11. TOG 6

    TOG 6 Well-Known Member

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    Tell us what you think of your governor's orders to close down what he/she believes to be "non-essential" business and stay at home.
     
    Last edited: Apr 16, 2020
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  12. TOG 6

    TOG 6 Well-Known Member

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    Modus operandi.
     
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  13. Sanskrit

    Sanskrit Well-Known Member

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    Hiding propaganda and paid shilling behind the cloak of "the press" when what results is pure agitprop and delivers -0- reliable, useful information to the public, the whole purpose of press freedoms in the first place. Allowing ideologically charged "entertainment," messaging and outright brainwashing to hide between overgenerous press jurisprudence in need of serious reform. Allowing crony corporations, lobbies and other gov-edu-union-contractor-grantee-trial lawyer-MSM Complex parasites to use these loopholes as pure mouthpieces, as "the press" when they are simply paid advertisements or even defamation used against competition or political opposition. Allowing unregulated $$ and power intermingling between opportunists with glaring conflicts of interest, i.e. husband is a top media executive, wife is a government official, or back and forth "career tracks" between government positions and high paid media positions and the requisite GRAFT all along the path. Ironically, trying to protect pure opportunism and propaganda behind a facade of protection by calling something other than what it plainly is IS an EARMARK OF AUTHORITARIANISM.

    Rest of post is foamy garbage containing no reasoning, facts, etc., just a spew of ORANGEMANBAD, ironically missing the actual CRUX of what makes an "authoritarian" government. LW have a terrible habit of overwrought, erroneous political labels, makes them look juvenile. Not surprised.

    There -are- a few easy to spot indicia of "authoritarianism" in the U.S. government, involuntary social programs like SS/medicare/Obamacare, and that's about it, LW hyperbole notwithstanding.
     
    Last edited: Apr 16, 2020
  14. Pants

    Pants Well-Known Member

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    Let's add his call to adjourn Congress.

    President Donald Trump threatened Wednesday to adjourn Congress so he can unilaterally install nominees to federal positions that he said are pertinent to the coronavirus crisis, an unprecedented move that critics likened to a dictatorship.

    "If the House will not agree to that adjournment, I will exercise my constitutional authority to adjourn both chambers of Congress. The current practice of leaving town while conducting phony pro forma sessions is a dereliction of duty that the American people cannot afford during this crisis," Trump said at a White House briefing. "It is a scam what they do."


    https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/co...e-adjourning-congress-fill-vacancies-n1184886
     
  15. TOG 6

    TOG 6 Well-Known Member

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    This is perfectly within the established powers of the President and was given to him for reasons such as what we see here.
     
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  16. FreshAir

    FreshAir Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    that is what happens when people watch fox news
     
  17. FreshAir

    FreshAir Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Then don't complain when a dem president does it, as it will set a precedent
     
  18. Pants

    Pants Well-Known Member

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    He would need the support of the Senate and McConnell said it wouldn't happen.
     
  19. TOG 6

    TOG 6 Well-Known Member

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    McConnell cant prevent the President from adjourning Congress and making recess appointments.
     
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  20. Sanskrit

    Sanskrit Well-Known Member

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    If Trump's claims are correct, that Executive appointments are EVER held up for multiple YEARS, and it doesn't matter what Administration, what POTUS, and who's to blame, Obama, Bush, whomever, that **** needs to stop right now. Just another reason why the federal government should be pruned down to about 20% of what it has become. No way would ANY private sector company with accountability to a board or shareholders get away with this kind of incompetence and ****ery. So, yeah, if that is really going on? Shut it down/saber rattle, and every POTUS who ever faces this in the future of either party should also shut it down.

    To the topic, Trump is just jawboning on adjournment. The next step is trying to tie to Congressional delays to lost American lives, and he is warning them that he is considering it. Use the decoder ring.
     
    Last edited: Apr 16, 2020
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  21. StillBlue

    StillBlue Well-Known Member

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    Well, it dropped from a 10 in 2016 to an 8 in 2018 and has been passed by Bulgaria. You just might get that 6.
     
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  22. Kranes56

    Kranes56 Banned

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    Shhh... I'm really hoping for the best case scenario. Don't ruin the dream!
     
  23. ButterBalls

    ButterBalls Well-Known Member

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    You're to picky if you were demanding honesty.. ;)
     
    Last edited: Apr 16, 2020
  24. StillBlue

    StillBlue Well-Known Member

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    I think the dream being ruined is the point of this thread.
     
  25. modernpaladin

    modernpaladin Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    They are free to lie...
     

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