Historian Bret Deveraux assesses Donald Trump's aims in 1933 and the Definition of Fascism. Spoiler alert: Trump meets every single criterion of being a fascist in 2024 (but didn't back in 2016).
So the above article is my response to Geth's entire post here, along with the phrase "oh you sweet summer child." A minority backed by a military, weakened democratic norms, and a level of legitimacy can absolutely take over – and have done so historically. The democratic norms have already been weakened by the Supreme Court ruling that the President can't be prosecuted for any official action. People are already expecting violence post-election, what if that violence becomes the excuse for a crackdown? "One really violent day" of policing could come next.
The point is that you never elect a candidate unless you think they will give the power back. Unless you want to be in a dictatorship. If you want to live in a fascist country, by all means vote for Trump. If making more money is more important to you than living in a democracy, vote for Trump. But don't be surprised when the hammer swings for you.
(10-27-2024, 05:55 PM)GethN7 Wrote: Personally, I doubt it will get that dire even if Trump wins.
We had four years of Trump before and I didn't see liberals and anyone to the left of Hitler given the Nacht un Nebel treatment.
We had Biden for four years, and despite Trump fans screaming he'd screw things up, somehow the United States is still here.
As I've gotten older, while I still consider voting important, the good news is the hard limit on two terms imposed post-FDR, so no permanent dictator can happen, and that goes for the people who are terrified of either side.
Ultimately, I do hope the most competent and honest parties are elected, but honestly, if I had to pick who I'd want as my eternal president, I'd want Chester Arthur perpetually. He didn't cause drama, left the country pretty much the way he found it, and was so nice even his enemies couldn't really find anything horrible to say about him aside from the fact he wasn't on their team.
If Trump does win, my advice for those who fear him is to make sure both houses of Congress and your states are filled with a ton of people in opposition, that would be the bulwark against any tyranny he could possibly do if he did get elected. If Kamala wins, well, make sure you elect as many people you want in lesser political positions of the same party to marginalize the other side's potential for damages. As for me, I will simply pray for peace and safety for whomever has their preferred candidate lose, and I will pray the winners have the wisdom to be gracious to the losers.
So the above article is my response to Geth's entire post here, along with the phrase "oh you sweet summer child." A minority backed by a military, weakened democratic norms, and a level of legitimacy can absolutely take over – and have done so historically. The democratic norms have already been weakened by the Supreme Court ruling that the President can't be prosecuted for any official action. People are already expecting violence post-election, what if that violence becomes the excuse for a crackdown? "One really violent day" of policing could come next.
The point is that you never elect a candidate unless you think they will give the power back. Unless you want to be in a dictatorship. If you want to live in a fascist country, by all means vote for Trump. If making more money is more important to you than living in a democracy, vote for Trump. But don't be surprised when the hammer swings for you.
"Kitto daijoubu da yo." - Sakura Kinomoto