Is This It? Trump/Bannon's Dictatorship Plan Under Way?

You have the most homoerotic avatar of anyone here.

 

Yep; the Republicans galvanized their party around essentially two issues: abortion (religion) and guns, and I would wager the VAST majority of the people who voted for Trump did so in defense of one or both of those ideas.

Liberals? They tend to have a checklist of 8-10 varied issues and, man - lord help the candidate that doesn't address each and every one of those effectively. Bill Maher has argued for years that legalizing weed could be abortion-like for the left: the one universally galvanizing issue that could actually motivate people to vote.... you know, if they weren't high, and all.

I don't know about that - but the left absolutely lacks a unifying message that can scoop up and light a fire under large swathes of voters.

 

Corto Maltese, but I think Texxxy's took the prize before changing it to the 'murrican bald eagle

 

Wow. First time anybody here's recognized it.

 

I confess, I did a google search--I was curious

 

You should read/watch it. It's pretty nice. I'm a big fan of it - WW1 era European culture and aesthetics. If you've ever watched Tintin, it kinda feels similar (but not really).

 

While I largely agree with the rest of your post, I have to disagree with the first sentence. I personally think that both issues, abortion and guns, have an influence all out of proportion to the numbers of Americans that feel strongly about one issue or the other, or both.

Spoiler

I support gun ownership. I have some myself and know several liberals who own firearms. You don't have to be "conservative" to enjoy gun ownership, despite the impression some give here, or on Fox News. I also know women who have gotten terrific medical services, primarily for birth control and women's health, from Planned Parenthood, having taken girlfriends there myself back in the late '60's and early '70's. They provide a needed service for women, particularly those without the financial resources some of us have, whether the women are poor, or are college students (which would largely describe my girlfriends). I know more than a bit about both issues.

In my humble opinion, a heck of a lot of people voted for Trump because they were convinced, by the time election day came around, and by fake news or not, that they disliked Trump less than they disliked Hillary. It's also my opinion that the election was interfered with to the extent that it could have tilted the result to Trump in the last few weeks. Endless "alternative facts," Comey's shocking injection of his office into a presidential election, not once, but twice, the last literally a couple of days before the vote. You see, I believe our intelligence agencies, including, once Comey's preferred candidate had won, the FBI, that the Russian government, with or without collusion by the Trump campaign (and we will eventually find out if collusion existed), deliberately and actively tried to help Donald Trump win. Whether the Russian intervention in our democratic process made "the difference" or not, we need to dig until every fact comes out. I compare this past election to Watergate and have said before that I remember it well, being a voter and a political junkie back then. It wasn't until after the '72 election, but Nixon was forced to resign. Ford subsequently lost his electoral bid for the job. It wouldn't surprise me if Pence has been elevated to the Presidency before Trump's term is finished, and then has the same luck as that far more decent and able man, Gerald Ford.

 

The people Trump has surrounded himself with are crazier than he is! Bannon wants to round up Muslims and throw them in concentration camps ..that's why they want a Muslim registry...just like Nazi Germany with the Jews! Millions of immigrants will end up in camps. Trump administration is desperate for war with Iran and China! World War III is guaranteed if Trump gets his way!!Trump must be impeached before things get really ugly! Say no to fascism! Say no to police state! Say no to Trump!

 

if those pesky fighters for the union wouldn't have gotten in the way, this country would have been greater sooner!

 

The RNC has long wanted a one-party state. Trump (Bannon) is just stealing the head seat at the table.

The march toward authoritarianism predates Trump, but -- to extents you couldn't make up -- the transparent and comedic incompetence of the current Republican administration makes this crisis one of the funnier collapses of democratic governance this side of the Darwin Awards.

Putin surely can't believe how easy this was...

 

Trump will not give up power without a fight. And I mean that he won't accept the results of a 2020 election that shows him losing. He simply won't transfer power to anyone - claim it has to be looked into and use the systems to hold onto power. That will be his moment to strike and declare martial law and become dictator.

It's clear that he is already attacking the 3 key foundations of American democracy.

1. The court system
2. The press
3. The voting system

This is real.

 

It will be intriguing to see how his supports react to that

Rocket River

 

He is attacking those things, but I think its more because he had never had an interest in how Democracy works, or civil service, or the principles of our Constitution. I don't think it's any sinister design. I do believe he would like a dictatorship, because he respects authoritarian leaders. He sees it as strength and thus will behave consistent with that.

 

I don't think it's a sinister design, but his total disregard for checks on his power should be eyebrow raising and seen as dangerous. Because while he does not think he will become a dictator, Bannon is a different story and he is in fact sinister. I think Bannon is using Trump and encouraging him to disparage these institutions to erode public trust in them.

If 35% of the population sees the courts, media, and election system as untrustworthy, and 20% are unsure, Trump has the ability to seize power knowing only resistance will happen in urban areas. If you look at past revolutions - they are typically taken by someone with support from rural areas. This was true for Mao, Stalin, and many many others.

People are very complacent to think that democracy in America can't be usurped by a dictator. But we've never had a president in our history who is doing the things Trump is doing.

If Republicans in congress are terrified of opposing Trump too much in fear of losing re-election, then the Supreme Court might be the last stand against Trump. There's no guarantee the Dems will take the Senate nor the House in 2 years either.

 

3.5 years later, and it does appear that Trump is laying the groundwork for a coup if he loses.

He's already working to build the story to delegitimize the election:

Claims of voter fraud (mail-in and in-person)
Claims of corrupt polling and media
A supreme court that will side with him
A senate that refuses to challenge him
Supporters willing to bring arms to the street to fight for him.

He will declare victory on Nov 4th knowing all of this.

 

He just tried a little test run to see if the military would support him by subduing American citizens, but was rejected on all fronts.

 

He doesn't need the military. He has the senate and the courts and a bunch of people willing to take arms to the streets. That's his military.

Suppose he just declares himself the winner, and puts the contest in a legal review. The Supreme Court is very much in his pocket and could rule he is right. Or he can even ignore the SC and say he won end of story. And declare he won the senate and the house too.

What happens then?

 

Scotus siding with trump on tenous Bush v Gore grounds will likely rip apart the constitution.

We’ll need a big fuggin catastrophe to avert that shitstorm if it turns out that Biden wins the popular vote and loses in state votes by the number that’s half the total coronavirus deaths in the US so far.

SMH to the people out there who think 100,000 people isn’t a BFD.

We’re only halfway through.

 

I think it was you or dobro that was talking about this and all the ways trump might try.

From what was said here it seems the hope from trump side is that it go to states not certifying and he take his chances with congress. This seems in play unless biden sweeps all states by such a margin that a recount isnt needed or some states dont matter since biden has enough to move on.

Since it will be record turnout the systems wont be able to handle it.
The suppression is real and some nasty stories coming out of georgia.

With all the suppression and shadiness that will level the field for trump but hopefully not enough.

Trumps hope is a somewhat close then yes he will try every single thing possible to stay. All based on the election being fake news and he is being attacked and these people don't understand democracy type stuff. Lovely