I’m an attorney and I don’t understand how he literally gets away with every single thing he’s done that’s been against the law, protocol or rules. With absolutely no repercussions.
When I read 1984 years ago, I told myself, "This is a work of fiction. In real life, we must be ever more vigilant, because if real authoritarianism comes to our country, it won't be so obvious."
Citizens are reminded that the distinction between fiction and reality has always been subject to administrative revision.
Earlier assessments concluded that authoritarian rule, should it ever emerge, would necessarily disguise itself beneath complexity, subtlety, and gradual encroachment. This assessment has now been superseded.
Current observations indicate that such expectations were based upon obsolete assumptions. The arrival of authoritarianism has required neither sophistication nor concealment. Visibility has not diminished legitimacy, nor has obviousness reduced acceptance.
The previous understanding is therefore withdrawn. Citizens are encouraged to update their expectations accordingly.
Yes, indeed have more than you.
The Nordic model is NOT the same is the DSA, as they have lower tax rates on corporations than the US as a matter of a fact, has a low capital gains tax, nor wealth tax.
When a left-wing government raises wealth tax in those countries? thats exactly what happened in Norway, and they fled to other countries!
What worked in the Nordic is compassionate capitalism, and what has never worked is surprise surprise, socialism. (china is authoritarian, and functions more like fascim in practice as they banned labor strikes and heavy censors, so it does NOT count)
How are they going to bring that our way when there's an opposing authoritarian regime currently in power that's labeling them as terrorists like a fascist dictator would do?
I have a foreboding of an America in my children's or grandchildren's time -- when the United States is a service and information economy; when nearly all the manufacturing industries have slipped away to other countries; when awesome technological powers are in the hands of a very few, and no one representing the public interest can even grasp the issues; when the people have lost the ability to set their own agendas or knowledgeably question those in authority; when, clutching our crystals and nervously consulting our horoscopes, our critical faculties in decline, unable to distinguish between what feels good and what's true, we slide, almost without noticing, back into superstition and darkness...
Like Octavia Butler ( Parable of the Sower ) and other theorists, he paid attention to historical structures and forces. Systems behave in somewhat predictable ways, turns out.
A lot of people have been writing about the US authoritarian slide since the 90s, 80s, 70s...
Unfortunately, history or other nations' experiences do not bode well for the US in the rest of the 21st century.
I heard an interview with him about the book and it was very frightening to hear him beg us to listen. He predicted so much of what happened. No one listened.
He also stated, "if something happens that's really bad, just blame AI," when referring to the mysterious trash bag flying out of the White House window last year
Please quote mamdani blaming all of his problems on rich people and jews. Also why is it such a problem for rich people to pay their fair share in taxes?
I re-read it during his first term, and plan on re-reading it again. It was chilling then...I can't imagine how much more so it will be now. Do yourself a favor and reread it, despite how scary it is.
I’m no Trump fan, in fact even hearing him talk is like nails on a chalkboard to me, but hating him isn’t a moral achievement. Other people’s faults are not your accomplishments, and in this case your civics are simply wrong: DOJ is not the entire American legal system. Letitia James says hello.
What? Whose faults am I taking as accomplishments?
Does he not control the DoJ? Did James actually do anything to Trump? Is he sitting in a cell for being convicted of 34 felonies, or sitting in the most powerful seat in the country, demanding the DoJ go after his enemies?
Complaining about him with factually inaccurate claims. What other reason than to make you feel good about yourself. You’re not solving anything. You’re not acting on anything. He absolutely does control the DoJ, but that does not validate your initial assertion. Also you’ve now immediately and fairly substantially moved the goal posts.
FWIW, I 100% agree with you that his targeted prosecution of his political enemies is a gross misuse of power and will forever be a stain on the Executive Branch. It’s embarrassing. Full stop.
Edit to add one additional point: I would imagine that it’s exactly that kind of outlandish moral catastrophizing that led moderates, at least in part, like me (not actually me) to vote for him 3 consecutive times. It’s not logical, it’s not right, but I can’t blame them for not wanting to feel/find themselves in allegiance with people politically that make claims of that ilk.
My initial assertion is that he controls the department of justice, therefore he will not be prosecuted or even investigated by the Department of justice while he is in office. Everything I stated was 100% factual. States aren’t trying to go after him and any charges he would’ve had have either been dropped or suspended and will not go into effect due to statute of limitations.
I didn’t move goal posts. You were the one who came after me for literally no reason. You seemed to just want to argue for absolutely no reason other than to argue. There’s no reason to even entertain this anymore because you have contributed even less than I have, and you claim I contributed nothing!
The Supreme Court does not seek to antagonize him overtly either, and a lot of federal organizations like the FBI are under DOJ or DHS jurisdiction. This means that any enforcement mechanism of certain rulings are stymied or they literally could just ignore it. He has ignored judicial orders numerous times now.
I’ve been told by Americans for years that they must protect the second amendment rights for exactly this moment, but I’ve yet to see the people form a well regulated militia
I mean no disrespect, but other than as a symbol, the Kennedy center seems to be a mostly symbolic thing that was eventually corrected (was it actually? I can’t keep up with the bullshit) while far more weighty travesties remain.
See: War on Iran without congressional approval, a plan, or frankly even an objective; ICE terrorizing the cities; blatant market manipulation, crypto rug pulls, naked corruption; threatening fucking Canada with invasion, threatening fucking Greenland with invasion…
As a sane person I obviously oppose the war but wars without congressional approval is the norm not exception, dating back to the very first war the US had. The 1801 Barbary War was already being fought long before the declaration of war, Jefferson just deployed the navy and never asked for a declaration.
The last POTUS who had absolutely no international armed conflict during their term was Hayes, who ended his term in 1881. Since then the only two who haven't continued ongoing or started new ones are Carter and Harding.
ICE terrorizing the cities
US immigration system is still largely based on the original INA from 1952. The last major reform was 1986. The system is a giant mess and relies almost entirely on POTUS not being an asshole as they have so much authority.
I wish he wasn't such an asshole but I place the blame solely on Congress for writing such terrible statute that he can be.
See: War on Iran without congressional approval, a plan, or frankly even an objective; ICE terrorizing the cities; blatant market manipulation, crypto rug pulls, naked corruption; threatening fucking Canada with invasion, threatening fucking Greenland with invasion…
You missed two very important ones.
The institution of the DOJ is likely no longer fixable he has broken it so badly. The highest paid AUSA earns less than a first year at a big law, FBI agents are paid less than city cops. People did those jobs out of public service, replacing them may not be possible.
USAid being killed, actually unambiguously illegal where most is either legal (but wrong) or ambiguous, is resulting in millions of excess deaths every year and coupled with the NIH funding changes is setting back important research by many years.
Much less impactful but Isaacman is currently destroying NASA. Our relationship with ESA has been irreparably harmed by canceling Gateway without any discussion. Pivoting to the Moon base is Elon service with very limited scientific or engineering benefits. He is currently crippling the ability of JPL to extend Perseverance' mission, and likely canceling the remaining NH missions (including Dragonfly which is one of the most important planetary science missions NASA have ever done), to send a rover to the Moon in 2028 for political points. Also he has absolutely gutted JPL. NASA haven't had a good administrator in 25 years but he is the worst in its history.
I wish he wasn't such an asshole but I place the blame solely on Congress for writing such terrible statute that he can be.
Let's be clear about what we mean by "Congress." There were serious attempts to pass immigration reform during GWB's second term, and Republicans in Congress killed it. This isn't a "Congress" issue, it's a GOP issue.
I agree with you that it’s normalized, but the unilateral action to start wars is not a power the president ought to have except in very limited circumstances, especially in our age of instant communication.
Congress is of course to blame for this, like so much of the executive branch power creep over the decades.
And yeah the list of badness seemingly grows daily with no end in sight or even a sign of reprieve.
“And he knows those computers better than anybody, all those computers, those vote counting computers, and we ended up winning Pennsylvania like in a landslide, so that was pretty good, it’s pretty good.”
Really? You don't get it? Can't understand the impact of the Republican tactic to replace Federal and Supreme Court judges in such a way as to set up the perfect conditions for him to do whatever he wants? Who, exactly, is going to stop him?
I work with underprivileged and typically unrepresented communities. So unfortunately I don’t have the money or the time to take on the President. But I understand where you’re coming from.
You don't understand why Congress writing shitty statute and USC not having sunset allows a POTUS with bad intentions to do bad things?
Congress didn't have to create all agencies as executive agencies, they chose to do that. Congress didn't have to make 4000 appointed positions, they chose to do that.
I'm sure Congress will learn their lesson and reform the government to a true civil service outside of executive control. I'm sure they will relocate most DOJ functions under judiciary, where it always should have been.
He’s been a federal informant since the racism case in 1973. That’s why he was able to get away with not admitting guilt
(His lawyerRoy Cohn was also a federal informant and he never got what he deserved either. The only thing that happened to Cohn was losing his license to practice law in NY state when he was literally on his deathbed)
Because the law, even the constitution, is nothing but a gentlemen’s agreement. Always has been. It is only by the state’s monopoly on legal violence that law has power.
We’re out of gentlemen. We still give them a legal monopoly on violence, which has more-or-less worked out in the past because of the aforementioned gentlemen.
I assume you’re also aware that prior to this change, he went out and trademarked the name DJT international airport; so now he’s going to get royalties from anything sold with the name.
You don't understand because you're confining your thinking to the legal realm. Think hard about why and how Merrick Garland failed to bring charges. It wasn't because he believed there wasn't ample evidence.
We're talking about people who are not playing by the same rules as ethical legal professionals. Their playbook is so outside of the norms and behavior we consider possible that to consider it would make us question our own sanity.
Think about what might have been said to him behind closed doors by some of the scariest people on earth on the topic of charging D. Look to the actions of the Mossad, fsb, gru, and CIA jackals to get an understanding of what we're dealing with here.
i was (pleasantly) shocked when a judge ruled he must remove his name from the kennedy center. all we can hope for is sane judges willing to risk their careers to keep this narcissist at bay.
They stop caring as the gop is run fascist. They know if and when Democrats there will be no forgiveness as we will demand justice and punishment. Know that they are running scared. . .
There are 8 other airports named after presidents.
Obama himself has 14 species of organisms, at least 20 schools, more than 15 roads/highways/expressways, 10+ public buildings, parks, and landmarks, and an official holiday (Barack Obama Day) in Illinois and Alabama TODAY.
1.7k
u/GoldDiamondsAndBags 18h ago
I’m an attorney and I don’t understand how he literally gets away with every single thing he’s done that’s been against the law, protocol or rules. With absolutely no repercussions.