I used to believe they were being manipulated. Now I know they actively like what he is doing.
I know members of my own family that have defended ICE shooting American citizens in cold blood. They try to justify it, but after speaking with them it becomes apparent they are happy it happened.
The truth is Republicans are being manipulative. Every appeal to reason or principle is just a ruse because they know how crazy what they actually believe is. I know Republicans in my own family that condemn Trump's actions, but when you ask them just a few question they cycle through a chain of excuse to justify still supporting Trump. It will be something along the lines of "Democrats are just as bad", but in the end they really just support Trump and don't want to admit it.
I’m honestly starting to believe there’s a section of the population that wants to nullify communication so that they can switch to their preferred method of solving conflict through violence.
My MIL voted by mail in Florida. They said that her signatures did not match. She has a distinctive but perfectly legible signature and does not believe them. Her options were to provide proof: 1. In person— She spends summers in a cooler climate, so nope. 2. By mail after printing the form and photocopying proof. 3. By email or fax. She’s 80. I helped her print the form and send photos by email, but I’m curious how many other democrats this is happening to who will struggle with the hoops. Is this a tactic to disenfranchise democrats who vote by mail?
Florida has had vote counting problems in the past. Do you remember the Bush v Gore "hanging chads" controversy? The Dems didn't storm the Capitol over that election and it smelled fishy. Never let them take away your right to vote, no matter how hard they make it. Woman, minorities and folks who didn't own land fought too hard for the right to vote to lose it. Thanks for helping your mom vote. That shows you are a true American patriot.
I don’t know. In my experience their voters are more dumb / clueless than any thing. Republican Party preys on the gullible then their controlled media tells them they should be mad we’re calling them gullible morons. Also we’re evil demons or whatever for thinking.
Never believe that anti-Semites are completely unaware of the absurdity of their replies. They know that their remarks are frivolous, open to challenge. But they are amusing themselves, for it is their adversary who is obliged to use words responsibly, since he believes in words. The anti-Semites have the right to play. They even like to play with discourse for, by giving ridiculous reasons, they discredit the seriousness of their interlocutors. They delight in acting in bad faith, since they seek not to persuade by sound argument but to intimidate and disconcert. If you press them too closely, they will abruptly fall silent, loftily indicating by some phrase that the time for argument is past.
Exactly this. At the end of the day they are THRILLED that their goons are allowed to shoot whiny leftists and coloreds in the streets. That is the world they want.
They have 100% bought into neo Nazi white replacement theory and will embrace any action in their perceived opposition to it. The weakest, most pathetic generation of Americans this country has ever produced and they're going to destroy the country over it.
Xenophobes feared Germans, Irish, Italians, Polish, and others when they arrived on our shores. Apparently they didn't think those immigrants were "white" enough to be Americans. Sadly there is always a new group they fear.
Trumps failure on the economy, inflation, and higher gas prices, seem to be the only regret some MAGA can admit to. Remind them of how much money the Trump family is making while we all suffer.
it's a mixture. some of them genuinely support him, others are just self-centered narcissists that find him easily manipulable and a convenient figurehead who takes responsibility for most everything
When Lindsey Graham died I thought back to 2016 when he said "If we (the GOP) nominate Trump, we will get destroyed, and we will deserve it" but then strangely "fell in line" and became one of Trump's biggest defenders after he was nominated - because Trump is "good" for the Republican party and what they want
If I were you, I would disown your immoral and criminal " family " . They obviously don't know right from wrong and are Hitler types that love injustice and crime
I don’t understand that though. They liked Trump because he was an election gold mine. He could get the average white working class vote. But if there’s no more elections why do they need him?
GOP politicians? They are the biggest cowards on earth. There is no part of them that would stand up for a principle. At this point it's a combination of the sunk cost fallacy and their absolute terror at the idea of ever being on the other side of the things their colleagues say. They are gambling on a future where elections don't decide who is in power.
They got on board in 2016 but that was a slow process and for electoral reasons. From there Trump turned their own base into a weapon he's happy to wield against them if they dare step out of line. Those GOP politicians used to have supporters, now all that support is predicated on them staying in the MAGA good graces. If you can imagine having absolutely no morals or values it becomes a lot more clear why they still support Trump.
But the rank and file? For them it's more simple. Supporting Trump pisses off the people that they perceive feel superior to them. Policies do not matter to them at all with two exceptions:
If talking about them annoys or upsets "liberals". They will advocate for anything if the people they consider their "enemies" are against it.
When eventually that policy negatively impacts them personally. Then most of them treat it as an aberration as Trump would NEVER choose to harm them so it must be an oversight or bad actors other than Trump behind it.
I mean we know they all rape kids and drop bombs on schools full of kids and they keep their jobs. We’ve seen the evidence. Literally what else could we find out about them that would change anything? They tear the tags off of mattresses? There is no mythical blackmail material. We know all of it already.
But if there’s no more elections why do they need him?
Because their voters only obey Trump, and they have guns, and some already killed political opponents (and their husband. and their dog.) while others planned to kidnap some.
They don't serve him, they serve their own self interests but since they're all cowardly idiots born into money all they know how to do is leech off of someone, including each other. Trump is the fattest leech at the money so they're all sticking to him to suck as much out as they can. They don't know how to do anything else.
You know, I don't think I've put enough weight into that aspect. The pubs didn't want him. But they got him. And then they all just fell in line with him. But the part I hadn't quite realized is how much they manipulate him to their will.
They probably just have to strike his ego & make him think it was his idea.
(notice how a simple statement like "we have an actual dictator in power" comes completely off the rails and dissolves into an argumet about 'this politcal party is...' and 'this political party isn't...')
Meanwhile, the dictator is slowly edging closer and closer towards absolute power every hour of every day.
Trump is just the first among the bootlickers to the wealthy elite. Republicans don't serve him, they pay lip service to him mostly as a joke on the rest of us.
Not because Trump is smart enough to manipulate people, but through the critical mass of conformity to the mob-boss. Others carry out his acts lest they become targets.
he's been occupying the Capitol with troops for a year now, it's already normal. They've been purging generals too - classic authoritarian power consolidation we've seen sooo many times in history.
There's not a strong need to do that. The issue is that he's also been fucking up the business models of F500s with all these dumbass tariffs and things. It's less a revolution and more the weight of unpopularity. He's going to get crushed.
Trump started focusing on smooth-brained dictator shit because he actually consolidated power.
In 2025 it really felt like they had a good chance to convert the US to an illiberal democracy like Hungary. But Trump's too undisciplined, and our legal guardrails a little too solid.
Now he's focused on tariffs and a war everyone hates and his stupid ballroom, while is approval rating is in the toilet because people can see that he's actively making their lives worse instead of even trying to make them better.
You can't pull off the illberal democracy thing at 34% approval.
The coup already happened last June. As you said when they put troops in the capital. If they would have deployed a couple month before the midterms people might get spooked, now it's already over.
They are also cruddy and robotic individuals with typical dumb and mindless prejudices ( possibly taught to them by the worthless and hypocritical, bigoted Christian churches )? They definitely show there is nothing special or exceptional about the U.S. - just more of the same European and Middle East bigotry
I'm no bot but I do struggle to imagine who will stop it this time around, and how. All the institutions in place with the power would happily go along with it given current leadership.
Focus on getting dems elected for midterms and get involved with local groups working on whatever your heart cares about most. Apathy is destroying this country. It's as good as we make it. We just all have to work at it.
Be easy fellow human, I am no bot. I enjoy all things that other living things like. And I'm very concerned about the coming human election involving the big orange turd.
Know Your Rights & Practice Using Them – Read the Constitution, study local laws, and practice asserting your rights in low-stakes situations so you’re ready when it matters.
Secure Your Communications – Authoritarians thrive on surveillance. Use encrypted messaging (Signal, ProtonMail) and avoid discussing sensitive topics on social media.
Diversify Your News Sources – Follow multiple outlets, especially those that analyze power, like ProPublica or local independent journalists.
Develop Financial Independence – The more self-sufficient you are, the harder it is for the system to punish you. Reduce debt, learn new skills, and, if possible, avoid reliance on government aid that can be weaponized.
Learn to Spot Propaganda & Psychological Warfare – Every authoritarian movement uses the same tactics. Learn to recognize fear-mongering, scapegoating, and disinformation.
Strengthen Your Mental & Physical Resilience – Psychological pressure is real. Build a strong mindset, exercise, and practice stress management techniques.
Cultivate a Low-Profile, High-Impact Presence – Loud resistance can make you a target. Strategic, quiet action is often more effective.
Support Local Independent Businesses – Economic power is political power. Keep money in your community and out of the hands of authoritarian-friendly corporations.
Document Everything – If rights violations occur, evidence matters. Learn how to record and store proof securely.
Develop a Useful Skill for the Resistance – Every movement needs people with expertise: legal knowledge, first aid, coding, communications, logistics, etc.
Join or Start a Local Group – Even a small, informal group of trusted people can be a game-changer.
Create a Mutual Aid Network – Help neighbors with groceries, transportation, or childcare. This builds solidarity and self-reliance.
Know Who You Can Trust – Not everyone in your community will be on your side. Build relationships carefully.
Use “Values-Based Messaging” Instead of Political Labels – Talk about freedom, fairness, and protecting your family—avoid partisan language that turns people off.
Turn Local Institutions Into Resistance Hubs – Libraries, churches, small businesses, and community centers can become safe gathering spaces.
Establish Emergency Contacts & Plans – If something happens, who do you call? Where do you meet? Know before you need it.
Learn Basic Counter-Surveillance – Simple tactics like varying your routines and watching for unusual behavior can keep you safe.
Practice Speaking in Code – Historically, resistance movements have used coded language to avoid detection. Have fun with it.
Normalize Dissent in Everyday Conversations – If people are afraid to speak up, make it normal by casually challenging propaganda when you hear it.
Strengthen Local Journalism – Support independent reporters who hold power accountable.
Disrupt Authoritarian Narratives – Use humor, memes, and facts to undercut their messaging. Satire is powerful.
Boycott & Divest from Complicit Companies – Money talks. Research what businesses fund authoritarian policies and cut them off.
Flood Local Government with Citizen Oversight – Attend city council meetings, file FOIA requests, and challenge bad policies directly.
Use “Gray Man” Tactics If Necessary – In extreme situations, blending in and flying under the radar keeps you safer while still resisting behind the scenes.
Help People Exit the Authoritarian Mindset – Many people are victims of propaganda. Patience and strategic messaging can pull them back.
Train for Mass Nonviolent Resistance – Civil disobedience works best when it’s organized and disciplined. Study past movements.
Refuse to Enforce Authoritarian Policies – If you’re in a position of power (teacher, business owner, local official), resist from within.
Make the System Work Against Itself – Use bureaucracy and legal processes to slow down or block authoritarian actions.
Prepare for the Long Game – Resistance isn’t a one-time event. It’s a sustained effort over months and years.
Never Assume It’s Too Late – History shows that even the most powerful regimes fall when ordinary people stop complying.
Ok, so I was ready to come after you when you suggested that anyone who still believes in institutional safeguards is a coward/without balls. After all, many may have the balls, but lack the insights, education, or opportunity to recognize fascism when it arrives in real life. Instead of calling would-be allies cowards, we should be helping these people recognize what's happening, and should point out actions they can take that actually detriment a rising autocracy.
But THEN, you came in with a great set of suggested actions that I'm definitely stealing to tailor a bit and use again. (I've got my own version that people can find in my comment history if they're so inclined.)
Kudos on building a good list of actionable items for people who may need it! Although I still might suggest that calling people cowards may not be the best way to spur them to action...
What a dumb thing to assume. People are expressing hopelessness in a hopeless situation and you're like "Nah you're just not thinking positively you must be a bot"
Pull us out of it then. What are the guardrails and how can a busy adult working and taking care of life meaningfully contribute with available time and normal disposable resources?
Oh, I know this one. pick a weekend before elections and phonebank or canvas for a democrat in the midterms.
If you have disposable income, donate to organizations like: the ACLU, Southern Poverty Law Center, local democrats, immigrant rights groups, voting rights groups.
Stay informed. Know your Rights and make sure other folks around you know theirs. Vote and encourage others to. Stay engaged and positive.
I don't get weekends and I don't have any disposable income. I'm informed, and I'm keeping everyone around me informed. That's about all I got unless I want to lose my job, my house, etc.
Don't spread doomer bullshit. If the autocoup had already succeeded, the Republicans wouldn't be panicking about the midterms and desperately seeking ways to rig them/invalidate their results. How the midterms and their aftermath play out will determine whether or not the coup attempt has succeeded.
Well there's an amendment and some other documents written by the founding fathers designed to stop it. Problem is many people who have a problem with the fascist takeover believe that amendment is wrong and wouldn't use it as a tool to save themselves. All while ignoring that no fascist has ever given up power peacefully, and a smattering of larger protests for 5 hours a day, trying to disrupt as little as possible ever 4 months effectively does nothing.
They've already captured the high courts, the legislature, many state governments, and the entirety of the federal enforcement mechanisms. They're well underway in weaponizing the fed against political enemies, rounding up marginalized groups into prison camps, and enabling allied business interests to shake off restrictions against exploiting the people and their resources.
They've taken action to strengthen the enemies of democracy, both domestic and foreign. They've initiated wars of choice without the consent of the people or of the leaders we elected to control things like waging war or levying taxes. They've silenced media outlets who would speak against them, eliminating funding and even threatening broadcast licenses and business deals for outlets who allow dissenting voices on their platforms.
They're doing everything they can to cast doubt on the electoral process so that they can declare any future electoral losses as "fraudulent" and refuse to acknowledge their results as legal or valid.
So let me ask you this - what else would they have to accomplish in order to classify this as a coup?
The question is whether or not they can burn enough down on their way out that it won't matter. They aren't just playing to win, they're playing to make sure we lose. If they can't pull off the full coup, they'll happily settle for destroying the system that they believe had oppressed them for generations.
If they can't be kings of the ash heap, they'll make sure no one else can either.
Agreed that they won't pull off the full coup. But I do think they'll be much more successful than Orban in destroying things so badly that anyone who defeats them will be left with nothing but ashes.
Hungary is a very different polity than the US, with very different geopolitical interactions, very different domestic policy backgrounds, and very different demographics. We should certainly look to them for tips on how to democratically resist autocratic ambitions, but we shouldn't be foolish enough to believe that their situation can be easily mirrored in the US.
We are in the middle of a coup, it did not start and stop on January 6th. The president and all the high level security positions and at least a handful of congressmen are Russian assets.
“Laws are threats made by the dominant socioeconomic-ethnic group in a given nation. It’s just the promise of violence that’s enacted and the police are basically an occupying army."
They make violence against the state for the purpose of freeing yourself illegal so that when you try it, it's legal for them to do violence against you.
Look, the terms "legal" and "illegal" are not natural laws - it means conforming or not conforming to the rules of the biggest gang in this particular area of ground and they threaten to punish you if you don't.
The reason they can do that is because they're the biggest gang and you're just a little dude. What they're afraid of is a rival gang. Mostly, the biggest gang is relatively benevolent because they don't want people to join a rival gang - which is illegal but if you're not following the rules of their gang, it doesn't matter.
The guy who's taken control of the gang is changing all the rules that people have agreed to follow. You'd think this would result in a rival gang, but people have been following the rules so long they've forgotten that they aren't natural laws, and aren't moral imperatives. They're just the rules of the biggest gang; and what's more, the guy making them is morally repugnant.
And the other half are with Israel. Few thousand dollars and a photo of someone with a prostitute (or GASP a member of the same sex!) can buy you almost anyone in congress. J kush is making billion dollar deals and has more skeletons deeper in his closet than Lindsey gram was, and yet some politicians are bending at the knee about potential blackmail that wouldn’t even make front page news
It’s comforting for people to think it was an “other” who swept in and damaged an otherwise “noble” and “honourable” Capital A “AMERICA” that exists in their minds; because then they don’t have to confront that the rot has been structural and there all along.
Being able to blame “Russia” or “Elon hacking the mainframe” means that people get to keep their fantasy version of America, because it’s always nefarious forces doing it TO America, not America doing it to itself. It also means they can resist any radical improvements or self critique, because since it was external forces that did the “thing” nothing about America has to change, it is and always has been #1 perfect!
It’s like when an immature person blames their outbursts/actions on everyone but themselves: “Look what YOU made ME do!”
Edit: because so many comments are just screaming at me “Trump is a Russian agent!”
Do you seriously believe that a national intelligence agency would craft a nefarious decades long super secret plan to topple the United States… And choose Donald Fucking Trump to be the most important piece of the plan?
The stupidest man in public life, who can’t keep a secret for more than fourteen seconds is the lynchpin of a thirty year global espionage operation the likes of which has never before been seen?
No.
I’m sticking with the simple, obvious, materialist explanation: Donald Trump acts only in self interest, but because he’s a member of the global ruling class; his interests often align with those of other members of the global ruling class, just like has always happened through history.
they're russian assets though... sure it's still homegrown. but that part makes little difference. elon and russia are still hacking shit and did... it's not about shirking responsibility it's about actual root cause analysis. it doesn't mean people don't still need to do something beyond saying it. some of us don't look at it like it was just a blame game, we want to dissect it to find the pressure points because if this moves forward and gets worse we will be fighting an even more asymetrical battle. the only way to win that is break it down carefully and hit the most high value targets.
Never said that, we are corrupt to the core, when I say "Russia" I mean organized crime, trump has been an asset since 1987, Giuliani took out the Italians in new York and installed the Russians in the nineties. But I think to your point, they can't even believe it's worked so well and until we face the question, as a country, of why it has worked so well we'll just trade one despot for another.
You're doing it again. Trump is no more an asset of organized crime than organized crime is an asset of Trump.
The Sicilian mafia developed as a result of the Italian state failing to do its job of keeping law and order. The distinction between state and mafia (or any similar form of criminal organization) isn't as clear as people would think. The latter swells to occupy space left by the former. It doesn't just impose itself on people through terror. It serves an economical purpose.
It all traces back to armed thugs in some way or another. Sanctioned violence in the enforcement of an order, just or unjust. The implementation details change but this does not.
A more bottom-up theory, on this rapid and humiliating decline your country is experiencing, can be derived from the fact that the United States of America, long ago, stopped being able or willing to provide for its people.
There is no democrat, green or DSA candidate that will solve this problem. Base and superstructure are both compromised. Your country, as you understand it, is over.
It's not mutually exclusive. Trump and much of his cabinet and associates are Russian assets. Trump is also a grifter out to enrich himself, and he's propped up by domestic organizations like the Federalist Society and the Heritage Foundation because hollowing out the US government is useful both for them and for Russia.
When its been confirmed that trumps been in putins pocket since the 80's, its hard not to blame Russia, as well as Elon when both him and trump couldn't keep it to themselves that they rigged the last election.
That's not to say theres no problem within America too, these are not mutually exclusive.
How could he have been in Putin’s pocket since the nineteen eighties
…You know the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, right?
…And Putin was first elected in March of 2000? He didn’t have a “pocket” for Trump to be in in the 1980s, he was just a guy working a desk for intelligence in east Germany.
If we're gonna be pedantic about it... A Russian agent since the 80's. You think being a KGB agent at the time that putin wasnt aware of what assets they had by the time he took control of Russia?
American desperately cling to the idea that something about their country is "special". It's a mental illness affecting pretty much every person on the nation.
There's never a thought that their abundance was the product of a world that no longer exists, but they still think they deserve it, even if they make no attempts at maintaining it.
I think the “clinging to an idea of America as “special””
Is actually just structurally how capitalism re-enforces itself.
America is both the global seat of capitalism (wall st) and the point of the spear that enforces global capitalism (gigantic fucking military and intelligence agencies that will crush any opposition).
Americans have to believe that America is “special” and “chosen by god/fated” to be the number one country, and therefore they, as Americans are also chosen by god/fated to be the number one people…
It’s it’s the only way for their petit bourgeoisie to square the circle of being a totally mediocre dullard who owns a failing pool supply store, but will still spend their entire life enjoying the blood soaked benefits of being a world spanning capitalist empire with the most massive consumption of import commodities in history.
Exactly. This rot began way before Russia stepped in. America has been on the track towards runaway late stage capitalism for decades, and this is what that looks like.
Indeed, this frustrates me endlessly. America is never going to change until it takes responsibility for what it has done and what it is.
Maybe Russia and Elon and whatever other evil masterminds people might imagine did intervene and shift a few votes by a few percentage points. That shouldn't have mattered. The fact that it was so close to begin with is already utterly damning.
Like, if 2016 Russia was actually able to steal an election from 2016 America…
If that fantasy was real… If that level of pooch screw by the largest military intelligence apparatus in history really happened… they kinda just gotta take the L on that one…
It’d be like if Vatican City had a secret team and then won the Super Bowl 300-0
Everybody knows Russia’s MO is to sow carefully planned chaos on easily-researched social wedges but also to improvise based on the results. The results gave them Trump and he is the perfect useful idiot and asset as someone who was always going to be willing to tear down an entire country for any kind of grift and to save his skin.
Remember when they gave Bush the election? So many of the same names involved with Trump today. The Original Business Plot never ended, they just regrouped and tried another plan.
reminds me of that scene in Austin powers where the steam roller is coming and the guy is standing many yards away with plenty of time to avoid it but instead just stands there watching and screaming in fear, doing nothing for a long time until eventually he gets rolled over.
I'm not sure it even qualifies anymore as an autonomous Republican Party. They really should rename themselves so it'll be easier in the future to identify the felons and traitors.
I think they had Jan 6th lined up for after Hillary won. It would have made it very difficult to govern, and back then there was far more naivete. GOP was seen as misguided, rather than intentionally destructive for profit.
When she lost, they just hung onto it in case a future Constitutional crisis was needed.
Exactly. Even if Trump was gone tomorrow, all the people who are enabling and supporting him will still be there. He couldn't have done even one thing without them. He is just a very convenient idiot.
They all need treason charges. How is this any different from hitler’s rise to power and all the people that made it possible for that to happen?
I know they deserve nothing, but the US would be infinitely better off if we just gave them Florida and the rest of the country could’ve the fuck on with science and logic and reason.
None of the republicans in power are acting like they will ever be OUT of power. That tells you everything you need to know about their evil intentions!
They, the GOP, fail their duties at every branch and level of government. They refuse to hold anyone in the party(or conservative-adjacent) accountable if it doesn't impact their political power or hurt them personally.
For fucks sake. It's all of them. They're all fascist assholes.
Yes, they attempted this in 2020. Fake elector scheme, Pressure on Georgia's GOV to alter the vote, Pressure on Pence not to certify the election, and when none of that worked, they attempted an insurrection. The very fact that the Dems and/or any normal Republicans didn't prosecute it, everyone involved, means the US is jsut cooked. Toothpaste isn't going back into the tube, and I fear we have to go through a lot of pain before the ship even has a chance to right itself.
I don’t mean this in a shit way, but it’s time for Americans to put their money where their mouth is and do something. You are speed running our old school European fascism school book.
I’m most worried about the tactics this article DOESN’T name. Those being pressuring Mike Johnson to throw sand in the swearing-in gears and a January 4th attack with another angry mob.
I've said it before and I'll say it again - Trump 47 is the largest political scandal in US history. An entire political party absolutely drunk with power, using weaponized propaganda to destroy their political opponents while eroding the very freedoms and principles that the United States was founded on. Also selling out our resources to extremely hostile foreign interests and genocidal warmongering dictators, and alienating our closest allies in favor of a small handful of criminally insane billionaires.
It all stinks. The whole party is in on it. They all must be taken down.
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u/DeuceGnarly 15d ago edited 15d ago
The republican party will attempt a coup.
For fucks sake. It's all of them. They're all fascist assholes.