It can happen here!

[TheGreenHornet]

Obama turned the IRS and FBI loose on his "Enemies", American people who dared to have a different philosophy on the relationship between man and government; but that's not Fascism...er, somehow it's not...click the link

Who, besides yourself, have any evidence to make the allegation that Obama conspired with the IRS and FBI?

What evidence beyond your opinion do you have?

I haven't seen a video or heard a speech wherein President Obama incited a large group of his supporters to lock anyone up, have you?

Darrell Issa Refuses To Release ‘Evidence’ That Obama Conspired With IRS To Target Tea Party

Trump DOJ settles lawsuits over Tea Party targeting by Obama IRS

NEW REPORT: IRS TEA PARTY TARGETING LEADS DIRECTLY TO OBAMA -

 

[ptbw forever]

"Authoritarianism, principle of blind submission to authority, as opposed to individual freedom of thought and action. In government, authoritarianism denotes any political system that concentrates power in the hands of a leader or a small elite that is not constitutionally responsible to the body of the people. Authoritarian leaders often exercise power arbitrarily and without regard to existing bodies of law, and they usually cannot be replaced by citizens choosing freely among various competitors in elections. The freedom to create opposition political parties or other alternative political groupings with which to compete for power with the ruling group is either limited or nonexistent in authoritarian regimes."

authoritarianism | Definition & Facts

I know from experience that like an ostrich the supporters of Donald Trump and the members here who support the governance under the leadership of McConnell and Ryan, will not read the above link. It exposes Authoritarianism in general, and those governments in the past who are accepted as authoritarian and how they evolved.

For those who choose to mock this thread, none should call them patriots.

Racist dog whistles everywhere.....

 

[ptbw forever]

"Authoritarianism, principle of blind submission to authority, as opposed to individual freedom of thought and action. In government, authoritarianism denotes any political system that concentrates power in the hands of a leader or a small elite that is not constitutionally responsible to the body of the people. Authoritarian leaders often exercise power arbitrarily and without regard to existing bodies of law, and they usually cannot be replaced by citizens choosing freely among various competitors in elections. The freedom to create opposition political parties or other alternative political groupings with which to compete for power with the ruling group is either limited or nonexistent in authoritarian regimes."

authoritarianism | Definition & Facts

I know from experience that like an ostrich the supporters of Donald Trump and the members here who support the governance under the leadership of McConnell and Ryan, will not read the above link. It exposes Authoritarianism in general, and those governments in the past who are accepted as authoritarian and how they evolved.

For those who choose to mock this thread, none should call them patriots.

Out of curiosity, what has Trump done as president that is authoritarian?

During the campaign, he said some shit that gave me the idea that he had an authoritarian streak, which is a lot of why I was disappointed that it was he who came out on top of the republican primaries, but since he's been in office, I've yet to see him push for anything authoritarian.

I'm seriously asking, though, because it's perfectly plausible that you've noticed something that I missed. So how about it? You got anything specific to offer, or is this just another hysterical generalization from a paranoid anti Trump'er?

A good question and one worth answering:

1. They will come to power with a campaign based on fear, scaremongering and distorting the truth
2. They will divide and rule
3. Through convoluted laws and threats they will try to control mainstream media and limit press freedom
4. They will create chaos, maintain a constant sense of conflict and danger
5. They will distort the truth, deny facts and blatantly lie
6. They will incite and then leak fake, superficial "scandals."
7. They will propose shocking laws to provoke your outrage
8. When invading your liberal sensibilities they will focus on what hurts the most — women and minorities
9. They will try to take control of the judiciary
10. They will try to limit freedom of assembly, calling it a necessity for your security
11. They will distort the language, coin new terms and labels, repeat shocking phrases until you accept them as normal and subconsciously associate them with whom they like
12. They will take over your national symbols, associate them with their regime, remake them into attributes of their power
13. They will try to rewrite history to suit their needs and use the education
14. They will alienate foreign allies and partners, convincing you that you don’t need them
15. They will eventually manipulate the electoral system.

For more detail as if more is necessary see the LINK:

Increasingly a Necessity: A 15-Point Guide to Surviving Authoritarianism – BillMoyers.com

Now, consider what Trump has done in terms of his tweets, speeches and EO's while reading the above 15 points.

Moyers is an idiot and a quack.

Try again.

 

[Wry Catcher]

"Authoritarianism, principle of blind submission to authority, as opposed to individual freedom of thought and action. In government, authoritarianism denotes any political system that concentrates power in the hands of a leader or a small elite that is not constitutionally responsible to the body of the people. Authoritarian leaders often exercise power arbitrarily and without regard to existing bodies of law, and they usually cannot be replaced by citizens choosing freely among various competitors in elections. The freedom to create opposition political parties or other alternative political groupings with which to compete for power with the ruling group is either limited or nonexistent in authoritarian regimes."

authoritarianism | Definition & Facts

I know from experience that like an ostrich the supporters of Donald Trump and the members here who support the governance under the leadership of McConnell and Ryan, will not read the above link. It exposes Authoritarianism in general, and those governments in the past who are accepted as authoritarian and how they evolved.

For those who choose to mock this thread, none should call them patriots.

Out of curiosity, what has Trump done as president that is authoritarian?

During the campaign, he said some shit that gave me the idea that he had an authoritarian streak, which is a lot of why I was disappointed that it was he who came out on top of the republican primaries, but since he's been in office, I've yet to see him push for anything authoritarian.

I'm seriously asking, though, because it's perfectly plausible that you've noticed something that I missed. So how about it? You got anything specific to offer, or is this just another hysterical generalization from a paranoid anti Trump'er?

A good question and one worth answering:

1. They will come to power with a campaign based on fear, scaremongering and distorting the truth
2. They will divide and rule
3. Through convoluted laws and threats they will try to control mainstream media and limit press freedom
4. They will create chaos, maintain a constant sense of conflict and danger
5. They will distort the truth, deny facts and blatantly lie
6. They will incite and then leak fake, superficial "scandals."
7. They will propose shocking laws to provoke your outrage
8. When invading your liberal sensibilities they will focus on what hurts the most — women and minorities
9. They will try to take control of the judiciary
10. They will try to limit freedom of assembly, calling it a necessity for your security
11. They will distort the language, coin new terms and labels, repeat shocking phrases until you accept them as normal and subconsciously associate them with whom they like
12. They will take over your national symbols, associate them with their regime, remake them into attributes of their power
13. They will try to rewrite history to suit their needs and use the education
14. They will alienate foreign allies and partners, convincing you that you don’t need them
15. They will eventually manipulate the electoral system.

For more detail as if more is necessary see the LINK:

Increasingly a Necessity: A 15-Point Guide to Surviving Authoritarianism – BillMoyers.com

Now, consider what Trump has done in terms of his tweets, speeches and EO's while reading the above 15 points.

Moyers is an idiot and a quack.

Try again.

Post evidence he is, and you're not!!!

BTW, the evidence that Trump meets the MQ's to be labeled an Authoritarian has become more probative, now he is threatening to withhold foreign aid to UN nation's who don't do what he commands, in terms of moving the Capital of Israel.

The writing in the 15-points by the guy who called Moyers a moron - sans any evidence - is another example of deplorable and uneducated post by someone who has never watched or listen to PBS or NPR, and instead watches Fox News and listens only to the single source of propaganda by Hannity, Limbaugh and other brain-washers.

 

[Wry Catcher]

"Authoritarianism, principle of blind submission to authority, as opposed to individual freedom of thought and action. In government, authoritarianism denotes any political system that concentrates power in the hands of a leader or a small elite that is not constitutionally responsible to the body of the people. Authoritarian leaders often exercise power arbitrarily and without regard to existing bodies of law, and they usually cannot be replaced by citizens choosing freely among various competitors in elections. The freedom to create opposition political parties or other alternative political groupings with which to compete for power with the ruling group is either limited or nonexistent in authoritarian regimes."

authoritarianism | Definition & Facts

I know from experience that like an ostrich the supporters of Donald Trump and the members here who support the governance under the leadership of McConnell and Ryan, will not read the above link. It exposes Authoritarianism in general, and those governments in the past who are accepted as authoritarian and how they evolved.

For those who choose to mock this thread, none should call them patriots.

Out of curiosity, what has Trump done as president that is authoritarian?

During the campaign, he said some shit that gave me the idea that he had an authoritarian streak, which is a lot of why I was disappointed that it was he who came out on top of the republican primaries, but since he's been in office, I've yet to see him push for anything authoritarian.

I'm seriously asking, though, because it's perfectly plausible that you've noticed something that I missed. So how about it? You got anything specific to offer, or is this just another hysterical generalization from a paranoid anti Trump'er?

A good question and one worth answering:

1. They will come to power with a campaign based on fear, scaremongering and distorting the truth
2. They will divide and rule
3. Through convoluted laws and threats they will try to control mainstream media and limit press freedom
4. They will create chaos, maintain a constant sense of conflict and danger
5. They will distort the truth, deny facts and blatantly lie
6. They will incite and then leak fake, superficial "scandals."
7. They will propose shocking laws to provoke your outrage
8. When invading your liberal sensibilities they will focus on what hurts the most — women and minorities
9. They will try to take control of the judiciary
10. They will try to limit freedom of assembly, calling it a necessity for your security
11. They will distort the language, coin new terms and labels, repeat shocking phrases until you accept them as normal and subconsciously associate them with whom they like
12. They will take over your national symbols, associate them with their regime, remake them into attributes of their power
13. They will try to rewrite history to suit their needs and use the education
14. They will alienate foreign allies and partners, convincing you that you don’t need them
15. They will eventually manipulate the electoral system.

For more detail as if more is necessary see the LINK:

Increasingly a Necessity: A 15-Point Guide to Surviving Authoritarianism – BillMoyers.com

Now, consider what Trump has done in terms of his tweets, speeches and EO's while reading the above 15 points.

Moyers is an idiot and a quack.

Try again.

Post evidence he is, and you're not!!!

BTW, the evidence that Trump meets the MQ's to be labeled an Authoritarian has become more probative, now he is threatening to withhold foreign aid to UN nation's who don't do what he commands, in terms of moving the Capital of Israel.

The writing in the 15-points by the guy who called Moyers a moron - sans any evidence - is another example of deplorable and uneducated post by someone who has never watched or listen to PBS or NPR, and instead watches Fox News and listens only to the single source of propaganda by Hannity, Limbaugh and other brain-washers.

Postscript: Once again a member of the echo chamber's callous conservative caucus has proved they cannot write an expository response and must rely on the "funny" button. Sad, see the post above so you know who to pity.

 

[Not2BSubjugated]

"Authoritarianism, principle of blind submission to authority, as opposed to individual freedom of thought and action. In government, authoritarianism denotes any political system that concentrates power in the hands of a leader or a small elite that is not constitutionally responsible to the body of the people. Authoritarian leaders often exercise power arbitrarily and without regard to existing bodies of law, and they usually cannot be replaced by citizens choosing freely among various competitors in elections. The freedom to create opposition political parties or other alternative political groupings with which to compete for power with the ruling group is either limited or nonexistent in authoritarian regimes."

authoritarianism | Definition & Facts

I know from experience that like an ostrich the supporters of Donald Trump and the members here who support the governance under the leadership of McConnell and Ryan, will not read the above link. It exposes Authoritarianism in general, and those governments in the past who are accepted as authoritarian and how they evolved.

For those who choose to mock this thread, none should call them patriots.

Out of curiosity, what has Trump done as president that is authoritarian?

During the campaign, he said some shit that gave me the idea that he had an authoritarian streak, which is a lot of why I was disappointed that it was he who came out on top of the republican primaries, but since he's been in office, I've yet to see him push for anything authoritarian.

I'm seriously asking, though, because it's perfectly plausible that you've noticed something that I missed. So how about it? You got anything specific to offer, or is this just another hysterical generalization from a paranoid anti Trump'er?

A good question and one worth answering:

1. They will come to power with a campaign based on fear, scaremongering and distorting the truth
2. They will divide and rule
3. Through convoluted laws and threats they will try to control mainstream media and limit press freedom
4. They will create chaos, maintain a constant sense of conflict and danger
5. They will distort the truth, deny facts and blatantly lie
6. They will incite and then leak fake, superficial "scandals."
7. They will propose shocking laws to provoke your outrage
8. When invading your liberal sensibilities they will focus on what hurts the most — women and minorities
9. They will try to take control of the judiciary
10. They will try to limit freedom of assembly, calling it a necessity for your security
11. They will distort the language, coin new terms and labels, repeat shocking phrases until you accept them as normal and subconsciously associate them with whom they like
12. They will take over your national symbols, associate them with their regime, remake them into attributes of their power
13. They will try to rewrite history to suit their needs and use the education
14. They will alienate foreign allies and partners, convincing you that you don’t need them
15. They will eventually manipulate the electoral system.

For more detail as if more is necessary see the LINK:

Increasingly a Necessity: A 15-Point Guide to Surviving Authoritarianism – BillMoyers.com

Now, consider what Trump has done in terms of his tweets, speeches and EO's while reading the above 15 points.

I'm sorry, man, but this is a ridiculous answer. You didn't actually point out anything specific that Trump did, in stead you just dumped out a generic list of things to watch for in a leader. I can see, based on the hysterical characterization of the president from the mainstream left, where I'm supposed to just agree that these things all describe Donald Trump particularly, but I don't. Here's why:

1. Name a president that won a general election, and I'll show you a guy who ran a campaign with a lot of fear mongering and deck stacking. These are universal tactics.

2. The only dividing that Trump has done is US citizen from foreign citizen/illegal immigrant, which is not inherently authoritarian. There's plenty of very liberal nations who take their borders quite seriously. His opponents have done an insane amount of dividing groups domestically by characterizing every personal spat Trump has as an attack on the entire demographic to which the other person belongs (for instance, claiming that he called "women" fat pigs, as though Rosie represents all women), but Trump himself, to my knowledge, hasn't actually encouraged hostility against any domestic group. I'm open to counterexamples, but I gotta admit, I don't expect them to shake out.

3. What convoluted laws has he used to limit press freedoms? What threats? To my knowledge, all he's done is threaten to pull press credentials for White House press conferences from a news agency or two. That's not technically a limitation on press freedom. It's not the right of any organization to have a place at the White House press briefings, but rather a privilege extended to a select few of the more prestigious publications.

4. First, where has Trump created real chaos? Second, name me a president in recent history who didn't maintain a constant sense of conflict and danger. I'm not saying that shit's okay, but if that constant sense is the measure of an authoritarian ruler, then we haven't had a president or even a majority party who didn't qualify as authoritarian in my lifetime. Reagan had the war on drugs and the war on Communism, the latter of which he inherited from a lot of presidents before him, all of whom could be said to have maintained that sense of conflict against the commies. Bush Senior had Saddam, threatening another fuel crisis with his moves in the ME. Bill Clinton had militias and separatists on the home front, along with a string of random warlord humanitarian threats in Somalia, Haiti, Kosovo. . . I'm certain I'm missing a few. Bush II had the war on terror, for fuck sakes! Used it to pass the Patriot Act! If Trump's an authoritarian, George W was Mussolini reincarnated! Obama's sense of constant conflict and danger was purely domestic, the racism and white supremacy lurking around every corner and festering in the heart of every police department. He involved himself in every racial incident and did what he could to convince the public, typically before much information was available, that white racists were the cause. Speaking of which, the majority of the democrat party is convinced, at the moment, that the white supremacists represent a significant enough threat that hundreds, even thousands of violent leftist "protesters" are turning out at every right wing or pro speech event, creating ACTUAL chaos with makeshift weapons to fight imaginary fucking Nazi's. The oppose crowd fits this particular facet of the authoritarian definition much better than does Trump. In fact, the primary reason I find myself supporting Trump is that the left has reacted to his election with such open authoritarian flare that the president seems to be the obvious lesser of two evils.

5. They'll distort truth, deny facts, and blatantly lie? So they'll be a politician? Noted, and discarded on the grounds that there isn't an official in DC who doesn't fit this criteria.

6. What fake, superficial scandal has Trump incited and/or leaked? And I'm not asking for your hunch about WikiLeaks. Once someone actually establishes Trump's involvement in that, I'll accept you offering it forward as a fact. Until then, it's your unsubstantiated opinion that Trump has done any of these things.

7. The fact that Trump's proposals outrage the left is meaningless. Every time Trump tweets fucking ANYTHING he outrages the left. White people wearing dreadlocks or taking pictures of their children holding the American flag outrages the left. Matt Damon, a card carrying communist, pointing out that rape is worse than a pat on the ass outrages the left. Your outrage is so common as to have lost all meaning. On top of that, the right has largely been on board with his policy proposals since being elected, so the argument that he's just being provocative is dubious at best.

8. When invading my liberal sensibilities? I'm not even sure what you mean by this. The only real focus Trump has put on minorities is an arguably incidental result of his hard stance on immigration. If he's made any policy proposals otherwise that specify minorities in any way, I haven't heard of them. Maybe you could point some out while explaining how focusing on women and brown people hurts or invades my liberal sensibilities, and what that painful invasion entails in the first place.

9. Lol. Explain to me where Trump has tried to take control of the judiciary? He's done his presidential duty and appointed people to open federal judgeships, but if that constitutes a judicial takeover, then virtually every president we've ever had was breaching the separation of powers. We should put them all away for sedition forthwith. Either that or we should brush up on BASIC civics and calm the fuck down.

10. At what point did Trump propose to limit freedom of assembly? I thought after Charlottesville you guys were all pissed at him for NOT limiting freedom of assembly in the name of fighting the Nazi's, no?

11. Once again, you're describing typical politics. The only labels Donald Trump has coined are school yard name calling bullshit. Lyin' Ted, Crooked Hillary, Low Energy Jeb. They're petty little digs and they arguably lowered the bar of our political discourse, but in the grand scheme of things they're ultimately harmless. The big term that he's commonly credited with, "Fake News", wasn't even his. That term got popular when Hillary was openly campaigning on an intention to shut down Breitbart, which she repeatedly referred to as fake news, and the left fucking CHEERED. Suddenly, Donald Trump turns that same phrase around on a left-friendly news organization, and those same hypocritical pricks started screaming about how he's out to destroy freedom of the press, despite the fact that, unlike Hillary, he didn't accompany that label with a promise to shut down a popular press organization. Anyway, if you've got some examples of language games he's playing, I'm happy to hear them, but I'm willing to bet I can point out a lot worse coming out of the left in the last couple years.

12. What national symbols has he taken over? I'm not seeing this one at all.

13. See, the fun thing about history is that different historians have different ways of interpreting what actually happened, and they have different ideas of what caused what throughout the ages that passed before any of us were here to bear witness. The fact that someone points to an interpretation of history that disagrees with the one that you prefer doesn't necessarily mean that they're rewriting the past for nefarious reasons. If you're under the impression that there is a singular, factually established and unquestionable historical narrative and that any deviation from that narrative represents a verifiable untruth, then you've oversimplified reality to a mindboggling degree.

14. Where you see the alienation of allies, people on the right tend to see a president FINALLY demanding fair treatment in our international dealings. Where you see a president trying to convince us, for example, that we don't need NATO, people on the right see a president who is recognizing that NATO's funding and its military power are disproportionately (to say the least!) provided by the US, and acting from a realistic assessment of that fact rather than exercising a policy of trying not to offend anybody that we pay to defend.

15. Manipulate the electoral system!? Coming from the party that threw a fit about the unfairness of the electoral system when Hillary didn't win with the popular vote, that's a fuckin laugh. Just for continued shits and giggles, though, why don't you tell me what Trump's done that leads you to believe that he's moving in that direction.

More importantly, why don't you actually answer my initial question. Don't give me a generic list of what authoritarians do and just leave it implied that Trump is these things. Tell me, specifically, what policy he's proposed or what executive action he's taken to ACTUALLY limit anyone's freedom? What has he ACTUALLY done that is authoritarian in nature?

 

[Wry Catcher]

In response to Not2Bsubjected:

Your first paragraph would require a post way beyond the limits of anything anyone would read, and that my friend is a waste of my time.

Your list, which I didn't peruse but did glance over, I found to be one part denial, one part others did it (that does not make it okay) and one part captious; the last part is of course my opinion based on Trump's tweets, speeches and bearing (the latter is the way he pushed aside another nation's leader to be in front of the pack for a photo).

It's clear I believe Trump is unfit to be POTUS, and lacks any semblance of leadership. I know this to be true, because of my education and experience; Trump's bahavior is a classic example of someone in power who abuses it, and that is not acceptable in a democratic republic.

 

[Not2BSubjugated]

In response to Not2Bsubjected:

Your first paragraph would require a post way beyond the limits of anything anyone would read, and that my friend is a waste of my time.

Your list, which I didn't peruse but did glance over, I found to be one part denial, one part others did it (that does not make it okay) and one part captious; the last part is of course my opinion based on Trump's tweets, speeches and bearing (the latter is the way he pushed aside another nation's leader to be in front of the pack for a photo).

It's clear I believe Trump is unfit to be POTUS, and lacks any semblance of leadership. I know this to be true, because of my education and experience; Trump's bahavior is a classic example of someone in power who abuses it, and that is not acceptable in a democratic republic.

Lol, so in the interest of time, you're not going to respond to a single specific thing that I've said because it's too long. Noted. You are, however, going to tell me it's all bullshit, and cite your experience. Lol. Also noted. Discarded in kind, but noted. You'll understand if, in the COMPLETE ABSENCE of a counterargument of any sort, I'm going to remain unconvinced that people like you putting forward these lists of generic things that make a leader literally Hitler aren't simply succumbing to hysteria.

Also, just saying, the conversation we were having was whether or not Donald Trump has been an authoritarian president, not whether or not he's fit to be president. You've already decided that you're not playing, so why bother moving the goal posts?

 

[Muhammed]

"Authoritarianism, principle of blind submission to authority, as opposed to individual freedom of thought and action. In government, authoritarianism denotes any political system that concentrates power in the hands of a leader or a small elite that is not constitutionally responsible to the body of the people. Authoritarian leaders often exercise power arbitrarily and without regard to existing bodies of law, and they usually cannot be replaced by citizens choosing freely among various competitors in elections. The freedom to create opposition political parties or other alternative political groupings with which to compete for power with the ruling group is either limited or nonexistent in authoritarian regimes."

authoritarianism | Definition & Facts

I know from experience that like an ostrich the supporters of Donald Trump and the members here who support the governance under the leadership of McConnell and Ryan, will not read the above link. It exposes Authoritarianism in general, and those governments in the past who are accepted as authoritarian and how they evolved.

For those who choose to mock this thread, none should call them patriots.

Some of us do not need to read an encyclopedia article because we already understand the concept.

 

[Muhammed]

Sure, authoritarianism is the natural result of going too far in either political direction. It can happen to any country.

Trump has certainly exhibited those tendencies at times, and his supporters have obediently followed right along.

On the other end are the Regressive Leftists, illiberal leftist authoritarians, constantly leveraging & weaponizing PC and Identity Politics.

Both ends clearly demonstrate for us regularly why moderation and pragmatism must win the day, before it's too late.
.

Trump is NOT "on one END of the political spectrum."

Exactly. I'm a centrist and in 2016 I felt like I was voting for Trump rather than the lesser of 2 evils.

 

[bripat9643]

"Authoritarianism, principle of blind submission to authority, as opposed to individual freedom of thought and action. In government, authoritarianism denotes any political system that concentrates power in the hands of a leader or a small elite that is not constitutionally responsible to the body of the people. Authoritarian leaders often exercise power arbitrarily and without regard to existing bodies of law, and they usually cannot be replaced by citizens choosing freely among various competitors in elections. The freedom to create opposition political parties or other alternative political groupings with which to compete for power with the ruling group is either limited or nonexistent in authoritarian regimes."

authoritarianism | Definition & Facts

I know from experience that like an ostrich the supporters of Donald Trump and the members here who support the governance under the leadership of McConnell and Ryan, will not read the above link. It exposes Authoritarianism in general, and those governments in the past who are accepted as authoritarian and how they evolved.

For those who choose to mock this thread, none should call them patriots.

Ironic coming from a a group of douchebags who defended the authoitarian Obama to the last man.

 

[bripat9643]

"Authoritarianism, principle of blind submission to authority, as opposed to individual freedom of thought and action. In government, authoritarianism denotes any political system that concentrates power in the hands of a leader or a small elite that is not constitutionally responsible to the body of the people. Authoritarian leaders often exercise power arbitrarily and without regard to existing bodies of law, and they usually cannot be replaced by citizens choosing freely among various competitors in elections. The freedom to create opposition political parties or other alternative political groupings with which to compete for power with the ruling group is either limited or nonexistent in authoritarian regimes."

authoritarianism | Definition & Facts

I know from experience that like an ostrich the supporters of Donald Trump and the members here who support the governance under the leadership of McConnell and Ryan, will not read the above link. It exposes Authoritarianism in general, and those governments in the past who are accepted as authoritarian and how they evolved.

For those who choose to mock this thread, none should call them patriots.

Out of curiosity, what has Trump done as president that is authoritarian?

During the campaign, he said some shit that gave me the idea that he had an authoritarian streak, which is a lot of why I was disappointed that it was he who came out on top of the republican primaries, but since he's been in office, I've yet to see him push for anything authoritarian.

I'm seriously asking, though, because it's perfectly plausible that you've noticed something that I missed. So how about it? You got anything specific to offer, or is this just another hysterical generalization from a paranoid anti Trump'er?

A good question and one worth answering:

1. They will come to power with a campaign based on fear, scaremongering and distorting the truth
2. They will divide and rule
3. Through convoluted laws and threats they will try to control mainstream media and limit press freedom
4. They will create chaos, maintain a constant sense of conflict and danger
5. They will distort the truth, deny facts and blatantly lie
6. They will incite and then leak fake, superficial "scandals."
7. They will propose shocking laws to provoke your outrage
8. When invading your liberal sensibilities they will focus on what hurts the most — women and minorities
9. They will try to take control of the judiciary
10. They will try to limit freedom of assembly, calling it a necessity for your security
11. They will distort the language, coin new terms and labels, repeat shocking phrases until you accept them as normal and subconsciously associate them with whom they like
12. They will take over your national symbols, associate them with their regime, remake them into attributes of their power
13. They will try to rewrite history to suit their needs and use the education
14. They will alienate foreign allies and partners, convincing you that you don’t need them
15. They will eventually manipulate the electoral system.

For more detail as if more is necessary see the LINK:

Increasingly a Necessity: A 15-Point Guide to Surviving Authoritarianism – BillMoyers.com

Now, consider what Trump has done in terms of his tweets, speeches and EO's while reading the above 15 points.

Moyers is an idiot and a quack.

Try again.

Post evidence he is, and you're not!!!

BTW, the evidence that Trump meets the MQ's to be labeled an Authoritarian has become more probative, now he is threatening to withhold foreign aid to UN nation's who don't do what he commands, in terms of moving the Capital of Israel.

The writing in the 15-points by the guy who called Moyers a moron - sans any evidence - is another example of deplorable and uneducated post by someone who has never watched or listen to PBS or NPR, and instead watches Fox News and listens only to the single source of propaganda by Hannity, Limbaugh and other brain-washers.

You're such a fucking idiot. It's the UN that is making demands. The US has a right to locate its embassy where it wants, and Isreal has a right to determine where its capital is. The UN is attempting to interfere in this arrangement, and Trump is rightfully declining to send money to those who interefered. Only a goose stepper would call that "authoritarian" on Trump's part.

 

[Not2BSubjugated]

"Authoritarianism, principle of blind submission to authority, as opposed to individual freedom of thought and action. In government, authoritarianism denotes any political system that concentrates power in the hands of a leader or a small elite that is not constitutionally responsible to the body of the people. Authoritarian leaders often exercise power arbitrarily and without regard to existing bodies of law, and they usually cannot be replaced by citizens choosing freely among various competitors in elections. The freedom to create opposition political parties or other alternative political groupings with which to compete for power with the ruling group is either limited or nonexistent in authoritarian regimes."

authoritarianism | Definition & Facts

I know from experience that like an ostrich the supporters of Donald Trump and the members here who support the governance under the leadership of McConnell and Ryan, will not read the above link. It exposes Authoritarianism in general, and those governments in the past who are accepted as authoritarian and how they evolved.

For those who choose to mock this thread, none should call them patriots.

Holy shit I forgot this was YOUR thread!

Lol, you invite people to read something as generic as the f'in Britannica entry on authoritarianism and then refuse to defend your own point on your own thread because my post was too long? Too long for you to even bother to read, let alone respond to? LMFAO. Why make this thread and post these links if you assume that everybody, not just you, is too lazy to read?

Holy fuck that's sad.

 

[Tehon]

"Authoritarianism, principle of blind submission to authority, as opposed to individual freedom of thought and action. In government, authoritarianism denotes any political system that concentrates power in the hands of a leader or a small elite that is not constitutionally responsible to the body of the people. Authoritarian leaders often exercise power arbitrarily and without regard to existing bodies of law, and they usually cannot be replaced by citizens choosing freely among various competitors in elections. The freedom to create opposition political parties or other alternative political groupings with which to compete for power with the ruling group is either limited or nonexistent in authoritarian regimes."

authoritarianism | Definition & Facts

I know from experience that like an ostrich the supporters of Donald Trump and the members here who support the governance under the leadership of McConnell and Ryan, will not read the above link. It exposes Authoritarianism in general, and those governments in the past who are accepted as authoritarian and how they evolved.

For those who choose to mock this thread, none should call them patriots.

"The elements are in place [for a quasi-fascist takeover]: a weak legislative body, a legal system that is both compliant and repressive, a party system in which one party, whether in opposition or in the majority, is bent upon reconstituting the existing system so as to permanently favor a ruling class of the wealthy, the well-connected and the corporate, while leaving the poorer citizens with a sense of helplessness and political despair, and, at the same time, keeping the middle classes dangling between fear of unemployment and expectations of fantastic rewards once the new economy recovers. That scheme is abetted by a sycophantic and increasingly concentrated media; by the integration of universities with their corporate benefactors; by a propaganda machine institutionalized in well-funded think tanks and conservative foundations; by the increasingly closer cooperation between local police and national law enforcement agencies aimed at identifying terrorists, suspicious aliens and domestic dissidents."
Sheldon Wolin, 1922–2015

 

[Wry Catcher]

A circle jerk of let's attack the messenger . How typical of those in denial, or simply dishonest and unwilling to accept the opinion of not only Wry Catcher, but millions of other American patriots.

Trump is a wannabe autocrat, a bully and a narcissistic megalomaniac, unfit to be POTUS. The evidence is clear, the definition is clear and rather than offer proof that he is a leader and puts Country First is missing in ad hominems above.

 

[BlackSand]

.​

Pineapple​

.​

 

[Muhammed]

A circle jerk of let's attack the messenger . How typical of those in denial, or simply dishonest and unwilling to accept the opinion of not only Wry Catcher, but millions of other American patriots.

Trump is a wannabe autocrat, a bully and a narcissistic megalomaniac, unfit to be POTUS. The evidence is clear, the definition is clear and rather than offer proof that he is a leader and puts Country First is missing in ad hominems above.

The only thing you got right is that Trump is a bully. One of the reasons the American workers hired him was to use the bully pulpit of the presidency against the fascists. And he has been wildly successful, jackass.

I really don't see why you think that letting workers keep more of their hard earned money rather than becoming so poor that they are relegated to being nothing but a dependent of the state somehow constitutes authoritarianism.

Trump's victories against the authoritarian party of slavery (aka the Democratic party) really upsets you weak-minded brainwashed jackasses and I delightfully wallow in your tears.

 

[Esmeralda]

"Authoritarianism, principle of blind submission to authority, as opposed to individual freedom of thought and action. In government, authoritarianism denotes any political system that concentrates power in the hands of a leader or a small elite that is not constitutionally responsible to the body of the people. Authoritarian leaders often exercise power arbitrarily and without regard to existing bodies of law, and they usually cannot be replaced by citizens choosing freely among various competitors in elections. The freedom to create opposition political parties or other alternative political groupings with which to compete for power with the ruling group is either limited or nonexistent in authoritarian regimes."

authoritarianism | Definition & Facts

I know from experience that like an ostrich the supporters of Donald Trump and the members here who support the governance under the leadership of McConnell and Ryan, will not read the above link. It exposes Authoritarianism in general, and those governments in the past who are accepted as authoritarian and how they evolved.

For those who choose to mock this thread, none should call them patriots.

Authoritarianism describes Putin's Russia, and Trumpettes love Putin. And they love Trump, who clearly would like to be an authoritarian leader. I don't think it can happen here because of the Constitution, but he sure is trying, and it is, indeed, very true that his base support him and his efforts intensely and passionately. Very anti-American.

 

[petro]

"Authoritarianism, principle of blind submission to authority, as opposed to individual freedom of thought and action. In government, authoritarianism denotes any political system that concentrates power in the hands of a leader or a small elite that is not constitutionally responsible to the body of the people. Authoritarian leaders often exercise power arbitrarily and without regard to existing bodies of law, and they usually cannot be replaced by citizens choosing freely among various competitors in elections. The freedom to create opposition political parties or other alternative political groupings with which to compete for power with the ruling group is either limited or nonexistent in authoritarian regimes."

authoritarianism | Definition & Facts

I know from experience that like an ostrich the supporters of Donald Trump and the members here who support the governance under the leadership of McConnell and Ryan, will not read the above link. It exposes Authoritarianism in general, and those governments in the past who are accepted as authoritarian and how they evolved.

For those who choose to mock this thread, none should call them patriots.

Authoritarianism describes Putin's Russia, and Trumpettes love Putin. And they love Trump, who clearly would like to be an authoritarian leader. I don't think it can happen here because of the Constitution, but he sure is trying, and it is, indeed, very true that his base support him and his efforts intensely and passionately. Very anti-American.

Funny that Trump has done everything against Russian interests since taking office. Including arming rebels and calling out Russian aggression in the UN.
Putin picked a crappy lackey.

The single fact that the media constantly is critical of Trump and not locked up or shot also shows what a load of crap the view is of Trump as a fascist or authoritarian.
Comes across as nothing but stupid sound bites.

 

[mudwhistle]

Sure, authoritarianism is the natural result of going too far in either political direction. It can happen to any country.

Trump has certainly exhibited those tendencies at times, and his supporters have obediently followed right along.

On the other end are the Regressive Leftists, illiberal leftist authoritarians, constantly leveraging & weaponizing PC and Identity Politics.

Both ends clearly demonstrate for us regularly why moderation and pragmatism must win the day, before it's too late.
.

So do you want Trump to be a leader or a follower?
Every leader shows authoritarian traits.
What you do with your position makes all of the difference.
Obama abused his authority.
I see no evidence of Trump doing it yet.
If he did I'm sure the press would be the first to scream about it.