CDZ America’s Next Authoritarian Will Be Much More Competent

[C_Clayton_Jones]

I defend the basic view of this article. If you disagree, explain why. I am especially interested in debating liberal views, but of course all are welcome to express their opinions.

Trump was ineffective ... A future strongman won’t be...

Trump is just one more example of the many populists on the right who have risen to power around the world.... But there’s one key difference between Trump and everyone else.... The others are all talented politicians who win elections again and again....

Trump is not good at his job. He doesn’t even seem to like it much. He is too undisciplined and thin-skinned to be effective at politics over a sustained period, which involves winning repeated elections....

The situation is ... perfect ... for a talented politician to run on Trumpism in 2024. A person without the eager Twitter fingers and greedy hotel chains, someone with a penchant for governing rather than golf. An individual who does not irritate everyone who doesn’t already like him.... Someone who isn’t on tape boasting about assaulting women, and who says the right things about military veterans. Someone who can send appropriate condolences about senators who die, instead of angering their state’s voters, as Trump did, perhaps to his detriment, in Arizona. A norm-subverting strongman who can create a durable majority and keep his coalition together to win more elections....

Make no mistake: The attempt to harness Trumpism — without Trump, but with calculated, refined, and smarter political talent — is coming. And it won’t be easy to make the next Trumpist a one-term president.

America’s Next Authoritarian Will Be Much More Competent

Trump was merely a symptom of the disease that is authoritarian conservativism – current Republican efforts to overturn a fair and honest election is proof of that.

Trump may soon be gone but ‘Trumpism’ – or whatever one wants to call it – will remain, just as much a threat to the Constitution, the rule of law, and our democratic institutions.

It is therefore quite likely that someone with political acumen and self-discipline – unlike Trump – could take control of the authoritarian right and indeed jeopardize our rights and protected liberties.

 

[Andylusion]

I defend the basic view of this article. If you disagree, explain why. I am especially interested in debating liberal views, but of course all are welcome to express their opinions.

Trump was ineffective ... A future strongman won’t be...

Trump is just one more example of the many populists on the right who have risen to power around the world.... But there’s one key difference between Trump and everyone else.... The others are all talented politicians who win elections again and again....

Trump is not good at his job. He doesn’t even seem to like it much. He is too undisciplined and thin-skinned to be effective at politics over a sustained period, which involves winning repeated elections....

The situation is ... perfect ... for a talented politician to run on Trumpism in 2024. A person without the eager Twitter fingers and greedy hotel chains, someone with a penchant for governing rather than golf. An individual who does not irritate everyone who doesn’t already like him.... Someone who isn’t on tape boasting about assaulting women, and who says the right things about military veterans. Someone who can send appropriate condolences about senators who die, instead of angering their state’s voters, as Trump did, perhaps to his detriment, in Arizona. A norm-subverting strongman who can create a durable majority and keep his coalition together to win more elections....

Make no mistake: The attempt to harness Trumpism — without Trump, but with calculated, refined, and smarter political talent — is coming. And it won’t be easy to make the next Trumpist a one-term president.

America’s Next Authoritarian Will Be Much More Competent

I never saw Trump as an authoritarian. In what way was he any more of an authoritarian than any other?

Be specific, what exactly did Trump do that was "authoritarian" in nature, that no other previous president has done?

Beyond that, there is authoritarianism going on right now as we speak. But it's not from right-wingers. It's largely from the left-wing. Namely the forced closure of the economy, jailing business owners, and denying people their freedom and rights as Americans, in the name of 'protecting life', with rules that do not apply to themselves.... and at the exact same time, allowing unrestrained chaos and crime, and rioting and looting, which is destroying people's lives.

 

[flacaltenn]

The anger is real in his supporters. I wonder where it comes from? Maybe if we address this anger we can prevent such a thing in the future.

What kind of anger caused this in Kenosha??

Or what kind of anger caused this carnage on Rodeo Drive in Hollwood?

And btw -- Authoritarian Dictator Newsome of Cali CALLED the Nat Guard the NEXT day...

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

See the Bush II administration for that blueprint OP.

Good point – variation on the OP’s theme: the useful idiot.

Instead of a talented politician to run on Trumpism in 2024 we could see a talented handler run on Trumpism in 2024, the intellect behind a dullard similar to GWB.

 

[flacaltenn]

Dont ever ask to see the anger from the other side. Because that's reserved for when they've been pushed into a "no other option" end game.. The anger there is more disciplined and controlled than on the left in America...

 

[DustyInfinity]

I defend the basic view of this article. If you disagree, explain why. I am especially interested in debating liberal views, but of course all are welcome to express their opinions.

Trump was ineffective ... A future strongman won’t be...

Trump is just one more example of the many populists on the right who have risen to power around the world.... But there’s one key difference between Trump and everyone else.... The others are all talented politicians who win elections again and again....

Trump is not good at his job. He doesn’t even seem to like it much. He is too undisciplined and thin-skinned to be effective at politics over a sustained period, which involves winning repeated elections....

The situation is ... perfect ... for a talented politician to run on Trumpism in 2024. A person without the eager Twitter fingers and greedy hotel chains, someone with a penchant for governing rather than golf. An individual who does not irritate everyone who doesn’t already like him.... Someone who isn’t on tape boasting about assaulting women, and who says the right things about military veterans. Someone who can send appropriate condolences about senators who die, instead of angering their state’s voters, as Trump did, perhaps to his detriment, in Arizona. A norm-subverting strongman who can create a durable majority and keep his coalition together to win more elections....

Make no mistake: The attempt to harness Trumpism — without Trump, but with calculated, refined, and smarter political talent — is coming. And it won’t be easy to make the next Trumpist a one-term president.

America’s Next Authoritarian Will Be Much More Competent

Trump was merely a symptom of the disease that is authoritarian conservativism – current Republican efforts to overturn a fair and honest election is proof of that.

Trump may soon be gone but ‘Trumpism’ – or whatever one wants to call it – will remain, just as much a threat to the Constitution, the rule of law, and our democratic institutions.

It is therefore quite likely that someone with political acumen and self-discipline – unlike Trump – could take control of the authoritarian right and indeed jeopardize our rights and protected liberties.

We don't trust you any more than you trust us. Why should we? As mentioned before, you can hate Trump and his policies, but he was never Authoritarian. That is a big and quite frankly hysterical leap. I think the left is the textbook example of abusive government power. The only problems with republicans are that they are no longer conservative, they spend too much. They still believe in individual freedom and the constitution. The left believes in neither.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

I defend the basic view of this article. If you disagree, explain why. I am especially interested in debating liberal views, but of course all are welcome to express their opinions.

Trump was ineffective ... A future strongman won’t be...

Trump is just one more example of the many populists on the right who have risen to power around the world.... But there’s one key difference between Trump and everyone else.... The others are all talented politicians who win elections again and again....

Trump is not good at his job. He doesn’t even seem to like it much. He is too undisciplined and thin-skinned to be effective at politics over a sustained period, which involves winning repeated elections....

The situation is ... perfect ... for a talented politician to run on Trumpism in 2024. A person without the eager Twitter fingers and greedy hotel chains, someone with a penchant for governing rather than golf. An individual who does not irritate everyone who doesn’t already like him.... Someone who isn’t on tape boasting about assaulting women, and who says the right things about military veterans. Someone who can send appropriate condolences about senators who die, instead of angering their state’s voters, as Trump did, perhaps to his detriment, in Arizona. A norm-subverting strongman who can create a durable majority and keep his coalition together to win more elections....

Make no mistake: The attempt to harness Trumpism — without Trump, but with calculated, refined, and smarter political talent — is coming. And it won’t be easy to make the next Trumpist a one-term president.

America’s Next Authoritarian Will Be Much More Competent

LOL!

Yes, the Xi Biden Administration will be true authoritarian

 

[martybegan]

I defend the basic view of this article. If you disagree, explain why. I am especially interested in debating liberal views, but of course all are welcome to express their opinions.

Trump was ineffective ... A future strongman won’t be...

Trump is just one more example of the many populists on the right who have risen to power around the world.... But there’s one key difference between Trump and everyone else.... The others are all talented politicians who win elections again and again....

Trump is not good at his job. He doesn’t even seem to like it much. He is too undisciplined and thin-skinned to be effective at politics over a sustained period, which involves winning repeated elections....

The situation is ... perfect ... for a talented politician to run on Trumpism in 2024. A person without the eager Twitter fingers and greedy hotel chains, someone with a penchant for governing rather than golf. An individual who does not irritate everyone who doesn’t already like him.... Someone who isn’t on tape boasting about assaulting women, and who says the right things about military veterans. Someone who can send appropriate condolences about senators who die, instead of angering their state’s voters, as Trump did, perhaps to his detriment, in Arizona. A norm-subverting strongman who can create a durable majority and keep his coalition together to win more elections....

Make no mistake: The attempt to harness Trumpism — without Trump, but with calculated, refined, and smarter political talent — is coming. And it won’t be easy to make the next Trumpist a one-term president.

America’s Next Authoritarian Will Be Much More Competent

You and I SHOULD worry about Authoritarian tendencies in our govt, but I'm quite sure that both YOU and the Atlantic dont share my zeal for liberty and freedom. WANNABEE Authoritarians are all around us.. The kind that make a public speech by teleconference from a Resort in Mehico while telling his CONSTITUENTS to "STAY AT HOME" -- without even flinching or smurking..

And neither you or the Atlantic have given me ANY scary facts or evidence of Trump's "authoritarian" bent that resonate with me. I'm more concerned about a Biden Admin taking POWER FROM THE STATES to run/choose their Covid intervention schemes, then the laissez faire approach where Trump let the many states run/chose their own ways. We LEARNED A LOT about "authoritarianism" from that brilliant experiment -- didn't we?

If ya want to discuss nightmare scenarios about Authoritarianism with folks who AREN'T big emotional readers of The Atlantic -- you're gonna have to allow that the THREAT is not Trump per se. And that it can come quickly from "the other side" as well.

You'll see more attacks on ACTUAL freedoms and liberties in the next 4 years WITHOUT Trump.. We can bet on that..

Authoritarianism is taking power and concentrating it, while at the same time making it harder and harder for that power to be taken back by the people it supposedly flows from.

The biggest threats to freedom are the abandonment of Federalism, the almost criminally inept trend of Congress to let the Executive have its own way without guidance, and the bloating and polarization of the federal bureaucracy. Also on the list is the fact that the Supreme Court has become such a make or break proposition when it comes to things that shouldn't even been federal issues in the first place.

Authoritarianism won't come in as the face of one person, it's coming in as a blob of government power that has no check, and no way of being reduced.

 

[Dogmaphobe]

I defend the basic view of this article. If you disagree, explain why. I am especially interested in debating liberal views, but of course all are welcome to express their opinions.

Trump was ineffective ... A future strongman won’t be...

Trump is just one more example of the many populists on the right who have risen to power around the world.... But there’s one key difference between Trump and everyone else.... The others are all talented politicians who win elections again and again....

Trump is not good at his job. He doesn’t even seem to like it much. He is too undisciplined and thin-skinned to be effective at politics over a sustained period, which involves winning repeated elections....

The situation is ... perfect ... for a talented politician to run on Trumpism in 2024. A person without the eager Twitter fingers and greedy hotel chains, someone with a penchant for governing rather than golf. An individual who does not irritate everyone who doesn’t already like him.... Someone who isn’t on tape boasting about assaulting women, and who says the right things about military veterans. Someone who can send appropriate condolences about senators who die, instead of angering their state’s voters, as Trump did, perhaps to his detriment, in Arizona. A norm-subverting strongman who can create a durable majority and keep his coalition together to win more elections....

Make no mistake: The attempt to harness Trumpism — without Trump, but with calculated, refined, and smarter political talent — is coming. And it won’t be easy to make the next Trumpist a one-term president.

America’s Next Authoritarian Will Be Much More Competent

Beau from the Fifth Column talked about this shortly after the election. He says it a lot better than I could. It's worth the 8 minutes.

Trump's supporters need to understand what went on here, what moves he made to establish authoritarian rule. It wasn't okay, it won't be okay the next time, and at least in some people's opinions we do need to investigate and lay bare all the small steps he took, and we allowed him to get away with, that created the monster the country is dealing with now.

Password Protected Site

thefifthcolumnnews.com

So, let's see here -- Trump has been advocating a balanced approach to covid that respects people's right to earn a living,, while democrats have been stomping their jack boots on the necks of small business in an attempt to exterminate them.

You are saying it is TRUMP who is the authoritarian, here? That word does not mean what you think it means.

I do know what it means.
Authoritarianism is a form of government characterized by the rejection of political plurality, the use of a strong central power to preserve the political status quo, and reductions in the rule of law, separation of powers, and democratic voting.

the rejection of political plurality
I see this in the right wing's belief that the left can do no right. They are utterly rejected as communists, even, which is ridiculous but apparentlly believed. There is only one view worth listening to, and that is the right. No plurality allowed.

use of a strong central power to preserve the political status quo,
such as sending in the military and government forces to 'assist' cities who did not ask for it to quell their protests?

reductions in ...democratic voting.
Like what is happening right now, when with no evidence but plenty of propaganda and lawyers to put important sounding but meaningless arguments before the courts, Trump is trying to throw away the votes of millions of Americans in order to stay in power?? To subvert the Electoral College and strong arm legislators to assist in denying millions of votes?

No. I know what it means, and Trump wasn't very good at it because he pissed off too many people. But he won't be the last.

This is not about state health officials and leaders who are trying to slow the spread of a disabling and deadly virus, the likes which we haven't seen in 100 years.

Like I said, I don't want to hear what about the Democrats. You do that all day long in other forums. Try thinking along the lines of what you will do about the next snake oil salesman who tries this.

No, you do not wish to hear about the democrats. Perhaps you should re-read that comment on rejecting political plurality.

You are all about limiting what people can do and say. I am all for expanding whet people can do and say up to that part where they harm others. Which of us is the authoritarian here?

 

[Mac1958]

Trump was ineffective ... A future strongman won’t be...

Yeah, we truly dodged a bullet here. We've now learned that a significant portion of our population aggressively desires an authoritarian, autocratic strongman. I don't know about you, but I sure as hell didn't know that.

Indeed, if Trump had been more intelligent, empathetic, competent, articulate and self-aware, this country literally could have gone down that road. That opening existed, and still does to large extent.

That's chilling, it really is. A true cautionary tale.

 

[evenflow1969]

The anger is real in his supporters. I wonder where it comes from? Maybe if we address this anger we can prevent such a thing in the future.

What kind of anger caused this in Kenosha??

Or what kind of anger caused this carnage on Rodeo Drive in Hollwood?

And btw -- Authoritarian Dictator Newsome of Cali CALLED the Nat Guard the NEXT day...

Ya, they were passed because people were killing innocent family members. By the way some of those not pictures of what you say but you fucking conservatives don't give a shit about truth anymore. They had real reasons to be passed. You on the other hand are just passed because your skin color does not quite benefit ya like you used to and because you are the ones who actually fuelvthe swamp Trump talks about. Your most your party have become scum.

 

[DustyInfinity]

Trump was ineffective ... A future strongman won’t be...

Yeah, we truly dodged a bullet here. We've now learned that a significant portion of our population aggressively desires an authoritarian, autocratic strongman. I don't know about you, but I sure as hell didn't know that.

Indeed, if Trump had been more intelligent, empathetic, competent, articulate and self-aware, this country literally could have gone down that road. That opening existed, and still does to large extent.

That's chilling, it really is. A true cautionary tale.

You just voted for a corrupt authoritarian regime. When you say people yearn for complete government control, you are absolutely correct. You just got the wrong party. Let the court packing and censorship go wild. The people in Virginia are going to have one giant continuous party at our expense. More yachts and homes for everyone in the ruling class.

 

[martybegan]

I defend the basic view of this article. If you disagree, explain why. I am especially interested in debating liberal views, but of course all are welcome to express their opinions.

Trump was ineffective ... A future strongman won’t be...

Trump is just one more example of the many populists on the right who have risen to power around the world.... But there’s one key difference between Trump and everyone else.... The others are all talented politicians who win elections again and again....

Trump is not good at his job. He doesn’t even seem to like it much. He is too undisciplined and thin-skinned to be effective at politics over a sustained period, which involves winning repeated elections....

The situation is ... perfect ... for a talented politician to run on Trumpism in 2024. A person without the eager Twitter fingers and greedy hotel chains, someone with a penchant for governing rather than golf. An individual who does not irritate everyone who doesn’t already like him.... Someone who isn’t on tape boasting about assaulting women, and who says the right things about military veterans. Someone who can send appropriate condolences about senators who die, instead of angering their state’s voters, as Trump did, perhaps to his detriment, in Arizona. A norm-subverting strongman who can create a durable majority and keep his coalition together to win more elections....

Make no mistake: The attempt to harness Trumpism — without Trump, but with calculated, refined, and smarter political talent — is coming. And it won’t be easy to make the next Trumpist a one-term president.

America’s Next Authoritarian Will Be Much More Competent

Trump was merely a symptom of the disease that is authoritarian conservativism – current Republican efforts to overturn a fair and honest election is proof of that.

Trump may soon be gone but ‘Trumpism’ – or whatever one wants to call it – will remain, just as much a threat to the Constitution, the rule of law, and our democratic institutions.

It is therefore quite likely that someone with political acumen and self-discipline – unlike Trump – could take control of the authoritarian right and indeed jeopardize our rights and protected liberties.

Once again a progressive takes their own tactics and desires and implants it onto their opponents.

The left in this country is all about power and control, more power among less people, because the people can't be trusted with making up their own minds about things. Thus more control at the federal level, more control by the un-elected, and more rules and regulations to make everyone the perfect little sand particle that will flow under the direction of our progressive "betters"

 

[martybegan]

Trump was ineffective ... A future strongman won’t be...

Yeah, we truly dodged a bullet here. We've now learned that a significant portion of our population aggressively desires an authoritarian, autocratic strongman. I don't know about you, but I sure as hell didn't know that.

Indeed, if Trump had been more intelligent, empathetic, competent, articulate and self-aware, this country literally could have gone down that road. That opening existed, and still does to large extent.

That's chilling, it really is. A true cautionary tale.

Nope, you will just get the soft slow strangling power grab done by the left, and at that point you will either accept it or be confused on how it happened.

 

[DustyInfinity]

I defend the basic view of this article. If you disagree, explain why. I am especially interested in debating liberal views, but of course all are welcome to express their opinions.

Trump was ineffective ... A future strongman won’t be...

Trump is just one more example of the many populists on the right who have risen to power around the world.... But there’s one key difference between Trump and everyone else.... The others are all talented politicians who win elections again and again....

Trump is not good at his job. He doesn’t even seem to like it much. He is too undisciplined and thin-skinned to be effective at politics over a sustained period, which involves winning repeated elections....

The situation is ... perfect ... for a talented politician to run on Trumpism in 2024. A person without the eager Twitter fingers and greedy hotel chains, someone with a penchant for governing rather than golf. An individual who does not irritate everyone who doesn’t already like him.... Someone who isn’t on tape boasting about assaulting women, and who says the right things about military veterans. Someone who can send appropriate condolences about senators who die, instead of angering their state’s voters, as Trump did, perhaps to his detriment, in Arizona. A norm-subverting strongman who can create a durable majority and keep his coalition together to win more elections....

Make no mistake: The attempt to harness Trumpism — without Trump, but with calculated, refined, and smarter political talent — is coming. And it won’t be easy to make the next Trumpist a one-term president.

America’s Next Authoritarian Will Be Much More Competent

Thomas, we have had good conversations before. I'm surprised you have bought into the Trump in an authoritarian argument. He has given more power to individuals, not less. He has not used government power against any citizen, unlike your own party. He has not put innocent people in prison for political reasons or used a branch of government like the FBI or the IRS to attack political rivals. If you are indeed worried about abusive government power, I urge you to look at which side wants to increase government power by leaps and bounds. Look at the behavior of democrat governors. You have handed control to people who are all about raw power, who have already used government to attack political targets. The democrat elect will have no restraints, no media oversight, no legal consequences. I can't see how anyone thinks that will end well. The ruling class has expressed contempt for the people they supposedly represent, and they are growing powerful and untouchable.

 

[OldLady]

I think some people are letting their dislike of the left to get in the way of seeing this clearly. We nearly lost our VOTE, for godssakes. Trump tried taking clever end runs around the Constitution in his four years by using the courts, abused his power by bullying, threatening others' political futures and going behind the scenes to do good old fashioned arm twisting like Ukraine, in order to run things HIS way. And then built a case built on nothing to keep himself in office when he failed.

I don't want to hear about Democrats; I want to hear what you all plan to do the next time a charismatic power hungry player runs for the Presidency. Because you're right--it could very well be a Democrat next time. Even a Libertarian or an Independent. Party doesn't play into it.

If you all could possibly peel away from party politics and hollow rhetoric for a few minutes, it would be appreciated. This is bigger than that, imo.

What Civil Liberties or Rights did you lose under Authoritarian Trump?? Cut to the chase here. Aint goin to some guys' site hawking tee shirts and mugs.. What president HASN'T attempted "end arounds" to the limited power of the Chief Exec?? Have you forgotten "well well well I I I still got a pen and THIS PHONE"???

How did you "nearly lose your vote"? We nearly had the Democrats with help from a crooked FBI try to FRAME Trumps campaign and pursued an "UNDOING of the 2016 election" for four whole years.

Presidents DO get to "run things their way" and twist arms.. Well maybe not humble Jimmy Carter.. LOL.....

I'm disappointed you wouldn't look at the vid. He's a thoughtful guy.

I think some people are letting their dislike of the left to get in the way of seeing this clearly. We nearly lost our VOTE, for godssakes. Trump tried taking clever end runs around the Constitution in his four years by using the courts, abused his power by bullying, threatening others' political futures and going behind the scenes to do good old fashioned arm twisting like Ukraine, in order to run things HIS way. And then built a case built on nothing to keep himself in office when he failed.

I don't want to hear about Democrats; I want to hear what you all plan to do the next time a charismatic power hungry player runs for the Presidency. Because you're right--it could very well be a Democrat next time. Even a Libertarian or an Independent. Party doesn't play into it.

If you all could possibly peel away from party politics and hollow rhetoric for a few minutes, it would be appreciated. This is bigger than that, imo.

What Civil Liberties or Rights did you lose under Authoritarian Trump?? Cut to the chase here. Aint goin to some guys' site hawking tee shirts and mugs.. What president HASN'T attempted "end arounds" to the limited power of the Chief Exec?? Have you forgotten "well well well I I I still got a pen and THIS PHONE"???

How did you "nearly lose your vote"? We nearly had the Democrats with help from a crooked FBI try to FRAME Trumps campaign and pursued an "UNDOING of the 2016 election" for four whole years.

Presidents DO get to "run things their way" and twist arms.. Well maybe not humble Jimmy Carter.. LOL.....

It's all a matter of degree. Saying this was just business as usual ... I'm not buying it. From the moment he stepped foot in office and began asking for loyalty oaths, lying about crowd size at his first presser, flaming anyone and everything on twitter that dared criticize him, and set about convincing any who would listen that the most legitimate newspapers in the country were lying about him...
that was the beginning.

What he has stolen is my countrymen's ability to accept reality. Their fundamental right, granted by the founders, to hear the real news on what the politicians and President say and do, was taken away in the simplest way imagineable--just convince them it's lies. Then all the rest is easy. Can't you see that?

 

[Donald H]

I defend the basic view of this article. If you disagree, explain why. I am especially interested in debating liberal views, but of course all are welcome to express their opinions.

Trump was ineffective ... A future strongman won’t be...

Trump is just one more example of the many populists on the right who have risen to power around the world.... But there’s one key difference between Trump and everyone else.... The others are all talented politicians who win elections again and again....

Trump is not good at his job. He doesn’t even seem to like it much. He is too undisciplined and thin-skinned to be effective at politics over a sustained period, which involves winning repeated elections....

The situation is ... perfect ... for a talented politician to run on Trumpism in 2024. A person without the eager Twitter fingers and greedy hotel chains, someone with a penchant for governing rather than golf. An individual who does not irritate everyone who doesn’t already like him.... Someone who isn’t on tape boasting about assaulting women, and who says the right things about military veterans. Someone who can send appropriate condolences about senators who die, instead of angering their state’s voters, as Trump did, perhaps to his detriment, in Arizona. A norm-subverting strongman who can create a durable majority and keep his coalition together to win more elections....

Make no mistake: The attempt to harness Trumpism — without Trump, but with calculated, refined, and smarter political talent — is coming. And it won’t be easy to make the next Trumpist a one-term president.

America’s Next Authoritarian Will Be Much More Competent

Great theory you have there but you haven't provided enough meat to debate it much further.

So without that detail, a future autrhoritarian will face the same challenges within a democracy as any ambitious authoritarian in any other country. I can only guess as what you're suggesting though.

Could it be that you're suggesting that the US Constitution isn't capable of dealing with an authoritarian. I think that if that's your point then there could be some room for discussion or debate on that point. I'm not going to jump into it with you until you show us where you intend to go with this. However, I do find it a very worthwhile topic, especially at this time when a serious question is before your Scotus, on the question raised in my thread on the US Constitution.

 

[OldLady]

You CAN NOT BE A DICTATOR -- until you control the MEDIA and the GUNS...

Thanks for making my point. He does control what media half the country believes. Therefore, what news they will hear. As far as guns...ever hear of Commander in Chief? If the generals hadn't balked, there would be a lot more of them crawling around civilian neighborhoods right now.

 

[Donald H]

In all those posts, did anybody say something that relates to the topic?
If anybody is serious and needs some direction, read my reply to Tom Paine above.

Did Tom Payne make any point that asks for a debate? I think he must have been suggesting that the US Constitution isn't equipped to handle a future athoritarian who is more capable than Trump.

 

[OldLady]

The rejection of political plurality - It takes two sides to fight. It isn't like the left isn't trying to wipe out the Republican Party.

At this point, they sure are hopping mad. But what is Joe Biden's message? Unity. That doesn't mean we all have to agree but that we can work together for a common cause--our country, not our party. He says he will be a President for all the people, not just his supporters. Let's give it a try.