The rise of American authoritarianism

[Ed Anger]

 

[viper37]

Berlusconi was eventually stopped by Europe, and because of Europe, he could not go as far as Mussolini to begin with.  What is going to stop Trump?

The US federal government has checks and balances.  They are going to stop Trump well short of going as far as Mussolini.

Easy to circumvent with a Congress that has a Republican majority.
Then, it would be a matter of the Supreme court, and by the time he does something outrageous, it would be filled with people like him.

If you have people like Derspiess in the general population, willing to vote for Trump over anything the Democrat would propose, such people will eventually be found in Congress and higher.  And then, these people, faced with a choice of siding with a Democrat would chose the party over anything else, even if it's outrageous, thinking someone else will stop him eventually.

I'm going to quote this just so you can't claim you didn't write it.  It'll also be handy evidence to the contrary whenever any Canadian claims that Canadians generally know something about US politics.

it's all ok then, you can all vote for Trump, he can't do anything bad, so there's no fear

[Razgovory]

So Raz will call your neighbors in France and tell them all you voted for Trump.

I wouldn't do that even if I could speak French.  And knew where his summer house was.

[dps]

Berlusconi was eventually stopped by Europe, and because of Europe, he could not go as far as Mussolini to begin with.  What is going to stop Trump?

The US federal government has checks and balances.  They are going to stop Trump well short of going as far as Mussolini.

Easy to circumvent with a Congress that has a Republican majority.
Then, it would be a matter of the Supreme court, and by the time he does something outrageous, it would be filled with people like him.

If you have people like Derspiess in the general population, willing to vote for Trump over anything the Democrat would propose, such people will eventually be found in Congress and higher.  And then, these people, faced with a choice of siding with a Democrat would chose the party over anything else, even if it's outrageous, thinking someone else will stop him eventually.

.

Even Presidents who have had Congresses in which both houses are controlled by their party have had some trouble getting Congress to go along with everything they wanted to do.

[grumbler]

Berlusconi was eventually stopped by Europe, and because of Europe, he could not go as far as Mussolini to begin with.  What is going to stop Trump?

The US federal government has checks and balances.  They are going to stop Trump well short of going as far as Mussolini.

Easy to circumvent with a Congress that has a Republican majority.
Then, it would be a matter of the Supreme court, and by the time he does something outrageous, it would be filled with people like him.

If you have people like Derspiess in the general population, willing to vote for Trump over anything the Democrat would propose, such people will eventually be found in Congress and higher.  And then, these people, faced with a choice of siding with a Democrat would chose the party over anything else, even if it's outrageous, thinking someone else will stop him eventually.

I'm going to quote this just so you can't claim you didn't write it.  It'll also be handy evidence to the contrary whenever any Canadian claims that Canadians generally know something about US politics.

it's all ok then, you can all vote for Trump, he can't do anything bad, so there's no fear

Thanks.  That's another quotable quote from our resident Canadian expert on US politics.

[grumbler]

Berlusconi was eventually stopped by Europe, and because of Europe, he could not go as far as Mussolini to begin with.  What is going to stop Trump?

The US federal government has checks and balances.  They are going to stop Trump well short of going as far as Mussolini.

Easy to circumvent with a Congress that has a Republican majority.
Then, it would be a matter of the Supreme court, and by the time he does something outrageous, it would be filled with people like him.

If you have people like Derspiess in the general population, willing to vote for Trump over anything the Democrat would propose, such people will eventually be found in Congress and higher.  And then, these people, faced with a choice of siding with a Democrat would chose the party over anything else, even if it's outrageous, thinking someone else will stop him eventually.

.

Even Presidents who have had Congresses in which both houses are controlled by their party have had some trouble getting Congress to go along with everything they wanted to do.

Particularly when both parties in both houses of the legislature hate the president's guts and want to see him flop spectacularly, and you have a president who has no interest in governing.  The specter raised by our Canadian friends about a constitutional overhaul and Supreme Court packing, and the one raised by our Razman about a military coup are amusing, but not credible.  Trump could do some damage through negligence and some more through willfulness, but the damage he can do is limited in our system of government.  I think he's too lazy to even be willfully bad, but that's just an opinion and not relevant to the main point.

[Razgovory]

What the hell are you on about?  I never said anything about a military coup

[Valmy]

Who do I hate again? I keep forgetting.

[Razgovory]

I figured out what Grumbler was on about.  For some reason when I alluded to him having an army as President he took that as Trump was going to launch a military coup.  What I meant was that Trump could start a war or something.

[MadImmortalMan]

Who do I hate again? I keep forgetting.

You know every time I think I'm gonna post something and it's evil and terrible, you do it first.  I love that about you.

[Eddie Teach]

Valmy is your worse self? 

[viper37]

Particularly when both parties in both houses of the legislature hate the president's guts and want to see him flop spectacularly, and you have a president who has no interest in governing.  The specter raised by our Canadian friends about a constitutional overhaul and Supreme Court packing, and the one raised by our Razman about a military coup are amusing, but not credible.  Trump could do some damage through negligence and some more through willfulness, but the damage he can do is limited in our system of government.  I think he's too lazy to even be willfully bad, but that's just an opinion and not relevant to the main point.

You mean he can't convince Congress to invade another country on false pretense?
He can't torture non american citizens?
He can't open secret prison?
He can't order extra-judicial execution of people deemed to be ennemy of the US?
He can't deport illegal immigrants?
He can't convince Congress to change the rules on whom is allowed to become a US citizen, effectively barring muslim immigration for at least a few years?  Or simply changing the rules via decree so that while not technically impossible it would be extremely hard and long for any would immigrant not on Trump's desirability list to enter the country and/or become a citizen of said country?
He can't interpret the rules of NAFTA his own way to turn the US into an even more protectionist state?
He can't vote any kind of silly plan like "Buy American" where the US government would not contract with businesses unless over 90% of their product are made on US soil?
He can't coerce Congress, with carrot&stick, to vote tax laws quite... good for his businesses?
He can't pull out of international treaties he judges unfair for the country?
He can't convince his losing opponents to support him?  Ah, sorry, it's already been done...

I think the list of what he can do is pretty long.  He can use veto, he can use decree.  Will he be popular?  Depends.  He got that far saying that much and he's very popular.  Heck, the little popularity he might have lost was by announcing he wouldn't kill the families of suspected terrorists.

I don't think he can find a way to vote himself POTUS for life, even if Fox News already told us GW Bush did not have to resign after his 2nd term by some twist of constitutional logic I still don't quite get.  But he can do a lot of damage to international relations and to both US & Canada's economy.

[Norgy]

I figured out what Grumbler was on about.  For some reason when I alluded to him having an army as President he took that as Trump was going to launch a military coup.  What I meant was that Trump could start a war or something.

I'd be very disappointed if president Trump didn't invade Belgium.

[grumbler]

You mean he can't convince Congress to invade another country on false pretense?
He can't torture non american citizens?
He can't open secret prison?
He can't order extra-judicial execution of people deemed to be ennemy of the US?
He can't deport illegal immigrants?
He can't convince Congress to change the rules on whom is allowed to become a US citizen, effectively barring muslim immigration for at least a few years?  Or simply changing the rules via decree so that while not technically impossible it would be extremely hard and long for any would immigrant not on Trump's desirability list to enter the country and/or become a citizen of said country?
He can't interpret the rules of NAFTA his own way to turn the US into an even more protectionist state?
He can't vote any kind of silly plan like "Buy American" where the US government would not contract with businesses unless over 90% of their product are made on US soil?
He can't coerce Congress, with carrot&stick, to vote tax laws quite... good for his businesses?
He can't pull out of international treaties he judges unfair for the country?
He can't convince his losing opponents to support him?  Ah, sorry, it's already been done...

I think the list of what he can do is pretty long.  He can use veto, he can use decree.  Will he be popular?  Depends.  He got that far saying that much and he's very popular.  Heck, the little popularity he might have lost was by announcing he wouldn't kill the families of suspected terrorists.

I don't think he can find a way to vote himself POTUS for life, even if Fox News already told us GW Bush did not have to resign after his 2nd term by some twist of constitutional logic I still don't quite get.  But he can do a lot of damage to international relations and to both US & Canada's economy.

Your list is mostly  list of things he cannot do.  If you understood the US system of government, you'd know that.  Since you don't, you are amusing.  My earlier statement stands;  he could do some damage, but the system of checks and balances prevents the US president from doing a lot of damage, and Trump isn't the kind of guy with a lot of energy to do things that don't bring him personal ego-satisfaction.  If you think that Fox telling GW Bush lies is evidence of the powerlessness of the US Constitution, then all I can do is laugh.

[Martinus]

Incidentally, why would deporting illegal immigrants be a bad thing, per se? I get torture, extra judicial killings, secret prisons and stuff, but isn't that the point of having immigration laws - that people who break them can't stay?