Should Trump be impeached?

[Solmyr]

So is the US a presidential dictatorship now? Trump gets to do whatever he wants without any opposition (and if there is any, he calls it a coup attempt), members of his administration are free to ignore or actively oppose the legislative body, and this is all apparently fine with the majority of the electorate.

[Valmy]

So is the US a presidential dictatorship now? Trump gets to do whatever he wants without any opposition (and if there is any, he calls it a coup attempt), members of his administration are free to ignore or actively oppose the legislative body, and this is all apparently fine with the majority of the electorate.

What is the evidence that the majority of the electorate is fine with it? A large minority fanatically supports him, and the President can do almost anything he wants so long as over 33% of the legislature will go along with it. This is similar to the frustrations the Republicans felt when they controlled the legislature but not sufficiently to really stop Obama. The President is super powerful just generally.

[Valmy]

Don't feed the troll. His fedora gets bigger each time we feed it.

What I hate is that he is so good at baiting. He will say something reasonable and then I agree and then he turns around and then turns it up to something crazy. I am never quite sure how we got from A to B there.

[grumbler]

What I hate is that he is so good at baiting. He will say something reasonable and then I agree and then he turns around and then turns it up to something crazy. I am never quite sure how we got from A to B there.

So long as you realize that he is lying about things like "Rachel Maddow and her Russian polar vortex," his baiting cannot work.  Like Trump himself, Legbiter seems to lie for the pleasure of lying - the fact that we all know he is lying just adds to his pleasure.  I am sure that there is a name for this pathology, but the effect is simply that you should assume that nothing he says is true, because anything he says that actually is true is only true by accident.

[crazy canuck]

So is the US a presidential dictatorship now? Trump gets to do whatever he wants without any opposition (and if there is any, he calls it a coup attempt), members of his administration are free to ignore or actively oppose the legislative body, and this is all apparently fine with the majority of the electorate.

What is the evidence that the majority of the electorate is fine with it?

A quibble of sorts - It doesn't really matter what a majority of the American electorate thinks.  It only matters how their votes convert to electoral college votes.  And I am concerned that the majority of college votes will be with Trump at the next election.

[Sophie Scholl]

So is Venezuela a presidential dictatorship now? Maduro gets to do whatever he wants without any opposition (and if there is any, he calls it a coup attempt), members of his administration are free to ignore or actively oppose the legislative body, and this is all apparently fine with the majority of the electorate.

With the amount of oil we have, I'm surprised we haven't invaded ourselves yet.

[Razgovory]

What I hate is that he is so good at baiting. He will say something reasonable and then I agree and then he turns around and then turns it up to something crazy. I am never quite sure how we got from A to B there.

So long as you realize that he is lying about things like "Rachel Maddow and her Russian polar vortex," his baiting cannot work.  Like Trump himself, Legbiter seems to lie for the pleasure of lying - the fact that we all know he is lying just adds to his pleasure.  I am sure that there is a name for this pathology, but the effect is simply that you should assume that nothing he says is true, because anything he says that actually is true is only true by accident.

Pseudologia fantastica.

[Razgovory]

So is the US a presidential dictatorship now? Trump gets to do whatever he wants without any opposition (and if there is any, he calls it a coup attempt), members of his administration are free to ignore or actively oppose the legislative body, and this is all apparently fine with the majority of the electorate.

It is rather alarming, isn't it?  Trump appears to believe that he is not subject to law, and with Barr in control of the Justice Department, he's correct to believe that.  I'm fairly certain Trump will be re-elected in 2020.  Trump can and will engage in unethical or even criminal behavior in the next election  That will be enough to win him four more years.

[Eddie Teach]

Are you saying Trump will rig the election in his favor? Easier said than done.

[Oexmelin]

So is Venezuela a presidential dictatorship now? Maduro gets to do whatever he wants without any opposition (and if there is any, he calls it a coup attempt), members of his administration are free to ignore or actively oppose the legislative body, and this is all apparently fine with the majority of the electorate.

With the amount of oil we have, I'm surprised we haven't invaded ourselves yet.

I have a colleague who has his students write reports on the US using the same tone as is usually employed for describing other countries. It's always an enlightening exercise.

[Sophie Scholl]

Are you saying Trump will rig the election in his favor? Easier said than done.

Nothing has been done to curb Russian or Chinese interference in our elections.  After the Muller Report and the narrative being put forth by the media in general and the right in particular, Russia and Trump were "cleared".  If anything, it will be easier in 2020 than it was in 2016.  Working with foreign agents is perfectly fine amongst other developments it seems.

[The Brain]

The Republican party is now a Putin support party, as demonstrated by the past few years. Rather than resist Russia they will gleefully spread Uncle Sam's cheeks for further ramming.

[Eddie Teach]

Are you saying Trump will rig the election in his favor? Easier said than done.

Nothing has been done to curb Russian or Chinese interference in our elections.  After the Muller Report and the narrative being put forth by the media in general and the right in particular, Russia and Trump were "cleared".  If anything, it will be easier in 2020 than it was in 2016.  Working with foreign agents is perfectly fine amongst other developments it seems.

They can spread all the propaganda they want, if we fall for it, that's on us.

[crazy canuck]

Are you saying Trump will rig the election in his favor? Easier said than done.

Nothing has been done to curb Russian or Chinese interference in our elections.  After the Muller Report and the narrative being put forth by the media in general and the right in particular, Russia and Trump were "cleared".  If anything, it will be easier in 2020 than it was in 2016.  Working with foreign agents is perfectly fine amongst other developments it seems.

They can spread all the propaganda they want, if we fall for it, that's on us.

The consequences go a little wider in the world than just you.

[Admiral Yi]

Nothing has been done to curb Russian or Chinese interference in our elections.  After the Muller Report and the narrative being put forth by the media in general and the right in particular, Russia and Trump were "cleared".  If anything, it will be easier in 2020 than it was in 2016.  Working with foreign agents is perfectly fine amongst other developments it seems.

Nothing in the Mueller report or anywhere else cleared Russia of interfering in the election.