Full speed ahead: Destination Dictatorship

[kentuck]

It is moving much faster than many of us realize or wish to admit.

It has been on the road to dictatorship since the day Trump won the Republican nomination for President. He has fired or got rid of everyone that presented a threat to his ultimate aim.

It has now progressed to the point where he has taken over the Republican Party, including the US Senate, and much of our court system and now has made the move to consolidate his gains.

With little or no dissent from the Republicans, he made the shocking declaration that he would disregard all subpoenas from the Congress of the United States and would order all staff and former staff to do the same.

Today we read that he has taken the credentials away from most all of the White House press reporters. Like all dictatorships, at some time or other, they move to destroy a free press.

We may be moving much quicker than any of us realize?

[AlexSFCA]

1. I actually expected all of it to happen much sooner

[whathehell]

12. Of course you did..

[eShirl]

2. Somebody's cruisin' for an impeachin'.

[saidsimplesimon]

3. Thank you, kentucky

The canary signaling danger in the coal mine is gasping for oxygen. A free press is the cornerstone of democracy.

Republicans have drifted so far from the truth and Rule of Law it's a wonder they are not in an insane asylum as they need a mental health check or charged for criminal behaviour. imo

[kentuck]

4. Republican hearts and minds have been captured by lies and confusion

They are more of a cult than a political Party.

[saidsimplesimon]

5. Good point, thanks

[whathehell]

7. Only 27% of voters identify as Republican, according to

Gallup..Others claim it's an even lower percentage.

At this point, most of the electorate (44%) are Independents

https://news.gallup.com/poll/15370/party-affiliation.aspx

[CrispyQ]

6. I still have friends who think it can't happen here even as it's happening before our eyes.

I tell them they've bought into the American exceptionalism myth & need to wake up. Our representative government isn't any better or stronger than any others that have gone down. We're seeing right now, how too much was dependent on the decency & integrity of too many people.

An entire party has betrayed their oath to the Constitution & are working for one party rule. The GOP is playing for keeps & they are closer then they've ever been to controlling our government & treasury. I'm not sure that democratic leadership knows just what they are up against. Sometimes I worry that they have worked with their "colleagues across the aisle" for so long that they aren't able to see them for what they really are - the enemy of the People, the enemy of representative government.

We are in as dire a place as we've ever been in.

[lunasun]

8. A larger portion of the country will be Ok with it than imagined by us here I suppose

These moves are meant to stabilize his place in power

Look at someplace like China where more than 90% of party leaders were ok with removing term limits for Xi .

Very possible congressional and court repugs will back trump all the way no matter what he does and without any citizen voter count /approval


Dictator Trump can use the same excuses Xi did ...needs more time for his MAGA plans etc, so can’t change now or in the near future to continue the success
Congress does not have term limits so unfair for the president to have term limits
And most important no one can do it better than him

Don’t think we are just” too free here “for something like this to continue into a greater decline of democracy with a large portion approving it all the way

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/10/world/asia/china-xi-jinping-term-limit-explainer.html

His action leaves little doubt that Mr. Xi is clearing the way to remain top leader for a long time to come, and without clear rivals.

If the term limit remained, Mr. Xi would have to step down as president at the end of his next five-year term, in 2023. Any successor could potentially become a rival.

Mr. Xi seems determined to remain “three-in-one” leader because he sees himself on a historic mission to make China into a great power. Achieving that will take more than a decade, Xi has said.

Last year, Mr. Xi showed his intent to stay in power by declining to promote a potential successor into the new Politburo Standing Committee, the party’s most powerful body. Mr. Xi and Mr. Hu both served political apprenticeships in the Standing Committee

[mtnsnake]

9. You nailed it, kentuck

We all knew it would be really bad, but I don't think anyone could imagine that it would be ten times worse than anyone thought. Yet it is.

[Politicub]

10. This started in 2000 with GWB

We’re seeing it pick up steam.

The fact that the Supreme Court could stop a vote count and install their pick proved how little people would protest naked power grabs.

[Locrian]

11. throw in a war with Iran and it's a guarantee - n/t