President Trump as a would-be dictator

[Gun Nut]

Right, so someone who lived under Saddam Hussein, or Kim Jung Un, or Ceausescu would find Trump's America to be indistinguishable.

Are you implying that someone who lived under one of those regimes would find them indistinguishable from one another? I think you would be hard pressed to make that case. Saddam Hussein was quite a different sort of dictator than Kim Jung Un, and I would not doubt that Ceausescu was different than both, though I don't know much about Communist Romania.

There is also the issue that you would need to compare the early history of those regimes with the current American situation to find the similarities between them. Particularly the time before most of the citizens realized that their leader had autocratic tendencies.

Don't fall for the strawman of "feeling = doing"... or the false dichotomy of "these two things are not completely, literally, identical... therefore they are opposites"

 

[Playball40]

Right, so someone who lived under Saddam Hussein, or Kim Jung Un, or Ceausescu would find Trump's America to be indistinguishable.

Are you implying that someone who lived under one of those regimes would find them indistinguishable from one another? I think you would be hard pressed to make that case. Saddam Hussein was quite a different sort of dictator than Kim Jung Un, and I would not doubt that Ceausescu was different than both, though I don't know much about Communist Romania.

There is also the issue that you would need to compare the early history of those regimes with the current American situation to find the similarities between them. Particularly the time before most of the citizens realized that their leader had autocratic tendencies.

Let's not forget that not EVERYONE under Saddam Hussein was oppressed. If you were Sunni, you were safe and your quality of life was quite good.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

No, no it doesn't. Anyone making this comparison is uninformed. Don't let your TDS rob you of reason.

Okay. So when Trump suggests taking away a network's license to broadcast because he doesn't like what they said about him, that's nothing like a dictator?
How would an actual dictator approach such a problem, then? Why does that comparison fail?

You think Trump is the first president to be upset with the Press? I mean, as you sit comfortably writing whatever you like on a public forum without fear or concern of arrest. As apparently happens in dictatorships.

A non answer. Kinda figured.

The people who elected Trump actually desire a dictator. It's not hard to understand.

 

[Shadowy Man]

“They understood that such a pageant is the stuff of despots, not democrats.”

People do realize that he got the idea for a military parade from *France*, right? Is the current French regime an autocratic one?

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Well, he is gathering together with the far-right wing radio/internet/media deplorables. No, not Limbaugh, Hannity, Levin.

The O'Keefes, Mitchells, and Alexanders. This is reprehensible! What in the heck will it take to wake the right-wing up, or are they just so hard on to troll the left wing at any cost?

 

[marc]

Well, he is gathering together with the far-right wing radio/internet/media deplorables. No, not Limbaugh, Hannity, Levin.

The O'Keefes, Mitchells, and Alexanders. This is reprehensible! What in the heck will it take to wake the right-wing up, or are they just so hard on to troll the left wing at any cost?

Large parts of the country hardly get any news other than the radio/media deplorables. And they have been trained over decades to reject anything that gives a different view as being evil liberal media. Waking them up would likely require breaking the back of the right-wing propaganda machines, but between the money supplied by billionaires, and hiding behind the first amendment, I don't see that happening.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Good point marc.

Meanwhile, looks like Trump is looking to trump SCOTUS and use what couldn't possibly be considered "dictatorial powers" and ignore SCOTUS and put his question on the Census.

 

[Gun Nut]

Right, so someone who lived under Saddam Hussein, or Kim Jung Un, or Ceausescu would find Trump's America to be indistinguishable.

Yes. Because they are not claiming that America is under a dictatorship. They are claiming that Trump WANTS to be a dictator over America, and is TRYING to make it so.
What would be indistinguishable with America today is what the political environment in Germany looked like during the rise of Hitler. Not under Hitler.. .during the rise... the division, the demonization of groups, the attack on the media, the breaking of laws and political traditions... all that looks very scarcely similar.

No, no it doesn't. Anyone making this comparison is uninformed. Don't let your TDS rob you of reason.

Yes, yes it does. Anyone rejecting this comparison is uninformed. Don't let YOUR TDS rob you of reason.

 

[Gun Nut]

“They understood that such a pageant is the stuff of despots, not democrats.”

People do realize that he got the idea for a military parade from *France*, right? Is the current French regime an autocratic one?

is a Despot and an Autocrat the same thing?... Trying to understand how what you said relates to what you quoted. France is a shit hole, populated by shitty people, if that is what you are asking.

 

[Elixir]

“They understood that such a pageant is the stuff of despots, not democrats.”

People do realize that he got the idea for a military parade from *France*, right? Is the current French regime an autocratic one?

is a Despot and an Autocrat the same thing?... Trying to understand how what you said relates to what you quoted. France is a shit hole, populated by shitty people, if that is what you are asking.

Ever lived there?
No?
Then what is the basis for that assertion - Trumputin propaganda?

 

[Keith&Co.]

“They understood that such a pageant is the stuff of despots, not democrats.”

People do realize that he got the idea for a military parade from *France*, right? Is the current French regime an autocratic one?

I don't know that he got the idea there, the Soviets had such parades most of his life.
But that was the first time he was on the viewing stand and could pretend it was for his benefit. Probably got a chubby.

But aside from the military parade, he has also talked wistfully about how people in North Korea always salute when Glorious goes by, or how people in dictatorships don't give the leader any shit in the news.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

“They understood that such a pageant is the stuff of despots, not democrats.”

People do realize that he got the idea for a military parade from *France*, right? Is the current French regime an autocratic one?

France did it for Trump's benefit. Macron was trying to butter him up.

 

[Gun Nut]

“They understood that such a pageant is the stuff of despots, not democrats.”

People do realize that he got the idea for a military parade from *France*, right? Is the current French regime an autocratic one?

is a Despot and an Autocrat the same thing?... Trying to understand how what you said relates to what you quoted. France is a shit hole, populated by shitty people, if that is what you are asking.

Ever lived there?
No?
Then what is the basis for that assertion - Trumputin propaganda?

my experiences with the French. To be more fair, it's Parisians that are horrible people... extremely selfish, for one... more so than those from the south, though, for example.
What is your basis for the implication that they are not?

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Ever lived there?
No?
Then what is the basis for that assertion - Trumputin propaganda?

my experiences with the French. To be more fair, it's Parisians that are horrible people... extremely selfish, for one... more so than those from the south, though, for example.
What is your basis for the implication that they are not?

Are you asking someone to demonstrate a stereotype is inaccurate?

 

[barbos]

“They understood that such a pageant is the stuff of despots, not democrats.”

People do realize that he got the idea for a military parade from *France*, right? Is the current French regime an autocratic one?

France did it for Trump's benefit. Macron was trying to butter him up.

No. they have parade each year.

 

[Jolly_Penguin]

Ever lived there?
No?
Then what is the basis for that assertion - Trumputin propaganda?

my experiences with the French. To be more fair, it's Parisians that are horrible people... extremely selfish, for one... more so than those from the south, though, for example.
What is your basis for the implication that they are not?

Are you asking someone to demonstrate a stereotype is inaccurate?

While we are throwing out national reputations, Americans are known worldwide to be arrogant self centred selfish assholes, far more than the French. Ask any hospitality worker or other tourists. The Chinese are pretty well known for this too throughout Asia anyway. These reps are so bad that I often feel bad for the good and polite Amerians and Chinese who don't fit the stereotypes but get the reputation hounding them anyway.

 

[Keith&Co.]

While we are throwing out national reputations, Americans are known worldwide to be arrogant self centred selfish assholes,

Locally, too.

 

[Gun Nut]

Ever lived there?
No?
Then what is the basis for that assertion - Trumputin propaganda?

my experiences with the French. To be more fair, it's Parisians that are horrible people... extremely selfish, for one... more so than those from the south, though, for example.
What is your basis for the implication that they are not?

Are you asking someone to demonstrate a stereotype is inaccurate?

I was not expressing a stereotype. I was expressing my personal observation. Individual stories of where this impression comes from would individually be dismissed as anecdotal.. but together forms the basis of my opinion. It was a rhetorical question.. I was not expecting an answer, but curious how the same question in reverse might be addressed so I can understand how I might answer their question without being easily dismissed out of hand.

 

[Gun Nut]

While we are throwing out national reputations, Americans are known worldwide to be arrogant self centred selfish assholes,

Locally, too.

true, that.

I was in Canada at a music festival when a gang (best way to describe them) of Americans came marching (best way to describe it) through the crowd chanting "USA, USA, USA!". Man, I wanted to punch them in the face... Who visits a neighbor's house with a lovely and generous host and insists on screaming at the top of their lungs, "My House Is Better Than Yours!!!!!" over and over again? American do, apparently. I was ashamed of them and that is why I felt violent about it.

 

[Gun Nut]

“They understood that such a pageant is the stuff of despots, not democrats.”

People do realize that he got the idea for a military parade from *France*, right? Is the current French regime an autocratic one?

France did it for Trump's benefit. Macron was trying to butter him up.

No. they have parade each year.

You may be thinking of Défilé militaire du 14 juillet. That is their annual military parade that is known as the oldest in the world.. it is a long standing tradition. Other country's military join them... it's not about French Nationalism... and certainly not about their president, like Trump wants as a celebration of him.