Donald Trump and the movement he represents are not “just” a matter of politics: They are effectively a public health crisis that touches all areas of American society and life.
These assaults on democracy and a humane society are emotional, physical, spiritual, psychological, economic, intellectual and material. Trumpism and fascism attack reality and truth, seeking to replace them with what social psychologists have described as a state of “malignant normality."
The result of these assaults is a collective state of trauma, anxiety, lack of direction and growing despair about our futures as individuals and citizens of a supposed democracy. These negative emotions are amplified by existential fears about global climate disaster, disruptive technologies such as AI, wars in multiple areas of the world, past and future pandemics and other unpredictable crises.
Fascism and authoritarianism are like opportunistic predators. They seek out societies in crisis whose dysfunction and brokenness allow them to flourish.
If Trump and his MAGA forces take back the White House, whether by fair means or foul — a once-unthinkable prospect that now seems increasingly likely — that might finally mean the end of innocence for those Americans who have deluded themselves into believing that “we are better than that."
Trump won’t win, he will be in jail in 2024.
I hope he’s in jail, but I doubt it. Dingus has committed crimes at the highest level his whole life and seen zero repercussions. He now has sway with an openly corrupt supreme Court, the support of millions of zealous idiots, and continues to get trial delays that may push results beyond the election.
Just look at the open threats he’s spewing and has yet to spend a night in jail. All they’ve done is fine him a paltry amount, which his dipshit base will gladly pay for.
We are on a very scary precipice. Trump’s four years in office were far worse than I could have imagined, and have exposed so many faults in our government. I dread what another four years would bring.
True. Our founders thought norms would be followed by good faith presidents. Trump tested those.
Trump has done so many awful things in the four years he was president. He has learned from it. He knows he needs more loyalist in position to kill our democracy. Hope he doesn’t get a chance to do it.
I am old and lived most of my life in a democracy, but I am sure the young people don’t want to live in an authority Christian Nation. I hope they vote.
I have a 1,000 things to say, and I won’t call the election for Biden, but Trump cannot win supporters, only lose.
Our republic depends on us voting. It ain’t much to ask vs. the bloodshed that would follow a Trump win.
And if anyone thinks that hyperbolic, shortly after Biden took office we had 1,000,000 dead Americans from COVID. And he just called me “vermin”.
Trump’s four years in office are almost exactly what I imagined would happen, which is why I was telling everyone I knew what would happen and to not vote for him.
Now i am imagining another
four-yearindefinite term, and it’s the end of everything good. That’s not hyperbole.I, like you, am doubtful he’ll go to prison, which should be very telling about the state of the US right now. The right wants to start a civil war over Trump and social issues; the left /needs/ a violent revolution they don’t seem to have the stomach for.
Look my friend, I feel the fear. See my other post on this same thread.
But Trump has never been under such a microscope, never faced the forces of justice like he is now. I laughed when the video of him winning 2016 came out. Trump tower, everyone partying, Trump drops his head in his hands. “LOL. He’s scared shitless the government will finally start paying attention to him, bust him for decades of crimes.” I rarely call it, but I nailed that one 8-years ago.
I get the Supreme Court hate, I do. But they’ve made a few sane calls lately, and yes, even regarding elections. And don’t forget, they’re on the bench for life. They owe Trump nothing. They’re conservative, but they’re not his minions.
And yes my friend, we stand on a razor’s edge. I never thought it would come to this in my middle-age. Thank god I can still fight back.
I have some hopes for him being jailed to some extent mostly because of his mugshot. As others have pointed out, you’d have to do a lot of law bending to find a reason to not put him in an actual jail. The only thing potentially saving him is the secret service citing security risks at a normal jail or prison. But we have VIP prison cells in most states for this reason. He can be jailed, he just won’t see other prisoners.
That’s especially true because Georgia has its hands on him and that case will almost certainly end up with him guilty. So we either get riots because he gets to rest easy under house arrests or he gets treated like an actual prisoner. But there’s zero way to keep him out of serious punishment in a hostile state without turning laws into taffy.
That’s it basically. Georgia is doing something huge here. They may be the first court to try and jail him and that can break things down far before the election. Violence will immediately ensue no matter what happens. Because if he goes to jail, protests break out. If he doesn’t, a lot of people should justifiably riot.
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I don’t think SCOTUS would throw him a bone, personally. For better or worse (usually worse), they are constitutional originalists, but there’s nothing in the Constitution that says presidential candidates can’t be in prison or sent to prison during campaign season.
I agree with you, but the “originalists” have abused even that notion to the point where they use originalism as an excuse to do whatever they can get away with.
Only time will tell, and I can appreciate the notion that they haven’t exactly been unbiased and even in their assessments.
The current court has already shut down or deferred to lower court rulings regarding voter suppression. Just because they’re wild-eyed conservatives doesn’t mean they owe Trump anything or will kowtow to him.
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2016 has entered the chat
It’s not 2016, Trump has lost every time since then.
Hey dems let’s all stay home we don’t have to vote we got this in the bag…
Sound familiar??
No, our ass is on the line here. Volunteer, get others to vote, vote yourself.
And ignore the idiots and operatives pushing the “hurr durr voTe 3rD PaRtY iN ProTeSt” horseshit.
Sure hope so.
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