The former president is now highly unlikely to stand trial in the Justice Department’s election interference case before November
The Supreme Court handed Donald Trump a massive victory on Wednesday by agreeing to rule on whether he is immune from prosecution for acts committed while he was president. The court will hear arguments on April 22 and won’t hand down a decision until June — which means it’s unlikely a trial in the Justice Department’s election interference case will commence before the election. If Trump wins the election, he’ll of course appoint an attorney general who will toss the case, regardless of how the Supreme Court rules this summer.
By Wednesday night, Trumpland was celebrating.
“Literally popping champagne right now,” a lawyer close to Donald Trump told Rolling Stone late on Wednesday.
And we slip even closer to fascism
What if i told you…
Morpheusface
We are already there?
I’m not being edgy. Let’s review the 14 signs:
Powerful and Continuing Nationalism
Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.
Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights
Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of “need.” The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.
Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause
The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.
Supremacy of the Military
Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.
Rampant Sexism
The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia and anti-gay legislation and national policy.
Controlled Mass Media
Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.
Obsession with National Security
Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.
Religion and Government are Intertwined
Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government’s policies or actions.
Corporate Power is Protected
The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.
Labor Power is Suppressed
Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed.
Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts
Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts is openly attacked, and governments often refuse to fund the arts.
Obsession with Crime and Punishment
Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.
Rampant Cronyism and Corruption
Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.
Fraudulent Elections
Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.
I expect pushback on this, simply because it is absolutely terrifying and worse? I don’t know what to do other than try and point this out to people. Maybe someone somewhere knows a way outta this mess.
It’s not coming, it’s here friends, the future is today. Fascism isn’t binary. It’s not yes/no, it’s analog, the dial slowly turned up. And like the proverbial boiling frog, if you’re expecting there to be a flashing sign, one giant moment that signals to everyone yes, yes now we are here, this is fascism?
It walks the streets outside your home, in the hallways of your building. It is just outside your door, getting ready to knock on someones. Will you know it before they knock on yours?
My biggest concern is that we’re crossing a point of no return from which there is no way back except for violent overthrow of the regime. My biggest fear is that we’ve already crossed it.
…mine too. I am coming to grips with what i increasingly believe is…yes, we have. And i am not ready, so very not ready to accept what that actually might mean. I said this slightly differently earlier, but part of my problem, now that I’m on that road to acceptance, is trying to find some direction, some way to find agency. And to share that agency I’ve found (it must exist! It must! I must find it!) with other people who would listen. But i am adrift. I hate this feeling of fearful helplessness. I would wish it on no one. But all I’ve got is what i see right now, and the faith that someone out there smarter than me has an answer we can all share
the monopoly on violence that is reserved for the state is what drives that feeling of fearful helplessness. there are no right and easy answers because they have been labeled wrong. i will not advocate for violence but i will point out that we are not allowed to carry out violence against the state or its infrastructure.
if you have been the victim of repeated physical abuse and had the opportunity to physically fight back and took it, then you know how powerful that feeling after is, when you realize that you actually do have power.
Aye the seeds of fascism have already sprouted weeds
Absolutely no doubt the Republicans are a bunch of fascists. But they don’t have full control yet.
I don’t play party politics my friend. I am saying this is the way the nation is currently running. What i mean is to say that the country, despite (as you say) the Republicans not having ’ full control’, that this is our country, now. My point is fascism, as defined in these 14, is here. Now. Setting aside party politics (gamified by our corrupted media) where each “news company” plays different flavors of
Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause
the “news” is constantly pitting one half of the citizenry against the other. How often have you been cajoled by them to consider your fellow citizens lesser? Can’t you hear them cooing in your ear to dismiss all critisism of your party as treasonous? Un-american?
Today, when you woke up, it was under the flag of a fascist nation.
As much as I have disdain for all corporate media. That isn’t something the non overtly conservative media does. Whether it’s to service their false narrative of turning everything into a horse race for ratings. Or actual journalistic integrity. I can’t say, though my money is on the former.
Nope. I definitely have heard individuals wound up about this election get overly concerned about primary shenanigans on the Democratic side. The corporate media however often focuses on false criticisms still. Out of some misguided need to APPEAR fair and balanced . Rather than be succinct and honest.
I would like you to be my ally, and in fact you are. Our light disagreement here is (in my opinion) that you are still holding on to the idea that while propaganda exists, it isn’t something you personally consume. That while fascism exists and is growing, it is not at all on the side you are on. That the things you believe, you believe because you are informed, and that you disagree with others because they are not.
I would like you to consider the possibility that you are subject to lies and propaganda. That the things you are told, the people you believe? Might be lying to your face. Might be twisting things juuust enough for your compliance and support. Is that not possible?
I really don’t want to push any harder than this because i desire your open mind above all else. But my opinion is you’re far too quick to dismiss other’s opinions as uninformed or plain wrong, and i would like that part of you to change.
you’re doing very good work.
Masterful execution of interpersonal communication and outreach. Your wording is inspiring.
I’m not a Democrat. Nor am I Republican. Nor am I a member of any major American party. Propaganda does exist everywhere. But I think what you’re not recognizing is that you are subject to it as much as anyone else. And as such, have been a bit radicalized.
I do not dispute that the American Republican party has been aspirationally and openly fascist for much of the last 100 years. And I do not dispute that the Democratic party since at least the 1980s has been far too comfortable and enabling of it. Nor do I dispute that America has committed genocide throughout its history. Including against my ancestors. Easily right up until the late 1970s early 1980s at minimum. I do not dispute that America at the behest of the wealthy and industrialists have overthrown democratic governments. Puting authoritarian/fascistic dictators in place.
But I also acknowledge that for all their many faults. And there are many. That even though they don’t do enough to push back. That many of the morons still opining openly about the “loss of bipartisanship”. Wanting to work with Republicans. Despite Republicans basically saying fuck you to their face. That there is a difference between rudderless spinelessness, and fascism. I acknowledge that for all the horrible positions Biden has taken in his career. That he has actually genuinely grown and tried to make amends. Remember, he’s a big part of why we have marriage equality. Despite Obama saying he was against. I’m not going to defend the stupid liberal brained things Biden continues to do. I understand why Biden was still trying to work with Israel. And it wasn’t to support genocide. Despite it being truly, obviously, stupid.
However I acknowledge above all. That anyone who portrays Democrats as fascists, or the same as the Republican party. That screeches ignorant teenage edge lord slogans like “genocide joe”. Aren’t interested in solutions. Aren’t interested in reaching people. Fully focused on farming drama and making enemies. Rather than making hard decisions, working to save lives.
Unfortunately you are more right than wrong. 😐
If you’re stranded in a red state, they already do
no, but they have no problem with cheating and the branch of government that would hold them responsible when they do, just showed their hand. I don’t think it’s going to be easy for them to steal it, but I don’t think there will be much in the way of them trying every trick they have.
The State: I am the one who knocks!
waitwaitwait, you mean accusing our political opponents of being traitors isn’t democracy? well what if we just want to criminalize their political activity and throw em in jail? or accuse them of working with foreign interests? surely, it’s not fascism all the way down: the corporate media insists fascism can’t be here until the next election!
People forgetting we didn’t win the revolution through voting.