Thursday, September 17, 2020

Dictatorship: It's Coming Unless We Stop It


As we look into the gray emptiness of a disappeared world, Puget Sound displaced by choking smog, the future of our planet looks back. Being blinded by smoke is a worthy metaphor for those who still deny climate change. “It’ll get cooler, you just watch,” said Trump this week. Just as the virus went away, “like a miracle.”

Thus was this column first intended: discussing the most demanding and dangerous challenges we face: climate change and an administration refusing to address it. Then the week happened. Climate change must wait. Until January, this country will continue to ignore it, anyway, no matter what we say or how obvious the need. So, not now.

 

Because, just in the last few days, Trump and his horribles have made it even clearer that the most urgent first step to saving our planet is to save our democracy; that he and his will do and say anything to prevent it from happening. This isn’t new; it’s just that the potential has been taken up several quanta.

 

Trump and his collaborators are actively encouraging armed uprising if he loses. And, he’s telling us, the only way he can lose is if Democrats cheat. That popular-vote-losing-by-millions “president” is telling citizens to ignore the polls: if he loses, it was stolen, and they must rise up. “You will see a backlash the likes of which you haven’t seen in many, many years,” he told Jeanine Pirro, who’s in a four-way tie for Fox “news’” most evil entity.

 

“Be poll watchers when you go there. Watch all the thieving and stealing and robbing they do,” he says at his Covid-spreading rallies. (Speaking of which, he announced he’s not afraid of getting the virus because his podium is away from the crowd. You understand what that says about his concern for the attendees, right?)

 

It’s not just Trump. The former CIA guy in charge of finding bin Laden, and now, like so many Trumpists, a QAnon believer, has written, “Loyal Americans know their domestic enemies … and will be able to act swiftly to eliminate them ... The only thing I would be upset about if it came to war is that not enough Democrats would get killed.” Reflecting Trump’s racist demagoguery, he calls BLM “a semi-human mob.” This is the hate-filled, propagandized division Trump incites, because it works for him. And because it’s who he is.

 

Roger Stone, Trump’s favorite felonious fluffer, said that if Trump loses he should declare martial law. Calling on the FBI to block certain people from voting, and for federal authorities to seize Nevada ballots, he also said Zuckerberg, the Clintons, James Mattis, and others should be rounded up. Has anyone heard Trump disavowing it? No one who loves America can be okay with this. Those who are, don’t.

 

Michael Caputo, Trump’s unqualified choice for number two at HHS – but a big donor – who demanded scientists at CDC alter their facts to conform to Trump’s lies, later calling them “seditious” for refusing, said, “… when Donald Trump refuses to stand down at [Biden’s] inauguration, the shooting will begin… If you carry guns, buy ammunition...” Called out, he’s taking a “leave of absence,” from which he ought never return, because, like most Trump appointees, he had no business being there in the first place. Money and mendacity are the only credentials required for inclusion in Trump’s swamp.

 

What more would it take for current Trump supporters to remove their blinders? Their “president” and his acolytes are openly calling for insurrection should he lose; spreading falsehoods about the electoral process in order to discredit the cornerstone of democracy: the right to vote and have it count. It’s a truism: if Trump accuses someone of doing something, it’s he who’s doing it. If he’s the embodiment of narcissism, and ticks every box on the dictator checklist, he’s also the spitting definition of projection.

 

Barr, too. He’s urging prosecutors to charge some demonstrators with sedition; which, unlike exercising the right to protest, is exactly what Trump is doing, by dictionary definition. Choosing to encourage blood in the streets rather than accept defeat, ready to overthrow America if Biden wins, Trump has undertaken a coordinated campaign of faked videos and lies (“Looters and anarchists will be your neighbors.” “Biden is against God”) to incite his supporters to violence, in order to install himself as dictator. Millions of Trumpists seem to like the idea. The only person happier about that than Trump is His Excellency, Vladimir Putin. 


[Image source]

 

23 comments:

  1. seeker of wisdom and truthSeptember 18, 2020 at 1:28 PM

    In my lifetime, our great country has NEVER been weaker, more corrupt, or leaderless than we are currently. Our greatest strength has always included our unity of purpose, our trustworthiness, our inclusive racial and religious diversity, our justice system as guaranteed by the constitution, and all of the unique benefits from living in a DEMOCRACY.

    To abandon this most successful form of self-government under the autocratic evil-intentioned, self-serving tyrant now occupying the White House, is no going to happen because voters will overwhelmingly reject the cowardly wanna-be king.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Given your list of collaborators, add to that a silent and complicit Republican Senate, specifically add McConnell, and his stacked court as collaborator(s), a silent and complicit republican house, I would say the take over to dicKtatorship is complete. We're simply to slow and unbelieving to realize or completely understand it. It's done Sid. Unfortunately, even from here and now, there is no "path" back to the democracy we once enjoyed. That democracy is merely a memory.

    ReplyDelete
  3. "The bluest skies you've ever seen are in Seattle
    And the hills the greenest green(Love the Green) in Seattle...!!!" Dictatorship? sounds bad, too bad you got a refugee from a "Memory Care" facility to run... Hmm, Air in Atlanta's been pretty nice lately, almost a shame to blow smoke(not tobacco so it's cool) in the morning breeze... "Climate Change"?? did you see what "Sleepy's" crowd drove(gave it away) to his "Drive in" town meeting? start's with a "C" and rhymes with "Bars"(love the Bars) Hey, at least PGICOTUS flew in on a 757(bit of a short runway, little "sporty" in a 747) did EICSSOTUS ever NOT take the Jumbo everywhere?

    Frank "too bad there aren't any newspapers left to do an "Early Edition" "Biden beats Trump" hoto (he'll have one of those gag papers printed)
    "That Perry Como's full of $%^&, Man"

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow! Wowsa!
    Well, she hung on as long as she could.
    How fast can a SCOTUS be approved?
    Get ready. Just when we thought it couldn't get any weirder.
    Days before her death, she dictated a statement to her granddaughter: "My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed."
    RIP Ms. Ginsburg. Is there already a folk song about her?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great graphic btw! I found the source picture, though it may be many places.
    https://factfile.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Benito-Mussolini-Facts.jpg
    I've always contended Adolph is the wrong comparison. Germany went along with him, to the bitter end even! It's a comparison alright, but to a different despot.
    Benito was that despot's pigeon: http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1152068/thumbs/o-ADOLF-HITLER-facebook.jpg
    Here's what "his" public did to him when he tried to flee:
    https://ww2gravestone.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Mussolini4__1444386838_19820-e1444386899593-780x300.jpg?f0589e&f0589e
    To wit: https://tuluwatexaminer.files.wordpress.com/2017/03/trump-and-mussolini.jpg

    ReplyDelete
  6. Is there any doubt that the alt right doesn't care about the truth or fair play or even a little decency?

    They are gonna replace RBG before the election or even after. One way or the other, a justice will be put on the bench.

    Here we go folks...Now what are we gonna do? Take it and like it? That's what Obama did and Biden will do. Take it and like it. Then do nothing.

    Wanna know what we must do? Stack the court. Pass all the legislation we can w/o any need for the alt right votes. I say line em up by the 100's and get them in a robe. Fight fire with a nuclear device. That's the game they want to play, yet the Dems. just cry and protest instead of meeting the challenge.

    People, even if Biden wins, nothing will change. It'll be 4 years of gridlock and finger pointing until they all die in office apparently. 4 decades of Bret Cavenbeer on the bench. A frat boy. Nope, I say let's just cut to the chase and let all the alt right pick all the SCOTUS judges from now on we save ourselves the trouble and we throw away avocados at the store

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yo, Smoothtooperate - Aren’t free and fair elections the bedrock of our democracy? And now a sitting president is delegitimizing just that, along with all the other democratic institutions. Another right wing ideologue on the Supreme Court is simply icing on the cake for a modern authoritarian takeover. Yo- I’m sure there’s beautiful skies and green grass in North Korea, China, and Russia also. That doesn’t change the definition of Authoritarianism as some might imply. Goebbels, I mean Stephen Miller is using and blaming the administrations projections as democrats projections. Using VOA, OAN, and Fox as state run propaganda outlets brilliantly. Whoever says we’re not now under authoritarian rule can’t see the forest for those beautiful green trees in the way. Our democracy is pushing up daisies. It’s complete. There’s no going back. Our living memory of fascism and Mussolini only exists in a very minute part of our population. And a societal living memory is oh so relevant. Ask twenty year old what Auschwitz is. US democracy now has to be reinvented. But hey, I’ve just escaped from a memory care facility. Thanks doG for Sid helping me out.

    ReplyDelete
  8. The alt right on full display in their natural habitat. There's something seriously wrong with these people. The garbage they spew is on alt right blogs, FOX 'news' and other false propaganda.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS0tSFf5VOo

    More alt right voters with deplorable character.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=150_bLeEGpo

    This is who we are going to have to deal with folks. At some point it can no longer be ignored. Maybe when Brown vs. Board of education is overturned? I know nobody will do a thing about fixing the voting system. Power is power and politicians can never have enough.

    Think of the people in our lives who have been given power over your lives. I bet you can't think of all of them. There's almost too many to count for most.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Yep. These are the people I hear from every week. Hook, line, sinker. Total believers in the Foxian lies. Zero evidence, 100% acceptance.

    Depressing.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Biden tonight: https://youtu.be/ml5-xY3P8L4

    ReplyDelete
  11. Yeah, Biden assured us all he'd consider the alt right as equal. Nevermind elections and consequences.

    Biden is going to tell you that only half measures will work for everyone. This 'we need to go back to the way it was for us all to succeed'...If everyone will just be nice. Be fair. Be logical. Be empathetic lalalalala...The alt right is not hearing that! HELLO!?

    Watch what happens folks. The Dems. will do nothing and then finger point at the alt right as they enjoy 6 more years on the govt. payroll.

    Biden's speech was garbage. If people settle for what he just layed out, we are done. In his first 100 days a new round of "middle class tax cuts"! YES!!! Biden will sign away more of our tax money to the wealthy. The current tax rate will not go up for 8 years regardless. Wait till he adds more cops on the streets. It will happen, he's said so already.

    Sorry, the hypocrisy is too much for any govt. to bear.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I came here to see how you all were getting by this week. I was feeling pretty down, but I do feel more hopeful that we can fight this horror show. I am tired, stir crazy, but feel like fighting. I went back on facebook and found some compadres, and am finding the lay of the land here in my burg. Wow, patriarchy and parsimony are alive and well. I have been thankful for learning to stand up to big loud men-- and those that have decided that Linda needs to be sweet and compliant so they can tell me how it is going to be, you know, it just makes me more bitchy and non impressed. I always thought trump was more like il duce, he even seems to be intentionally posturing his mannerisms, would be nice if he would have to run for his freedom, but, we can't have every thing. RBG---SHE NEVER GAVE UP, neither can we. I may look like I have, like something the cat dragged around the litter box, but not so. What happens that irritates the hard core ones-- I laugh at em, many of we older ladies are doing that, it helps.

    ReplyDelete
  13. seeker of wisdom and truthSeptember 21, 2020 at 10:22 AM

    As wonderful as our constitution was at it's inception, it has matured over the last 230+ years to become a refined document of inclusivity for all citizens. Wealthy white men no longer control our destiny. No citizen is above the law. Every citizen is protected from lawlessness. Checks and balances work when honored.

    Putin and Drumpf abhor democratic rule. They pursue power by dividing and deceiving the people they control. Voting is their worst enemy. Lying and slandering are their most effective weapons.

    Our great country is dependent on equal justice and liberty. Autocratic authoritarian ruled countries like Russia, China, North Korea offer no justice or liberty. The price of liberty and justice for all has been paid for by every heroic defender of our unique constitution. We must never permit tyrants and demagogues to overthrow this precious human right to life.

    ReplyDelete
  14. (great comment Linda!)
    And, believe it or not for me, great comment STO!
    Exactly correct! Biden is no panacea. The exceedingly wealthy have the situation under their control in exactly the way they prefer, it doesn't matter which farce is elected, they will prosper because they control all the channel$ of change. We are under the thumb of not just massive wealth, but incredible beyond comprehension wealth, and they are utterly unashamed and taking all from all of us, poor people first in the upward direction, like zipping up a sweatsuit coat.
    For instance, and this no small "for instance", I saw Larry Ellison's picture in a news article regarding "contact tracing". How many realize the extent of this evil monstrous-mega-Bill-ionaire who owns the Hawaiian island Bill and Melissa were married on? There is a veritable war of property "develop" in the competition for the birth pains of Seattle/Bellevue/Puget Sound into their plaything. We get to be part of it, but only if we leave (or die first, which is better for them).
    But, Joe will trounce the Trump, he and Harris are the preferred patsies (hello! Silicon Valley S.F. and Oil/Plastics L.A.!?)
    Now, take heart, in one day it will begin being less than 6 weeks instead of just more than 6 weeks. The blood-letting is imminent, like a freight train that can't stop in time, or an oil tanker that can't stop on the reef.
    I love alliteration, "Begin the Beguine": https://www.metrolyrics.com/begin-the-beguine-lyrics-ella-fitzgerald.html

    ReplyDelete
  15. I guess it's Bill and Melinda, not Melissa.
    She's the one who makes the decisions on who to "give" Bill's money to.
    All to India. And a little to Africa, for the appearance. They already bought them a bunch of mosquito nets. Not much else they can do for Africans.
    Diamonds never were much of a thing for them. But buildings, oh the buildings!
    Cities, with walls that reach to the heavens.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Smoothie and ks seem to be obsessed with demonizing my personal heroes like Joe Biden and the Gates family. Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter and the Obama's are also among my favorites as praiseworthy American citizens.

    In my opinion, those people have demonstrated honorably and honestly their true dedication to act as public servants for all American citizens. And, their concern for ALL world humanity is evidence of their faith in action.

    The contrast with the greedy self-serving Drumpf MAGA cultists is obvious. Divide and conquer versus unite and love.

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  17. hey Jack, not sure what you are talking about. I have not demonized anyone. The truth sucks man. I'm not sure where I am wrong on anything so far. If it seems bad? It probably is bad.

    Rather than comment further. I will let the cartoon do the 'demonizing' for me. Recognise the subtle differences 'demonisation' and 'truth'.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diO1RalhGWg&list=PLKfpV2bmlzODmgfd-a0VNQCLqdUCIc-hR&index=1

    ReplyDelete
  18. Chris Hayes has a couple of good takes as well. All along the same lines.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9It042HJv4

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYsVus63TEY

    ReplyDelete
  19. For the optimists...

    For my money, James Carville is one of the smartest minds of the times in regards to politics. I think he's smarter than Lumpy. Lumpy is holding all the cards but one. Basically, it's a poker game and the only person bluffing is the blue team and both the blue team and red team already knew that before this hand was dealt.

    The Dems. only hope is to prove the red team is cheating and win by a landslide. Anything close and Drumpf wins. All it takes is one state. All it takes is 60k votes difference total in 3 states. Just like 2016. The ignorants of the white uneducated vote. The very thing the electoral circle wanks was supposed to prevent. Stupid, corrupt people dead set on taking over 'merica for their own reasons that have nothing to do with us, the people. The college was supposed to stop that. Instead? It's upside down. I'll explain...

    The SCOTUS has recently ruled the the college must vote for the peoples duly elected candidate. That crap with Bernie and the DCCC stealing the votes Bernie earned fair and square. We shot our own voters dead and election night was the wrong kind of zombie apocalypse I was hoping for. "Zombies can stand in a que forever!" I smartly thought aloud.

    Drumpf voters will not be able to shift votes as well, or so we thought.

    Fact is this...

    If the race is close, Drumpf will call a foul. He may tell the electoral college to simply vote for him. Then overturn the new law before it's even been on the books for 6 months in the SCOTUS. He sends US Marshals to seize mail in ballots. He may stop them at the post office and keep them from being postmarked as ontime ballots. Close polling places while people are in line. Intimidation at the polling places. Ridiculous rules come out of the woodwork with 'wordwork' that needs the SCOTUS immediate attention. Basically, change the election rules retroactively. A new, 2nd vote with new voter restrictions, not the old rules.

    I could think of a bunch of stuff but it all comes down to making stuff up to muddy the water. Feed the base red meat. Ram through everything you've ever wanted. Put the entire wish list in front of the courts to fuel outrage and division. Take over the govt. by privatising everything.

    So? What if say...'merca hired mercenaries to go city to city. Not US military. I am talking "contractors". Drumpfs hired army paid for by the taxpayers. He's already got Barr and his henchmen. He has the joint chiefs. He has the Senate and the SCOTUS.

    If Drumpf loses, he's going to prison. He is acutely aware of this. We need to think along those lines and act accordingly. Meaning this is a fight for the future of Democracy. People have died to protect freedom for 'merca and her allies. All we need to do is vote today and stand together tomorrow and forever.

    DO NOT WAIT! Mail your ballot in and check on it. Check your status for the elections past, present and future. Make sure you are registered and have a live account.
    Here's the website to do that...We need to fight as though our very lives depend on it, because they do.

    https://voter.votewa.gov/WhereToVote.aspx

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIN-ZnyFgWY

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  20. And while I am at it...Here's what you need to know about voter suppression and related voting rights issues. We need to fight and we can start by educating yourself and others as to what their rights are. Getting denied at the polls or having your mail in vote not count at all.

    We can be thankful we live in Washington state. Best state in the union imo.

    Women's League of Voters Website.

    https://www.lwv.org/voting-rights/fighting-voter-suppression

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  21. On Don Lemon, The Atlantic long article writer guy did an interview. It's a whole 10 minutes. Some of you may not have the time.

    For those that didn't read the article due to its length or whatever. As far as I am concerned its reasons like that, that got us here. People who just don't care. They talk and talk and talk and talk. But when it comes to the walk...They talk and talk and talk and expect someone else to do the work. They NEVER get fully educated and end up talking about things in a lazy and an uneducated way. Then tell/label you that you are "paranoid" or "extreme". That's the best case scenario. The worst case is you have no idea how...

    Drumpf is going to steal the election!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUQ56Tf22pg

    I'm sure once the dust never settles. The same people will be telling us "how it really happened" and how to fix everything now that it's completely broken. Complete with the finger of blame pointing out of control.

    Fact is this. With a little education you can stop it all together from happening. I guess some people's lives are just too wrapped up in whatever to really care and that's why 'merca is on the verge of collapse.

    We got children being gunned down at school. Nobody cared. Remember those days? Well "those days" of not caring got us "these days" of not caring. Being brutalised and killed by the cops? Nobody cared. Same deal. All that not caring got us here.

    All these things are preventable. All of it. But we got people who say one thing, but doing another all over the place. It's not just the POTUS, it's the people. The people prefer ignorance! They prefer to be ruled! That's crystal clear to me.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Here's the rest of the Chris Hayes report (The Atlantic)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Altks8FU0UY

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  23. This is terrifying...Imagine the election not going Drumpfs way.

    https://tyt.com/watch/21GeVF5Su74U0gZtVyrTM7/clips/49JgpKO0nqFfYhnWQYuPQH?utm_campaign=Friday%20September%2025%202020%20News%20%26%20Alerts%20Newsletter%20(VnpT8V)&utm_medium=email&utm_source=News%20and%20Alerts&_ke=eyJrbF9lbWFpbCI6ICJidXRjaGdyaWdnczJAZ21haWwuY29tIiwgImtsX2NvbXBhbnlfaWQiOiAiTUhBWnBkIn0%3D

    ReplyDelete

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