Trump Can Become Dictator Due to a Loophole in the Constitution

[DavisModerator]

I always had a total blast traveling around America. And yet even in Liberal Seattle and New York City I came across tourists who would chat me up and within minutes start hearing lectures about how Jesus loves me. This is my favourite template of a conversation to have with an Evangelical:

evangelical: Abortion is murder

me: That’s a question of one’s point of view. The death penalty is unambigiously murder so I’d imagine you don’t support it.

evangelical: Uhhhhhhhhh…well it’s not the same

me: Oh? I thought all life is precious

evangelical: Well people who commit crimes aren’t “people” anymore.

me: Sort of like those who aren’t even born yet. You can hardly call a zygote a “person” by your logic.

evangelical: Once you open your heart to Jesus you’ll understand

me: Oh you know what Jesus thinks about the death penalty? Did he tell you?

evangelical: [more bullshit]

me: It was lovely meeting you

[UnseenParticipant]

Davis wrote:

The trend of countries copying American policy is completely reversing. Trump is trying to axe the very limited form of mixed-system government the US has and returning the death penalty. Meanwhile countries are either enacting or strengthening their mixed-systems while axing the death penalty. America still has enormous cultural influence (I don’t know anyone in any European country that doesn’t have a Netflix account). I’d say that these television programs actually deal with the very opposite issues that Trump and Evangelicals find important (or at least through an opposing view). That’s what gives me optimism about the U.S. Television is HUGELY influential and shows almost always present a negative portrait of the death penalty and a positive one about diversity and social assistance.

Trump is steering the GOP toward a demographic cliff. After a while, even their efforts to keep “darkies” from voting through voter intimidationl and dis/misinformation, and their gerrymandering won’t be enough. This plus the trend among younger voters to see the Republican Party as The Party of Stupid, the GOP will essentially die on the vine and become irrelevant.

UNLESS, of course, Trump at some point declares a national emergency (which, I guess, is legal, and which he can do unilaterally), suspends the Constitution and Bill of Rights, and establishes himself as dictator.

[DavisModerator]

to see the Republican Party as The Party of Stupid

I’ve always seen it as the party of playing really dirty. Their antics and tactics are so scummy. Just repeating the opposite of reality a thousand times until for most of their followers it just becomes truth (despite them fully well knowing its a lie). “Climate change is a myth”. “The sky is green”. “I’m going to build that wall”.

Even proceeduraly they play really dirty games in the senate and house of representatives (when they aren’t in power) so stop any legislation they don’t like. In fact they try to stop legislation they do like so that the Democrats can’t take credit for it. And then there is the non-confirmation of a supreme court position because “the president is in his last few months and a new government should decide” bullshit. And then there is their absolute silence when it comes to a bad republican president doing really disgusting things.

Conservative parties in Canada and the UK are little different. They use these tactics (to a lesser degree). The most revolting being vicious attack adds on television. Trying to discredit polls that look on issues they care about unfavourably. Inventing vile insulting phrases like “Crooked Clinton” or “Nasty liberals”. None of them do it any better than the Republicans. They are utter masters of portraying themselves as the party of morality and family values while in reality playing as dirty as their imagination will take them. They are utterly shameless and many republican followers applaud them for their dirty tactics, especially loving honest godly evangelicals.

[DavisModerator]

It’s articles like this that show me the utterly savage brutal side of Trump’s America. I literally cannot comprehend what goes through people’s minds when school principles attack their student’s poor family through threats. It paints states like Wyoming as a place of hostility and unforgiving cruelty. And yet that cannot really be the case. I don’t believe deep down most people approve of this.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49117936

[_Robert_Participant]

UNLESS, of course, Trump at some point declares a national emergency (which, I guess, is legal, and which he can do unilaterally), suspends the Constitution and Bill of Rights, and establishes himself as dictator.

I am ready !

[Reg the Fronkey FarmerModerator]

I only watched the video in the hope of catching a glimpse of Tammy eating from a bucket. Here is a review of the food.

[Glen DParticipant]

@_Robert_

Wasn’t there a nasty scandal with the Bakker’s? Don’t really, care, I consider televangelists as a species to be parasites.

@davis

The rough Aussie   parallels to Us political parties are The Liberals (Conservatives) and Labor  (centre).The Australian Labor party was founded as the political arm of the Trade Union Movement. Even was I was growing up, Liberals were seen as ‘silver tails’, representing the top part of town. Labor was for the workers and social justice. It was effectively a class war without violence.

The distinction between the parties began to blur in the 1980’s, when we had a neo liberal Labor Government for some years. Today  Labor is a bit right of centre ,Liberals are very right wing.

I was an active unionist all of my working life; that included at times working-to-rule and  going on strike. I was also a member of the Australian Labor Party for 25 years. I left the party when they made a person I thought was an immoral thug Leader of The Party–that meant he would automatically be  Prime Minister if Labor won.

 

Over the years. , my perception of politics  has changed a great deal. Today I accept the notion of ‘realpolitik’ to be an accurate description of politics.

I have seen the lack of ethics and dirty tricks from both parties over the years. It is also my observation that  many Labor voters are downright stupid and ignorant.

It is my view today that “The ideologue is naive at best, dangerous at worst” . (Tarquin St John Shagnasty)

I also agree with “the strongest argument against democracy is to spend ten minutes talking to the average voter”(Winston Churchill)

These days, come elections, I vote for the least offensive bunch of venal incompetents on offer. That’s usually Labor in the Lower House, but never also in the senate. I really don’t like the idea of one party controlling both houses. It does happen, and imo is never good for the country.

 

PS there is bipartisan support for what  I consider Australia’s shameful policy on refugees: Often apprehended at sea, they are detained in an offshore detention centre, on Nauru Island, often for years.. They have committed no crime. The majority of Aussies think this policy is just fucking dandy.

This behaviour has been criticised by Amnesty International and the UN, as we are in breach of Human Rights Conventions we have signed.

 

((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((0))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

 

Realpolitik (from German: real; “realistic”, “practical”, or “actual”; and Politik; “politics”, German pronunciation: [ʁeˈaːlpoliˌtiːk]) is politics or diplomacy based primarily on considerations of given circumstances and factors, rather than explicit ideological notions or moral and ethical premises. In this respect, it shares aspects of its philosophical approach with those of realism and pragmatism. It is often simply referred to as “pragmatism” in politics, e.g. “pursuing pragmatic policies”. The term Realpolitik is sometimes used pejoratively to imply politics that are perceived as coercive, amoral, or Machiavellian.[1]

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Realpolitik

• This reply was modified 3 years, 8 months ago by  Glen D.

[_Robert_Participant]

Jim Bakker was found guilty of fraud and before that there was a payoff to church secretary Jessica Hahn who claimed he raped her and resulting resignation from his PTL club. His incredibly natural looking wife Tammy    stayed by his side until he was in jail.

[Glen DParticipant]

@_Robert_

 

Was he the one who blubbered on TV saying he’d  sinned?

Yair,  together  they  certainly constitute  a cautionary tale, on several levels.

Yet people in the US still insist on giving such parasites money they can often ill afford. Even to that shining example who explained why he needs a private jet. Apparently God doesn’t speak to him on  commercial  flights.

Perhaps I’ve misunderstood about the poverty of the parishioners.  I’m under the impression that they come from the bible belt, which includes some of the poorest states in The Union, and include; Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Arkansas and  Tennessee

• This reply was modified 3 years, 8 months ago by  Glen D.

[Reg the Fronkey FarmerModerator]

I would have no problem with Janis asking for a Mercedes Benz but check out the needs of these liars for Jesus.

[Glen DParticipant]

@Reg;  yes, that’s the chap.

 

At 12, my conscience hadn’t fully developed. EG I could  finally understand it wasn’t Ok to hit that guy I disliked with half a house brick. However, still had a problem grasping the notion of honesty.

So, if I wanted something, if possible, I would steal it and then go to confession. I was about 12 and a half when  conscience really kicked in. That was when I grasped the concept of morality in the abstract. I was really pissed off.  Had to stop boosting stuff I wanted.

Trying to live a moral life can be very trying , even downright inconvenient at times.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 8 months ago by  Glen D.

[DavisModerator]

there is bipartisan support for what I consider Australia’s shameful policy on refugees

There is simply something about Anglo-Saxon countries that show a serious thirst for blood at criminals, that not only should prisoners atone while rotting in prison, but that they also suffer. At the very least indifference to their suffering. How many cases in America are there of even famous people being beaten, raped, murdered or committing suicide in prison even with police/prosecutors knowing full well they were under risk. The jails in Canada are also very dangerous. It’s a little better in Ireland and N.Z. but they are hardly like Scandanavia. I’m not talking about giving prisoners luxurious treatment. I’m talking about protecting them from violence/murder/rape and harassment by security guards which is a chronic horrid problem. In any case…I can honestly say the U.S. and Australia totally take the cake when it comes to criminalizing immigrants. I’ve met nothing but awesome, kind hearted and very pleasant Aussies (even lived with them) and enjoyed their company immensely. Are there more fun agreeable people anywhere? And yet even amongst the educated there is this lingering scummy racism. And I cannot find a single Australian friend who is for closing down those savage sinister awful torturous immigrant concentration camps off Island. The conditions, I think, are even worse than the recently exposed U.S. camps. The level of suicide and violence against the inmates is shocking. It’s impossible for me to square the hostile indifference or even gratification taken over them sweltering in the unpleasant hot cells…with the honest reliable kind Aussies that I knew. It really is one of the craziest mysteries I’ve encountered in my life.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 8 months ago by  Davis.

[_Robert_Participant]

….the poorest states in The Union, and include; Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Arkansas and Tennessee

Well I assume by poor you mean financially because the South is culturally the wealthiest region in the States…and you know you get a lot for your money in the South. The yankees do run up the prices in some areas when they sell out and head South to retire. And the food, from spicy Cajun and uppity New Orleans gourmet to the low country crab boil in Georgia and the boiled peanuts, cornbread, collards and grits are the best. No wonder Southerners die young. The media has no idea what the South is really like and Southerners are more than happy to keep it that way.

[Glen DParticipant]

@_Robert_

Not just economic poverty. I believe education is the magic bullet for poverty and ignorance. However,I understand it’s pretty hard to get decent education if you have to work at a subsistence  level  to survive. Traditionally ,I understand that to refer especially to coal mining in say  Kentucky and Tennessee and to share cropping.

Also to a relative lack of industrial infrastructure in the South, which I understand has not changed greatly since the Civil war in some states ,such as Mississippi.

My comments were based specifically  on what I understand of the US bible belt and the kind of primitive evangelical Christianity one tends to find there.

My comments are meant as observation only , not as an insult. I did not mean to detract from the rich history  and unique cultures found throughout The South.

 

But hey, what do I know? I’m only an  ignorant foreigner.

 

• This reply was modified 3 years, 8 months ago by  Glen D.

[_Robert_Participant]

I believe education is the magic bullet for poverty and ignorance

I agree with that, however the emphasis on University is around here is intense. We have legions of liberal arts graduates waiting tables and working in food markets. They are disillusioned. Some of the engineering grads that I have interviewed…well lets just say-good luck with the loans-I can’t see them succeeding. Try finding a good plumber or electrician is like pulling teeth.  The transition from grade schools to real life is so haphazard in the US.

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