TRUMP is seriously dangerous

[Grizzly]

Now, what if Trump invites Jesse Ventura as a running mate? That would be a plot twist...lol

[Wombaticus Rex]

Now, what if Trump invites Jesse Ventura as a running mate? That would be a plot twist...lol

I agree. Although I think it would be hard for Trump's base to swallow having such an avowed socialist on the ticket. While they're clearly willing to tolerate Trump's New York Values and social liberal policy opinions, I think that Ventura's long history of explicit advocacy for communist revolution -- not to mention his occasional dabbling in conspiracy theories -- will prove very problematic for a demographic that seldom says "problematic."

Let's be real: Bernie Sanders would be a more moderate choice for Trump.

[backtoiam]

wombat said:

Let's be real: Bernie Sanders would be a more moderate choice for Trump.

True, but a hell of a lot less entertaining. At least with a Trump/Ventura ticket we could maximize our entertainment dollars.

[Project Willow]

Jeez, ya think?

http://www.vox.com/2016/3/1/11127424/trump-authoritarianism

The rise of American authoritarianism
A niche group of political scientists may have uncovered what's driving Donald Trump's ascent. What they found has implications that go well beyond 2016.

....
....
....

"We may now have a de facto three-party system: the Democrats, the GOP establishment, and the GOP authoritarians"

But while the party may try to match Trump's authoritarian rhetoric, and its candidates may grudgingly embrace some of his harsher policies toward immigrants or Muslims, in the end a mainstream political party cannot fully commit to extreme authoritarian action the way Trump can.

That will be a problem for the party. Just look at where the Tea Party has left the Republican establishment. The Tea Party delivered the House to the GOP in 2010, but ultimately left the party in an unresolved civil war. Tea Party candidates have challenged moderates and centrists, leaving the GOP caucus divided and chaotic.

Now a similar divide is playing out at the presidential level, with results that are even more destructive for the Republican Party. Authoritarians may be a slight majority within the GOP, and thus able to force their will within the party, but they are too few and their views too unpopular to win a national election on their own.

And so the rise of authoritarianism as a force within American politics means we may now have a de facto three-party system: the Democrats, the GOP establishment, and the GOP authoritarians.

And although the latter two groups are presently forced into an awkward coalition, the GOP establishment has demonstrated a complete inability to regain control over the renegade authoritarians, and the authoritarians are actively opposed to the establishment's centrist goals and uninterested in its economic platform.

Over time, this will have significant political consequences for the Republican Party. It will become more difficult for Republican candidates to win the presidency because the candidates who can win the nomination by appealing to authoritarian primary voters will struggle to court mainstream voters in the general election. They will have less trouble with local and congressional elections, but that might just mean more legislative gridlock as the GOP caucus struggles to balance the demands of authoritarian and mainstream legislators. The authoritarian base will drag the party further to the right on social issues, and will simultaneously erode support for traditionally conservative economic policies.

And in the meantime, the forces activating American authoritarians seem likely to only grow stronger. Norms around gender, sexuality, and race will continue evolving. Movements like Black Lives Matter will continue chipping away at the country's legacy of institutionalized discrimination, pursuing the kind of social change and reordering of society that authoritarians find so threatening.

The chaos in the Middle East, which allows groups like ISIS to flourish and sends millions of refugees spilling into other countries, shows no sign of improving. Longer term, if current demographic trends continue, white Americans will cease to be a majority over the coming decades.

In the long run, this could mean a GOP that is even more hard-line on immigration and on policing, that is more outspoken about fearing Muslims and other minority groups, but also takes a softer line on traditional party economic issues like tax cuts. It will be a GOP that continues to perform well in congressional and local elections, but whose divisions leave the party caucus divided to the point of barely functioning, and perhaps eventually unable to win the White House.

For decades, the Republican Party has been winning over authoritarians by implicitly promising to stand firm against the tide of social change, and to be the party of force and power rather than the party of negotiation and compromise. But now it may be discovering that its strategy has worked too well — and threatens to tear the party apart.

[tapitsbo]

Trump is not only authoritarian, I've yet to be convinced he isn't just a loud, noisy mask for the authoritarian GOP establishment which is itself aaaalmost the same thing as a certain wing of the democrats. If radical social change from authoritarians farther to the left involves a push for things like de facto segregation, we can stop being surprised by counter-trends that appear awkward to polite society.

[backtoiam]

tapitsbo said:

Trump is not only authoritarian, I've yet to be convinced he isn't just a loud, noisy mask for the authoritarian GOP establishment which is itself aaaalmost the same thing as a certain wing of the democrats. If radical social change from authoritarians farther to the left involves a push for things like de facto segregation, we can stop being surprised by counter-trends that appear awkward to polite society.

I read that little paragraph three or four times. There is a lot of wisdom packed into that one little paragraph, in only a couple of sentences...

on edit:

(In other words, its gonna be a long ride, those who are personally offended by the meme factory, are gonna be offended, no shit)

[tapitsbo]

Well that's what it looks like to somebody with a background in large urban areas in Canada. People from other regions may have a slightly different spin, and that I understand. I also understand the idea of assimilationist white supremacy in North America, to be fair, and how this has existed on a spectrum with things like Canadian "multiculturalism".

Part of the appeal of stuff like the original Rigorous Intuition blog was its long, hard look at what exactly people were being assimilated to...

[82_28]

Isn't it crazy that here we are having to even talk about this? I was telling 8bit that drumpf is a little like doing acid. I only did it once and had a hella bad trip. Yet had I not done it I would still be wondering what it was like to this day and probably planning to try it. In other words I got it out my system. Maybe we need a drumpf? See how his despotism holds up against the 1st amendment.

[PufPuf93]

Trump is not only authoritarian, I've yet to be convinced he isn't just a loud, noisy mask for the authoritarian GOP establishment which is itself aaaalmost the same thing as a certain wing of the democrats. If radical social change from authoritarians farther to the left involves a push for things like de facto segregation, we can stop being surprised by counter-trends that appear awkward to polite society.

Looks to me that Trump has more than a fair chance of actually being elected POTUS.

Six months ago I thought this happenstance ludicrous.

If Trump is elected POTUS, I would expect a strong VPOTUS, powerful and independent Cabinet members, and powerful and independent generals; all like nother seen before in the USA.

Trump will delegate unlike any other POTUS and be a Mussolini-type leader in his own good conscious.

The man is not consistent in his own bigoted campaign rhetoric.

A Trump-led USA will free the neo-liberals and neo-conservatives and allow domestic bullying unprecedented in the USA.

Not a welcome thought nor prediction in my universe.

[82_28]

I've been thinking of starting a meme which is basically what's good for the Mexicans and Muslims is good for us "great americans". If you're going to toss them out then let us superior Americans have the FREEDOM to be hauled away against our will too. Not in any angry protesty way, just a you are free to be deported. Do it to help America be great again. There's a reason all of us are here and if you are a person of conscience you are totally ambivalent to the "greatness" of America it's just where you were born and raised then we should have the freedom to be forcibly ripped from our friends and family in kind. What's good for "them" should also be good for us great ones.

[backtoiam]

tapitsbo said:

Part of the appeal of stuff like the original Rigorous Intuition blog was its long, hard look at what exactly people were being assimilated to...

True that...

[backtoiam]

PufPuf93 said:

Looks to me that Trump has more than a fair chance of actually being elected POTUS.

For some reason I still sort of doubt it. But, if I had a nickel for every time I have been wrong I could retire.

But, If this does happen, on some level, I think it will sigil the next phase of the operation, whatever the hell that is...or another JFK.

I see the JFK martyr at the very bottom of the pile of possibility at this point. Why would a man like Trump want to JFK out of here? I wouldn't if I was him.

[PufPuf93]

PufPuf93 said:

Looks to me that Trump has more than a fair chance of actually being elected POTUS.

For some reason I still sort of doubt it. But, if I had a nickel for every time I have been wrong I could retire.

But, If this does happen, on some level, I think it will sigil the next phase of the operation, whatever the hell that is...or another JFK.

I see the JFK martyr at the very bottom of the pile of possibility at this point. Why would a man like Trump want to JFK out of here? I wouldn't if I was him.

I find it impossible to compare Trump to JFK.

What I was trying to say that if Trump is elected, he will rule and the dark forces that run the show now will be unleashed.

The candidate or POTUS I see of endanger of assassination is Bernie Sanders.

But isn't that what Vice Presidents are for? Assassination insurance?

Maybe Trump will melt down or enough folks will come to better sense and the idea of Trump being POTUS will dissipate and history will record a minor wierd blip of possibility.

[justdrew]

I suspect the script is that the resounding electoral defeat of trump will signal a significant shift in US political demography, finally cleaving off the dead-enders and letting an Actually Better America emerge as the clear winning consensus. It'll be the end of the social acceptability of a major part of the republican conventional wisdom. A wholesale close-out fire sale on their standard red-meat issues. Maybe then we can get back to dealing with reality instead of republican fantasy projection we've lived in for a generation or more. It will seem to most like a revolution of sorts. A potentially bloodless social revolution where everyone drops the bullshit... and most... come to their senses at last.

[PufPuf93]

I suspect the script is that the resounding electoral defeat of trump will signal a significant shift in US political demography, finally cleaving off the dead-enders and letting an Actually Better America emerge as the clear winning consensus. It'll be the end of the social acceptability of a major part of the republican conventional wisdom. A wholesale close-out fire sale on their standard red-meat issues. Maybe then we can get back to dealing with reality instead of republican fantasy projection we've lived in for a generation or more. It will seem to most like a revolution of sorts. A potentially bloodless social revolution where everyone drops the bullshit... and most... come to their senses at last.

I appreciate your optimism.

During my adult life the GOP politic has degenerated from Nixon to Reagan to Bush I to Bush II (and Ford was a placeholder too) and the USA has become ever more right wing until a major demographic is now right wing crazy of various flavors.

The neo-liberal leadership of the Democratic Party is closer to Nixon and Reagan in policy than JFK and LBJ.

I not only appreciate your optimism but I would vote for and actively support your vision.

There needs to be a house cleaning from local to state to federal elected positions in favor of people over money.

I would like to see a politician try and fail at least.

I favor Sanders as the only reasonable choice.

I do not like nor trust Trump nor Clinton nor the GOP clown car.