Civil War 2.0

[Shadow Wolf]

Exactly, not even Jan 6 could keep a dictator in office.

Learn before ranting.

Things could have turned out differently. We were lucky then. Unfortunately, Trump and those around him learned from the first time.
Had the insurrectionists been organized and had a plan things would have been far worse.
Vladimir Ulyanov and the Bolsheviks didn't succeed the first time either.

 

[Bthoth]

ONA is what I meant.

Which means. ON a ? Lap-dance?

 

[Bthoth]

Things could have turned out differently. We were lucky then. Unfortunately, Trump and those around him learned from the first time.
Had the insurrectionists been organized and had a plan things would have been far worse.

Correct, the insurrection people would be dead in stead of in prison

Vladimir Ulyanov and the Bolsheviks didn't succeed the first time either.

irrelevant. but nice tangent.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Correct, the insurrection people would be dead in stead of in prison

Mike Pence and some Congressional Representatives likely also would have been killed. There's a possibility the election still could have been disrupted. Just look at the House Reps who still refused to acknowledge Biden later that day. If Trump had gotten his way and the election kicked to the House he would have won.
Nothing is impossible and Trump is merely the oozing puss of a malignat cancer spreading throughout society, and especially government.

 

[Valjean]

Impossible. No matter which president

So what makes the US immune from authoritarian contagion? The symptoms are already here.

There were plenty of citizens in Fascist, Nazi, Islamist, and many other authoritarian countries who felt the same way.
There are known, common steps in the slide into authoritarian dictatorships. These are occurring in a disturbing number of countries -- including the US.
It CAN happen here.

 

[Bthoth]

There were plenty of citizens in Fascist, Nazi, Islamist, and many other authoritarian countries who felt the same way.
There are known, common steps in the slide into authoritarian dictatorships. These are occurring in a disturbing number of countries -- including the US.
It CAN happen here.

Thank god for the right to bear arms and garage machine shops. The fascist and nazi extremists, are scary but islame'ist are not even relevant here in the USA.

Impossible for an authoritarian to rule this country.

 

[Valjean]

Impossible. No matter which president

Apparently you have no idea that the US military is our children, 'we the people'. That defend us over any leadership.

The military is usually foursquare in support of right-wing, authoritarian policies. Police and military support what they perceive as legitimate authority. They aren't principled idealists. They follow orders.

 

[Bthoth]

The military is usually foursquare in support of right-wing, authoritarian policies.

No, the military personnel are our children and quite varied in political choices. They will not turn on US blindly.

Police and military support what they perceive as legitimate authority.

Yep... authoritarian is not US.

They aren't principled idealists. They follow orders.

Following orders but still American and can read and write. Not dumb little soldiers that follow orders blindly.

 

[Valjean]

No, the military personnel are our children and quite varied in political choices. They will not turn on US blindly.

Hitler's police and military were the children of the Germans, Franco and Mussolini's police and military were their country's children. So were the police and military of El Salvador, Argentina, Nicaragua, and Chile. All supported authoritarian takeovers.

Police and military personnel are used to authoritarian hierarchy. They tend to be conservative, right-of-center, and hostile toward liberal dissidents. They bend to political power. They admire strong leaders, not democracy.

Q: What did the police do during the Charlottesville Unite the Right Rally? They did what police tend to do -- they stood by and watched, as the Neo-Nazis they sympathized with beat up counter-protesters.
I'm old. I've seen similar police actions in dozens of protests, beginning with the '68 "police riot" in Chicago. Police almost always sympathize with the Right. They tolerate violence. They'll often participate themselves.

The military? Do you remember Kent State? How about Tiananmen Square? How about Myanmar?
The police and military almost always support authoritarian movements.

Yep... authoritarian is not US.

Following orders but still American and can read and write. Not dumb little soldiers that follow orders blindly.

That has not been the lesson of history. Advanced, progressive countries do become authoritarian dictatorships.
Do any of these look familiar? The 14 Characteristics of Fascism, by Lawrence Britt, Spring 2003

 

[Bthoth]

Hitler's police and military were the children of the Germans, Franco and Mussolini's police and military were their country's children. So were the police and military of El Salvador, Argentina, Nicaragua, and Chile. All supported authoritarian takeovers.

Not America and germany was in a time period of frustration over versailles treaty and cultural division post ww1 against germans about globally

You can't assimilate what happened there with US.

Police and military personnel are used to authoritarian hierarchy. They tend to be conservative, right-of-center, and hostile toward liberal dissidents. They bend to political power. They admire strong leaders, not democracy.

Maybe in your world.

Q: What did the police do during the Charlottesville Unite the Right Rally? They did what police tend to do -- they stood by and watched, as the Neo-Nazis they sympathized with beat up counter-protesters.

OK. does not fit your previous assertion that 'we' could become an authoritarian state.

I'm old. I've seen similar police actions in dozens of protests, beginning with the '68 "police riot" in Chicago. Police almost always sympathize with the Right. They tolerate violence. They'll often participate themselves.

OK, but that is not now.

The military? Do you remember Kent State? How about Tiananmen Square? How about Myanmar?
The police and military almost always support authoritarian movements.

OK.... but that is not US.

That has not been the lesson of history. Advanced, progressive countries do become authoritarian dictatorships.
Do any of these look familiar? The 14 Characteristics of Fascism, by Lawrence Britt, Spring 2003

Never in US. "We the people' are far better than you like to accept.