Impeachment

[Kron3007]

I really doubt that anyone has anything on Lamar Alexander, at least not that anyone would care about.  He's obviously not concerned about re-election or election to much of anything else. He'd just rather be wrong and reasonably well-liked (by Republicans anyway) than correct (and consistent! I mean he basically said "He did it! Its really bad! But I don't think he deserves to be punished....because??  There really is no because.

Anyway, R.I.P. Democracy. It was a nice run. I mean if you count the Magna Carta, its over 800 years,
almost 2500 if you count ancient Athens, and possibly more if you count some who aren't in history books (and that I don't know much about).

There is democracy outside the USA...

We will miss you though.

[spork]

I really doubt that anyone has anything on Lamar Alexander, at least not that anyone would care about.  He's obviously not concerned about re-election or election to much of anything else. He'd just rather be wrong and reasonably well-liked (by Republicans anyway) than correct (and consistent! I mean he basically said "He did it! Its really bad! But I don't think he deserves to be punished....because??  There really is no because.

Anyway, R.I.P. Democracy. It was a nice run. I mean if you count the Magna Carta, its over 800 years,
almost 2500 if you count ancient Athens, and possibly more if you count some who aren't in history books (and that I don't know much about).

There is democracy outside the USA...

We will miss you though.

And in Maine, because of ranked-choice voting.

[mahagonny]

How many despotic rulers have there been, total? Given Trump's personality and success so far, it would be strange not to suspect we're about to get another one. He shows all the signs.

[mamselle]

The ignominious name of "Rand Paul" is now down in history as the most despicable imaginable.

M.

[writingprof]

You all are lying. Perhaps you are lying to yourselves, but the more likely thing is that you are lying for the thrill of it, as one does in an anonymous public forum. Nobody believes that Trump is, or will soon be, "king." No one believes that American democracy is dead. No one believes that concentration camps are soon to be built. If you do believe those things, now is the time to leave the country (or, if you are very brave, to begin setting up hiding places wherein you will shelter potential victims). Do it, cowards.

[Ruralguy]

OK, yes, there is rhetorical hyperbole here, but the truth is that often dictatorships and Holocausts (not that I wish for that to ever be any more plural than it already has been!)  start with elections. Democracies erode over time. Also, sometimes some people's rights stay fine for a while, but other people's are trampled on rather quickly. Being both non-white and from another country seems to be Trump's "go to" for abridging rights. So, maybe I'm safe for a while since I don't fit into that category.
Maybe. I am sure he can think of a reason not to like me and not have me keep my rights.

As for the last statement, Writingprof, why should I be chased out of my own country because I think its being made worse by a particular leader? Maybe I think we should change leaders and maybe make it better? I have to stay if I am going to help make that happen.  I don't think you should have to leave either. But I do think some up top behavior has to change.

[Kron3007]

You all are lying. Perhaps you are lying to yourselves, but the more likely thing is that you are lying for the thrill of it, as one does in an anonymous public forum. Nobody believes that Trump is, or will soon be, "king." No one believes that American democracy is dead. No one believes that concentration camps are soon to be built. If you do believe those things, now is the time to leave the country (or, if you are very brave, to begin setting up hiding places wherein you will shelter potential victims). Do it, cowards.

Concentration camps have already been built along the Southern border.  Hitler didn't start out with death camps...

As Ruralguy stated, there is hyperbole here, which I would have expected a writingprof to understand, but this is the direction things are going.  For example, Trump was recently found guilty of defrauding a charity and has to pay millions in fines, yet this was barely a blip in the news cycle.  If any other president would have been found guilty of similar crimes, it would have been everywhere and spelled disaster.  This is just a small demonstration of how Trump has shifted what is considered bad behavior, or at least what qualifies as bad enough to matter, and has started to do things that most people would consider unethical and a violation of his position.   He lies constantly, and it is now accepted as due course for the president.  Many of his base know this and simply dont care (such as you?).  This is a classic Nazi approach to propaganda.  This dosnt mean that he is a Nazi, but he is using far too many of their tricks to miss the parallels. 

So, no he is not King but is working toward dictatorship and/or a dynasty.  This is in fairly plain view.  Democracy is not dead in the USA, but it is significantly wounded and heading in the wrong direction.

I am not American, so I cannot leave, but the shift is plain to see.

[mahagonny]

You all are lying. Perhaps you are lying to yourselves, but the more likely thing is that you are lying for the thrill of it, as one does in an anonymous public forum. Nobody believes that Trump is, or will soon be, "king." No one believes that American democracy is dead. No one believes that concentration camps are soon to be built. If you do believe those things, now is the time to leave the country (or, if you are very brave, to begin setting up hiding places wherein you will shelter potential victims). Do it, cowards.

Concentration camps have already been built along the Southern border.  Hitler didn't start out with death camps...

As Ruralguy stated, there is hyperbole here, which I would have expected a writingprof to understand, but this is the direction things are going.  For example, Trump was recently found guilty of defrauding a charity and has to pay millions in fines, yet this was barely a blip in the news cycle.  If any other president would have been found guilty of similar crimes, it would have been everywhere and spelled disaster.  This is just a small demonstration of how Trump has shifted what is considered bad behavior, or at least what qualifies as bad enough to matter, and has started to do things that most people would consider unethical and a violation of his position.   He lies constantly, and it is now accepted as due course for the president.  Many of his base know this and simply dont care (such as you?).  This is a classic Nazi approach to propaganda.  This dosnt mean that he is a Nazi, but he is using far too many of their tricks to miss the parallels. 

So, no he is not King but is working toward dictatorship and/or a dynasty.  This is in fairly plain view.  Democracy is not dead in the USA, but it is significantly wounded and heading in the wrong direction.

I am not American, so I cannot leave, but the shift is plain to see.

It is true that plenty of people in politics have only made just a perfunctory gesture of reaching out to all the people while their plan is more to win and marginalize the opposition. Trump has just dropped the act altogether. It doesn't surprise me to see people this scared. Writingprof or anyone on the right can argue that people's predictions are wrong or that the fear is played up to build solidarity, but the level of that fear is new, and if they don't realize it, they just don't..

[Kron3007]

You all are lying. Perhaps you are lying to yourselves, but the more likely thing is that you are lying for the thrill of it, as one does in an anonymous public forum. Nobody believes that Trump is, or will soon be, "king." No one believes that American democracy is dead. No one believes that concentration camps are soon to be built. If you do believe those things, now is the time to leave the country (or, if you are very brave, to begin setting up hiding places wherein you will shelter potential victims). Do it, cowards.

Concentration camps have already been built along the Southern border.  Hitler didn't start out with death camps...

As Ruralguy stated, there is hyperbole here, which I would have expected a writingprof to understand, but this is the direction things are going.  For example, Trump was recently found guilty of defrauding a charity and has to pay millions in fines, yet this was barely a blip in the news cycle.  If any other president would have been found guilty of similar crimes, it would have been everywhere and spelled disaster.  This is just a small demonstration of how Trump has shifted what is considered bad behavior, or at least what qualifies as bad enough to matter, and has started to do things that most people would consider unethical and a violation of his position.   He lies constantly, and it is now accepted as due course for the president.  Many of his base know this and simply dont care (such as you?).  This is a classic Nazi approach to propaganda.  This dosnt mean that he is a Nazi, but he is using far too many of their tricks to miss the parallels. 

So, no he is not King but is working toward dictatorship and/or a dynasty.  This is in fairly plain view.  Democracy is not dead in the USA, but it is significantly wounded and heading in the wrong direction.

I am not American, so I cannot leave, but the shift is plain to see.

It is true that plenty of people in politics have only made just a perfunctory gesture of reaching out to all the people while their plan is more to win and marginalize the opposition. Trump has just dropped the act altogether. It doesn't surprise me to see people this scared. Writingprof or anyone on the right can argue that people's predictions are wrong or that the fear is played up to build solidarity, but the level of that fear is new, and if they don't realize it, they just don't..

One of our recent hires came here in large part because of what is going on in the states, so there are people out there making real life decisions based on this fear.  I doubt that was their only reason, but it seems to be a large part.

[Parasaurolophus]

I know of a handful of very big shots in my field who were poached from American institutions by Canadian institutions, and for all of them, the state of politics in the USA was a major determining factor.

Edit: In the last four years, I mean.

[mahagonny]

There is one thing Writingprof may be thinking about, but not yet saying, that I would relate to. Donald Trump has several concerning
personality traits. Ego, dishonesty, megalomania, greed, antagonism. But racism is incidental to what is wrong with the guy. People on the left are undermining the chance for consensus on him, because they can't stop talking about race, race, race. That's how they're driving white voters to his side. Those white people feel accused. And I don't consider my self so insightful that I should lecture both sides. On the contrary I feel like I'm stating the obvious.

[nebo113]

Time to stop responding to the one who calls us all liars.

[Ruralguy]

Really, Mahogonny?

During all of impeachment I heard barely anything about race. Not that he doesn't deserve rebuke for his racism, but that wasn't what that particular issue was all about.

Race does get mentioned a great deal over all, but that's probably because problems exist and the President exacerbates these problems.

[little bongo]

Nebo113 is correct. We don't need to ban rudesbies and mockingbird-killers, but we can give them the lack of attention they deserve.

As for the problem of invoking race and racism, I'm a bit torn. On the one hand, the whole "who will think of the White Men?" argument is silly and tiresome at best, and downright dangerous at worst. But I do get the problem with tone, hectoring, attacking, etc. And I don't think you want to start your discussions with extremely poor white people by leading with "privilege."

My school and those connected to it lean blue in a mostly red part of the state. I'm a big believer in fairly ordinary "red" folks and fairly ordinary "blue" folks just interacting, talking, fixing roofs, landscaping, cutting hair, selling your shoes, exhibiting art, putting on community theatre, and whatever. And just getting a sense of what everybody wants. My "red" neighbors might be pleasantly surprised to know that I don't want to take their guns--they enjoy hunting, and some of them need to kill varmints, for example. (I happen to like the word "varmint.") And I don't believe in "open borders"--I'm pretty sure I don't know anyone who does (let's at least do some vetting). And my "red" neighbors? They don't foam at the mouth and wear sheets and hoods, for the most part. Mainly they want more in their wallets, and Trump seemed to be the guy who could make that happen. And if they have fears that Trump pretty masterfully exploits, well, that's the sort of thing that ordinary people can talk about, too.

[mahagonny]

 

And I don't think you want to start your discussions with extremely poor white people by leading with "privilege."

Well, they've already heard about their privilege, and they know who wants to talk about it. It's probably safe to say Elizabeth Warren would get bulldozed in the general election for talking about reparations.