• StaySquared@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    Can you tell me what makes you believe that Trump is or will be a dictator? Don’t use Jan 6th.

    • doggle@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      1 day ago

      He said he would in exactly those words.

      Don’t use Jan 6th

      explain why you think he’s authoritarian, but don’t talk about that time he instigated a failed fascist coup

      I’ll admit, if you move the goalposts like that it gets a lot harder to score.

    • TonyOstrich@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      Don’t use the time he instigated a coupe attempt as a reason?

      Can you tell me why putting my hand on an electric burner that is red hot is a bad idea? Don’t use anyone’s past experiences being burned by hot objects.

      Sure you could technically go into a complex explanation using physics as to why it’s a bad idea, but why?

      • StaySquared@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        My defense is the U.S. Constitution. I don’t see it as even a possibility that anyone would attempt to become a dictator in the U.S.

        • Yeller_king@reddthat.com
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          1 day ago

          The Constitution is a piece of paper and says whatever 6 Republicans think it says.

          Regardless, SCOTUS has no actual enforcement mechanism. Whoever can order the guys with guns is in charge just like everywhere else in the world.

        • Kryptenx@lemmy.world
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          2 days ago

          You don’t see how many brazenly unconstitutional acts there were during the Trump presidency? And don’t see that nothing was done about them because no one in his party was willing to challenge him and they held the majority? That’s exactly how a democracy turns into a dictatorship. Without mentioning that democracy depends on smooth transitions of power. Unfortunately I no longer believe our constitution is as strong as I once did.

        • slickgoat@lemmy.world
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          2 days ago

          The constitution is decided by the Supreme Court in the end. The American system of government makes the selection of justices political appointees for life. That is why you have Republican and Democrat justices. Political. So the constitution gets bent into any political shape according to power possession.

          Don’t for a second believe that the United States can’t sleepwalk into a dictatorship. People are already describing Jan 6 as an ordinary tourist visit. What will it take for the public to see the danger with their own eyes.

        • takeda@lemmy.world
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          2 days ago

          I highly recommend “On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century” by historian Timothy Snyder If you can’t get a book or audio book the author also reads it on YouTube.

        • It can absolutely happen. Nothing stopping a republic from becoming a dictatorship. If it happened once in history, it will happen again. This thing in particular has happened multiple times. The US may show more resilience but in the end, it is a human system run by humans, and it will be broken by humans.

    • Eatspancakes84@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      Lol at supposedly asking an open question, while simultaneously stipulating that the open rebellion cannot be mentioned. That’s not how open questions work.

    • paddirn@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      I can waste my time going through that exercise, but it’s pretty clear to any thinking person that that’s what the plan is on the Republican side, just look at the words, rhetoric and actions they’ve been taking for the past 10+ years. Otherwise, you’re maliciously asking me to go through the mental effort of writing up an attack on Trump that you’ve already decided to ignore and/or counter with some feeble bad faith argument. You’re a waste of my time and everybody else’s.

      • StaySquared@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        Ah okay… so you’re full of chit as per usual. Let me guess, Maddow is your favorite all-time commentator?

        • paddirn@lemmy.world
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          2 days ago

          Why don’t YOU go ahead and write me up a 2-page essay on why Trump isn’t planning a dictatorship, cite your sources. That’s essentially what you’re asking me to do and it’s guaranteed you’ll give a short, flippant remark that doesn’t actually address any of the issues brought up, basically wasting my time. It’ll be a bunch of whataboutism, gaslighting, misdirection, and BS, that’s the standard MO.

                • Grunt4019@lemm.ee
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                  2 days ago

                  So you’re saying your preferred choice of the two wants to become a dictator but you’re fine with it because you think the constitution will stop him?

                  If that’s not the case why even cite the constitution.

              • StaySquared@lemmy.world
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                2 days ago

                Election fraud means the election would be voided and it would have to go to contingent election? I forget the process. I have no idea wtf Trump is talking about.

                I’m not a, “MAGA” soldier. Quite frankly he’s just the better option of the two.

                • GreyEyedGhost@lemmy.ca
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                  2 days ago

                  Care you explain why he’s better? Is it his business acumen? His morality? His honesty? His willingness to do what’s best for the American public? His faith in the bureaucracy that allows any large organization to work? His support of the legal framework of the country? His physical fitness? His intelligence? His past record as president? Honestly, I’m curious why you think he’s the best option for this job.

            • takeda@lemmy.world
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              2 days ago

              Constitution only matters if it is being enforced. And 2017-2020 showed us that very few Republicans were willing to do that.

              Currently SCOTUS is debating whether president has absolute immunity (in other words, if he can commit any crime, including murdering his political opponents) something that is absolutely against our constitution, yet they have to debate it.

        • PythagreousTitties@lemm.ee
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          2 days ago

          chit /chĭt/
          noun.

          A child.   
          A saucy girl or young woman.   
          A statement of an amount owed for food and drink, especially one signed to indicate acceptance of the charge.    
          
          • StaySquared@lemmy.world
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            2 days ago

            I looked it up too because that’s wild.

            chit
            /CHit/
            noun
            a short official note, memorandum, or voucher, typically recording a sum owed.
            "write out a chit for whatever you take from the drinks cupboard"
            
              • StaySquared@lemmy.world
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                2 days ago

                Because I’ve never heard nor read someone use, “chit” instead of “shit” and come to find out it’s an actual word (excluding chitchat) with multiple meanings.

                I’m intentionally using, “chit”… being that I’m Latino and if you ever heard a boater Latino say shit, it sounds like chit.

                The more you know!

    • chiliedogg@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      So - ignoring the time he sent a mob to try and overthrow the US government, how about we use the fact that he literally said he’d be a dictator?

      Or maybe the fact that his legal defense against trying to overthrow the government was that the President is immune from all crimes. His lawyers even literally said he could have his political opponents murdered, and so long as the surviving politicians don’t impeach and convict him he can’t be held liable for it.

      They’re arguing a legal framework under which he can murder the opposition, and then kill anyone that tries to remove him from office.

    • Jaderick@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      If inciting an attack on the capital and destabilizing the worlds oldest democracy doesn’t immediately discount Trump from your voting decisions then you’re braindead lol. Imagine trying to argue past that, despite 9 years of existing with Trump as a political figure.

      • StaySquared@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        Have you been paying attention to the details of Jan 6th? So far it looks like it was a setup, completely out of Trump’s control.

        Before you respond, have you been paying attention to the details of Jan 6th?

        • Triteer@lemmy.world
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          2 days ago

          The details like Trump saying he loved the insurrectionists? Yeah, I paid attention to that.

        • Jaderick@lemmy.world
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          2 days ago

          Lmao. Cite them sources or me saying Trump blows maggoty cum all over Melania is literally as true as that statement.

        • takeda@lemmy.world
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          2 days ago

          Yeah, sure. And what prompted trump to show up in DC in January 6th, which before 2021 was day that didn’t have any special meaning in US history?

    • GBU_28@lemm.ee
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      2 days ago

      Lol

      “Do not use an incredibly concrete example”

      • GreyEyedGhost@lemmy.ca
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        2 days ago

        Like the camel’s nose, once you let a little bit of dictatorship into your country, you soon find out there is no room left for democracy.

          • GreyEyedGhost@lemmy.ca
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            2 days ago

            Voltaire said, “A witty saying proves nothing.” In your case, this only partly applies.

              • GreyEyedGhost@lemmy.ca
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                1 day ago

                I wouldn’t classify it was witty. Pithy, succinct, a truism, sure, but not particularly notable beyond who said it.

                If I was looking for a witty saying by Voltaire, I would go with, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” Note also that it’s value is not because it is witty, which I believe it is, but because of the content of the words. Unlike your words, which I can only hope was an attempt to be witty, yet also had no content.

    • Breezy@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago
      1. He has said he plans on being a dictator for day one.
      2. He regularly talks like a dictator jailing and killing his political opponents.
      3. Even if he were to win a second term, he is to egotistical to let it go a second time.
      4. Hes putins little bitch who looks up to him, so of course he would want to be as great as the greatestness of putin.
      • JovialMicrobial@lemm.ee
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        2 days ago

        I just wanted to add that I’m pretty sure Trump is jealous that Putin has something that he doesn’t… owning an entire country.

        He wants to be like Putin and Kim Jong Un and is playing some warped version of “keeping up with the Joneses” to the detriment of our entire country. It’s a disgusting display of self absorption I never thought possible.

        That’s literally it. He’s going to try to become a dictator so he can boost his fucking ego and not be ‘outdone’ by someone else.

      • StaySquared@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        He has said he plans on being a dictator for day one.

        Source?

        He regularly talks like a dictator jailing and killing his political opponents.

        This is literally Biden and Co… This includes Obama and Hilary. Obviously you have a source for this too, right? Surely you have literal videos of his speeches/rallies where he speaks like a dictator announcing he’s going to jail and or kill his political opponents.

        Personally, when Trump wins, I think he should definitely pull a Bukele and have all politicians on all sides investigated for corruption, including the DOJ, the FBI, and the CIA.

        Hes putins little bitch who looks up to him, so of course he would want to be as great as the greatestness of putin.

        Russia-gate is and was all BS… If you’re referring to that. Trump’s commentary of Putin was really no different than Kim Jong Un of North Korea. Also, the cold war is over. Hating Russia today just because politicians do, is mindless drone territory.

    • unphazed@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      He told Hannity he would be dictator for one day. No dictator goes one day. One is too many to begin with.

      • StaySquared@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        Ohh… I thought you meant from day one.

        Yeah, I wish I was God for 1 day. Lots of cleaning up to do.