2025 & 2026 Elections | NJ, VA elections approaching

[Ddseddse]

Not gonna happen.

Don't be so sure. I seem to recall that Vladimir Putin was constitutionally barred from office due to term limits too. I wonder what ever happened to that guy?

They are working from a well established playbook.

 

[altmin]

I don't think it will (or should) happen, but it would be hilarious if MAGA Nation somehow does overturn the 22nd Amendment and Trump is allowed to run for a third term, only to have Obama announce that he's going to run for a third term as well. He'd never say it in public, but that would likely be Trump's nightmare - a direct competition against the man he seems to hate (and fear) the most. And I do think he would lose that race.

They are going to put in a clause to the interpretation saying you can't run again if you had two consecutive terms already.

 

[Geisterfahrer]

Don't be so sure. I seem to recall that Vladimir Putin was constitutionally barred from office due to term limits too. I wonder what ever happened to that guy?

They are working from a well established playbook.

We’re a long way from Putin’s world my dude. Let’s get a little perspective here.

 

[EyeballKid]

We’re a long way from Putin’s world my dude. Let’s get a little perspective here.

Are we, though?

We’re committing random extra-judicial murders in Venezuela.
Trump is punishing all of his perceived enemies.
He’s making money hand-over-fist from his time in office, not unlike a Russian oligarch.
He’s pushing to upend the constitution.
He’s sending the NG into US cities to intimidate the opposition and quash dissent (and/or start a riot in order to institute martial law).
He’s building monuments to himself.
He’s buddying up with Putin and other similar leaders.

 

[Ddseddse]

We’re a long way from Putin’s world my dude. Let’s get a little perspective here.

The road to fascism is literally graded, paved, and painted with stripes with "You're overreacting".

I've been hearing "you're overreacting" since 2015.

Who, pray tell, has been correct, and who has been proved wrong on a daily basis over that last decade? Me pointing out the flashing red warning signs, or those telling me "you're overreacting"?

 

[Geisterfahrer]

Are we, though?

We’re committing random extra-judicial murders in Venezuela.
Trump is punishing all of his perceived enemies.
He’s making money hand-over-fist from his time in office, not unlike a Russian oligarch.
He’s pushing to upend the constitution.
He’s sending the NG into US cities to intimidate the opposition and quash dissent (and/or start a riot in order to institute martial law).
He’s building monuments to himself.
He’s buddying up with Putin and other similar leaders.

Until we’re killing and jailing opposition politicians and mainstream journalists, yes we are. Even the lawfare against Comey and James will flame out. Don’t grant them more power than they actually have.

 

[rodoheel]

Are we, though?

We’re committing random extra-judicial murders in Venezuela.
Trump is punishing all of his perceived enemies.
He’s making money hand-over-fist from his time in office, not unlike a Russian oligarch.
He’s pushing to upend the constitution.
He’s sending the NG into US cities to intimidate the opposition and quash dissent (and/or start a riot in order to institute martial law).
He’s building monuments to himself.
He’s buddying up with Putin and other similar leaders.

I think it is important to note the many ways in which we are sliding into autocracy and emulating the right-wing governments across the globe through things like openly engaging in and encouraging corruption and graft, cracking down on free speech and political opposition, violating constitutional rights of immigrants and others, trying to control the university system, deploying the military domestically on the thinnest of pretexts, attacking the constitutional order, etc. The danger that the slide will continue, and deepen, is real, and can take us to some dark places. (Though personally I think the playbook the Trump admin is following is more Orban in Hungary than Putin in Russia.)

At the same time I think it is also important to consider the current and historical context that demonstrates how far away the US is from being Nazi Germany in the 1930s, or even Putin's Russia of today. There is no comparison between the freedoms most Americans currently enjoy (and yes, that "most" is a deeply disappointing and problematic qualifier) and those that citizens in 1930s Germany, or Putin's Russia, do not enjoy. For just a few examples, South Park is gleefully putting out episodes that caricature Trump and his admin in the most blunt and vulgar way, without consequence or crackdown. Comedians, podcasters, independent journalists, and national journalistic behemoths like the NYT continue to offer fairly constant criticism of the regime. Despite the Trump admin's shameful and cynical crackdown on higher education and powerful law firms - and in many cases the shameful capitulation of those institutions - most universities continue to retain their academic freedom and plenty of people are still suing to enjoin the administration's actions. While the Trump admin is issuing horrifying statements trying to tie the Democratic party to domestic terrorism, in a way that could presage an attempt to crack down harder, Democratic politicians remain free and unimprisoned and continue to openly criticize the administration. While the Trump admin is doing everything it can to break the economy and make things more expensive, you can still freely purchase all sorts of goods, foodstuffs, etc in an open and competitive market, with no significant shortages of the type often experienced in authoritarian countries.

Again: this is not to dispute the notion that the Trump admin is not doing bad things, to suggest that anyone should not be calling out the bad things or warning about the downstream consequences, or to suggest that some of these things aren't going to get worse. I just think it's important to realize how far away we are from the authoritarian nightmare that many in the Trump admin clearly want to bring around.

 

[WaynetheDrain]

We’re a long way from Putin’s world my dude. Let’s get a little perspective here.

That gap is closing every day.

Two years ago, the very thought of a U.S. President sending armed military into U.S. cities to police its citizens seemed completely alien to us. Yet here we are.

 

[Kingpin]

That gap is closing every day.

Two years ago, the very thought of a U.S. President sending armed military into U.S. cities to police its citizens seemed completely alien to us. Yet here we are.

Or armed masked men snatching and disappearing citizens without due process is straight out of Russia or Nazi Germany.

 

[JCTarheel82]

That gap is closing every day.

Two years ago, the very thought of a U.S. President sending armed military into U.S. cities to police its citizens seemed completely alien to us. Yet here we are.

And this administration still has a ton of runway left. Things are going to get worse – much worse.

 

[altmin]

Until we’re killing and jailing opposition politicians and mainstream journalists, yes we are. Even the lawfare against Comey and James will flame out. Don’t grant them more power than they actually have.

Waiting to call out authoritarianism until those things are happening is a sure fire way to make sure you are the metaphoric day late and a dollar short to saving democracy.

Velshi: We are all the authors of democracy – and must act in time to save it

In his novel “War and Peace,” the author Leo Tolstoy tells us that history does not unfold in discrete moments, but rather as a collection of small things that happen in a continuous, chaotic timeline. Ali Velshi explains the importance of taking in the chaotic timeline we are in, right now...

www.msnbc.com

 

[rodoheel]

Waiting to call out authoritarianism until those things are happening is a sure fire way to make sure you are the metaphoric day late and a dollar short to saving democracy.

Velshi: We are all the authors of democracy – and must act in time to save it

In his novel “War and Peace,” the author Leo Tolstoy tells us that history does not unfold in discrete moments, but rather as a collection of small things that happen in a continuous, chaotic timeline. Ali Velshi explains the importance of taking in the chaotic timeline we are in, right now...

www.msnbc.com

You can call out and fight back against the authoritarian actions that are happening while not overstating the case for how bad things already are. Exaggerating in an effort to compare to Hitler's Germany, or Putin's Russia, or whatever, even if well-intentioned, both (1) makes it easier for opponents to poke holes in your arguments, and (2) can needlessly demoralize people and lead to cynicism/nihilism when in fact there is still much about our country that is good, much that is worth saving, and it is not too late to save it.

 

[Ddseddse]

You can call out and fight back against the authoritarian actions that are happening while not overstating the case for how bad things already are. Exaggerating in an effort to compare to Hitler's Germany, or Putin's Russia, or whatever, even if well-intentioned, both (1) makes it easier for opponents to poke holes in your arguments, and (2) can needlessly demoralize people and lead to cynicism/nihilism when in fact there is still much about our country that is good, much that is worth saving, and it is not too late to save it.

I get what you are saying, there are dangers in both overreacting and underreacting. But at the end of the day some warnings MUST be given even if they are about future events that have not come to pass and and extremely scary to imagine.

An example: One of the conditions necessary for a second holocaust to occur has been met.

Specifically the disappearance of a massive group of people into an untraceable and unaccountable system. When the Florida facility was closed we lost traceability on somewhere between 800 and 1200 people. If there is a bureaucratic system that exists to track these people, locate them and verify that they are well, then fantastic!

But there is grave danger in allowing conditions to persist where we can not locate these people. Specifically because this is a necessary condition for a second holocaust to happen. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT A SECOND HOLOCAUST IS HAPPENING NOW OR WILL EVER HAPPEN, only as I have repeatedly stated that one necessary condition has been met.

As a society we should be informed on this point and take action now to reestablish the traceability of these people.

 

[Geisterfahrer]

Waiting to call out authoritarianism until those things are happening is a sure fire way to make sure you are the metaphoric day late and a dollar short to saving democracy.

Velshi: We are all the authors of democracy – and must act in time to save it

In his novel “War and Peace,” the author Leo Tolstoy tells us that history does not unfold in discrete moments, but rather as a collection of small things that happen in a continuous, chaotic timeline. Ali Velshi explains the importance of taking in the chaotic timeline we are in, right now...

www.msnbc.com

Waiting to call it out? JFC dude no such thing. But it ain’t Putin’s Russia by a long shot. Get fucking real with that bullshit. I’m well aware exactly what’s happening. If you think this is Germany 1932 you are clueless the true levels of violence that were visited upon people daily, and not just in 2 or 3 cities.

 

[EyeballKid]

I think it is important to note the many ways in which we are sliding into autocracy and emulating the right-wing governments across the globe through things like openly engaging in and encouraging corruption and graft, cracking down on free speech and political opposition, violating constitutional rights of immigrants and others, trying to control the university system, deploying the military domestically on the thinnest of pretexts, attacking the constitutional order, etc. The danger that the slide will continue, and deepen, is real, and can take us to some dark places. (Though personally I think the playbook the Trump admin is following is more Orban in Hungary than Putin in Russia.)

At the same time I think it is also important to consider the current and historical context that demonstrates how far away the US is from being Nazi Germany in the 1930s, or even Putin's Russia of today. There is no comparison between the freedoms most Americans currently enjoy (and yes, that "most" is a deeply disappointing and problematic qualifier) and those that citizens in 1930s Germany, or Putin's Russia, do not enjoy. For just a few examples, South Park is gleefully putting out episodes that caricature Trump and his admin in the most blunt and vulgar way, without consequence or crackdown. Comedians, podcasters, independent journalists, and national journalistic behemoths like the NYT continue to offer fairly constant criticism of the regime. Despite the Trump admin's shameful and cynical crackdown on higher education and powerful law firms - and in many cases the shameful capitulation of those institutions - most universities continue to retain their academic freedom and plenty of people are still suing to enjoin the administration's actions. While the Trump admin is issuing horrifying statements trying to tie the Democratic party to domestic terrorism, in a way that could presage an attempt to crack down harder, Democratic politicians remain free and unimprisoned and continue to openly criticize the administration. While the Trump admin is doing everything it can to break the economy and make things more expensive, you can still freely purchase all sorts of goods, foodstuffs, etc in an open and competitive market, with no significant shortages of the type often experienced in authoritarian countries.

Again: this is not to dispute the notion that the Trump admin is not doing bad things, to suggest that anyone should not be calling out the bad things or warning about the downstream consequences, or to suggest that some of these things aren't going to get worse. I just think it's important to realize how far away we are from the authoritarian nightmare that many in the Trump admin clearly want to bring around.

Forgive me, but there’s little to suggest we’re particularly far away from the authoritarian nightmare that the Trump admin wants.

Waiting to call it out? JFC dude no such thing. But it ain’t Putin’s Russia by a long shot. Get fucking real with that bullshit. I’m well aware exactly what’s happening. If you think this is Germany 1932 you are clueless the true levels of violence that were visited upon people daily, and not just in 2 or 3 cities.

Do you have any doubts that there will be further violence visited upon people daily under Trump’s admin?

Do you think he’s just gonna stop at a handful of cities?

Do you think he’s going to permit valid elections in 2026 and 2028?

Look, I get the desire to not seem alarmist, to maintain calm and sanity, and to view things as realistically as possible.

But there are tons of experts on fascism who’re waving red flags and have more or less said that we’re beyond the tipping point.

Three profs at Yale (Jason Stanley, Timothy Snyder, and Marci Shore) who specialize in fascism, authoritarianism and Eastern European History moved to the University of Toronto in Canada earlier this year, citing concerns over the political climate in the U.S. under the Trump administration.

Another prof—Mark Bray at Rutgers, who specializes in anti-fascist movements—fled to Spain just a week or so ago.

When the experts start heading for the exits, we need to realize how dire things really are.

 

[JCTarheel82]

This is some fucked up MAGA propaganda.

 

[dukeman92]

If they’re arresting journalists, it’s too late.