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Trump Authoritarian? How?

LowDown

LowDown

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I haven't seen the claim made very often here on DP, but you see it out in the liberal media, like on CNN and MSNBC. Trump is authoritarian, fascist, like the Nazis, etc. They always speak in vague terms and never point to anything substancial.

My question is, does anyone know what they are talking about? What, specifically, makes Trump an authoritarian? All I can see is Trump doing things (when he actually does them, rather than when the usual suspects speculate about him possibly doing them) that the President is authorized by law to do, the liberals just don't like what he's doing.
 
LowDown said:
I haven't seen the claim made very often here on DP, but you see it out in the liberal media, like on CNN and MSNBC. Trump is authoritarian, fascist, like the Nazis, etc. They always speak in vague terms and never point to anything substancial.

My question is, does anyone know what they are talking about? What, specifically, makes Trump an authoritarian? All I can see is Trump doing things (when he actually does them, rather than when the usual suspects speculate about him possibly doing them) that the President is authorized by law to do, the liberals just don't like what he's doing.
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Congrats for making the most useless thread on DP. I see the President is doing things....:lamo :lamo :lamo :lamo :lamo
 
LowDown said:
I haven't seen the claim made very often here on DP, but you see it out in the liberal media, like on CNN and MSNBC. Trump is authoritarian, fascist, like the Nazis, etc. They always speak in vague terms and never point to anything substancial.

My question is, does anyone know what they are talking about? What, specifically, makes Trump an authoritarian? All I can see is Trump doing things (when he actually does them, rather than when the usual suspects speculate about him possibly doing them) that the President is authorized by law to do, the liberals just don't like what he's doing.
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Are you kidding me?

The media is the 'enemy of the people' for starters?
 
Winston said:
Are you kidding me?

The media is the 'enemy of the people' for starters?
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How is that authoritarian? Has Trump started having reporters killed?
 
If we end up with a bunch of replies that say nothing more that "are you kidding?" or some stupid insult then I'll conclude that you guys can't defend the proposition that Trump is authoritarian and move on.
 
LowDown said:
How is that authoritarian? Has Trump started having reporters killed?
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<yawn>

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/01/donald-trump-2016-authoritarian-213533

If I asked you what most defines Donald Trump supporters, what would you say? They’re white? They’re poor? They’re uneducated?

You’d be wrong.

In fact, I’ve found a single statistically significant variable predicts whether a voter supports Trump—and it’s not race, income or education levels: It’s authoritarianism.

That’s right, Trump’s electoral strength—and his staying power—have been buoyed, above all, by Americans with authoritarian inclinations. And because of the prevalence of authoritarians in the American electorate, among Democrats as well as Republicans, it’s very possible that Trump’s fan base will continue to grow.

My finding is the result of a national poll I conducted in the last five days of December under the auspices of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, sampling 1,800 registered voters across the country and the political spectrum. Running a standard statistical analysis, I found that education, income, gender, age, ideology and religiosity had no significant bearing on a Republican voter’s preferred candidate. Only two of the variables I looked at were statistically significant: authoritarianism, followed by fear of terrorism, though the former was far more significant than the latter.

Authoritarianism is not a new, untested concept in the American electorate. Since the rise of Nazi Germany, it has been one of the most widely studied ideas in social science. While its causes are still debated, the political behavior of authoritarians is not. Authoritarians obey. They rally to and follow strong leaders. And they respond aggressively to outsiders, especially when they feel threatened. From pledging to “make America great again” by building a wall on the border to promising to close mosques and ban Muslims from visiting the United States, Trump is playing directly to authoritarian inclinations.
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LowDown said:
How is that authoritarian? Has Trump started having reporters killed?
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Authoritarians would be against our First Amendment Rights like that.
 
Hedgology said:
You don't know what the word authoritarian means, do you?
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Apparently, I know it better than the conservatives in this thread.
 
Winston said:
Authoritarians would be against our First Amendment Rights like that.
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I don't see how being critical of the press is the same as calling for an end to the First Amendment.
 
LowDown said:
I don't see how being critical of the press is the same as calling for an end to the First Amendment.
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"Enemy of the People" is not a sound criticism.
 
How is giving more power to the people-to the States-authoritarian? How is going against Federal overreach authoritarian? Because by those metrics, Obama was an authoritarian, bigly.
 
Winston said:
Apparently, I know it better than the conservatives in this thread.
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Were you able to recognize it under the Obama Administration when more journalist were being jailed and prosecuted under the Espionage Act?
 
Hedgology said:
Were you able to recognize it under the Obama Administration when more journalist were being jailed and prosecuted under the Espionage Act?
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Yeah, I was no Obama fan.
 
Winston said:
Yeah, I was no Obama fan.
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Congratulations on consistency, but you get no points in intellectual dishonesty. Clearly you must understand that saying bad things about the media is not worse than engaging in terrible acts against the media.
 
LowDown said:
What, specifically, makes Trump an authoritarian?
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https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/6/15/17467644/trump-kim-summit-fox-news

“He’s the head of a country, and I mean, he’s the strong head, don’t let anyone think anything different,” Trump said during an interview on Fox & Friends. “He speaks and his people sit up at attention. I want my people to do the same.”
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The pure and simple fact that he would refer to us as his people tells you everything you need to know. This is how authoritarian's think. He believes we are his property. He sees himself as a boss, not a leader.

boss-vs-leader_(1).jpg
 
LowDown said:
I haven't seen the claim made very often here on DP, but you see it out in the liberal media, like on CNN and MSNBC. Trump is authoritarian, fascist, like the Nazis, etc. They always speak in vague terms and never point to anything substancial.

My question is, does anyone know what they are talking about? What, specifically, makes Trump an authoritarian? All I can see is Trump doing things (when he actually does them, rather than when the usual suspects speculate about him possibly doing them) that the President is authorized by law to do, the liberals just don't like what he's doing.
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He has basically said any media that doesn’t bow down and kiss his ass is the enemy, kissed the asses of dictators like Kim and putin while insulting long allies and has even said he wants the American people to treat him like dictators such as Kim demands of his people. Trump supporters are traitors to the USA.
 
Hedgology said:
Congratulations on consistency, but you get no points in intellectual dishonesty. Clearly you must understand that saying bad things about the media is not worse than engaging in terrible acts against the media.
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We were never arguing who was worse. we were arguing examples of Trump's authoritarianism.

I provided one. To say it's not is gaslighting.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
<alt>doxygen said:
<yawn>

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/01/donald-trump-2016-authoritarian-213533
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The author you cite has confused conscientiousness with authoritarianism. The article is a partisan screed.

Conscientious people, like conservatives, prefer to obey the law, follow the rules, keep their promises, and want to see things done the right way. This has been known to be characteristic of conservatives for a long time. This idiot you cite tries to turn this into a bad thing just because he hates Trump so much. How sick and twisted.

So could it be that when Trump's critics call him "authoritarian" they really mean he's being conscientious? Yes, he is keeping his promises to those who elected him, much to provoke the weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth from the usual suspects.
 
au·thor·i·tar·i·an
əˌTHôrəˈterēən/Submit
adjective
1.
favoring or enforcing strict obedience to authority, especially that of the government, at the expense of personal freedom.
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Trump:

Take the guns first, go through due process second
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Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag - if they do, there must be consequences - perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!
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We’re losing a lot of people because of the Internet, and we have to do something. We have to go see Bill Gates and a lot of different people that really understand what’s happening. And we have to talk to them. Maybe in certain areas closing that Internet up in some way… Somebody will say, ‘oh, freedom of speech, freedom of speech.’ These are foolish people. We have a lot of foolish people. We have a LOT of foolish people.
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Do any of those work? The first two are quite alarmingly authoritarian.
 
Hedgology said:
Were you able to recognize it under the Obama Administration when more journalist was being jailed and prosecuted under the Espionage Act?
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https://freedom.press/news/obama-us...s-sources-jail-and-trump-could-be-even-worse/

False. The Obama Administration put journalists SOURCES in jail. Leaking classified information is a crime. It always has, and it always will be. If you're employed by the government with a security clearance you do not get to decide what information is leaked to the press.

Journalists are free to print whatever information they can get their hands on, but it is illegal to leak that information if it's supposed to remain classified.
 
LowDown said:
How is that authoritarian? Has Trump started having reporters killed?
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It's Stalin's phrase, you remember him, that Jeffersonian from Russia.

The press is THE voice of public analysis and potential criticism of a leader. Attacking it, attempting to neutralize it, turning "the people" against it, is a clear example of authoritarianism.
 
MrWonka said:
https://freedom.press/news/obama-us...s-sources-jail-and-trump-could-be-even-worse/

False. The Obama Administration put journalists SOURCES in jail. Leaking classified information is a crime. It always has, and it always will be. If you're employed by the government with a security clearance you do not get to decide what information is leaked to the press.
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In each instance, the government was engaging in unconstitutional activity. Last time I checked, it isn't illegal if you are whistle blowing, which the Obama jailed as well.

If you blow the whistle on the government acting like a dictator, you shouldn't go to jail. That's just my opinion.

Journalists are free to print whatever information they can get their hands on, but it is illegal to leak that information if it's supposed to remain classified.
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The perfect justification for politicians engaging in authoritarian practices.
 
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