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CousinIT

(9,151 posts)
Wed Feb 12, 2020, 07:42 PM Feb 2020

'There need to be mass protests': Authoritarianism experts say time is running out to stop Trump

https://www.businessinsider.com/authoritarianism-experts-say-time-running-out-americans-to-stop-trump-2020-2

If Americans are concerned that President Donald Trump and Republicans are moving the US toward becoming a one-party, authoritarian state, they are running out of time to stop them, experts warned.

Trump has exhibited autocratic impulses since his 2016 campaign and from the moment he entered the White House.

The president has attacked virtually every democratic institution in the US when he's felt its actions were unfavorable to his agenda or public appearance. Meanwhile, he pushed traditional US allies away while openly embracing many of the world's most repressive leaders.

These trends have raised concern among top experts on authoritarianism, fascism, and democracy, but they've often said that the robust political system in the US, with its checks and balances and constitutional norms, has prevented Trump from becoming a full-blown authoritarian and doing whatever he wants.

Since Trump was acquitted in the Senate earlier this month after being impeached in the House over his dealings with Ukraine, there's been a White House purge of impeachment witnesses, and Attorney General William Barr has intervened in the trial of a close associate of the president, Roger Stone. And the experts' tone has changed dramatically.

'Someone has got to push back' . . .


39 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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'There need to be mass protests': Authoritarianism experts say time is running out to stop Trump (Original Post) CousinIT Feb 2020 OP
Needs to be the biggest turnout we've ever seen in November 2020. nt coti Feb 2020 #1
November is too late handmade34 Feb 2020 #3
Exactly Roy Rolling Feb 2020 #19
I agree Ahpook Feb 2020 #28
That's great people are saying this now. coti Feb 2020 #31
I was at a protest handmade34 Feb 2020 #33
OK then what do you expect to happen? I think we need protests like never seen before in the US. triron Feb 2020 #36
Give me a day and a place and I will be there. Danascot Feb 2020 #38
Universal boycott. Stop spending on anything except essentials. Hermit-The-Prog Feb 2020 #39
Spring Protests in conjunction with Earth Day Captain Zero Feb 2020 #2
Great thought! I hope there are groups working on it already! alittlelark Feb 2020 #5
That's what I've been talking about. 2naSalit Feb 2020 #4
Do you have a link for the planned protests? BigmanPigman Feb 2020 #6
If they are not yet sponsoring one, wnylib Feb 2020 #22
and yet Barr isn't scheduled to explain himself to Congress until MARCH 31!!! Grasswire2 Feb 2020 #7
That gives him plenty of time shanti Feb 2020 #12
Why is he being allowed to delay until March 31? royable Feb 2020 #15
I wondered that too KSNY Feb 2020 #21
The thug bdamomma Feb 2020 #8
There have been ibegurpard Feb 2020 #9
On the one hand, Nature Man Feb 2020 #10
We need to boycott things coming from Red States like bourbon dustyscamp Feb 2020 #11
Hey, that's crazy talk. Mr.Bill Feb 2020 #16
check out these 2 sites. diva77 Feb 2020 #13
Fired up. Ready to go. We need a universal work stopage, a strike. ffr Feb 2020 #14
There's a real issue of whether Trump will move out of the WH if he loses. LastLiberal in PalmSprings Feb 2020 #17
How come MoveOn and other organizations haven't OliverQ Feb 2020 #18
So we need to contact wnylib Feb 2020 #24
totally gopiscrap Feb 2020 #20
K&R.We are on the edge and running out of time. bronxiteforever Feb 2020 #23
Frontline last night was about the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong tishaLA Feb 2020 #25
Scary for sure tiredtoo Feb 2020 #26
No. We need something else--bolder. slumcamper Feb 2020 #27
yeah, that's not going to happen. Thanks to 30 years of Reaganomics people can't afford to yaesu Feb 2020 #29
Your concern is duly noted. 58Sunliner Feb 2020 #35
If we protest it would energize his cult and backfire on us. Our only hope is in doc03 Feb 2020 #30
Really? You are worried about the snowflakes?? Please. 58Sunliner Feb 2020 #34
Business Insider? We need to get our candidates to support and promote a national day/week, of mass 58Sunliner Feb 2020 #32
such an uprising requires leaders for success 0rganism Feb 2020 #37

Roy Rolling

(6,853 posts)
19. Exactly
Wed Feb 12, 2020, 10:00 PM
Feb 2020

November is too late. The outdoor protest season is fast approaching, the streets beckon.

History has designated the time, we just need an intelligent and not a knee-jerk strategy.

Popular figures to lead the protests can’t hurt.

So if you’re one of those celebrities and reading this, now’s the time to step up.

I may make a few phone calls tomorrow myself.

Ahpook

(2,747 posts)
28. I agree
Wed Feb 12, 2020, 10:40 PM
Feb 2020

But it has to be crippling!

I can guarantee they give two shits about a handful of people with signs. Why would they?

MILLIONS all over is what it will take

coti

(4,612 posts)
31. That's great people are saying this now.
Thu Feb 13, 2020, 12:03 AM
Feb 2020

Where was everyone a month ago when Moscow Mitch was talking about having a "trial" without witnesses or evidence?

Hermit-The-Prog

(33,021 posts)
39. Universal boycott. Stop spending on anything except essentials.
Thu Feb 13, 2020, 04:37 AM
Feb 2020

If you have money in stocks, take it out. If this happens all at once, within a pre-determined, pre-advertised week, it WILL get the attention of the moneychangers who are currently supporting the cult or ignoring the cult.

Captain Zero

(6,714 posts)
2. Spring Protests in conjunction with Earth Day
Wed Feb 12, 2020, 07:54 PM
Feb 2020

His butchering of the EPA and our environment alone is enough reason to hound him out of office.

wnylib

(21,146 posts)
22. If they are not yet sponsoring one,
Wed Feb 12, 2020, 10:17 PM
Feb 2020

maybe we need to contact them and suggest it.

Discuss it on twitter and Facebook. Instead of passively waiting for "someone" to get it underway, we can act to get organizations started on it.

We need a theme name for a march, aimed at denouncing the fake trial, the cowardly Senate, getting foreign nations out of our elections, getting the criminals out of Washington, restoring American values, standing for democracy, not authoritarianism.

Grasswire2

(13,564 posts)
7. and yet Barr isn't scheduled to explain himself to Congress until MARCH 31!!!
Wed Feb 12, 2020, 08:10 PM
Feb 2020

maybe we need to be lighting the fire under our own side!!

royable

(1,263 posts)
15. Why is he being allowed to delay until March 31?
Wed Feb 12, 2020, 09:21 PM
Feb 2020

How about Monday Feb 17, and as many days thereafter as it takes to squeeze the truth out of him?

Position a bailiff right next to him when he's on the stand, jangling a ring of cell keys, or perhaps a black hooded muscleman executioner with a very sharp axe.

KSNY

(315 posts)
21. I wondered that too
Wed Feb 12, 2020, 10:14 PM
Feb 2020

If other people receive a subpoena, can they simply promise to comply in 6 weeks?

bdamomma

(63,652 posts)
8. The thug
Wed Feb 12, 2020, 08:14 PM
Feb 2020

has been groomed for this for many years by Russia.

We are a dire situation. We need to get out there and fill the streets.

ibegurpard

(16,685 posts)
9. There have been
Wed Feb 12, 2020, 08:21 PM
Feb 2020

And they've been instrumental in the electoral successes we've had. But we've also had one of our 2 main political parties taken over by christofascists and they've been moving at breathtaking speed to try to solidify their electoral gains from 2016. We are in an existential crisis and this next election is do or die.

Nature Man

(869 posts)
10. On the one hand,
Wed Feb 12, 2020, 08:24 PM
Feb 2020

you have one side working through the system and its institutions while the other side is actively dismantling the system and its institutions.

diva77

(7,604 posts)
13. check out these 2 sites.
Wed Feb 12, 2020, 08:33 PM
Feb 2020

www.rallylist.com -- Looks like Feb. 14th has some action scheduled
www.resistancecalendar.org

ffr

(22,644 posts)
14. Fired up. Ready to go. We need a universal work stopage, a strike.
Wed Feb 12, 2020, 09:18 PM
Feb 2020

That would bring the Kremlin's rePuticans to their knees.

17. There's a real issue of whether Trump will move out of the WH if he loses.
Wed Feb 12, 2020, 09:51 PM
Feb 2020

He's already threatened to drop out of the debates because they're "rigged" against him. He wants ones run by a for-profit commercial company, not the non-profit League of Women Voters.

If he refuses to give up power willingly, what are the options? It's another area where Fat Donnie is pushing the norms of society. We shouldn't even have to have this conversation.

So far he's won more battles than he's lost. Expect a full-on attack at the judiciary next...

 

OliverQ

(3,363 posts)
18. How come MoveOn and other organizations haven't
Wed Feb 12, 2020, 09:54 PM
Feb 2020

been organizing for this? We need millions of people marching on Washington.

tishaLA

(14,176 posts)
25. Frontline last night was about the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong
Wed Feb 12, 2020, 10:27 PM
Feb 2020

and I nearly came here when it was over to post that we need mass protests here, as well. We have been, as a whole, far too complacent as this democracy is crumbling around us, as children are in cages, as the judicial system gets increasingly worse, as an entire political party has lost its fucking mind.

We are being hollowed out.

slumcamper

(1,603 posts)
27. No. We need something else--bolder.
Wed Feb 12, 2020, 10:36 PM
Feb 2020

Gandhi taught us that self sacrifice in the effort of nonviolent civil disobedience worked because, eventually, the sacrifices of those committed to overcoming injustice would come to weigh heavily upon the consciences of the oppressor, they would see the error of their ways, and change.

I firmly believe that our country has, in part, lost it's conscience. That is one thing. To the extent that the country has a conscience remaining, we bear it.

So, our opposition has wholly lost its conscience. How else do we explain rabid cheers for a man who disparages the handicapped, women, Gold Star families, veterans and other public figures who have served honorably...and more. They have no conscience. If they had a conscience, we would not be witnessing the insanity that unfolds at Trump rallies; nor would we be witnessing people with the audacity to wear the red tyrant crown or fly his flag.

I am searching for an answer to the dilemma posed by the conscience premise of Gandhian tactics of nonviolence. We seem to be in a much different space, and I'm not sure Gandhi contemplated such a context.

yaesu

(8,020 posts)
29. yeah, that's not going to happen. Thanks to 30 years of Reaganomics people can't afford to
Wed Feb 12, 2020, 10:42 PM
Feb 2020

take time off to protest & most don't know whats going on, they blame "those people" for all their problems, get fed canned corporate news, fascism has done its job well.

58Sunliner

(4,339 posts)
35. Your concern is duly noted.
Thu Feb 13, 2020, 12:13 AM
Feb 2020

It really does not take much imagination to see how national mass protests could work even for those who work.

58Sunliner

(4,339 posts)
34. Really? You are worried about the snowflakes?? Please.
Thu Feb 13, 2020, 12:11 AM
Feb 2020

I don't give a shit how they feel. November is too late.

58Sunliner

(4,339 posts)
32. Business Insider? We need to get our candidates to support and promote a national day/week, of mass
Thu Feb 13, 2020, 12:09 AM
Feb 2020

protests. They are supposed to be our leaders. The silence is deafening. Let's, call, write, tweet, because we need people with national exposure to promote saving our country.

0rganism

(23,855 posts)
37. such an uprising requires leaders for success
Thu Feb 13, 2020, 12:17 AM
Feb 2020

we won't see anything near the necessary numbers without at least one strong leader. initially, they could be celebrities of any kind, until someone with sufficient charisma arrives.

by far, the people bested suited to the role are Barack and Michelle Obama.

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