We underestimate Trump and his crazies at our own peril

[Cyrano]

This article from Buzzflash is a must read. Trump is not only "not going away," but he and his cult pose a mortal danger to our freedoms.

A BuzzFlash Editor’s Commentary entitled, “Progressives Must Stop Getting Queasy Over Comparing Trumpism to Nazism,” detailed how Trump, while obviously not being an exact replica of Hitler, is utilizing many of his propaganda techniques ... to still try and achieve dictatorial power.

A key strategy of Hitler’s was to normalize the transformation of German society into a nation weaponized, with scapegoating as the justification, over a period of many years, until the horrifying became acceptable “patriotism.” What is happening in the post-inauguration stage of Trump’s American version of “Mein Kampf” (as dramatized, metaphorically, in Philip Roth’s “Plot Against America” on HBO Max) is a continuing normalization of sedition, insurrection, violence and hate galvanized by a continued big lie that “enemies of the people” stole the election from Trump. Indeed, the Insurrection is being sanitized by Congressional Republicans so as not to “taint” the big lie with the truth.

-snip-

Even out of office, Trump continues the normalization of a seditionist authoritarian government, built upon a foundation of lies, even as most advocates of democracy believe the peril to the Union is past. It’s not.

Trump will be ramping up the big lie, test marketing how far he can push, as his worshiping cult and elected GOP acolytes promote the idea that the White House is temporarily occupied by a usurper.

https://buzzflash.com/articles/trumps-toxic-big-lie-is-expanding-not-contracting-mark-karlin-buzzflash-editors-commentary

[pwb]

1. I hope we have a chance to beat the other guy again.

This is commentary from one person, like mine.

[Ms. Toad]

66. So you liked both 2016 and the aftermath of 2020?

Democracy barely held this time. He will learn from this, and be more adept at it next time.

[rampartc]

87. +1

more likely his people will have learned to control him better, but same result.

[Cosmocat]

2. Y E P

it IS going to get worse ...

[rso]

3. Insurrectionists

At least the DOJ and DHS will be concentrating heavily on combatting these freaks, unlike when Donnie was in charge, when such freaks were encouraged.

[Wounded Bear]

4. We definitely need to keep expanding our base...

and building on the 2018-20 momentum. We could lose everything if we don't continue to GOTV fro sanity.

[Cyrano]

10. Exactly. They have countless voter suppression laws on the way

Their attitude is that it's illegal for a Democrat to win any election. And they're going to make sure it can't happen.

We must, MUST, GOTV in bigger numbers than ever before.

[OMGWTF]

58. We must also pass the "For the People" Act which goes a long way toward GOTV.

[KPN]

57. Agreed. There is no other way to beat this without actually experiencing it at it's worst first.

We need to nip it in the bud both in 2022 and 2024.

If we don't, good may always prevail in the end, but the pain, misery and ruination that so many wouold undoubtedly experience along the way is best avoided.

[Paladin]

5. Completely agree. trump and his goons want a civil war. (nt)

[bluestarone]

6. Afraid your RIGHT!

They are going FULL SPEED AHEAD with their RUSSIAN plan. If Americans don't wake up,we've had it! As i see it their plan didn't work THIS time BUT only because certain QRETHUGS wouldn't allow it. (Wisconsin, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, maybe Nevada) They are NOW changing their rules ONLY to succeed with this CRAZY plan!! 2024 will be the final straw for America if they succeed with their final plan.

[Kaleva]

9. not really . all they do is talk tough

many said they were going to hit the streets with guns if the election was stolen from Trump but it turned out to be talk.

[Cyrano]

11. The attack on the Capitol wasn't just "talk"

Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, neo-Nazis and every other crazy has jumped on the Trump bandwagon and they are definitely trying to overturn democracy. Just because they're crazy doesn't mean they aren't dangerous.

[Kaleva]

12. they have no chance as there is too few

and being out of touch with reality , they can't produce plans that have a chance if success.

[Paladin]

15. +1000.

They're not just dangerous---thanks to the weak defenses they encountered at the Capitol, they're encouraged. Most of those goons weren't carrying firearms on January 6. They will be, next time.

[Kaleva]

16. but how did we react?

one would think we'd do more then just post if we thought the threat was severe.

[Paladin]

19. The threat most certainly IS severe.

And my preparations against that threat, beyond posts, are a private matter. I trust that others are smart enough to take the same precautions.

[Kaleva]

23. what did you do on the 6th of Jan?

my day was routine as i felt the rioters had no chance.

[notinkansas]

32. Routine? Really?

I didn't consider the stunned shock I felt as I watched it happen at all routine.

[Roc2020]

36. my shock was mild

From Trump decided not to concede I expected something like this to happen somewhere.

[uponit7771]

52. +1, I did too but I didn't think he'd have support of the military. Like Claire McCaskill

... said the fact that the DCNG had to be told to do something at all is a scandal in and of itself, did they not have TV ?!?!

Did DCNG not know what was going on literally down the street from them !?!

After the first hour DCNG literally had to have someone tell them to get off their asses and do something !??!

We're fucked as a country if this is the type of protection we can expect from the 124332234 trillion dollar military we're paying for else where.

[KS Toronado]

64. You hit on a subject the MSM has pretty much ignored

As large as the Pentagon is, there has to be hundreds of TVs inside the building. Therefore plenty of military
personal were aware of what was happening at the Capitol in real time and yet took hours to get help to the
Capitol Police. Merrick Garland will get to the root of their inaction hopefully.

[Kaleva]

75. But ddi you actually do anything out of the ordinary that day?

Or was it something like when the Challenger exploded soon after launch?

[notinkansas]

81. Hell yes I did something out of the ordinary.

I saw the capitol being ransacked and lawmakers fleeing for their lives.

Geesh!

[Kaleva]

82. So your response was completely passive. That's all I'm trying to find out.

While the attack on Pearl Harbor directly impacted a very tiny fraction of the population, people saw it as a direct attack on all and within days, the lines of volunteers at recruiting offices extended for blocks. We saw nothing even close to that in response to the riot on Jan. 6th.

It's human nature to take vigorous action when faced with a perceived serious threat and to do little or nothing when the threat is deemed insignificant.

[notinkansas]

83. So because I didn't immediately join the army

my response was 'passive'?

Whew!

[Kaleva]

89. Being an observer is a passive activity.

What you did was no different then watching a football game on tv.

[uponit7771]

50. Call as many people as possible to view the terrorist attack so they could see the kGOP

... wasn't interested in a one person one vote democracy.

[Kaleva]

76. I sat in the parking lot of a hospital waiting for my wife to be discharged.

I wasn't allowed in the hospital itself because of COVID19 restrictions so I followed the events on DU using my smart phone.

[uponit7771]

78. +1, some scary shit went down a month ago man... I don't think they're done

[LeftInTX]

65. I freaked

I was on DU. I was concerned about what the repuke congress critters were gonna do.

Nolabear and maybe someone else started "Electoral College Certification Thread - Live Updates" (You know how we sometimes get two live update threads..LOL)

We were covering the rally..."Trump is gonna march?"...."Ha!!, he's gonna take a golf cart!"

We were tuned into the joint chamber and didn't think anything about the gang outside the Capitol. But they breached and all of a sudden, the threads devolved into riot watch threads.

[Kaleva]

77. DU is my go to place for news.

As I sat in my car at the hospital parking lot waiting for my wife to be discharged, I spent the time reading posts and threads here.

[Harker]

22. I think so, too.

If they decide (or are told) that it's open season on "the libs", there will be great glee as they empty their high capacity clips.

[Lonestarblue]

29. I think those who attacked the Capitol believed there would be no repercussions.

They believed they were doing Trump’s bidding and he would protect them, just as local police have allowed them to essentially violate the anti-militia laws of every state for decades. But the fact that the FBI is tracking the attackers down and arresting them has had an impact on follow-up threats. Attackers now know that they could go to jail. Even though Trump is their idol, he isn’t president and no longer controls the FBI and so can’t protect them from prosecution. March 4 will be an interesting date because many Trumpists believe that he will magically be inaugurated on that day.

I do believe that these people are a continuing threat, but I’m hoping the FBI is able to put a lot of those from January 6 in jail. That’s a good warning to other potential terrorists.

[Orrex]

38. They're already adjusting the date and will continue to do so

More and more I’m seeing March 15th put forth as the “real” Inauguration Day. When that date passes, they’ll pick a new date.

And eventually they’ll abandon that pitiful charade and simply declare that trump has been in power all along, so that no inauguration is needed.

They are a cult of ignorant racist fuckheads, and they will worship their sacred orange asshole until the last of them is dead.

[uponit7771]

31. Jan 1/6 wasn't "talk", it was premeditated and well coordinated and well planned ...

... enough to present a threat.

[Kaleva]

74. A threat to the people there and it was a clusterfuck

Once inside, they didn't know what to do and they just left and went home.

[Paladin]

80. "...they just left and went home" ???

Where does your relentless minimizing of the events in and around the Capitol on Jan. 6 come from? What the hell TV channel(s) were you watching? Last I heard, the estimated damage to the capitol was approximately $30,000,000. This wasn't some clueless crowd, just passing through and making a little noise. Those were violent white nationalist extremists, hell-bent on maximum destruction. Their coup attempt was energized and directed by trump. And there's no evidence whatsoever that their efforts are finalized at this point.

[harumph]

24. As a kid, I loved "Have Gun - Will Travel"

...and, yes I'm taking precautions.

[uponit7771]

30. +1, people ... please pay attention to this post. The kGOP has NOTHING to lose and

... when people have nothing to lose ... I mean NOTHING ... they act funny.

This is the kGOP, they're like the soviets of the 70s and late 80s ... they have nothing that works for them so they're flogging around but that's dangerous cause they have weapons.

[world wide wally]

7. All because the spoiled, rich fat kid can't accept losing.

You should have played Little League, Dipshit Donnie

[uponit7771]

35. Its not just Trump, its Moscow Mitch too. People think Moscow Mitch is hedging and he's

... not seeing voter suppression was here way before Trump was and it was being lead by Moscow Mitch.

Moscow Mitch will further implement the highly effective voter suppression measures (VSM) ad nausea as soon as he can or at the state level as been reported via credible sources.

The kGOP has nothing, in my voting lifetime its been 3 republican presidents and 3 crashed economies for the working class.

They have nothing to offer and they know it, the kGOP either stops democracy or the kGOP stops existing as an organization ... that's what they're facing this second.

[stillcool]

8. Why would they?

more than Trump, the entire Republican party will do whatever it needs to retain, and increase power. Nothing has changed, and when nothing changes...They have enough power as it is, through state governments, the endless supply of big money supporting everything they need for their own industries. One election doesn't even scratch the surface of all that is effed up.

[ananda]

13. We need to secure the vote.

Period.

[OMGWTF]

61. Pass the "For the People" Act.

[ananda]

79. That would be a great start!

For sure.

[uponit7771]

14. THIS !!!! ☝🏾☝🏾, People aren't recognizing there will be no more country after 2022 if kGOP gets ..

... back in

[c-rational]

17. Agreed. I spoke with a technical rep yesterday that I have know for over a decade. We do not speak

often and usually stick to just business, however, it soon turned to politics and we spoke for almost an hour. It was quickly obvious that we both leaned the same way. He recommended a book Hitlerland if memory serves correct about how Hitler rose to power. He said if you changed the dates it could just as easily be describing the media of today. Best to stay vigilant.

[Orrex]

33. Strategically, they're in a stronger position than we are.

We are trying to rein them in and hold them accountable within the framework of the existing system, while they are trying to destroy that system.

It’s like playing chess against an opponent who plays by smashing the board with a hammer. You can’t possibly beat them at the game because they’re simply not playing the game.

[notinkansas]

37. I think your analogy is spot on!

[dianaredwing]

54. I do too

And they will lie about anything so I can't see what the problem would be to bending rules as well. They will scream regardless and as we've seen, once the damage is done, its done. They can't rebuild it regardless of whether it was really according to Hoyle. Take anything we can get however we can get it just this side of illegal.

[uponit7771]

43. +1, HR1 will make that hammer a soft rubber mallet, its the most important bill ...

... for democracy and we'll figure out if Manchin et al are in with us when this bill comes up.

The NAZI party was never popular but they gained plurality (not majority) cause the left in Germany wouldn't stick together.

We need to put as much pressure on dems to pass HR1 as possible.

[Cyrano]

47. And we must also hope it doesn't get to the SCOTUS

Given the opportunity, they'll shred it.

[uponit7771]

49. Damn, forgot about them ... and they'll wait to the last second to do so also. I've

... thought the USSC under Roberts will lean kGOP in the very important voting decisions no matter what the other decisions are.

They're playing the long game and giving the kGOP all the voter issues either by doing nothing or doing something like CU.

If we can get HR1 passed and the USSC doesn't get in the way of the important parts of it I think we can further democracy.

Before 1/6 I didn't think the kGOP was interested in democracy, after 1/6 I know they're more hell bent on tearing it down either openly or behind the scenes.

We'll see

[leighbythesea2]

44. This

We arent playing by same rules at all. Great description.

[jeffreyi]

71. +1.

[Silent3]

18. The cult is and remains dangerous, but I think it's likely that Trump himself...

...if even still alive, is in a mental decline too steep to hold it together, even by the super-low standards of his sycophants, to be viable as a candidate himself in three more years.

[markie]

20. YES...

and it does not help that we are already starting to question President Biden and his approach to the job... it is still all too fresh in my mind, what happened after Obama became President... so many Democrats began questioning and blaming

we need to keep it together, because yes, "We underestimate Trump and his crazies at our own peril"

[gab13by13]

28. I see no problem with

vigorous debates within the Democratic party, so long as we come together when the debates are over. We have to do better with messaging which is hard because the right has the MSM.

[notinkansas]

42. I can't imagine a Democratic party without debate.

But your point about coming together in the end is crucial.

[dlk]

21. Trump & his followers are dangerous!

We can’t afford to minimize their very real threat. “It can’t happen here” denial could mean the end of our democratic republic.

[dalton99a]

25. The cult is a mortal danger to America and American democracy

[housecat]

26. hurry up and indict him!

[dalton99a]

27. He should be indicted and his crimes exposed for the world to see

But I suspect he won't spend a day in prison

All it takes is a secret MAGA sympathizer on the jury. And there are plenty of them, even in New York

[Elessar Zappa]

53. Washington DC only 5% voted for him.

We could get a jury there without a MAGAt.

[uponit7771]

46. Trump is leading the cult but Moscow Mitch is leading the cause against democracy. People

... think Moscow Mitch is hedging when it comes to Putin's Whore but he's not; Moscow Mitch was implementing mostly effective voter suppression measures before Red Don came on the scene.

[Roc2020]

34. Yes. Calling the GOP Autocratic

and Despotism should be the Norm. They are not pro democracy anymore. And the Dems better realize that Now.

[Jon King]

39. Trump is the enemy of the free world...

All things Trump must be destroyed through criminal cases, civil cases, boycotts, cut the financing. All democratic governments the world over must use their intelligence agencies to root out his sources of finances.

The Trump family must be brought to its knees. We can and will win this fight.

[sandensea]

40. Trumpism as modern-day Nazism? It's fair - because they would if they could

It's no longer controversial to note that they're in fact a lot like Nazis - but without the infrastructure.

[Alpeduez21]

41. Stabbed in the back myth in Germany

following wwI. Perfectly sums up how dangerous underestimating the current Republican ideology could be.

[Celerity]

84. I called it on November 6th, 2020

The OP sunk like a rock

Novemberverbrecher (November Criminals ie. Dolchstoßlegende ie Stabbed in the back myth) inbound

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100214479515

Stab-in-the-back myth

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stab-in-the-back_myth

The stab-in-the-back myth (German: Dolchstoßlegende, pronounced [ˈdɔlçʃtoːsleˌɡɛndə], lit. 'dagger stab legend')[a] was an antisemitic conspiracy theory, widely believed and promulgated in right-wing circles in Germany after 1918. The belief was that the German Army did not lose World War I on the battlefield but was instead betrayed by the civilians on the home front, especially Jews and the republicans who overthrew the Hohenzollern monarchy in the German Revolution of 1918–19. Advocates denounced the German government leaders who signed the Armistice on November 11, 1918 as the "November criminals" (German: November­verbrecher).

When Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power in 1933, they made the legend an integral part of their official history of the 1920s, portraying the Weimar Republic as the work of the "November criminals" who stabbed the nation in the back to seize power while betraying it. The Nazi propaganda depicted Weimar as "a morass of corruption, degeneracy, national humiliation, ruthless persecution of the honest 'national opposition'—fourteen years of rule by Jews, Marxists, and 'cultural Bolsheviks', who had at last been swept away by the National Socialist movement under Hitler and the victory of the 'national revolution' of 1933".

Historians inside and outside Germany unanimously reject the myth, pointing out the German army was out of reserves, was being overwhelmed by the entrance of the United States into the war, and by late 1918 had lost the war militarily. To many Germans, the expression "stab in the back" was evocative of Richard Wagner's 1876 opera Götterdämmerung, in which Hagen murders his enemy Siegfried – the hero of the story – with a spear in his back.

[rampartc]

88. these nut jobs think we were "stabbed in the back" in viet nam

they still are not over it. if they had been there they might know better.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

45. Desperately need plan to communicate more effectively.

[leighbythesea2]

48. Required reading

Full throated outrage and action needed regarding jan 6. But everyone is weary and its getting softened around the edges. At our peril. Its tiring to defend, inform, protest etc after 4 years of assault on decency, but we have to.

[lastlib]

51. There are many fronts to fight...

Voter suppression laws; gerrymandering; the militias, Neo-Nazis/Proud Boys/OathKeepers; guns; campaign finance/Citizens United; RW media (broadcast/social) ad infinitum.

What I don't see is any kind of co-ordination of efforts across these fronts from our side. Hundreds, maybe thousands of small groups focused on one or two particular issues--but they are so splintered that they are ineffective. CPAC brings all the crazies together every year--I'd like to see progressives come together under some kind of umbrella that can effectively combat the crazies. WE are the majority--WE should be crushing these nuts into the dirt. Why aren't we? Or am I missing something?

Talk to me, DU.

[Harker]

59. Collectively, we tend towards languid rather than sanguine.

Unlike agitated thugs, we depend on reason over force - so we haven't much rabble to rouse.

President Biden won't be conducting self serving, hate-mongering telecast rallies, either.

We need to promote the vital importance of voting for our candidates more as a regular duty than an occasional necessity, I think.

[Cyrano]

69. Every dictatorship in history has consisted of an organized minority

The crazies have organized around their Dear Leader and, given the hundreds of voter suppression schemes underway, I don't know if we can stop them. Somehow, someway, the vast majority of Americans must be made aware that our democracy and freedoms are teetering on the edge.

[Oldem]

55. I've read all this. Here's what I think is most important:

voter registration, voter mobilization, security of the vote. Owing to gerrymandering and voter suppression, we'll actually have to win by more than 51% to win at all. We're in the majority; now, let's see if we can hold the majority together, grow it, and make it work for our country. If not, we'll have a radically different--and more dangerous--country and only ourselves to blame. To think that Fascism can't happen here is to ignore history.

One final thought.... German and Italian Fascism were crushed only with superhuman effort by democratic forces. Now, Germany has reemerged as a leading democratic force in Europe. If our country becomes Fascist, there will be no great democratic force to crush our "Patriotic Right. Only China will have a chance to end the Fascism in this country. So, from Fascism to Communism? We're in real peril. We have to win this struggle now, or our descendants will live under authoritarianism.

[llashram]

56. I try never to underestimate

the evil in a racist fascist's soul...

[KPN]

60. I worry that too many don't fully understand and appreciate this threat, or simply

don't care because they don't see how "politics" affects their daily lives.

We absolutely need to nip this ongoing mass insanity in the bud while we still can. We need to protect our elections and make sure we do everything we can to outright squash this element both in 2022 and 2024.

We all need to be vigilant.

[jalan48]

62. The fact that tens of millions of Americans still believe The Big Lie should concern all of us.

[Nululu]

63. Gives cover to evil nutbags

Offers a phony justification for violence against their grievance targets--minorities, women, big tech. Trump and his allies are aiming at us all.

He needs prison or we may suffer more violent attacks.

[BobTheSubgenius]

67. Is there not just "one McNugget" too many for him?

Where is the amount of grease, salt and preservatives that will finally step over the line, and take him with them?

[KS Toronado]

68. What this "Fear tRump" article misses is pretty simple......

Before the 2024 election for certain and maybe even before the 2022 midterms, Qrump is going to be sitting in
prison somewhere. We do not have to be afraid of him anymore, he's had his 15 minutes of fame and is being
swept into the dust bin of history, unfortunately he doesn't want to go away quietly but he's going none the less.
We should be more focused on who will attempt to jump in his shoes to take over the MAGA Qnuts.

[Cyrano]

72. There's no shortage of lunatics to take his place

The "who" isn't important. Putting an end to white, homegrown terrorism is what's needed. But that's easier said than done.

[uponit7771]

73. We cannot depend on Trump being in jail and it is mere speculation. Even if there was no Trump...

.... There is a Moscow Mitch who could care less about democracy the openly effective voter suppression measures or being implemented by the kgop way before Putin's Whore came on the scene

[jeffreyi]

70. Agree.

Recipe?

* nonstop firehose of propaganda/conspiracy/fear mongering (check)
* a cool symbol (check)
* a catchy name and associated acronym (coming soon, maybe today)
* an economic crash? At least, a whole lot of inflation (soon?) Gets everybody on board.
* scapegoats! Anybody non-pink, presumably. And the usual "elite master manipulator" suspects.
* a core of to-the-death believers and facilitators who have possibly infiltrated the military?

Etc etc. Some days, I'm glad I'm old. What will this poor unappreciated and disrespected planet be like in 50 years. Glad I got to see it when there was still something to see. Well, one consolation, Mother Nature always has the last laugh.

[Demonaut]

85. we are fortunate as to his age, drug use and unhealthy life style

good genes only go so far

[Pacifist Patriot]

90. I honestly did not think his body would hold out the full four years in office.

And then the MFer beat COVID.

[LudwigPastorius]

86. Personally, I can only hope that Colonel Sanders starts cooking his chicken in lard.

While this may temporarily drive down sales overall as most people seek healthier food, it way well save the country if it has the desired artery-clogging effect on its most famous frequent customer.