Are we presently in an authoritarian state...?

[kentuck]

...or just slip-sliding into one?

I watched a video with Ezra Klein on You Tube, with another guest, and they were discussing this topic. I've always considered Ezra a pretty sharp guy but he seemed to think we were sliding into authoritarianism. In my opinion, we are already there.

They were discussing the paramilitary force that Trump was creating, with the masked enforcers, and the loss of rights that are guaranteed by our Bill of Rights. The cruel anonymity of how they operate and their budget that was larger than all the militaries in the world, except for US and China.

We like to think that people will rise up and stop the atrocities, but when a paramilitary force is roughing people up, wrestling them to the pavement, and carrying guns, there is not a whole lot of people that will challenge them. That is a reality that we do not like to think about.

But that is where we are at. If you become too vocal or too confrontational, they will take you down. We see it happening every day.

In my opinion, whatever we are doing, is not working. We need a new strategy.

[markie]

1. noncooperation

educate, boycott, refusal to be part of this administration's world.... the unfortunate news is that any action takes millions of us... when will the masses say enough is enough??

[Norbert]

2. We really need to risk death to defend democracu

Our parents and grandparents did, the French did. The alternative is bowing down to a dicktater

[kentuck]

3. Some General once said...

The idea is not to die for your country, but to make the other bastard die for his, paraphrasing.

[zorbasd]

4. Not, not an authoritarian state, that's too nuanced

we are in a facsist gangster state.

[cachukis]

5. We are there. It is going to be a continual refining.

There are too many, consciously or not, in a position to stop it, who will not.
When the failures of our institutions and safety nets show up in the obituary pages, then there will be the weeping and gnashings.
But, it will be too late.
There will be attempts to restructure our society, but the money will be in the coffers of those with private armies.
Climate change is not abating. Robots do not need to be fed.
Tumult on the horizon.
Hope I am wrong.

[Cirsium]

6. Yes

We are in an authoritarian state. No question.

[sinkingfeeling]

7. Beyond all of my doubts. Why I'm in Costa Rica.

[hannah]

8. Yes we are

I blame the Main Street media for framing everything on the side of Trump. Drooling over every utterance he says.
Never challenging, or making horrific policy seem ok. I am sick and tired of it!


I agree with Gavin Newsom when he implied that it is not funny anymore! We are going to lose our country to this fat ass if everyone doesn’t push back, not just Democrats but everyone!

[Cosmocat]

11. Just saw a Washington Post article yesterday that opened with

something along the lines that DT is attempting to put Democrats in dangerous position they have been in before between standing up for their concept of civil rights and doing nothing, something along those lines.

Standard "liberal" media framing I have gnashed my teeth over for many decades now.

Yes, DT acting like a third world dictator is bad news for the Ds ...

[Prairie Gates]

9. Klein is a rich little dipshit

He will always err on the side of caution, because he has no actual skin in the game. He's the epitome of a neoliberal centrist with mild democratic leanings: in other words, the last thing we need right now.

[LR3]

10. Well down the road in a fascist state

And the failure weenuses like Klein and the vast majority of the media to explicitly say so is a huge part of the problem.