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Warren Stupidity

(48,181 posts) Wed Aug 21, 2013, 11:26 AM Aug 2013

Authoritarian State Yet? [View all]

41 votes, 2 passes \| Time left: Unlimited
	No. We are still a functional representative democracy respecting the rule of law.
	7 (17%)
	Yes. We are no longer a functional representative democracy. We are an authoritarian state.
	34 (83%)
	2 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

103 replies

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Authoritarian State Yet? [View all] Warren Stupidity Aug 2013 OP

I think they're trying to sell us on accepting it willingly Hydra Aug 2013 #1

It won't be legal unless they amend the constitution. dkf Aug 2013 #53

I think long term they will remove the Constitution Hydra Aug 2013 #62

They will cite precedence instead of the constitution. dkf Aug 2013 #63

Quite possible Hydra Aug 2013 #66

Not to say everything's squeaky clean... Lawlbringer Aug 2013 #2

It's been tried and failed, so it's better to allow this as long as it doesn't interfere Egalitarian Thug Aug 2013 #50

No. They'd still let us have our little internet threads. dawg Aug 2013 #103

I guess I'll be the crazy guy who points out we still have elections and that virtually every geek tragedy Aug 2013 #3

we can choose between the authoritarian in red or the one in blue drhobo Aug 2013 #4

"authoritarian" has been so overused and abused as a matter of hyperbole around here geek tragedy Aug 2013 #8

It comes from a 2008 paper “The Constitution in the National Surveillance State,” dkf Aug 2013 #61

You do realize authoritarian states sometimes hold elections? limpyhobbler Aug 2013 #5

Has a US president ever refused to surrender power once in office? nt geek tragedy Aug 2013 #7

No. Why do you ask? limpyhobbler Aug 2013 #10

Hard to argue that the US is an authoritarian regime when there are intensely geek tragedy Aug 2013 #14

Seems like theater, a pretense of democracy to keep people busy and distracted. limpyhobbler Aug 2013 #28

Yup ... dog and pony show. nt TBF Aug 2013 #32

Certainly our system is flawed, as has been every system in every place on earth geek tragedy Aug 2013 #34

Whether Democrats or Republicans win, every day is a good day for the Koch bros. limpyhobbler Aug 2013 #76

Long before they funded the teahaddists, they were also among the who's who of Egalitarian Thug Aug 2013 #80

Yep. Bread and circus. Or in our case, Big Macs and World of Warcraft. GoneFishin Aug 2013 #44

Nixon... joeybee12 Aug 2013 #15

Hrrmmm. Nixon resigned. After a massive electoral victory nt geek tragedy Aug 2013 #16

I mis-read, I saw it as whether anyone has given up the power... joeybee12 Aug 2013 #21

They all have given up the power. Peaceful, orderly transition of one head of state to another geek tragedy Aug 2013 #24

Nixon was never prosecuted for Watergate. LordGlenconner Aug 2013 #25

Has the 1% ever refused to surrender power once they bought every officeholder? MattSh Aug 2013 #56

So, why did the Koch brothers spend so much money on losing geek tragedy Aug 2013 #58

They still came out way ahead at the state level. hobbit709 Aug 2013 #78

But, they didn't get their way at the national level nt geek tragedy Aug 2013 #82

Who does redistricting, voter ID, etc.? hobbit709 Aug 2013 #85

They didn't, they own nearly all the winning candidates on both sides. Learn your history. Egalitarian Thug Aug 2013 #91

You are lying, and blatantly so. geek tragedy Aug 2013 #94

You're as wrong and as gullible as ever. I'd hope your masters would show you Egalitarian Thug Aug 2013 #98

The DLC is defunct like ACORN and dead as Andrew Breitbart. geek tragedy Aug 2013 #99

I never said either or those things, you like to argue against points you wish were made. Egalitarian Thug Aug 2013 #101

Having seen authoritarian states first hand sarisataka Aug 2013 #9

There's no truly free society. It's always a matter of striking the appropriate balance geek tragedy Aug 2013 #11

The NSA thing has pushed too far in one direction, and it's time to reel it back sarisataka Aug 2013 #18

Certainly parts of it, esp stuff like section 215 need to go. geek tragedy Aug 2013 #22

There are a couple good ideas sarisataka Aug 2013 #26

there will never be consensus for full scale repeal-only chipping away. nt geek tragedy Aug 2013 #30

You have confused illusions with reality for as long as I've been reading your writing here. Egalitarian Thug Aug 2013 #23

You've just defined authoritarianism down as "functioning government" or "absence of anarchy" geek tragedy Aug 2013 #29

There ya go. What confuses you about the idea of consent of the governed? Government without the Egalitarian Thug Aug 2013 #41

Good luck finding Utopia. nt geek tragedy Aug 2013 #42

No answers as usual. This nation was founded on exactly the principles outlined above. Egalitarian Thug Aug 2013 #54

Did they ask their slaves to cooperate? nt geek tragedy Aug 2013 #57

Non sequitur. Still no answer. n/t Egalitarian Thug Aug 2013 #72

You're arguing that people who owned slaves didn't believe in coersion. nt geek tragedy Aug 2013 #73

No. I'm arguing that coercion is not necessary and leads to bad results. Egalitarian Thug Aug 2013 #75

What? Tired of playing already? Egalitarian Thug Aug 2013 #89

Emma Goldman said - TBF Aug 2013 #31

So you think the SCOTUS gutting of the Voting Rights Act is no big deal then, right? nt geek tragedy Aug 2013 #36

... TBF Aug 2013 #40

guess I'll be the crazy guy who puts you on ignore warrprayer Aug 2013 #81

Ok, go run for office. Let us know how many "Patrons" you become beholden to, in order to afford to Katashi_itto Aug 2013 #90

Let me know how much people complaining on the Internet have accomplished. nt geek tragedy Aug 2013 #92

Wow. Such a comeback. So Profound. Katashi_itto Aug 2013 #93

That's the truth. People who participate in our political system are the only geek tragedy Aug 2013 #96

Yep... K & R !!! WillyT Aug 2013 #6

Plutocracy since the 1980s. Rex Aug 2013 #12

Anyone answering "yes" either has no idea what authoritarian means... phleshdef Aug 2013 #13

sure, blame the victim hfojvt Aug 2013 #20

huh? phleshdef Aug 2013 #27

you could not find hfojvt Aug 2013 #49

Yea I see it and I don't see how it fits in as a response to what I said. phleshdef Aug 2013 #51

you don't? hfojvt Aug 2013 #65

Oh ok. phleshdef Aug 2013 #67

I love "not as bad" arguments. A little aresenic is not as bad as lot of arsenic. Tierra_y_Libertad Aug 2013 #39

It isn't a "not as bad" argument" Its a "entirely fucking inaccurate" argument. phleshdef Aug 2013 #43

When the people are given a choice between 2 candidates that support the programs.. Tierra_y_Libertad Aug 2013 #45

The majority of people choose to participate in the 2 party system. phleshdef Aug 2013 #47

well even when it comes to arsenic hfojvt Aug 2013 #46

And, it's a convenient excuse for authoritarianism. Tierra_y_Libertad Aug 2013 #48

is that anything like absolutism? hfojvt Aug 2013 #60

What if they only stole your canary? Tierra_y_Libertad Aug 2013 #64

I wouldn't want anyone to go to jail for stealing my can opener. phleshdef Aug 2013 #68

you have the argument backwards hfojvt Aug 2013 #70

I'd say a state with the highest incarceration rate in the world is, in fact, a police state. Warren Stupidity Aug 2013 #88

TANJ hfojvt Aug 2013 #17

Im not sure exactly what we are at this point... bunnies Aug 2013 #19

oligarchy or plutocracy may be more accurate but it sucks either way. liberal_at_heart Aug 2013 #33

Is that new to see the usernames on polls? cool...nt Jesus Malverde Aug 2013 #35

Let's see: Secret government, secret courts, secret prisons, secret wars, secret kill lists..... Tierra_y_Libertad Aug 2013 #37

Authoritarian or facist. Take your pick. last1standing Aug 2013 #38

Bushler: "There ought to be limits to freedom!" kenny blankenship Aug 2013 #52

Would you rather be here or in Russia? China? Cuba? -nt CakeGrrl Aug 2013 #55

I'd say the truth is somewhere in the middle... Blue_Tires Aug 2013 #59

Yeah, I'd say so PD Turk Aug 2013 #69

I'd say not quite. JoeyT Aug 2013 #71

I am all for being a serf... sarisataka Aug 2013 #79

Larva stage. nt rrneck Aug 2013 #74

DU is not a representative sample of opinion, but wow, 80% think the USA is not a democracy. limpyhobbler Aug 2013 #77

We have become more authoritarian. We are on the leading edge of what may become an authoritarian DisgustipatedinCA Aug 2013 #83

well, that's a nice bullshit poll. You have visually demonstrated a false choice fallacy Pretzel_Warrior Aug 2013 #84

I'd have to interpret that response as "wow I didn't realize the authoritarian booster league Warren Stupidity Aug 2013 #86

in a non scientific poll with sample size of 130 thus far and people self select to participate? Pretzel_Warrior Aug 2013 #87

Somewhere inbetween sakabatou Aug 2013 #95

yes. GalaxyHunter Aug 2013 #97

I am probably one of the most vehement in denouncing the surveillance state but I voted pass Douglas Carpenter Aug 2013 #100

Closer to yes than to no. Power does not flow from the people, power is used to herd the people TheKentuckian Aug 2013 #102