I'm afraid of Trump, but some of the hyperbole here is really not helpful

[kurtcagle]

52. Why paranoia IS warranted

Trump just scored the Trifecta - complete control of all three branches of government. There are quite literally no checks on him.

Those states under Republican control will move to secure that control (purge lists will become not only more commonplace, but will start targeting anyone who is not a Christian and ultimately anyone who has been actively vocal about the direction of government). You will see Republican states than have implemented referendum processes repeal them. They made that mistake under Bush II, thinking that they had time before there was enough of a backlash; they are already moving now not to repeat that mistake.

Trump has moved aggressively to purge the intelligence services and the state department, and he will attempt to do the same thing with the military, because they CAN move against him - it's extraconstitutional, but there are contingency plans in place. Once this happens, yes, Trump CAN do anything he wants.

Will he? The man moved his base of operation from Washington DC to New York. He is dismantling the existing bureaucracy, replacing those people with are loyal only to him, regardless of how corrupt they are otherwise. He is using the bully pulpit to threaten companies and has promised more "rallies" with his followers that are beginning to look a whole lot like German brownshirts in the early 1930s. He knows he has no legitimacy, so is doing everything he can to make it impossible to remove him.

America works only if there are checks and balances. It's one reason that divided governments are the norm - too much concentrated power CAN break the system. The longer that he is in power, the more he becomes entrenched, the more extreme the behavior that he can display.

It is also worth remembering that while most progressives see conservatives as annoyances - people who aren't very bright or compassionate but that ultimately can be negotiated with - a great number of those conservatives see LIEBERALs as being the ENEMY, people who are out to get them, who ultimately should be shot because they don't believe the right way. This may not be a rational view, but it is a widely held one, and those people are now in control of the government.

So, yes, I think that there is a great deal of cause for alarm and action. What I fear most is that the forms of a democracy - its elections - will end up appearing to remain intact, but control of the results will no longer be.