this post was submitted on 17 Sep 2023
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politics

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Gee, I wonder how that happened?

top 30 comments
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[–] Synthead@lemmy.world 65 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

Trump projects opinions as intentions so regularly, that he says the quiet things out loud.

What he is saying: "I don't want much of a democracy right now."

Additionally, history has repeated itself. That history. Yet Americans, bring propagandized, choose to not believe it:

https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Lying_press

[–] Glide@lemmy.ca 25 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I suspect it's more about justification than wants.

If he genuinely believes that America doesn't actually have a democracy, then cheating to put himself in a position isn't a subversion of democracy. If his opponents are unethical, then cheating and lying to best them isn't unethical; it's smart to beat them at their own game.

Never underestimate a narcissists ability to twist objective reality to position themselves as good and just.

Yeah, this is 100% the reason for the rhetoric. It was all building up to “it’s okay if we cheat, because the Dems cheated first.”

Reality doesn’t matter, as long as the conservative voters believe the big lie. Because when news inevitably breaks about massive Republican corruption, the Republican voters will be willing to overlook it. The lie is all meant to allow republicans to openly cheat, instead of having to hide it like they historically have.

[–] Gradually_Adjusting@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Understanding all this, we left. We're lucky it was an option.

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

What option(s) are viable for Americans to go to?

Marry a dual citizen, like my wife did? Sorry, I haven't done that research.

[–] qwertyWarlord@lemmy.world 46 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Trump's definition of Democracy is to get away with what he wants. Same as Putin, that's why Trump was so happy to get his praise

[–] Tarquinn2049@lemmy.world 19 points 1 year ago

It's kind of like when kids say something isn't "fair", all it means to them is they didn't like what happened.

[–] K1nsey6@lemmy.world 37 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

As long as social media users and the media keep talking about him and posting stuff about him he will never fade into obscurity. He's like a parasite that feeds off the attention he gets online.

The current state of Democracy in the US didn't just start Jan 6 2021, this is a decades old long con that cumulated on Jan 6.

[–] JustZ@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

The dude's body cannot keep this up. If his heart doesn't give out in a couple of years I'll eat my hat.

[–] K1nsey6@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

He is merely a symptom of the dysfunctional government. There will always be somebody like him and worse than him that will become the new symptoms of this dysfunctional government. Had Clinton, his DLC, and new way Democrats not sold out the party to the right wing, had Bush not normalized constant war with an ever expanding income inequality, and Obama expanding corporate control over government. We would never have had the likes of someone like Trump.

[–] SCB@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Had Clinton, his DLC, and new way Democrats not sold out the party to the right wing, had Bush not normalized constant war with an ever expanding income inequality, and Obama expanding corporate control over government

What's funny is none of these led to the rise of Trumpism. These are things that you, as a person who disagrees with these Presidents, don't like. You are very unlikely to be a Trump voter based on the above message.

To give things these Presidents actually did that led to actual Trumpist views:

  • Clinton signed NAFTA (which is great, but nativists hate it, which is why Trump made worse-NAFTA but they love it)

  • Bush began culture wars directly, and states voted to change their constitutions to exclude LGBT people during Bush. 9/11 and it's responses created a wave of nationalism, but how much you put that directly on Bush may vary depending on how specifically you blame Bush for 9/11.

  • Obama got credit for the bailout Bush began, because people don't know how Presidential terms work, and then worked to pass the ACA (and was black), so the Tea Party surfaced and brought forth the Hannity/Beck heyday, leading to the resurgence of John Birch Society views.

Trumpism is

A) nativist (America for Americans - be like us if you want to be here)

B) nationalist (America first!)

C) more about feels than reals (Trump does not have policies. He has views)

It's basically the Know-Nothing Party reborn and emerged and exists with basically the same life cycle.

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 28 points 1 year ago (1 children)

He doesn't want a democracy. What is he complaining about?

[–] argo_yamato@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago

He isn't complaining just trying to get more stupid people to vote for him or donate (even though he is a "billionaire").

[–] 520@kbin.social 18 points 1 year ago

He's right... accidentally. What they have is a disguised oligarchy

[–] paddirn@lemmy.world 17 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Fucking piece of shit is the one destroying democracy and has the utter gall to criticize democracy in America. If this was his precious Russia which he loves so much, he’d have found his way pushed out of a window by now.

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Well, these are the same assholes that call anyone left of Ronnie Raygun both a communist and a fascist, so....they don't really know what anything means, or they don't care...

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

I heard they started a clean sidewalk initiative.

[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 15 points 1 year ago

I don't consider us to have much of a democracy right now

Says the guy who just a few years ago literally edged his followers on to commit a coup d'etat and has been lying and hiding evidence about the Lying ever since.

And people still support him

[–] TechyDad@lemmy.world 15 points 1 year ago

“They indict their political opponents. Free speech is shot, because the press is very dishonest, very dishonest. Even the way you fight me on simple questions like, you know, the border, and this. You fight me so much,” Trump told Welker.

“We need a media that’s free and fair. And frankly, if they don’t have that, it’s very, very hard to straighten out our country,” he added.

Translation: To have a "fair democracy" Trump thinks that people shouldn't be allowed to question him at all. If he makes a false statement and someone points out that it's a lie, then this is actually "destroying democracy" and must be stopped.

[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 14 points 1 year ago

If I can't be a dictator then we don't have much of a democracy, really.

[–] yiliu@informis.land 12 points 1 year ago

He's using the dictator's definition: democracy is when I win, and the larger my margin the more democratic it is!

[–] NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone 9 points 1 year ago

No wonder he feels so emboldened to get rid of the last remnants of it.

[–] Buffalox@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago

Looking forward to see Trump behind bars, maybe then we will stop hearing his insane rants all the time.

[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 7 points 1 year ago

Reminds me of this Russian guy that I know who always claimed that Putin shows how great a democracy they have in Russia because everybody votes for him because they love him, he receives over 90% of the votes! Same in Chechnya, kadyrov is so loved by everybody that he receives move that 90% of the votes! Great democracies!

[–] kyle@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago
[–] MonkderZweite@feddit.ch 2 points 1 year ago

He's right. But he doesn't make it better.

[–] autotldr@lemmings.world 1 points 1 year ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:


In an interview that aired Sunday with “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker, Trump said he believes democracy is the most effective form of government.

He also sparred publicly with members of his own party and demeaned the press as “fake news” and the enemy of the people, and he attempted to remain in power after he lost the 2020 election to Democrat Joe Biden.

Trump was indicted on federal charges for his attempts to remain in power and for his retention of classified documents after leaving the White House.

He is also facing charges in Georgia over his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results there, and in New York for an alleged hush money scheme to cover up an affair.

Still, Trump is currently the frontrunner for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024, leading his rivals by wide margins in national and state-level primary polls.

Asked by Welker if he would look to amass more power if he wins the election next year, Trump downplayed the idea that he would look to fire government employees who were not loyal to him.


The original article contains 398 words, the summary contains 183 words. Saved 54%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

[–] Pratai@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 year ago

This is his way of saying he’s been successful so far.