Is fascism coming to America? You be the judge

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Santorum’s book doesn’t deal with foreign policy but does set out his approach to domestic policy: an active use of federal power and of the tax code to promote traditional behaviors and to preserve man-woman marriages.

Unlike Tea Party activists, Santorum doesn’t shrink away from the federal government; he wants to use it to nudge people toward more virtuous behavior, which he thinks will be best taught in traditional heterosexual families.

He says, “Liberals believe that the traditional family is neither natural nor vital, that it’s an antiquated social convention which has not only outlived its usefulness, but is now inherently discriminatory and repressive toward legitimate alternative ‘families.’”

Gee, thanks, Mr. Santorum. And while you seem to be in control of my thoughts, how about marching my body into the kitchen and making myself a sandwich? I'm getting kind of hungry. Unless, of course, you would like to relinquish control of my mind.

Link

I am SICK TO DEATH of these hacks. Can't the GOP offer up a single candidate that isn't out to impose their brand of "it's for the best" fascism onto the rest of America?

Time flies ....

well he's changed his tune - nothing like the idea of a sniff of power to destroy a kipper's principles

The USA is about have a president who thinks he's so smart that he doesn't need intelligence briefings, yet he can't tweet without spreading fake news and is so dumb that he can't spell........


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cz4z6MnWQAAd_sV.jpg

"By the sword you did your work, and by the sword you die."

Aeschylus's Agamemnon

I love 'unpresidented act' - might be the funniest misspelling I've ever seen - what a plank

Never Normalise: Why Trump’s Presidency Is Illegitimate And How To Respond

From an article by Nancy Altman:-

"Donald Trump will have the lawful powers of the presidency, as prescribed in the Constitution and the laws of the United States. Legal authority is not equivalent, however, to political legitimacy, moral authority, or entitlement to civic respect. His legal authority will give him the power to issue executive orders and repeal existing ones. If he signs bills passed by Congress, those enactments ― however stupid or destructive they may be – will be the law of the land, unless the courts find them unconstitutional. Similarly, Trump will be the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, because the Constitution confers that power on the holder of the office.

Though Trump has legal legitimacy, he totally lacks political legitimacy. He seized power through a cumulative set of actions that thoroughly undermine the integrity of the election outcome. These illegitimate actions include voter suppression engineered by the Republican Party; highly inappropriate and outrageous interventions in the election by the director of the FBI; persistent demonising and intimidation of a free press; and a deliberate attempt (openly encouraged by Trump himself) by a hostile foreign government to influence the election in his favour.

He also lacks the moral authority normally associated with the presidency. Trump’s deficiencies of character undercut any notion that he deserves moral or civic respect. These character failures are revealed in his blatant and persistent lies; the scapegoating of vulnerable groups; eight years as a birther; a disgusting history as a sexual predator and racist; and conflicts of financial interest so wide and deep that he will be impeachable on day one of his presidency."

For the rest of the article:-
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/never-normalize-why-trumps-presidency-is-illegitimate_us_58585770e4b0d5f48e165210

If the worst he does is send out idiotic tweets, I expect we can be grateful

As tyrants take control of democracies, they typically do these 15 things

By Robert Reich:-

- Exaggerate their mandate to govern, maybe claiming they won an election by a landslide even after losing the popular vote.
- Repeatedly claim massive voter fraud in the absence of any evidence, in order to restrict voting in subsequent elections.
- Call anyone who opposes them “enemies”.
- Turn the public against journalists or media outlets that criticise them.
- Hold few if any press conferences, communicating with the public directly through mass rallies and unfiltered statements.
- Tell the public big lies, causing them to doubt the truth and to believe fictions.
- Blame economic stresses on immigrants or racial or religious minorities.
- Attribute acts of domestic violence to “enemies within” and use such events as excuses to beef up internal security and limit civil liberties.
- Threaten mass deportations, registries of religious minorities and refugee bans.
- Seek to eliminate or reduce the influence of labour unions and opposition parties.
- Appoint family members to high positions of authority.
- Surround themselves with their own personal security force.
- Put generals into top civilian posts.
- Make personal alliances with foreign dictators.
- Draw no distinction between personal property and public property, profiteering from their public office.

http://www.salon.com/2017/01/04/robert-reich-15-warning-signs-of-impending-trump-tyranny_partner/

Around this time eight years ago there were fears for the safety of a newly-elected President of a nation in which so many people carry guns. Completely unfounded, as it turns out.

Ivan wrote:As tyrants take control of democracies, they typically do these 15 things

By Robert Reich:-

- Exaggerate their mandate to govern, maybe claiming they won an election by a landslide even after losing the popular vote.
- Repeatedly claim massive voter fraud in the absence of any evidence, in order to restrict voting in subsequent elections.
- Call anyone who opposes them “enemies”.
- Turn the public against journalists or media outlets that criticise them.
- Hold few if any press conferences, communicating with the public directly through mass rallies and unfiltered statements.
- Tell the public big lies, causing them to doubt the truth and to believe fictions.
- Blame economic stresses on immigrants or racial or religious minorities.
- Attribute acts of domestic violence to “enemies within” and use such events as excuses to beef up internal security and limit civil liberties.
- Threaten mass deportations, registries of religious minorities and refugee bans.
- Seek to eliminate or reduce the influence of labour unions and opposition parties.
- Appoint family members to high positions of authority.
- Surround themselves with their own personal security force.
- Put generals into top civilian posts.
- Make personal alliances with foreign dictators.
- Draw no distinction between personal property and public property, profiteering from their public office.

http://www.salon.com/2017/01/04/robert-reich-15-warning-signs-of-impending-trump-tyranny_partner/

Thanks, Ivan. Reich is one of our best commentators. He gives good opinion.

http://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/news/trumps-debts-are-widely-held-on-wall-street/ar-BBxYoua?li=BBoPWjQ&ocid=iehp

Like many businessmen, the President-elect has prospered by borrowing money, and it is now apparent that he has personally guaranteed some of those borrowings, a proportion of which have been "securitized".

That's a word we became familiar with in 2008 when bundles of worthless US property-mortgages triggered a credit crunch.

Happy New Year, Pres.

Cartoon in The New Yorker, via twitter

How on earth did this happen?

Douglas Adams, in "Hitch-hikers guide to the Galaxy" suggested that the Earth's human population was an experiment being conducted by white mice.

I think he may be right - and that the white mice are sadistic voyeurs.

It’s safe to say that the Trump administration is already in shambles – and it hasn’t even started yet

"Like a dog that returns to his vomit, this president-elect just can’t help himself." (Richard Wolffe)

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jan/11/trumps-trainwreck-press-conference-ushers-in-a-clueless-presidency

It seems that many millions are hopefully anticipating that the Presidency will change Donald Trump once he actually finds himself in office.

I fear the reverse may be true - he intends to change the US Presidency, and much else besides.  Hang on to your hats, folks.  It could be a bumpy ride.

As Springsteen tribute band pulls out, the final Trump inauguration line-up is revealed......


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C2UQP7jXEAA9-KJ.jpg

You hum it, and I'll busk it!

It's the end of the world as we know it
It's the end of the world as we know it
It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine (It's time I had some time alone)

© R.E.M.  1987

I keep trying to pretend to myself it's not happening yet - today is a really bad day for the world and most of all for America.

I suppose the only possible consolation must be - when you're so near the bottom, the only way is up

All hail Saint Barack!

In President Obama’s last year in office, the United States dropped 26,172 bombs in seven countries. This estimate is undoubtedly low, considering reliable data is only available for airstrikes in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, and Libya...

.....where the hell were the marchers, the left, and protesters then?

....only about 74 bombs a day. Nice one Saint Barack.
How much did it cost? Was it worth it?

Why were the people coming out and protesting against Trump not protesting about Obama's government dropping three bombs an hour for the whole of last year? Why did they turn a blind eye to Obama's slaughtering of civilians abroad. Is it cos' Obama is cool? Is it coz he is black?

- just pointing out the degree of hypocrisy from the media, the left, etc.

Generals are generally said to be always fighting a War which is now over.

The drones and all that do make me cautious about really praising Obama too much - but you maybe have to acknowledge his domestic policies were fair and moving in the right direction

The drones and all that do make me cautious about really praising Obama too much - but you maybe have to acknowledge his domestic policies were fair and moving in the right direction

Sorry boatlady, but anybody prepared to drop 74 bombs per day, every day for a year, killing innocent civilians, and putting others in great danger, destroying homes / towns / villages, does not get a free pass because of a few domestic policies that in reality have made a negligible difference. Apart from the carnage caused by this bullying campaign of destruction there is also the question of how much this violence has cost - and if we're talking about improving 'domestic policies' wouldn't it have been better investing some of that cash doing that?

The best thing Obama has done is pardon Chelsea Manning.....and that was because of pressure from the public.

The 'womens' marches and other protests against Trump are all well and good, but there is a good deal of selfishness about them.........I guess they were ok with 26,000 bombs being dropped by the previous government - it wasn't on their doorstep. They should know, however, that it was done in their name.......condoned by a Nobel Peace Prize winner.

And for what it's worth, despite Trump's dubious comments, I doubt he is a threat to women's rights, LGBT rights, etc. I guess it's trendy to protest against Trump, and wasn't so trendy to protest against Americas first black President dropping so many bombs on innocents in other countries.

sickchip wrote:-
despite Trump's dubious comments, I doubt he is a threat to women's rights, LGBT rights, etc.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Trump’s vice president, Mike Pence, is ardently anti-abortion. Pages on the White House official website that contained information on issues such as LGBT (and climate change) were deleted within a couple of hours of Trump’s inauguration. Trump is already undermining, and intends to repeal, the Affordable Care Act, which provides access to free birth control and annual well-woman examinations.

Trump has also threatened to defund Planned Parenthood, which provides women’s health services at hundreds of clinics across the country, and to codify the Hyde Amendment, a 40-year provision that prevents federal funds from being used to pay for abortions. Trump has today signed an executive order banning funding for abortions around the world. Politicians can’t stop abortions, but they can stop safe abortions. What Trump has done will result in the deaths of women around the world.

Johanna Higgs writes: “With a self confessed sexual harasser in the highest office in the country, what will this mean for women’s rights? Will young boys now think that it is okay to sexually harass women? Will they think because their president does it, its okay for them to do it?”

Women around the world demonstrated against Trump, but I don’t doubt that plenty of them have also taken part in protests against the bombing of Syria. As Trump says he intends to wipe ISIS from the earth, don’t expect his foreign policy to be less bellicose than that of Obama. It’s hardly using a level playing field to compare the record of the last eight years with that of a man who has only been in office for three days. From this side of the pond, Obama seems like a man who has class and has conducted himself with dignity, free from any sexual or financial scandals. You certainly can’t say any of that about Trump.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/nov/18/womens-right-groups-fight-trump-pence-aborition-birth-control

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/us-politics/trump-makes-early-move-on-restricting-abortions-around-the-world/article33704436/

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/johanna-higgs/donald-trump-womens-rights_b_12979834.html

Ivan,

Obama seems like a man who has class and has conducted himself with dignity

Yeah! Dropping a bomb at a rate of every 20mins for a full year.....classy guy. Spending all that money so wisely on behalf of his fellow Americans, and such a masterful demonstration of diplomacy!

I must have missed the reports about hundreds of thousands marching in protest against Obamas casual, but brutal, violence.

For me these current marches highlight how self-centred, selfish, and self-indulgent people in wealthy western nations are.

Hundreds of thousands marching / protesting over this whilst turning a blind eye to Obama dropping a bomb at a rate of every 20mins for a full year, and inflicting death and devastation on civilians in foreign lands.......as long as it's not on their doorsteps, eh? And look at the celebs crawling all over this anti-Trump bandwagon. Look at Springsteen playing Obama's leaving bash. One can only assume they must be proud of Obama dropping all those bombs in their name.

It won't surprise readers of Cutting Edge that many Republican sources produced material critical of President Obama throughout his 8 years of office, principle among those sources being Ron Paul, studiously reproduced regularly in the Russian Press.

http://ronpaulinstitute.org/archives/featured-articles/2017/january/10/where-was-meryl-streep-when-obama-was-prosecuting-whistleblowers-bombing-weddings/

I guess if Trump's foreign policy is less aggressive or relies less on drone strikes that's going to support your position, sickchip - but I do take your point about how self-centred, selfish, and self-indulgent people in wealthy western nations are.
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I often reflect on that and I guess it's a matter of priorities - here in the still relatively prosperous West, the danger from government isn't so much to life and limb directly but to rights which maybe sit higher on Maslow's pyramid - I can never feel OK about drone strikes or any similar state sponsored violence - but I also can't feel OK about racism, misogyny, inequality and the other abuses which affect us in the West.

There's always a silver lining for someone, I guess

This is one way to cope with having the maniac Trump as president, but I hope it doesn't mean another civil war....

Calexit: Californians start campaigning to secede from the US

In the wake of Donald Trump's election, some Californians are fighting to secede from the US. California secretary of state Alex Padilla cleared the proposed initiative to start collecting signatures. If enough signatures are collected, Calexit could be on the ballot in 2018.

If this ballot gains the majority of voters, it would repeal clauses in the California constitution stating that the state is an "inseparable part of the United States" and that the U.S. constitution is the "supreme law of the land". This would mean California could govern itself. ‘Yes California’, the campaigners for the proposal, have argued the state is culturally out of step with the rest of the US.

California is the state with the most electoral college votes (55). 61.5% of Californians voted for Hillary Clinton.  To qualify for the ballot, ‘Yes California’ has to collect 585,407 valid signatures from registered voters over the next 180 days.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/calexit-californians-start-campaigning-secede-092352268.html

I can understand their feelings - my own impulse would be to withdraw from England at present - if I didn't live in a rabidly pro-Brexit town.

Many people are looking at moving to Scotland in the hope that Scotland will soon declare for independence.

I guess having tyrants like Trump and May in charge tends to fragment nations

We're all learning history the hard way - shame, I thought WW11 was supposed to mean we could just learn it out of books

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jan/27/trumps-executive-order-officially-gunning-for-muslims

Friday’s executive order initiates an immediate 90-day suspension of issuing visas to people from select countries, which currently are Iraq, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Sudan and Somalia. The list could be expanded. But do you notice anything peculiar about this particular group of nations? It can’t be that nationals of all those countries have committed acts of terrorism in the United States, because they haven’t. But it is true that six of the seven countries are currently being bombed by the United States, and that most of these countries have also suffered invasions or overthrows by the US.
First, we bomb you. Then we ban you.

I fear this action by Trump will encourage racists, far right groups in the USA, and we will see an escalation in attacks on muslims, and others, who are already living in the USA. Trump is basically encouraging lynch mobs to purge Americas streets of anybody perceived to be a muslim.

.....and May is first in line to be his chum, as well as popping over to Turkey to get friendly with their lovely leader.

Ideally the countries of the citizens that are being refused entry to America should refuse Americans entry......indeed why don't other countries around the world refuse Americans entry - as a form of demonstrating against Trump and showing him how ridiculous he is being.

https://i.servimg.com/u/f37/17/12/44/40/2016-010.jpg

I hope Trump is going to ban lawnmowers, buses, and armed toddlers.........or at least spend hundreds of $billions trying to combat these problems....