PadawanWarrior
Well-Known Member
Just for you. It's even from Wikipedia so you know it's the truth,
Wikipedia:Wikipedia is not a reliable source - Wikipedia
en.m.wikipedia.org
Fascism and the Republican Party
- Thread starter Fogdog
- Start date
en.m.wikipedia.org
cannabineer
Ursus marijanus
Thanks, but that is not really what I mean. That is a disclaimer. I’m much more interested if you’ve encountered something in Wiki that is seriously wrong.Just for you. It's even from Wikipedia so you know it's the truth,
Wikipedia:Wikipedia is not a reliable source - Wikipedia
I suggest that, at least for STEM content, Wiki is far better than, say, any Murdoch outlet.
Dorian2
Well-Known Member
I think vets are terribly underrepresented in both of our countries, so political bullshit or not, I'd think it's a fairly worthwhile endevour for the group.
That's the end of this discussion. Either you agree with me, or I'm going to put a laughy smiley face thingy on your next 10 posts.
I ain't kidding man. This is war now.
DIY-HP-LED
Well-Known Member
Let's talk about CPAC polling numbers....
PadawanWarrior
Well-Known Member
I think vets are terribly underrepresented in both of our countries, so political bullshit or not, I'd think it's a fairly worthwhile endevour for the group.
That's the end of this discussion. Either you agree with me, or I'm going to put a laughy smiley face thingy on your next 10 posts.
I ain't kidding man. This is war now.
Roger A. Shrubber
Well-Known Member
it's like carlson can hear my thoughts about him...
cannabineer
Ursus marijanus
emojihadI think vets are terribly underrepresented in both of our countries, so political bullshit or not, I'd think it's a fairly worthwhile endevour for the group.
That's the end of this discussion. Either you agree with me, or I'm going to put a laughy smiley face thingy on your next 10 posts.
I ain't kidding man. This is war now.
DIY-HP-LED
Well-Known Member
Fogdog
Well-Known Member
This week we saw Donald Trump indicted on 34 counts of felony crime of records fraud. The Republican response? This is a political act. Not saying he's innocent, just claiming that Trump is above charges for this crime. Never mind that this is a relatively common case in NY, where the NY Justice system regulates the economic center of the US if not the world.
This week we saw a unimpeachable report that details acts taken by SCOTUS Justice Thomas that clearly violates the standard that Justices must behave in a manner that avoids the appearance of corruption, if not actually were corrupt. Either act is grounds for removal of any other judge from office. Justice Thomas told the world that his actions did not violate this standard when it clearly was. He also failed to report as required under law that he accepted millions of dollars worth of gifts from a billionaire and hasn't so much as acknowledged his failure to do so.
This week we saw Jim Jordan, Chairman of the US House Judiciary Committee demand in a letter to Alvin Bragg (Manhattan NY AG) that he provide documents and testimony related to the indictment of Trump over a hush-money payment to a porn actress in 2016. The letter also declared this an “unprecedented abuse of prosecutorial authority”. He also subpoenaed Braggs predecessor, Mark Pomerantz to appear before Congress to answer the committee's question. Never mind that the US Congress has no jurisdiction in the matter. Never mind that Jordan himself was declared guilty of Contempt of Congress for failing to appear before a Congressional Committee after he received a subpoena to appear before them.
Three acts taken together demonstrate that MAGA GOP fascists are still in power and stepping up their attack on the rule of law, which is fundamental to democracy.
Which brings me to this essay produced by a think tank in Spain. The people of Spain know a thing or two about fascism. The following contains the opening paragraphs of the essay.
europeanmemories.net
The fascist destruction of legality. Then and now
It would seem as if authoritarians and post-fascists have a long memory of previous destructions of democracy but they also want to differentiate themselves from the fascist past. And yet, they are actions present troublesome continuities.
They perform a new sort of revisionism. This reflection presents a historical perspective on the attempts of the current aspirants to fascism to subvert the legality in the name of the law. And they do so by denying the history of legality that eventually defeated and judged their predecessors. Why do populist leaders want to forgive or displace the actual history of Nazism? Because as these leaders draw from the well of fascist ideology, rhetoric and tactics, they have to neuter the history of fascism to normalize their politics. Revising the history of fascism then renders it mythical rather than historical, presenting the fascism of the past as not that bad — or not even fascism at all. (1)
Donald Trump’s past and ongoing attempts to use the law to subvert the law should not be taken lightly. The same goes for his escape from any legal repercussions for his actions during a failed coup in January 6th of 2021 and the dubious claims that he should be shielded from legal investigation as recently claimed by Jeffrey Toobin and before him by James Comey and many others. This failed leader escapisms from the law are harbingers of democracy’s demise if they go unchallenged. These attempts to escape the law threaten to stand as harbingers of democracy’s demise and must not go unchallenged. And they are already having global repercussions.
Across the globe, wannabe fascist leaders understand that democracy fails if the law does not apply to them. This applies to electoral results as well as the treatment of enemies.
The tag line:
In fascism, the discretionary power of the dictator prevails over the rule of law.
This week we saw a unimpeachable report that details acts taken by SCOTUS Justice Thomas that clearly violates the standard that Justices must behave in a manner that avoids the appearance of corruption, if not actually were corrupt. Either act is grounds for removal of any other judge from office. Justice Thomas told the world that his actions did not violate this standard when it clearly was. He also failed to report as required under law that he accepted millions of dollars worth of gifts from a billionaire and hasn't so much as acknowledged his failure to do so.
This week we saw Jim Jordan, Chairman of the US House Judiciary Committee demand in a letter to Alvin Bragg (Manhattan NY AG) that he provide documents and testimony related to the indictment of Trump over a hush-money payment to a porn actress in 2016. The letter also declared this an “unprecedented abuse of prosecutorial authority”. He also subpoenaed Braggs predecessor, Mark Pomerantz to appear before Congress to answer the committee's question. Never mind that the US Congress has no jurisdiction in the matter. Never mind that Jordan himself was declared guilty of Contempt of Congress for failing to appear before a Congressional Committee after he received a subpoena to appear before them.
Three acts taken together demonstrate that MAGA GOP fascists are still in power and stepping up their attack on the rule of law, which is fundamental to democracy.
Which brings me to this essay produced by a think tank in Spain. The people of Spain know a thing or two about fascism. The following contains the opening paragraphs of the essay.
The fascist destruction of legality. Then and now
Federico FinchelsteinProfessor of History New School for Social Research and Eugene Lang College It would seem as if authoritarians and post-fascists have a long memory of previous destructions of democracy but they also want to differentiate themselves from the fascist past. And yet, they...
europeanmemories.net
The fascist destruction of legality. Then and now
It would seem as if authoritarians and post-fascists have a long memory of previous destructions of democracy but they also want to differentiate themselves from the fascist past. And yet, they are actions present troublesome continuities.
They perform a new sort of revisionism. This reflection presents a historical perspective on the attempts of the current aspirants to fascism to subvert the legality in the name of the law. And they do so by denying the history of legality that eventually defeated and judged their predecessors. Why do populist leaders want to forgive or displace the actual history of Nazism? Because as these leaders draw from the well of fascist ideology, rhetoric and tactics, they have to neuter the history of fascism to normalize their politics. Revising the history of fascism then renders it mythical rather than historical, presenting the fascism of the past as not that bad — or not even fascism at all. (1)
Donald Trump’s past and ongoing attempts to use the law to subvert the law should not be taken lightly. The same goes for his escape from any legal repercussions for his actions during a failed coup in January 6th of 2021 and the dubious claims that he should be shielded from legal investigation as recently claimed by Jeffrey Toobin and before him by James Comey and many others. This failed leader escapisms from the law are harbingers of democracy’s demise if they go unchallenged. These attempts to escape the law threaten to stand as harbingers of democracy’s demise and must not go unchallenged. And they are already having global repercussions.
Across the globe, wannabe fascist leaders understand that democracy fails if the law does not apply to them. This applies to electoral results as well as the treatment of enemies.
The tag line:
In fascism, the discretionary power of the dictator prevails over the rule of law.
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DIY-HP-LED
Well-Known Member
Frightening Truth About GOP’s Fascist Descent Exposed
28,103 views Apr 7, 2023 #MoreFromThom #Fascism
The attacks on voting rights, democracy, women and LGBT people isn't the end of an American fascist movement…on the contrary, it's just the beginning. Unless we stop them now, things are going to get much, much worse.
"American carnage" -- Trump, 2017, inauguration
DIY-HP-LED
Well-Known Member
Let's talk about Nashville vs DC....
Fogdog
Well-Known Member
On PBS Newshour it's said out loud by Gary Abernathy during a wrap-up of the news regarding Trump's indictment and the expulsion of two Black representatives in Tennessee's legislature. First he said that Trump is above the law. He said other people could and maybe should be prosecuted for document fraud but Trump should be given a pass because he's too important.
Then he said during the discussion about the protest in Tennessee that the two who were expelled had violated the decorum of the legislature. He said they should face whatever punishment the GOP controlled legislature deemed necessary, regardless of the effects and consequences of disenfranchising the people of the districts they represent. Mind you, they did not break any laws, all they did was make the Republican leadership look bad by joining the anti-gun protester's calls that something be done to reduce gun homicides and mass shootings, especially in schools. There are plenty of examples elsewhere, including in the US Congress where members of those bodied joined protesters. Only in Tennessee did lawmakers get expelled of exercising their right to free speech.
To GOP MAGA leaders, the law is to be applied at their discretion and they see no contradiction in what they are demanding be done, or in Trump's case, not done. Also, Abernathy said "everybody says" Bragg's case against Trump is weak and therefore is a political charge, not a legal one. He said that before he had the opportunity to see what the evidence is. He's jumping the gun and saying what he cannot know.
If the leaders of our country refuse to follow the Constitution and have no fear of the law should they get caught breaking it (Trump, Clarence Thomas), our democracy will not stand.
In fascism, the discretionary power of the dictator prevails over the rule of law.
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DIY-HP-LED
Well-Known Member
Do you think that move to expel those two costs them votes in the state, or nationally? Will it have a negative net effect?
Will the effect be delayed, because they pissed off so many kids?
Will it bring out the youth vote, normally apathetic?
OldMedUser
Well-Known Member
I watch PBS every day and saw that. The other guy should be back soon and they can toss that Abernathy prick out on his ass. If I want to hear that crap I'll go check out Faux News online.
Fogdog
Well-Known Member
I have a big blind spot regarding what right wing authoritarians will do. Proximity to them helps but the farther away they are, the less able I am to predict what they will do. I would hope that the anti-democratic act of expelling members of the legislature for exercising their right to speak out on public matters will shake people into their senses about what's going on. I would hope this causes people to re-think their votes and choose better people next time. But I have no faith that MAGA GOP followers can see the harm to democracy and wrongness of what the Tennessee GOP leaders have just done. More likely, instead of reflecting on the fact that Memphis and Nashville voters have been disenfranchised for no good reason, people in hard core red districts are celebrating. This only hardens the divide and doesn't change people's minds.
OldMedUser
Well-Known Member
It's the young people they are afraid of. So many more that have had to live with the fear of getting shot at school in the last few years outraged at the repubs lack of action and now TN pulling this Jim Crow crap should get them out to vote in droves in '24.
All the 'normal' repubs are getting sick of this too so hopefully many will just hold their noses and vote blue next time or not vote at all.
Way past time to do something about the Supreme Court and the lying grifters embedded in there. All 3 of the tRump appointed ones lied to get in so why isn't something being done about that?
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Fogdog
Well-Known Member
Long term, yes, the kids today who grow up with shooter drills and headlines about school mass shootings are going to be a problem for Republicans.It's the young people they are afraid of. So many more that have had to live with the fear of getting shot at school in the last few years outraged at the repubs lack of action and now TN pulling this Jim Crow crap should get them out to vote in droves in '24.
All the 'normal' repubs are getting sick of this too so hopefully many will just hold their noses and vote blue next time or not vote at all.
Way past time to something about the Supreme Court and the lying grifters embedded in there. All 3 of the tRump appointed ones lied to get in so why isn't something being done about that?
Short term outlook doesn't look good for Bemocrats. Something like 25 seats in the state House would have to flip for Democrats just to make the election close.
Roger A. Shrubber
Well-Known Member
flipping the house would be great, but just making the fucking republicans follow the rules and not make shit up as they go wouldn't be a bad start.
Of course, that is slow poison for them, the only way they can win is to cheat and game the system, gerrymandering themselves into majorities that don't exist in a world where things are done legally.
It will cause a MAJOR disturbance, but there needs to be more federal oversight into shit like this. They can scream about states rights all they want, who gives a shit if they scream? They had their chance, and they sharted the entire fucking bedroom. Now it's time for those who have to clean up after them to set some rules.