Will our democracy survive Trump?

[Mierin]

Trump just fired Sessions and his temporary replacement is now overseeing the Russian investigation which includes looking into Trump's own potential obstruction of justice.

At the very least this shows everyone on earth how to operate once in power if you get elected president and have done something wrong (including something that led to you getting elected president in the first place). Even if Trump did nothing at all wrong other than trying to stop the investigation, everyone knows how they can do something wrong and get away with it.

On top of that his label and treatment of the media as the enemy of the people is extremely dangerous for democracy. There are people I've known for years who in the span of the past 2-3 years have decided legitimate news sources are like the National Enquirer for liberals. People who think this isn't a big deal don't understand how important it has to have a free press that isn't demonized for no good reason.


I don't think Trump will stage a coup although I'd say there's a 15% chance of it if he loses the election in 2020. But in the long term I think his presidency will do lasting damage unless there is a major restructuring of power that prevents what's happening from ever happening again. They need to make some laws with this presidency in mind in the future or we are screwed, imo. And not then turn around and get rid of them 10 years later.

 

[Landlord]

I was just thinking that the biggest damage the Trump era has caused is that it has seemingly shown and taught those in power that they can more or less do whatever they want and get away with it. Blatantly lie? Go for it. Rig elections and/or suppress votes or gerrymander the hell out of the districts so only your team has a chance of winning? Sure, why not. Constantly deceive and mislead the public? You got it. Be openly hostile to minorities and women? Hell yeah nobody is gonna stop you.

 

[ZRod]

R.E.L.A.X.

This Republic will survive Trump just fine. It's bigger than one person. The question is will it survive itself? This country is the people, and if they are indifferent to corruption and malevolence it can not last. We have checks and balances, but all that is needed is for this country to crumble is for good men and women to do nothing. We're not there yet, people are speaking up and speaking out. The sky isn't falling fam. Just take a break from the news for a little bit.

 

[commando]

there are laws that are suppose to protect us from trump...but he has enough complicit repubs in the government going along with him and the power of a right wing media that spreads propaganda that portrays anyone not in trumps camp as "evil liberals".

 

[knapplc]

Will our democracy survive Trump?

Yes.

 

[NM11046]

Wish I could choose more than one, cuz I think short term no(ish) and long term yes.   It's going to get worse before it gets better unfortunately.

All this Acosta bs is just a distraction from loss of the house, and firing of Sessions.  We need to be on high alert.

 

[Mierin]

R.E.L.A.X.

Just take a break from the news for a little bit.

For the record, this is pretty obnoxious.

 

[teachercd]

R.E.L.A.X.

This Republican will survive Trump just fine. It's bigger than one person. The question is will it survive itself? This country is the people, and if they are indifferent to corruption and malevolence it can not last. We have checks and balances, but all that is needed is for this country to crumble is for good men and women to do nothing. We're not there yet, people are speaking up and speaking out. The sky isn't falling fam. Just take a break from the news for a little bit.

Amen...

Like Frankie said...Relax

 

[beorach]

He shouldn't be calling the press the enemy of the people and defending it, after violence against journalists, by saying it's the only way he can fight back.  I get that some want to use a very narrow definition of treason but it seems likely DJT, at the very least, abetted it by not reporting what he knew about his people cooperating with foreigners to meddle in American elections.  I get that federal investigations take a long time and this is a very complicated one but it baffles me that we don't have certain laws.  E.g., if there's suspicion you gained the presidency by criminal means, you shouldn't be able to wield the power of that office until it's clear you're not compromised (e.g., beholden to a foreign power hostile to our nation).  As Dave Chappelle said, "The stakes are too high in the White House!"

Getting away from Trump, I agree with those who are saying this isn't all about him.  We need to focus on what we all need and that's a government that will work for its citizens.  It's too corrupt now and has been for a long time.  "Money is speech" would fit in just fine alongside Orwell's famous ironies.  People who read 1984 surely remember how it had endless war without any clear reason.  Growing up in the eighties, I remember adults assuring us kids there would never be a nuclear war.  Our kids today are asking the same questions we did.  Sorry for the rambling but I didn't want to make just one flip comment about one party and check out of this forum.

 

[TGHusker]

We'll survive.  This isn't  1860-69 -  we've survived worse.  It isn't Teapot Dome.   It isn't the horrible 1960s and esp 1968.  The nation was horribly divided and hurting after the assassinations of JFK, MLK, RFK.  It is comparable to the Watergate era.  We made it through Watergate and we will again make it through Watergate 3.0.  (Bill Clinton being 2.0)

Trump has had a negative affect on the political discussion in our time not to mention the possible violations of law (yet to be determined). With that said, our political discussion has become more negative over the years with the increase of various types of media available to promote political debate including places like our very own HB. All of the media access has increase the 'outrage' and Trump has tapped into the outrage on the right, wrapped himself in it and has become it's spokesperson and used it to promote himself and his agenda.

Sooner or later, cooler heads will prevail and we'll see the emotional volume moderate.  We all know that this won't occur while Trump is president as Trump thrives on strife, disunity, and setting up and attacking boogeymen  wherever they can be found and whenever they can be used for his purposes.

 

[ZRod]

For the record, this is pretty obnoxious.

For the record I don't really care. It's sound advice, that I've taken before myself. It's not hard to get fatigued and depressed with what's going on right now. A knee jerk thread about will our country survive a bafoon, seems like a good signal that maybe we could all use a little break...

 

[RedDenver]

This country is the people, and if they are indifferent to corruption and malevolence it can not last. We have checks and balances, but all that is needed is for this country to crumble is for good men and women to do nothing.

This is why I think our democracy won't survive long-term. We've become indifferent to corruption and lies from our political leaders. Trump is just open about it. Hillary wouldn't have broken as many norms, but we'd still continue losing our power to the wealthy. Trump is speeding things along toward authoritarianism, and we should fight against that every step of the way, but I'm not optimistic we can win.

The only question in my mind is whether we'll accept the oligarchy and lose our democracy or if we'll have civil unrest or (hopefully not) civil war. Either way, I think we're screwed.

 

[Mierin]

For the record I don't really care. It's sound advice, that I've taken before myself. It's not hard to get fatigued and depressed with what's going on right now. A knee jerk thread about will our country survive a bafoon, seems like a good signal that maybe we could all use a little break...

You have no idea how relaxed or otherwise I am, nor whether my state of relaxation or non relaxation is called for. Your comment was patronizing. I haven’t even answered the poll yet. It’s possible to make a post just to get a conversation going. I think democracy here is in danger over the long term due in part to Trump although it did not start with him.

This isn’t a “knee jerk” thread. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a long time. Actually, I’ve been wondering about our democracy’s long-term survival since before Trump for other reasons. But he has shown so far that our checks and balances seem to be really weak and we’re setting really dangerous precedents for future leader(s). If you want to think it’s not a big deal that’s fine.

A big problem in our country now is people think we are invulnerable from the possibility of the subject of this topic happening. That is part of why many Republicans are willing to overlook what Trump is doing. They don’t think it’sa big deal and think it can’t get to the point I’m talking to, but things don’t collapse in an instant, they erode over time.

 

[BigRedBuster]

We’ll survive, but there will be a time when a lot of republicans will look back at this era and either not want to talk about it or act like they don’t remember.