As a whole, I have meant to stop commenting on politics for this Trump term. Not because, I am suddenly in Trump's corner, but because we as a nation voted for this man and he won both popular and electoral college. Therefore, whatever happens during this term, we chose this. He is technically a lame duck, but he has already done many potentially damaging things. There was a time when I found Twitter to be an interesting forum for discussion, but now it has become a place of rage mining and gaslighting.
One Twitter poster, told people to state how Trump is an authoritarian. I will tell you. For now, the constitution has prevented him from becoming a complete authoritarian in practice and not just his character. However, character matters. As the GOP reps in Congress and his cabinet refuse to check him, the authoritarian character will start to turn into an authoritarian ruler in practical terms.
An Authoritarian Character
1.) An authoritarian is desperate to make everyone who opposes him look criminal, especially if there is something he is trying to hide in his own character. The sudden appearance of mountains of evidence that Obama manufactured the Russian election interference in 2016, when his AG seems to have suddenly lost the illusive Epstein list that was "on her desk".
2.)Attacking science and math that contradicts the authoritarians will and his desired outcomes. Firing the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics over numbers that make him look bad, is a good example. Numbers are generally verifiable, and should yield the same results depending on the methodology. There appears to be no demonstrable proof that the methods have any way to be right or left leaning.
3.)Silencing critics or witnesses of bad behavior. In the age of the mafia, physical violence or death was used to silence people who you had problems with. Donald Trump has mastered the art of using courts the way the mob used hit men. It is working now. For example. Paramount was sued and paid a 16 million dollar settlement on a pretty groundless claim, and then the waited for a negative Trump statement to fire a Stephen Colbert, a critic and one of the highest rated late night show hosts.
4.)Brings the military in as a police force in the capital city. The DC national guard seems to have been placed on perpetual duty in Washington DC ostensibly to help the police. However, it doesn't seem like the police need the assistance as National Guard troops have been recently seen on park sanitation duty. At the moment, the military in DC may be benign, but the right to call them in has been called into question in the courts. If sustained, how may Trump use the national guard later? For example, if he decides to stay in office, unlimited power over national guard could be used in unfortunate ways.
There is more, but I am bored of this topic.
