https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jun/02/trump-social-media-threats
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington documents former president’s threats against perceived political opponents
I was born after Watergate, but I've read enough about the era to know that when it was revealed that Nixon has an 'enemies list,' it was a massive scandal. There seemed to be a general consensus that was not something a president should have.
Fast forward to 2024 and Trump.
I guess when your enemies list isn't a secret one, it's fine?
Hot take: I also think that such a list is not something a president should have.
Then again I think having a president with so much power is a silly idea in the first place.
If you think a president has too much power now, if Republicans get their way, you ain't seen nothing yet...
Honestly with the internet, we might be able to live in the first technologically viable direct democracy. I’d be curious to see a proposal for how that could be implemented.
Direct democracy sounds like a horrible system for national governance, though. The average person has nowhere near the capacity to be informed enough on a wide range of issues to make good decisions. You need specialists with deep domain knowledge to guide policy decisions, not lots of laypersons.
Our elected representatives aren’t specialists with deep domain knowledge either. Ideally you have specialists in a specific role as drafters of legislation, administrative people appointed to filter through the bills, but the final vote goes to the people instead of Congress. That way you don’t get fiascos like abortion rights where you have a small group of people controlling us despite overwhelming support.
No they aren't, but at least they'll typically be working with and advised by people who do have that domain knowledge. And yeah, I could see a system working where there's basically a veto vote for the people.
Yeah I’m not pretending I’ve thought deeply about my proposed system. But the people at very least deserve the ability to have a direct hand in legislation. Politicians are not scared enough of their electorate.
I used to agree that people should be able to vote directly on issues. Not sure where I land anymore. We seem way more vulnerable to propaganda than one would have expected.
If the status quo somehow carries on for another decade I wouldn't be surprised if the 20% to 30% of extremist nuts becomes 50% or higher.
Wish I had a solution.
I don't know if I would trust an internet where a guy played a long con with xz Utils development to engineer a back door into Linux systems with accurately tabulating votes.
Because he has nothing, policy-wise. It's just what his 'best' hires tell him and he just goes with it, without any comprehension of the issue at hand, nor the consequences of his choice. You might as well be flipping a coin, weighted on the side that benefits him, as an imbecil, and now convicted felon, the most.
In short, if your aren't one of his obedient, adoring, loyal, sycophants, you are his enemy, even then if you screw up you go to his enemies list.
Hitler wouldn’t be so romanticized if he had a shitter account. Probably plenty of juicy quotes his advisors/confidants decided to not write down and broadcast.
Well, depends on your social circles growing up perhaps, then. He certainly wasn't described in any idealised terms when I grew up
No, but his true pettiness wasn't revealed until we found out things from people who were around him before and during the war.
This article touches on important: what are the Democrats in Congress doing to prepare for another Trump presidency?
He's been pretty vocal about his vindictive he wants to be so you would expect them to say least be trying to push laws to restrict the abuse that he, or any other president could on political enemies.
The article mentions a bipartisan bill that passed the house but couldn't get through the Senate. Why aren't Democrats talking about that bill more publicly to get it passed?
He has no sense of humour, or sense of care for others. All he has is greed and the ability to screech negativity.
