General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIf Trump wins, do you think he will shut down Democratic and Liberal websites?
That is one of my greatest fears, because I don't know what I would do without a community of other Dems/Liberals to commiserate with in a time of crisis. Imagine how isolated you would feel under a Trump dictatorship with nobody to talk to openly and honestly.
I think I would go completely mad.

Iliyah
(25,111 posts)MontanaMama
(22,908 posts)
milestogo
(16,811 posts)smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)There won't be if he wins.
milestogo
(16,811 posts)lapfog_1
(28,523 posts)but I'm getting my passport ready and going someplace else.
lpbk2713
(42,436 posts)We've certainly seen that happen before.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)We can not let him cut us off from each other.
texasfiddler
(1,953 posts)It was a weird video of trump looking like a gangster and at the end he points a handgun at me and says get on board. DU was down for a while. That was a very terrible time in our history. Not looking looking forward to anything like it again.
TDale313
(7,820 posts)But hes threatened to pull CNN and MSNBCs broadcast licenses... so censoring the internet wouldnt surprise me
onenote
(41,515 posts)He says stupid shit. Why do you think he knows what he's talking about.
Girard442
(5,945 posts)Any site that pisses off Trump will definitely be shut.
Had to shut it down. We found terrorist activity and child porn there.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)Girard442
(5,945 posts)Think in terms of the old Bulletin Board Systems (BBSes).
bdamomma
(62,783 posts)need one. Any dissent will be squashed. Unless we all vote we can knock out this bully.
LiberalFighter
(48,580 posts)Like the Russians did or someone did to DU in 2016.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)It's time to start now. I'm not the best organizing type, but someone here needs to come up with a backup plan. We can't allow him to cut us off from each other.
Generic Brad
(14,178 posts)I'm flipping a bird in his direction this very moment.
Ilsa
(61,575 posts)the birds with GPS monitors! They could find out everyone on DU!
Generic Brad
(14,178 posts)
Paladin
(27,833 posts)What's to stop him, at this point?
MFM008
(19,730 posts)Whatever he can get away with.
Jake Stern
(3,143 posts)He's gonna stop the election
He's gonna nullify the results
He's gonna barricade himself in the White House with the support of rogue military and thousands of armed supporters
He's gonna send in the marshals to arrest Hillary and Nancy on January 20th
He's gonna shut down all liberal stations, websites and publications
Yet nobody on here can give a concrete constitutional way for him to achieve ANY of the above.
My prediction: on January 20th 2021 he will leave as the law dictates if he loses. If he were to win you will see more impotent investigations by the Republicans into Hillary and Nancy coming to nothing.
TwilightZone
(22,860 posts)We should probably spend our time trying to figure out how to beat him instead of wasting it on a bunch of nonsense that has zero chance of happening.
Trump says stupid shit like "I'm going to be here 26 more years" solely to get a rise out of people. And it works every single time.
Jake Stern
(3,143 posts)He's living rent free in the heads of far too many folks, especially on here.
VOX
(22,976 posts)He doesnt care. Hes the loosest of ideological cannons. And his inner circle has been whittled down to true believers as well. The adults (such as they were) have long ago left the building.
The Trumpist criminals have been breaking laws left and right without a hitch. There is no backstop, no protection or buffer by the Constitution, or Senate, or SCOTUS, or laws, or whistleblowers, or free press. In spite of his lawlessness, he is ironically the freest man in America. He can (and will) say/do whatever his agitated moods dictate. And his lickspittle lieutenants will jump at his command.
You seriously underestimate this insane, vengeful man. He is psychologically weak, but has amassed considerable power in the executive branch. Those two facts alone make him very dangerous.
bdamomma
(62,783 posts)26 years??? not really he is rather delusional.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)We'll see. There is nothing I put past him. He doesn't give a flying fuck about the constitution or the rule of law.
VOX
(22,976 posts)Assess the damage done already. Walls. Lifetime right-wing judges. Regulations trashed. Voter suppression. Damning of the free press. Children in cages. Persecution of political opponents. Thinly-veiled threats of physical violence to dissenters. A cult-like following that has made documented death threats to critics. Lawbreaking in broad daylight without consequences. Withholding critical security information. Complete ignorance of the Constitution, and no evidence of adherence to it. Using the nations highest office for personal financial gain. Inserting close family members into high-ranking, sensitive positions of immense diplomatic responsibility. Conspiring with a hostile foreign power to tilt an American election, and preparing to repeat that act. Going to the brink of war with Iran. Continuing intent to destroy national healthcare. Plans to move funds from Medicare and Social Security. Steady accumulation of power to the executive branch. Inability to learn from mistakes. Unable to consider advice or direction.
These (and more) distinctly un-American events have already happened. Imagine this: If defeated, Trump will congratulate the winner, thank his staff for their loyalty and simply leave office, like all other presidents have done before him.
Does the the above scenario ring true? Does it describe a situation thats in keeping with what we have witnessed for the past 3-plus years?
Trump does *nothing* quietly, or fairly, or legitimately. Nor does he surrender any ideological ground. It would be very consistent with his demonstrated behavior to contest the results of an election, especially if all the Republican machinations dont pan out.
I put *nothing* past this insane, bitter criminal. Nothing. It would be wise to have a plan in place that deals with Trump either not recognizing the results of an election he does not win, or not surrendering the office per the law. Because, as has been witnessed repeatedly, the law means nothing to Trump or his circle.
DashOneBravo
(2,679 posts)AncientGeezer
(2,146 posts)If you are going to shut down opposition sites do it while you are running...to help you win.
Not after you win..
hughee99
(16,113 posts)Things the president actually has the power to do.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)And that is just now. Imagine how bad it will get if he wins a second term. It will be a full on dictatorship. He will impose his will on the entire nation.
hughee99
(16,113 posts)Rendering all machinery inoperable.
rzemanfl
(29,401 posts)smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)Just wait until he has absolute power.
VOX
(22,976 posts)Because its been a bed of roses so far.
If re-elected, 45 will be a holy terror with NOTHING to stop him. Not the law, not the press, not the Senate (theyll be cheering, if they remain Rs), not the House, not the SCOTUS.
Itll be a four-year fascists holiday, all downhill with no brakes, to mix metaphors. I dont expect the U.S. (as we know it) to survive it.
ecstatic
(32,041 posts)Who in the hell would stop him?
Congress would be safely back in GOP hands.
The Supreme Court would be fully stacked with right wingers.
Any remaining career officials will be fired and replaced with trump sycophants / white supremacists.
The final steps will involve constitutional amendments, starting with removing presidential term limits.
delisen
(6,033 posts)smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)We went dark.
delisen
(6,033 posts)However I think modern authoritarian regimes will let sites operate because it allows them to spy.
I could see a modern authoritarian state occasionally and unpredictably taking down a site as a form of terrorism -to spread a sense of despair, anxiety and isolation-but I think in general sites will be up and be tampered with.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)I just don't put anything past them. There is no low to which they won't sink.
delisen
(6,033 posts)to post honestly so we devolve into a police state
Chainfire
(16,323 posts)It is such an easy way to gather information on who is actually and enemy of the state.
virgogal
(10,178 posts)smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)You have a lot of faith in our future totalitarian overlords.
budkin
(6,593 posts)He'll start going after the press like Russia does.
Hoyt
(54,770 posts)onenote
(41,515 posts)kentuck
(110,656 posts)He will try to shut down the Democratic Party.
We can only imagine the turmoil.
Hotler
(10,940 posts)sarisataka
(17,383 posts)Think of how Russia's unemployment rate would jump without those sites
Raine
(30,211 posts)Happy Hoosier
(6,267 posts)The GOP has proven they will hold him accountable, and the courts will be well and truly packed.
We will be well and truly fucked.
Democrats Ascendant
(601 posts)a beautiful resistance movement will rise up from here on DU!
Codeine
(25,586 posts)This is silly.
still_one
(90,598 posts)Response to smirkymonkey (Original post)
Name removed Message auto-removed
AncientGeezer
(2,146 posts)If you want a benefit from shutting down sites..do it while running to stay in power...not After you retained power.
It makes no sense to wait.
LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)Regardless, idiot trump and his heroic band of dull-witted techno monkeys would look more dignified (and have more success) playing whack-a-mole blindfolded than they would any real attempt to remove web sites.
malaise
(263,804 posts)Take that to the bank