Authoritarianism and fear at the Trumpian GOP convention

[jpak]

http://pollways.bangordailynews.com/2016/07/20/national/authoritarianism-fear-trump-convention/

Has there ever been a scarier, more authoritarian vision of politics than the one shown at the Republican convention in Cleveland? If so, I can’t remember it.

The convention’s first night, dedicated to the theme of Make America Safe Again, promoted the ideas that crime has risen, immigrants are criminals and Clinton and Obama were part of dark deeds associated with American deaths.

In reality, crime is down in the U.S., immigrants are overwhelmingly law-abiding and the Benghazi attack has been investigated eight times and the fevered conspiracies have all been debunked.

On the second night, which was purportedly focused on the economy, there was almost no talk of jobs or anything that most American families grapple with around their kitchen tables.

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[C_U_L8R]

1. I don't think the world has ever seen worse

Mock trials, yelling lies, fear mongering, more lies, more screaming, more false accusations, fear fear fear. Really this is as bad as I've ever seen in my lifetime. What the fuck has gone wrong with Republicans to make them so demented and despicable? Were the dropped on their heads, unloved by their mothers, wedgied too much in high school? Where does all this fear and hate and dishonesty come from? Not to mentioned the unabashed greed and persecution complexes? They are seriously messed up.

[jpak]

2. Their brains are different - and their amygdalas are red hot 24/7

yup

[C_U_L8R]

3. and here I thought...

they were ruled by their sphincters 24/7.
Thx

[jpak]

4. That too..

[tblue37]

9. Well, considering that Don't the Con thinks he is now the emperor of the GOP

and that he will soon be the emperor of the US and the world, you are correct to think the GOP is ruled by a sphincter.

[Angry Dragon]

12. Trump has a god complex

[Avalux]

5. I hope the DNC decides to limit the Trump bashing.

Yes, he's the devil incarnate; but I don't want to hear about it every time someone speaks. It's still fear-mongering IMHO. I want a positive, substantial convention from the DNC.

[tblue37]

7. Propaganda works, especially when people are not able to recognize that they are

being propagandized.

[Solly Mack]

6. I watched the first night but couldn't bring myself to watch last night.

It was disgusting on night one. All the pushing of fear and terror.

From everything I've read, last night was no better. Seems only to be getting worse.

[tblue37]

8. The Christie show trial performance and the howling of the lynch mob he was deliberately

riling up was especially horrifying and scary.

[jpak]

10. reminded me of this...

[Solly Mack]

11. I saw clips of that. The faces of the crowd, enraptured by the thought of a public hanging.

They'd happily - mindlessly - cheer any atrocity.

[Angry Dragon]

13. They can not govern so all they have left is fear

[Solly Mack]

14. They really aren't looking to govern so much as to impose their will on others.

Though that is how the GOP defines to govern.