General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsA "President" beating up the 1st Amendment is never funny.
Not even to a single representative/entity of the 1st amendment. Not even when it is done symbolically.
No. No. No. It's not a 1st amendment right of a "President" to be able to embrace violence against the 1st amendment.
A president swears to uphold the Constitution, not promote its collapse.
This was not Trump using his own first amendment right because Trump is no longer an ordinary citizen. His actions have consequences on a nationwide scale.
A "President" that promotes harm to the Press is a president that promotes harm to the Constitution. Such a president is a "President" that is promoting harm to our democracy.
It's not funny.
It is never funny.
If Trump wanted to be a comedian (albeit a bad one), he should have stuck to reality shows.
Pacifist Patriot
(24,647 posts)But from "appalled fatigue."
I suppose it means I haven't reached the numbness of normalization, but damn I can barely take the new depths each and every day.
Solly Mack
(90,740 posts)and a new attack from the GOP as a whole.
As well as the mindless scramble by some to normalize the behavior of both.
America's democracy has an illness.
We won't get better pretending Trump is normal or pretending that the GOP killing people through their policy ideas is simply a matter of holding differing views on how to solve a problem.
The GOP has been a toxic danger to Americans for a long time now. They current figurehead is a danger in his own right.
They give lip service to civility while offering up arsenic laced tea. Then blame you for not taking a swallow.
Pacifist Patriot
(24,647 posts)Thirties Child
(543 posts)Solly Mack
(90,740 posts)malaise
(267,797 posts)authoritarianism - he will learn the hard way.
Solly Mack
(90,740 posts)malaise
(267,797 posts)and its institutions (certainly in my lifetime). That said the Con is a ignorant light weight.
I think there's a more systemic problem associated with foreign policy which hits all empires. It's what happens when the foreign policy you've practiced overseas comes back to bite you.
When you control the planet by interfering in elections overseas and getting rid of leaders who won't do your bidding, it's hard to control the mercenaries you groomed.
Solly Mack
(90,740 posts)endangered by the past actions of some in government.
He's not a glitch - he's the by-product.
Though it is easier to believe that Trump is in no way the product of past actions. To believe his holding office is in no way the fault of anyone but some foreign power - but, had America's democracy been stronger, had the people not been better informed, had the education system not been dumbed down by creationists and corporations looking for worker drones, had news remained news instead of validating rumor and lies as being equal to facts and science, had war criminals been held accountable (Sorry - but once a president gets away with torturing people, future presidents know exactly what they can get away with, and they'll push for more)...had those who represent the people in government not been allowed to line their own pockets, and yes, had the US not interfered in the elections of other countries...
There are multiple reasons why...not just the blitz campaign by a foreign power.
And all those reasons why that made people susceptible to the propaganda campaign and the infrastructure being vulnerable to hacking, and why so many in Congress are willing to look the other way.
It's easier to blame only a foreign power - but while working to undo that damage caused by the foreign power attention must be paid to why America was so easily swayed to begin with.
Our democracy is not healthy. It wasn't before the election and it isn't now.
malaise
(267,797 posts)you are 100% correct.
I don't think America has dealt with institutional racism seriously. The said media allowed that birther shit to continue when they should have destroyed the Con et al over it.
Solly Mack
(90,740 posts)already conditioned to accept it.
We were ripe for a foreign power to attack our democracy - as evidenced by the acceptance of people for it being done.
malaise
(267,797 posts)the gullible
Solly Mack
(90,740 posts)It's been a collective effort on the right.
malaise
(267,797 posts)but our side has not been loud enough in opposition or in making people understand what's at stake.
Indeed too many push the 'lite' version rather than resist vigorously.
Solly Mack
(90,740 posts)You know that tired and untrue talking point about how both sides want the same for America, they just disagree on how to accomplish it?
Well, I don't think both sides want the same thing for America.
Do both sides want to eliminate safety nets?
Evidence says both sides don't.
Do both sides want to work to reduce - not eliminate (all possible problems that could arise) - the need for safety nets? Through actual health care, actual living wages, affordable housing, better education to allow for better jobs and more jobs, etc..?
Nope. Sure don't.
And the list goes on.
Telling me that republicans want the same thing I do for America but want to go about it differently, I hear a rapist telling me he only wants to please me but will go about it differently than I would define.
We have to be bold. We have to step on toes. This is not the time to placate.
gademocrat7
(10,623 posts)He has denigrated the presidency.
Solly Mack
(90,740 posts)He taints everything he touches.
louis-t
(23,199 posts)It just keeps getting worse.
Solly Mack
(90,740 posts)the other way, or pushed him off on others so he could be their problem (military school, for example), and now he has been unleashed on the entire country.
And some people are pretending it is all just so normal. Or they are taking advantage of Trump's delusions to fulfill a few of their own.
Trump is dangerous and McConnell and Ryan, and the rest of the GOP, simply don't care. They are getting what they want, so fuck America.
LudwigPastorius
(8,943 posts)The last time a large country turned power over to a egomaniacal fascist, tens of millions died.
Let's hope what's left of our democratic institutions can limit the damage.
Solly Mack
(90,740 posts)I wish people truly understood that because the danger for not recognizing that fact is deadly.
spanone
(135,632 posts)Our forefathers must be spinning in their graves....they never saw this guy coming.
Solly Mack
(90,740 posts)would only strengthen.
And maybe they thought they would be dead by then and not have to deal with it.
I don't know what they thought, but I don't think this is what they envisioned.
spanone
(135,632 posts)Solly Mack
(90,740 posts)I hope we are better people as a nation.
I hope.
spanone
(135,632 posts)Solly Mack
(90,740 posts)retrowire
(10,345 posts)To find it funny.
Solly Mack
(90,740 posts)Gothmog
(143,998 posts)Trump's attacks on the First Amendment are disgusting
Upthevibe
(7,879 posts)understand this....
suffragette
(12,232 posts)Solly Mack
(90,740 posts)Soxfan58
(3,479 posts)Ignore the 1st ammendment, and go right to the second dont they
Solly Mack
(90,740 posts)IronLionZion
(45,255 posts)and he can say that we suck.
But he does not get to advocate violence and retribution because he doesn't like what we say about him.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
Solly Mack
(90,740 posts)He went beyond that. Way beyond that.
leftstreet
(36,078 posts)"Trump is no longer an ordinary citizen"
Excellent reminder. And he just doesn't get that. He still promotes himself as some kind of anti-establishment, swamp draining, bucking the system anti-hero
Someone forgot to tell him he now represents not only the establishment and the system, but both the swamp and all of us peons drowning in it.