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Yeah. I don't like him (not eligible to vote for or against), but the "threat to our democracy" narrative is completely sunk. He clearly has no dictatorial aspi

Yeah. I don't like him (not eligible to vote for or against), but the "threat to our democracy" narrative is completely sunk. He clearly has no dictatorial aspirations. Maybe it's just because of events in the lead-up to the 2016 election, but if anything he seems worried about abuses of unchecked executive power on people's privacy. He's certainly at odds in some cases with Barr, who is a classic AG and wants ever-greater state power so long as it's responsibly exercised.

malnourish 6y ago
Can you explain how you reconcile that belief with multiple statements supporting e.g. running for more than 2 terms, un-elected leaders, as well as the very recent refusal to fund the post office because it will help more people exercise their constitutional rights and the installation of a postmaster general who is actively removing sorting machines and post boxes, as well as unsourced claims of mass voter fraud, particularly through mail-in ballots?
- repsilat 6y ago
  Ah, well perhaps it would have been more accurate to say that his dictatorial tendencies are more a threat to democracy than they are a threat to liberalism. He's interested in being and staying President, not at all principled about what he needs to do to make it happen, but seemingly not so interested in expanding the surveillance state, suppressing speech, that sort of thing. As one of the "taxed but not represented" people in the US, I guess I might value voting rights a little less than I should.
  - malnourish 6y ago
    Do you have opinions on the federal agents that were in Portland and the actions they took?
jjoonathan 6y ago
He repeatedly floats the idea of having journalists shot, pardons people for intimidating witnesses on his behalf, goes on public television to invite foreign interference in American elections so long as he's the beneficiary, he deploys troops on American soil against the wishes of state governments, sets new standards for noncompliance with judicial investigations, and spams illegal executive orders like a pentester searching for open ports. Even if one were a fan of his policies, I cannot comprehend the confusion of principles that would lead them to put "checking executive power" anywhere on his priority list. Not as it relates to privacy, and not in general.

malnourish 6y ago

Can you explain how you reconcile that belief with multiple statements supporting e.g. running for more than 2 terms, un-elected leaders, as well as the very recent refusal to fund the post office because it will help more people exercise their constitutional rights and the installation of a postmaster general who is actively removing sorting machines and post boxes, as well as unsourced claims of mass voter fraud, particularly through mail-in ballots?

repsilat 6y ago
Ah, well perhaps it would have been more accurate to say that his dictatorial tendencies are more a threat to democracy than they are a threat to liberalism. He's interested in being and staying President, not at all principled about what he needs to do to make it happen, but seemingly not so interested in expanding the surveillance state, suppressing speech, that sort of thing. As one of the "taxed but not represented" people in the US, I guess I might value voting rights a little less than I should.
- malnourish 6y ago
  Do you have opinions on the federal agents that were in Portland and the actions they took?

jjoonathan 6y ago

He repeatedly floats the idea of having journalists shot, pardons people for intimidating witnesses on his behalf, goes on public television to invite foreign interference in American elections so long as he's the beneficiary, he deploys troops on American soil against the wishes of state governments, sets new standards for noncompliance with judicial investigations, and spams illegal executive orders like a pentester searching for open ports. Even if one were a fan of his policies, I cannot comprehend the confusion of principles that would lead them to put "checking executive power" anywhere on his priority list. Not as it relates to privacy, and not in general.