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I mean … if you look at Jan. 6 and don’t think a successful version of it could happen in the future, you’re part of the problem. One of the two parties in Ame

by japhib 4y ago

I mean … if you look at Jan. 6 and don’t think a successful version of it could happen in the future, you’re part of the problem. One of the two parties in America is actively pursuing a war on women’s rights, a war on LGBTQ rights, and a war on voting rights. And it’s not the Democrats. Look, I don’t think the Democrats are perfect, or even that good. But if you don’t think the Trump-fanatic core of the Republican Party is authoritarian, and heading towards fascism, you’re lying to yourself. Sure, the article is probably a bit overdramatic. Butthat doesn’t mean America doesn’t have a problem.

AnimalMuppet 4y ago
I absolutely do not endorse the Trump Republicans' crazytown. But if you can't see that there's a lot of authoritarianism on the left as well, you are part of the problem. At the moment, there's much more of a threat from the right - an authoritarianism that's a much bigger part of the party's officeholders, voters, and party apparatus. At the moment. So don't sleep on the Democrats' potential for authoritarianism. It's there, even if latent. Worse, it may become more active, because "We have to fight off Trump! He's a threat to the existence of our democracy!" So they feel they have license to do anything necessary to win... (But the voters may not see it that way, or more precisely may not feel it that way. You vote twice every four years, but you go out of your house most days. Restrictions on what you can do, who you can meet with, and whether you have to mask felt more intrusive to many people than restrictions on voting rights. Or so I suspect.)
- throwaway5959 4y ago
  I live in LA. Aside from certain areas of hospitals I can go anywhere without a mask on, even small, close quarter museums. Restrictions on what I can do? Please, the right is putting way more restrictions on what my wife and I can do than the left. I can’t think of anything more anti democratic than restricting the right to vote (especially when the same party works to make it easier to vote for the right “kind” of voter).
  - AnimalMuppet 4y ago
    Sure... today. People remember 2019, though. And they remember who was pushing the mask mandates.
    - kgwxd 4y ago
      And then they got the message loud and clear that most people didn't agree with them and then changed their behavior, like a functioning democratic government should. Republicans double down on everything unpopular and oust anyone in the party that even tries to bring it back to a reasonable state, like a function authoritarian government should.
    - dTal 4y ago
      Might want to check your dates a bit there.
graderjs 4y ago
I'm sorry your language is extremist and coming from the crazy point of view that the other side can't be right at all. Has the mere color of reasonableness but is totally biased. I don't blame you. It's a crazy trope of the discourse. It's language that doesn't admit the possibility of anything but the extreme rightness of your position and the wrongness of everything else. It's the exact "authoritarian war" you merely pretend to be against. Merely dressed up in some fancy rhetorical garb, that manages to dupe. Again, I don't blame you. This isn't originated by you, merely coopted. I understand. It's compelling to be better than everyone, soothing to be centered in the certainty of your core unquestionable rightness. But it's not from you, it's a poisonous trope of the current discourse.
- dTal 4y ago
  I'd love to see some actual reasons why you disagree, instead of three paragraphs of content-free condescension.

by japhib 4y ago

AnimalMuppet 4y ago

I absolutely do not endorse the Trump Republicans' crazytown. But if you can't see that there's a lot of authoritarianism on the left as well, you are part of the problem. At the moment, there's much more of a threat from the right - an authoritarianism that's a much bigger part of the party's officeholders, voters, and party apparatus. At the moment. So don't sleep on the Democrats' potential for authoritarianism. It's there, even if latent. Worse, it may become more active, because "We have to fight off Trump! He's a threat to the existence of our democracy!" So they feel they have license to do anything necessary to win... (But the voters may not see it that way, or more precisely may not feel it that way. You vote twice every four years, but you go out of your house most days. Restrictions on what you can do, who you can meet with, and whether you have to mask felt more intrusive to many people than restrictions on voting rights. Or so I suspect.)

throwaway5959 4y ago
I live in LA. Aside from certain areas of hospitals I can go anywhere without a mask on, even small, close quarter museums. Restrictions on what I can do? Please, the right is putting way more restrictions on what my wife and I can do than the left. I can’t think of anything more anti democratic than restricting the right to vote (especially when the same party works to make it easier to vote for the right “kind” of voter).
- AnimalMuppet 4y ago
  Sure... today. People remember 2019, though. And they remember who was pushing the mask mandates.
  - kgwxd 4y ago
    And then they got the message loud and clear that most people didn't agree with them and then changed their behavior, like a functioning democratic government should. Republicans double down on everything unpopular and oust anyone in the party that even tries to bring it back to a reasonable state, like a function authoritarian government should.
  - dTal 4y ago
    Might want to check your dates a bit there.

graderjs 4y ago

I'm sorry your language is extremist and coming from the crazy point of view that the other side can't be right at all. Has the mere color of reasonableness but is totally biased. I don't blame you. It's a crazy trope of the discourse. It's language that doesn't admit the possibility of anything but the extreme rightness of your position and the wrongness of everything else. It's the exact "authoritarian war" you merely pretend to be against. Merely dressed up in some fancy rhetorical garb, that manages to dupe. Again, I don't blame you. This isn't originated by you, merely coopted. I understand. It's compelling to be better than everyone, soothing to be centered in the certainty of your core unquestionable rightness. But it's not from you, it's a poisonous trope of the current discourse.

dTal 4y ago
I'd love to see some actual reasons why you disagree, instead of three paragraphs of content-free condescension.