this post was submitted on 17 Nov 2023
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[–] [email protected] 27 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (4 children)

So what I don't get is, does the US not have any mechsnism in place that would prevent this? Like could a party named "We will turn this country to literal fascis and we will kill several minority groups" just...run?

[–] [email protected] 35 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The problem with how to deal with Trump is that up until his “presidency” his predecessors had some level of respect for the office and its duties. There were lines you didn’t cross, lines that no one thought needed definition or outlined consequences because anyone that would achieve the office of president, elected by the people, could never treat the position so heinously and with such disregard and irreverence for everything and anything the office stands for. We’ve never had someone in charge with zero regard (and frankly probably very little understanding of it) for our system of government, the constitution, and how/why it was all created in the way it was. Enter Trump and we realize we don’t have the guidelines and practices in place to handle it, because no one had ever fathomed someone like him would be running the country. I’ve said since he ran the first time he’s the biggest threat to our democracy we’ve ever seen, at least that I’ve seen in my lifetime. He’s a cult leader (but that’s outside the scope of your question) and from outside the cult his influence is mind boggling. Also we’re never given 2 good candidates to choose from, it’s always whoever sucks less. And understandably people have serious concerns about voting for Biden for another 4 years.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (2 children)

as someone watching from afar, can you elaborate on the missing guidelines?

seemed to me like there were plenty of tthose that just got tossed aside and ignored/not enforced

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 year ago

You’re right, he gets away with absolutely everything and has seemed to be above the law, I’m hoping he’ll finally see justice through any of the current lawsuits he faces. I guess better wording is that there are guidelines and practices in place for regular people for the various crimes he’s arguably committed, the question has been what to do when a president is the one guilty. That’s a new question for us and many argue it’s not as straightforward as “charge him and throw him in jail”. People think prosecuting a president sets a dangerous precedent politicizing the judicial system, which by definition should be impartial.

Outside of any legal questions we’ve just never had someone with absolutely zero decorum. It’s uncharted territory.

I personally feel incredibly helpless and am so sad and scared watching everything unfolding around us.

I’m not sure if that answers much but it’s all I’ve got at 4 am!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Its because we did have guidelines in place. They have just been slowly erroded since Reagan. Citizens United was one of the last straws. Now all thats left is blatant power struggles and dark corporate money. We're in the End Game now.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I don’t think we have preventive measures in place so, yeah.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago (2 children)

The ones that would exist are undermined. With Trump having appointed many of the judges including the Supreme Court, the different branches that could keep the president in check have lost their teeth. The different states are too independent and different that they could organize against the federal government.. It's rather the federal government keeping some of the states in check. Once that one is gone, you'll only have some states that are a safe haven.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The peoblem is that in the US the "devision of power", which is a key factor for a functioning democracy, is not realy functioning. The fact that a president can just apoint his own judges is realy scary. The whole system just needs a big redo.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

The fact that a president can just apoint his own judges is realy scary.

But he can't... they need to be confirmed by the senate... they are supposed to be a check against him. The fact Congress is playing for him, is arguably the scariest part. He either has a bunch of rubes that he can play like a marionette (4d chess) or there is a bubbling fascist element that has absorbed at least a third of the Republican party.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Yes the US didn't realy get the system of "devision of power", which is one of the key factors of a functioning democracy. The whole system just needs a big reboot.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

electoral college has partial mechanism for this, they in theory would have power to not elect the President.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

We do. It's called the constitution and whatever liberties we've installed.

The problem is the toothless actions that have been taken, to enforce these things. Too much bargaining, bypassing and bribing.

But if we give them a strongly worded letter or a warning or a caution - that'll get things done! That'll be like telling that child or pet not to do something even though you know they'll do it anyways and once they do it, you go "aw schucks!" before fixing the issue and cycling back again.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Do we have mechanisms? Yeah. Assuming they get enforced.

Could a party so-named run? Also yes. That’s part of those mechanisms. Isn’t America great?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

Mechanisms without enforcements? Do you mean suggestions?