Trump, Kim sign "comprehensive" document

[Dill]

(06-13-2018, 12:59 PM)hollodero Wrote: Yeah it sure was more of a joke in this case. That being said, I can't quite go as far along with you as to consider calling Trump an autocrat to be outright silly. Not that I want to defend exaggerations, but there are certain signs that it's not outrageous to see him in that light... 

...loyalty pledges, calling the press Americas enemies (as of today, Americas "biggest" enemies), attacking the judiciary, wanting to interfere with FBI investigations and the DOJ, attacking institutions (up to comparisons with Nazi Germany) while trying to undermine them and claiming victimhood, feeding and promoting a distinct pro-Trump network with having close personal relations to several hosts, villifying opponents, and of course praising other authoritarians while dismissing democratic leaders. All this and more paints a picture to me where you can't really take too much issue with being seen as having authoritarian tendencies. Is it exaggerated often, sure. Doesn't mean there's nothing there at all.

Yes. Trump has all the characteristics of the Authoritarian Personality. At the moment he is hemmed in by democratic institutions designed to check presidential overreach.

But he challenges those checks every day, making it plain enough what he would LIKE to do to political opponents and the press and how he would LIKE to solve political conflicts with other countries.  That is one of the concerns raised by his presidency, why people speak of impending constitutional crisis. Rush Limbaugh seems to think that over the last year he is weeding out the softies in his staff--which means he is removing advisors who advise constraint and remind him of precedent and decorum.

The worst thing about the situation is that the authoritarian characteristics seem to drive a lot of his support--the demonization of minorities and "tough talk" to other foreign leaders, the stated willingness to rain "fire and fury" on NK, and chants of "lock her up."  He is the kind of leader a significant number of Americans now admire, want and whose policies they take on faith.  For many there is a total disconnect between Trump's behavior and the criticism it elicits. No challenge to democratic institutions here at all. Just haters.