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Trump like Mussolini -- the slow evolution of a dictatorship

IndigoChild5559

Loving God and my neighbor as myself.
Trump is refusing to commit to a peaceful transition of power, should he lose the election. This is how dictators comin into power.

Trump has made it clear that a "fair election" is one in which he and only he wins. IOW if he wins, there is no grounds to challenge the election, but if Biden wins, its i "obvious" that the results were tampered with, among other things, by the mismanagement of mail in vote fraud. Should he lose the election, he will challenge the results.

The idea that he might legitimately lose simply never enters his head. This is the pathological narcissism that pervades his personality. Oh sure, politicians in general tend to be narcissistic -- this is how they can weather the continual bombardment of verbal attacks and slams. But Trump carries the trait into the red zone. Throughout his 2016 campaign and tenure as President, he has crossed the line into disturbing incidents. This prediction that he will challenge the results of the election is simply the latest in a long line of things he has said that warn us of his authoritarian traits.

It should go without saying that one of the foundational elements of a democracy is the peaceful transition of power. I simply cannot state strongly enough that refusal to transfer power is how dictatorships happen.

Tonight I was reading an article that stated Trump is most like Mussolini in his history and leadership style.
"The clearest parallel is that Mussolini was prime minister of a democratic coalition government from 1922-1925. During that time, he slowly chipped away at democratic institutions, insulting the press, using violence against the left, joking that he would be in office for 20 years, establishing a militia and a legislative body (the Grand Council) loyal to him," Ben-Ghiat told Insider.
Historians and election experts warn Trump is behaving like Mussolini and despots that the US usually condemns
If Trump is reelected, I just don't know what I'm going to do. I think the odds are very much against him, but there is still that possibility. It scares me. I don't think our democracy can survive another four years of Trump. I don't even know if it will survive this election. I expect we will see rioting nation wide if Biden wins, and Trump will back it up. Could we be headed towards civil war? I don't think so. But there is still that nagging feeling of danger.

Political scientists have been warning us for four years about Trump's authoritarian personality. Many people have not listened, and most people, being naive, have not considered it a major threat to our democracy. Now we are at a crossroads between democracy and authoritarianism. Which way will the USA turn?
 

pearl

Well-Known Member
Trump has his army of lawyers, including the Attorney General, all lined up to win the presidency through the Courts. We're are beginning to hear voices even from our military leaders as what to do if he refuses to leave, in that case he would be removed by the Secret Service and US Marshals, not the military. I think of more immediate concern is voting itself. With no DOJ to ensure voting rights I can picture the unending interruption with people's right to vote. What Trump is promising is no less than a coop to overthrow our Republic. How does Hillary look now?
Did we learn anything from not bothering to vote?
 

PureX

Veteran Member
Any presidential candidate has the right to claim the process was illegitimate and demand a recount. If that cannot be done legitimately, then it falls to the legislature to resolve. And if that can't be done, it falls to the courts, and ultimately to the Supreme Court. Which is why the republicans are so keen to appoint another biased judge to the Supreme Court before the election. They got George Bush appointed president by the Supreme Court, and they're looking to do it again.
 

Brickjectivity

Turned to Stone. Now I stretch daily.
Staff member
Premium Member
Trump is refusing to commit to a peaceful transition of power, should he lose the election. This is how dictators comin into power.

Trump has made it clear that a "fair election" is one in which he and only he wins. IOW if he wins, there is no grounds to challenge the election, but if Biden wins, its i "obvious" that the results were tampered with, among other things, by the mismanagement of mail in vote fraud. Should he lose the election, he will challenge the results.

The idea that he might legitimately lose simply never enters his head. This is the pathological narcissism that pervades his personality. Oh sure, politicians in general tend to be narcissistic -- this is how they can weather the continual bombardment of verbal attacks and slams. But Trump carries the trait into the red zone. Throughout his 2016 campaign and tenure as President, he has crossed the line into disturbing incidents. This prediction that he will challenge the results of the election is simply the latest in a long line of things he has said that warn us of his authoritarian traits.

It should go without saying that one of the foundational elements of a democracy is the peaceful transition of power. I simply cannot state strongly enough that refusal to transfer power is how dictatorships happen.
He doesn't have the option to stay in power more than four.

Tonight I was reading an article that stated Trump is most like Mussolini in his history and leadership style.
"The clearest parallel is that Mussolini was prime minister of a democratic coalition government from 1922-1925. During that time, he slowly chipped away at democratic institutions, insulting the press, using violence against the left, joking that he would be in office for 20 years, establishing a militia and a legislative body (the Grand Council) loyal to him," Ben-Ghiat told Insider.
Historians and election experts warn Trump is behaving like Mussolini and despots that the US usually condemns
If Trump is reelected, I just don't know what I'm going to do. I think the odds are very much against him, but there is still that possibility. It scares me. I don't think our democracy can survive another four years of Trump. I don't even know if it will survive this election. I expect we will see rioting nation wide if Biden wins, and Trump will back it up. Could we be headed towards civil war? I don't think so. But there is still that nagging feeling of danger.
It seems likely to me he'll be reelected, but his popularity won't increase. He may lose, too.

Political scientists have been warning us for four years about Trump's authoritarian personality. Many people have not listened, and most people, being naive, have not considered it a major threat to our democracy. Now we are at a crossroads between democracy and authoritarianism. Which way will the USA turn?
I have been hearing this not for four years but since the first Bush administration. Parties constantly claim that everything is going to hell and every little thing is the most important thing in the world. Now you're willing to throw up your hands and accept anything in order to get rid of Trump, and that is what the parties want to hear: "I'll accept anything!" Don't say that. Negotiate. Tell your party that its being stubborn and pushy. Stop promising to vote for your party. Let it ponder how you will vote.

I think this is out of proportion; because Americans are not choosing authoritarianism. Its not the same situation as when Mussolini took Italy. This is no different from any other election, and two authoritarian parties are running not one. Both have sold us out. Under both the poor have gotten poorer, but nobody believes Trump would be any better as a dictator. Nobody will accept a dictator. I won't. Police won't. Nobody will. All those people at those Trump rallies will not accept a dictator.
 

Left Coast

This Is Water
Staff member
Premium Member
***MOD POST***

Alright people - we're not gonna do name calling or insulting. You may critique ideas, not people. Be respectful and constructive. Mkay? Thank you!
 

ecco

Veteran Member
He doesn't have the option to stay in power more than four.

Neither did a lot of dictators before they did.

I think this is out of proportion; because Americans are not choosing authoritarianism.

About 50% of American voters voted for Trump. I think the same will happen in 2020. By now all those people are well aware of Trump's authoritarianism. They will vote for him because of his authoritarianism.

Nobody will accept a dictator. I won't. Police won't. Nobody will. All those people at those Trump rallies will not accept a dictator.

And just what are you going to do about it?

Those people at Trump rallies don't see him as a dictator, they see him as a strong savior who believes as they do.

Do you think Trump, if he stays in power, will say "now I am the Dictator if the USA? He doesn't have to. He controls the Senate. He controls the Department of Justice. He is commander in chief of the military.


Kim Jung Un is not a dictator, he is First Chairman of the National Defence Commission of North Korea

Putin is not a dictator, he is President of Russia

Xi Jinping is not a dictator, he is Vice President of the People's Republic of China and Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission
 

Brickjectivity

Turned to Stone. Now I stretch daily.
Staff member
Premium Member
About 50% of American voters voted for Trump. I think the same will happen in 2020. By now all those people are well aware of Trump's authoritarianism. They will vote for him because of his authoritarianism.
ha ha ha I perceive that you are ignorant about those people and have little or no understanding of the electorate. Perhaps you're trying to scare Indigo a little more. Having fun?

And just what are you going to do about it?

Those people at Trump rallies don't see him as a dictator, they see him as a strong savior who believes as they do.

Do you think Trump, if he stays in power, will say "now I am the Dictator if the USA? He doesn't have to. He controls the Senate. He controls the Department of Justice. He is commander in chief of the military.


Kim Jung Un is not a dictator, he is First Chairman of the National Defence Commission of North Korea

Putin is not a dictator, he is President of Russia

Xi Jinping is not a dictator, he is Vice President of the People's Republic of China and Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission
I stand by what I said. This ain't China. This ain't Italy. This place won't accept dictatorships.
 

Mock Turtle

Oh my, did I say that!
Premium Member
Well, when the Civil War comes around again you can guess which side I will be on (supporting that is, not fighting). :praying:
 

metis

aged ecumenical anthropologist
I have often mentioned to my wife that Trump postures himself and acts so much like Mussolini if one views the videos of him speaking (my wife speaks Italian, btw).

Yesterday, Tony Schwartz, who was Trump's co-author and who lived for mostly 9 months with him when they were co-writing "The Art of the Deal", said he thinks that Trump would not step down if he loses because he is so self-centered and mentally unstable because of his insecurities.

Thomas Friedman, whom I've long respected as an analyst and an author, also believes that Trump will not likely step down and that this could lead to "Civil War II" (his words), referring to our situation as now being a "six-alarm fire".

The biggest mistake we could make as a country is to not take Trump seriously, much like the German people didn't take Hitler's rancid hyperbole seriously-- sorta like "it's just Hitler being Hitler". Churchill took him seriously but few listened to him, and just how costly was that?

This is serious.
 

Brickjectivity

Turned to Stone. Now I stretch daily.
Staff member
Premium Member
I have often mentioned to my wife that Trump postures himself and acts so much like Mussolini if one views the videos of him speaking (my wife speaks Italian, btw).

Yesterday, Tony Schwartz, who was Trump's co-author and who lived for mostly 9 months with him when they were co-writing "The Art of the Deal", said he thinks that Trump would not step down if he loses because he is so self-centered and mentally unstable because of his insecurities.

Thomas Friedman, whom I've long respected as an analyst and an author, also believes that Trump will not likely step down and that this could lead to "Civil War II" (his words), referring to our situation as now being a "six-alarm fire".

The biggest mistake we could make as a country is to not take Trump seriously, much like the German people didn't take Hitler's rancid hyperbole seriously-- sorta like "it's just Hitler being Hitler". Churchill took him seriously but few listened to him, and just how costly was that?

This is serious.
I do take him seriously.

What I'm saying is that the OP is too panicky and is giving complete faith to one party. The political parties constantly threaten the end of America specifically to accomplish this. They don't want us to keep asking for curbs on corporate lobbying and for election reform. They want us to feel helpless without them.

In that past IndigoChild had concerns, things they wanted their party to do. Now they're like "I'll accept anything if you'll get Trump out of there." Who wins? The big money wins. The voter loses. Who has to compromise? The voters....not the party. If you really want Trump out of there you have to take back control of the party and make it make deals. Right now its acting crazy. Its accepting a 50% chance that Trump will win specifically because on any issue it can tell you to shut up and help us defeat Trump. Do you see the irony there? Your party could win, but it doesn't care. Its ignoring you.

The Republicans did the same thing with Obama. Any time the conversation began to be about campaign finance reform they could just say "Well, that's important but must be tabled until after we defeat Obama." The same is happening on the Democrat side right now.
 

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
I have often mentioned to my wife that Trump postures himself and acts so much like Mussolini if one views the videos of him speaking (my wife speaks Italian, btw).

Yesterday, Tony Schwartz, who was Trump's co-author and who lived for mostly 9 months with him when they were co-writing "The Art of the Deal", said he thinks that Trump would not step down if he loses because he is so self-centered and mentally unstable because of his insecurities.

Thomas Friedman, whom I've long respected as an analyst and an author, also believes that Trump will not likely step down and that this could lead to "Civil War II" (his words), referring to our situation as now being a "six-alarm fire".

The biggest mistake we could make as a country is to not take Trump seriously, much like the German people didn't take Hitler's rancid hyperbole seriously-- sorta like "it's just Hitler being Hitler". Churchill took him seriously but few listened to him, and just how costly was that?

This is serious.
I'm not worried.

Mussolinl looks 10 times better in a helmet and can ride a horse!
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
Mussolini

The comparison is spot on. Trump is weak like Mussolini truly was and is using the same tactics that Mussolini used.

This is recognized by those who worked for him and now support Biden and by conservatives who broke a lifetime of voting to back Biden including with their own money. And further calling for the destruction and rout of the Trump (Republican) party so it can be rebuilt.

Of course Donny's minions are trying to suppress voting, making counting ballots after two days illegal, destroy the post office and so forth.

It's a war and they must be crushed.

This thread reminds me it's time for me to kick in another $100 to Biden and another $100 to Senate Democrats.
 
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