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Is Trump dismantling American "democracy?"

Infinite Chaos

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I've put democracy in quotation marks as I have heard many Americans say America is not a democracy, it's a Republic.

With that out of the way, how valid are the charges being laid by the two journalists in the program below? Disclaimer - they are British journalists, used to work at the BBC but they work at LBC which now hosts talking heads from all across the UK political spectrum.
My disclaimer - I'm British and not a fan of Trump.
​

If you don't want to watch, the charges against and that Trump is behaving like an Authoritarian are:
  1. Extensive use of and governance by Executive Orders
  2. No bills sent via Congress - he is apparently bypassing Congress to govern the USA
  3. Over-rule lawyers and the legal process by threatening law firms and judges who question his Executive Orders
  4. Denial of due-process to people accused of crimes as defined by the new regime (the prisoners sent to el Salvador - and some being returned)
So, if you are American - what is your opinion on this as a Democrat or a Republican? Are you worried about what this means in the long term for the US and the US Constitution?
Does Trump's end goal (whatever it is) justify the process he is engaged in if this is actually happening?
 
Infinite Chaos said:
  1. Extensive use of and governance by Executive Orders
Click to expand...
Extensive is a subjective term, however, EO's are his best tool for undoing the damage the Biden pukes have done to the executive branch.

Since this IS a tool available to all Presidents, though, there is nothing "authoritarian" about it.

Infinite Chaos said:
  1. No bills sent via Congress - he is apparently bypassing Congress to govern the USA
Click to expand...
President don't "send bills" to Congress. They tell Congress what they want done and it's up to Congress to create a bill or not.

Trump has told Congress what he wants and, as far as I know, they are working on it. It takes time.

Infinite Chaos said:
  1. Over-rule lawyers and the legal process by threatening law firms and judges who question his Executive Orders
Click to expand...
Trump STILL has to combat lawfare. The fact is, the Trump haters have INCREASED their use of lawfare.

That doesn't make him authoritarian.

Infinite Chaos said:
  1. Denial of due-process to people accused of crimes as defined by the new regime (the prisoners sent to el Salvador - and some being returned)
Click to expand...
All of those illegal aliens that were sent to El Salvador are people with criminal charges, extensive criminal records and the reality is that nobody else wants them BECAUSE they are criminals.

Trump is abiding by the Constitution and the law. Nothing authoritarian about it.


So...the answer to your thread title question is...No.
 

Is Trump dismantling American "democracy?"​


Nope! But the Trump haters think he is. Just look at some of the threads here.

And don't forget about MUSK.....
 
 
And you know they are criminals because . . . ? We don't even know their names, let alone what they have been allegedly convicted of. We don't know their citizenship or green card status. The 4th, 5th, and 6th amendments say the government can't just snatch somebody without due process. If they can do this to these alleged 'bad guys' they can do it to you! And here you are, celebrating this!
 
ICE isn't going to waste their time with people who are not illegal aliens.

If you want to know about a particular person, ICE has a toll free number you can call to find out about them. Otherwise, the identities are withheld from the public for privacy reasons.

I'm sorry if that's not good enough for you, but that's just the way it is.
 
There, I fixed it for you. You're happy to give this president the power to trample on the Bill of Rights because you and Trump have the same attitude toward the people targeted.

Please, share this 'toll free number.' If I call ICE and inquire about a Jose Garcia or Enrique Hernandez or Pablo Lopez, you mean to tell me they are going to tell me where they have taken them? Seriously?

And what of the next president? Or the one after that? Do you believe every president ought to be allowed to just snatch people off the street and the Bill of Rights be damned?
 
aociswundumho said:
Trump has issued 317 EOs so far including his last term as president. Progressive hero FDR issued over 3000 in 12 years.
Click to expand...

Is the US even slightly similar now to back when he was President between 1933 and 1945?
 
The O/P's question, whether by intention or not, is a rhetorical.
 
Stealers Wheel said:
There, I fixed it for you. You're happy to give this president the power to trample on the Bill of Rights because you and Trump have the same attitude toward the people targeted.
Click to expand...
???

Trump hasn't trampled on the Bill of Rights.

Stealers Wheel said:
Please, share this 'toll free number.' If I call ICE and inquire about a Jose Garcia or Enrique Hernandez or Pablo Lopez, you mean to tell me they are going to tell me where they have taken them? Seriously?
Click to expand...
You can find the phone number on the ICE website. And yes, you can find information about illegal aliens that they have detained.

Stealers Wheel said:
And what of the next president? Or the one after that? Do you believe every president ought to be allowed to just snatch people off the street and the Bill of Rights be damned?
Click to expand...
shrug...

I can't predict what any future president might do, but Trump doesn't "just snatch people off the street". His administration apprehends, detains and deports illegal aliens. Especially domestic terrorist and hardened criminal illegal aliens.
 
Mycroft said:
???

Trump hasn't trampled on the Bill of Rights.
Click to expand...
So, he is observing the provisions of the 4th, 5th, and 6th amendments? Where is the judge who issued the warrants? There is no judge who issued warrants.

Mycroft said:
You can find the phone number on the ICE website. And yes, you can find information about illegal aliens that they have detained.
Click to expand...
No, you can't. You're just making shit up. They are not releasing the names to anyone.
Mycroft said:
I can't predict what any future president might do, but Trump doesn't "just snatch people off the street". His administration apprehends, detains and deports illegal aliens. Especially domestic terrorist and hardened criminal illegal aliens.
Click to expand...
Sure you can. It's happened in the past. We know what will happen, and people like you are too short-sighted to see the potential inevitable downside.
 
aociswundumho said:
Trump has issued 317 EOs so far including his last term as president. Progressive hero FDR issued over 3000 in 12 years.
Click to expand...

I think owning the libs is far more important to you than your small government ideology.
 
Mycroft said:
President don't "send bills" to Congress. They tell Congress what they want done and it's up to Congress to create a bill or not.

Trump has told Congress what he wants and, as far as I know, they are working on it. It takes time.
Click to expand...


Can't wait for my awesome TrumpCare™ plan!

It will be coming soon, he already has the concepts of a plan!!
 
Trump has a particularly fanciful view of what a President is, and rather most of America at that. That is, the President is the one that holds all the powers and thus can single-handedly change America for better or for worse.

The issue is that this view is extremely oversimplified, and that Reality is much more nuanced than that. Look at how the majority of people discuss politics today. It is centered around the President. Sure, you can say the President is the leader and therefore he is important. But that's forgetting the very basics of why the US was formed to begin with.

The US did not want a tyrant. So the Founding Fathers made an attempt to stop Tyrants. Checks and balances are there to make it as difficult as possible to have tyrants around. It may not be the best attempt, but it is better than nothing. That said, there's nothing truly stopping Americans from just chucking everything out the window, just as in every country and every empire that existed in history. The government is only as powerful as the people that make it up. And they are free to choose whether they want more centralized power or not. What really matters at the end of day is whether everyone is better off or not.
 
aociswundumho said:
Trump has issued 317 EOs so far including his last term as president. Progressive hero FDR issued over 3000 in 12 years.
Click to expand...

Gee, I wonder if that had anything to do with World War II, or maybe FDR was just signing stuff to tell us that there are only 2 sexes and that the second amendment is still there?
 
PeacefulWarrior said:
Gee, I wonder if that had anything to do with World War II, or maybe FDR was just signing stuff to tell us that there are only 2 sexes and that the second amendment is still there?
Click to expand...

Would Trump have even declared war on
japan if his business interests were threatended ?
 
Trump is a dictator. Plain and simple. Unfortunately we have spineless politicians who'd rather go along to get along.
 
Parker_Chess said:
Trump is a dictator. Plain and simple. Unfortunately we have spineless politicians who'd rather go along to get along.
Click to expand...

He's a wannabe dictator, and sadly he has mobilized a large chuck of American society with his base call to nationalism.
 
Yes, I find it troubling that Congress isn't stepping up to the plate and enacting laws to help with the President's agenda.

I don't feel that those who are NOT citizens should be afforded due process which is stated in the Constitution. If they aren't U.S.. citizens, they have NO rights under the U.S. Constitution.
 

Disturbing perhaps
But such is Trump's grip on the GOP that no-one in Congress dare cross him.
 
aociswundumho said:
Trump has issued 317 EOs so far including his last term as president. Progressive hero FDR issued over 3000 in 12 years.
Click to expand...

FDR built institutions. Trump is dismantling them. It's certainly easier to destroy than to build, and the right-wing never built anything.
 
As millions have stated long before Trump was reelected his second term will be packed with unheard of vengeance against the country that elected Biden. He is sick with hatred. This is proven when we hear how the unnecessary accolades and praises are piled on to simple descriptions of Trump by his staff and republicans. He loves to humiliate press members in front of audiences for press conferences knowing they dare not respond or he will ban them and their companies from ever coming back.
We will have more Americans imprisoned by political oppression than ever before in our history by the time his second term is done.
 
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