Trump Redux: The Death of Democracy is now a Horrifying Reality

[Lexi of the Dawn]

Diddy Pardon: Donald Trump "Certainly" Would Consider Clemency For Sean Combs As Old Pal Faces Sex-Trafficking Trial & Life Behind Bars

make america rape again

[Trollheart]

This should surprise no-one. What we'll have is a literal revolving door system: get sentenced, go to prison, wait for your pardon, come out, do it again, rinse and repeat. Talk about making a mockery of justice! Anyone doubt Keith Ranieri is up next? 

[SGR]

This should surprise no-one. What we'll have is a literal revolving door system: get sentenced, go to prison, wait for your pardon, come out, do it again, rinse and repeat. Talk about making a mockery of justice! Anyone doubt Keith Ranieri is up next? 

That whole deal ruined Smallville for me.

[Trollheart]

And Battlestar Galactica.

[Trollheart]

[SGR]

And Battlestar Galactica.

You'll have to explain that one to me, old-timer.    My dad loved that show, but it was before my time.

[Lexi of the Dawn]

Trump nominates official with ties to antisemitic extremists to lead ethics agency

antisemitic white nationalist ass government

[Trollheart]

You'll have to explain that one to me, old-timer.    My dad loved that show, but it was before my time.

No it wasn't. I'm talking about the reboot in which yer wan had a role. What was her name? Oh, here it is.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicki_Clyne

[Mindy]

DW News
May 30, 2025 

Opponents of Donald Trump accuse him and his family of using the presidency to enrich themselves. Trump has long said there is no conflict of interest between his business dealings and presidential policy. But a recent dinner for wealthy crypto investors at the US president's Virginia golf course is just the latest in a series of events driving the allegations of corruption. 

0:00 Who attended Trump's meme coin dinner?
3:16 Kim Lane Scheppele, Professor of Sociology at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, on why Trump is violating norms and bribery laws by allowing investors to purchase his meme coin

[DJChameleon]

No it wasn't. I'm talking about the reboot in which yer wan had a role. What was her name? Oh, here it is.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicki_Clyne

I didn't realize she was married to Allison Mack. Allison Mack wasn't my fave from Smallville so its not ruined for me. I liked Kristen Kruek more.

[Trollheart]

Technically she wasn't; it was just a sham marriage to try to protect her green card status.

[Jwb]

@SGR

In response to the democracy index, it does seem like I'm underestimating the gulf between Russia and the United States.  It's probably not the best example, like  @Auroras In Ice  suggested earlier. But I will say I wonder what the 2025 ranking looks like. This doesn't factor in the 2nd Trump admin yet. 

As for the argument over executive power, here's my basic argument.  Even if you suppose that excessive executive power can be used for good sometimes, my basic point was that the power seems unlikely to be ceded back based on the broad trend concerning that issue.  Whether you think it will be used for good or not, that's the first premise you have to agree with for my argument to work.  I believe you acknowledged the broader trend that that's usually the case, though I couldn't tell if you agree that if unitary executive becomes the accepted standard under Trump, then the most plausible scenario is that power will become entrenched in the executive for the foreseeable future.


I think you alluded there have been temporary authoritarian measures in the past that haven't been permanent, and I don't have an extensive knowledge of American history so feel free to provide any examples you find relevant, but what seems different here is that this is not like some temporary emergency measure born out of an actual crisis or war, it's an intentional and ideological argument being made in principle about the nature of the authority that is invested in the executive.  So I see no reason to not think this represents a more permanent or at least very hard to undo transfer of power from the other 2 branches to the executive. 

And given that the arguments in favor of it are made by expressly insisting that this power is in fact meant to be rightfully weilded  by the executive, it seems to me that if they're successful in making that case then it's going to be pretty difficult to uproot that power once it's in place.

Assuming that's the case, then you are at the mercy of the executive as far as whether that power is used for good or evil. The same could be said of any dictatorship, or hereditary monarchy. Obviously we could still have the same level of democratic input for choosing the executive that we currently do, while nonetheless being subject to more of their power once they're in office.  But as I pointed out, it does feel like the more you concentrate power in a single branch headed by one individual, the more levers you give them to pull in terms of subverting that democracy and also the higher the stakes become for each election, giving more and more incentive to do so.

So I agree with you a lot can happen in 20 years.  I'm trying to spot the trend and guess the likely trajectory based on what seem to me like predictable problems, but obviously I'm speculating.  I don't regard anything as inevitable.  I guess to me, the incentive structures don't really leave me with much optimism for what seem like the more plausible scenarios. 

I'm curious, cause you did say you expect it will get me authoritarian.  Roughly how far do you forsee that going, and do you realistically see it eventually reversing course and moving in the other direction?

[Lexi of the Dawn]

Trump appears to be building an unprecedented spy machine that could track Americans

The Most Terrifying Company in America Is Probably One You've Never Heard Of

Welp.



And as if this weren't terrifying enough, the articles gloss over that this company is in fact a Peter Thiel jawn. This country is five finger fucked.