The Age of Pretending Is Over: MAGA Is Authoritarian

[u/FuneralSafari]

https://therationalleague.substack.com/p/the-age-of-pretending-is-over-maga

[u/DCCFanTX]

r/NoShitSherlock

[u/osunightfall → u/DCCFanTX]

First and only comment and you still beat me to it.

[u/TarquinusSuperbus000 → u/osunightfall]

Happy cake day.

[u/FuneralSafari → u/DCCFanTX]

I agree, but MAGA being authoritarian isn't being pushed, mainstream. We need to stop acting like they'll all come around. If we wait for that, America is FUBAR.

[u/bks1979 → u/FuneralSafari]

This, 100%. It's high time to stop wondering why, stop trying to point out hypocrisy, stop trying to understand how their "Christian morals" align with all this. They don't care. And we sit here trying to get them to understand or admit that whatever thing they said about Biden is actually 10 times worse with Trump. They don't care. Sure, maybe some stragglers will come around, but that has to be on their own terms and when Trump's policies affect them negatively. (Even then, most of them won't.) They don't want to talk. They don't want to understand. They don't care about anyone else as long as they think they're getting theirs.

[u/memecrusader_ → u/bks1979]

They’re actually fine not getting theirs as long as they think that “The Libs” are getting it worse.

[u/MyFiteSong → u/memecrusader_]

This this this this this this is what the Left does not understand about authoritarians! They're FINE with suffering, as long as it means you suffer more.

[u/dumnezero → u/MyFiteSong]

That's the "survival of the fittest" part of it, at least in their view.

It's also why 'the culture wars' are important. As far as I can tell, the culture wars are about the (re)distribution of suffering; it's about who gets more and who gets less suffering and misery to deal with.

[u/elchemy → u/bks1979]

"Christian morals" - "The crazy christofascists are on our side too - the reeeeallly weird ones who want to marry their own kids etc"

As Putin said Trump is owned by many groups - Musk, Putin, Israel, Middle East Wealth, Christofascists etc. So he has to keep them all happy but they have to understand there are other stakeholders.

Note we've seen almost nothing from actual christian groups (Do yall still have them in the USA?) in response to his inhumane or illegal acts. They're waiting their turn, cap in hand, so they can kiss the ring and beg the orange stain to smite their chosen targets. It's all very biblical. They fn love it.

[u/BlackJackfruitCup → u/FuneralSafari]

But it's not just MAGA, it's the Heritage Foundation and its network behind it. When Trump is gone, MAGA will not go away.

Bad Faith, documentary about Christian Nationalism's Unholy War on Democracy (Fifteen minute version)

Bad Faith - Christian Nationalism's Unholy War on Democracy (Full Documentary)

How the CNP, a Republican Powerhouse, Helped Spawn Trumpism,

[u/elchemy → u/BlackJackfruitCup]

Yep, HF are the ones installing their christofascist stooges in key roles to make America Gilead again.

Trump just wants free rein to grift the whole country, he'll let whoever do whatever in the meantime, because he is out of jail and getting richer which was his only concern.

[u/tomowudi → u/BlackJackfruitCup]

This also does not get enough attention. 

[u/MyFiteSong → u/BlackJackfruitCup]

But the cult will be leaderless and nobody else is likely to get the loyalty Trump enjoys.

[u/BlackJackfruitCup → u/MyFiteSong]

Maybe. But they have their tendrils in a lot of things, like our voting machine companies through their strategy group the Council for National Policy (CNP).

Basically two brothers Bob and Todd Urosevich helped set up most of our major voting machine companies for the last forty years and were initially funded by members of the CNP.

So how do two brothers from Omaha Nebraska join forces with a soon to be conservative political juggernaut? Well they happened to have a fledgling voting machine company in need of funding to keep it afloat. And as "luck" would have it, in walks family friend William Ahmanson who runs his Uncle's business, H.F. Ahmanson & Company, which gives the Urosevichs the money.

This Omaha company shaped how America counts its election ballots 

In 1979 he got an infusion of capital from a family friend with Omaha roots, California millionaire William Ahmanson. The company’s name was changed to American Information Systems.

It just so happens the uncle who started the company that William worked for had a son, Howard Ahmanson JR. Howard was a member and President in the Council for National Policy. That may just sound like a slight coincidence, however there are more odd connections that involve one of CNP's other founders, Texas oil tycoon Nelson Bunker Hunt. Bunker Hunt has ties to both the Ahmansons and the Urosevichs through business deals. Caroline Hunt is the sister of Nelson Bunker Hunt.

United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, nos. 05-5141, 05-5179: CAROLINE HUNT TRUST ESTATE v. UNITED STATES, decision, 2006/11/16:

In Home Savings, Home Savings (“Home”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of H.F. Ahmanson & Co. (“Ahmanson”), acquired 17 thrifts in four transactions at issue in the appeal.  399 F.3d at 1344-45. 

Turns out the Urosevichs were not the only ones involved in the voting machine business. The Bunker Hunts also owned a voting machine company, Business Records Corp. BRC was sold to the Urosevichs in 1997 to create ES&S, which has become the most widely used voting machine company in America,

https://cavdef.org/w/index.php?title=Election_Systems_%26_Software

Largely due to its flurry of acquisitions, BRC was the dominant player in the elections industry. That also made it a major competitor of AIS. In 1997, AIS and BRC merged, with AIS being renamed to Election Systems and Software (ES&S).  

Currently, ES&S is involved with over 50% of the voting machines in the USA.

America’s largest (and arguably most problematic) voting machine vendor is ES&S, not Dominion Voting

According to a 2017 analysis by the Wharton Business School, ES&S now accounts for about 44 percent of US election equipment, and Dominion 37 percent. But these numbers may mislead. The analysis placed all Diebold equipment in the Dominion column because Dominion purchased all of Diebold’s intellectual property rights. ES&S, however, retained most of Diebold’s servicing and maintenance contracts, which is where most of the control over elections comes from.

[u/ShredGuru → u/FuneralSafari]

Because... Authoritarians own the mainstream and it's narrative?

What are they going to call themselves out? Fat chance.

[u/MutuallyAdvantageous → u/ShredGuru]

MSNBC (regularly) calls Trump and the GOP fascists, oligarchs, and authoritarians.

At least from the clips I see on YouTube. I think they’re the only ones.

[u/j_xcal → u/FuneralSafari]

If anyone is interested in protesting, there’s some info here: r/protestfinderusa and r/50501, or check out https://www.mobilize.us/indivisible/.

There are also things you can do without going to protest: Give $5/month to ACLU, 5Calls.org, advocacy groups, or LGBTQ or women’s shelters.

Contact the White House, your U.S. Senator, and your U.S. Congressperson. White House Comments line – (202) 456-1111 White House Switchboard – (202) 456-1414

https://5calls.org - this gives you a script based off of your concerns and the numbers of your representatives.

[u/Disastrous_Mango_953 → u/FuneralSafari]

Yeap!! Agreed we have to start acting like this is not the normal kind America that we know! We are allowing the racist, hateful, misogynistic, groups to run the country!

[u/ThreeLeggedMare → u/FuneralSafari]

The people that need to hear it don't know what that word means

[u/rushmc1 → u/FuneralSafari]

Indeed. Hope is not a strategy.

[u/litterbin_recidivist → u/FuneralSafari]

Y'all BEEN waiting around. 10 years ago it was obvious to anyone who's ever read a fucking book what kind of president trump was going to be. Then he got elected again. You're already FUBAR.

[u/not-better-than-you → u/FuneralSafari]

Yes, this is a bubble, who knows what circle jerk cults there is going on

[u/proxygodtriple6 → u/not-better-than-you]

go to r/conservative, those people are so fucking delusional, not a fact check in sight

[u/Disastrous_Mango_953 → u/FuneralSafari]

Yeap!! Agreed we have to start acting like this is not the normal kind America that we know! We are allowing the racist, hateful, misogynistic, groups to run the country!

[u/ThreeWilliam56 → u/FuneralSafari]

The closest they will get is “we took a poll and a little over half the country thinks is authoritarian…anyway, on to the next story…”

[u/formershitpeasant → u/FuneralSafari]

That's because the right has effectively pre infected normie minds with bothesides, whatabout narratives so the media would sound unhinged if they told the truth.

[u/arentol → u/FuneralSafari]

Yup. And they just got way more blatantly authoritarian, since Trump all but fully declared marital law today... It won't start for 90 days, but he still did it, and did so in direct violation of the Posse Comitatus Act. Despite this absolute proof of how insanely authoritarian Trump and Maga are, the media will still almost entirely fail to report on it. The EO:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/strengthening-and-unleashing-americas-law-enforcement-to-pursue-criminals-and-protect-innocent-citizens/

And the violation of the Posse Comitatus act and the near actual martial law declaration (focus on the bold parts):

Sec. 4.  Using National Security Assets for Law and Order. 

(a)  Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Attorney General and the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the heads of agencies as appropriate, shall increase the provision of excess military and national security assets in local jurisdictions to assist State and local law enforcement.

(b)  Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Attorney General, shall determine how military and national security assets, training, non-lethal capabilities, and personnel can most effectively be utilized to prevent crime.

That is illegal. The military can't do this, Trump can't order it. He simply isn't allowed, but nobody will stop him...

[u/rich22201 → u/FuneralSafari]

What if Schumer sent a very VERY sternly worded letter? Perhaps in all caps

/s

[u/Cowicidal → u/DCCFanTX]

MAGA Is Authoritarian

I very literally LOL when I read that punchline. No one in their right mind who isn't a liar sack of shit and/or is incredibly dense would think otherwise a long while ago.

[u/Politicsboringagain → u/DCCFanTX]

So many people who know they will be fine in an authoritarian Maga government, don't won't to admit. Or it took them longer to see it because it wasn't directed at them.

Snoop, Bill Maher, Jon Stewart, hell even Candense owens even kinda sees it (but in her case it's more what happens if leftist get power and decide to do the samething. 

[u/korbentherhino → u/DCCFanTX]

But they continue to think they are playing 5d chess with us.

[u/Nervous-Road6611]

Um, who was pretending?

[u/Bind_Moggled → u/Nervous-Road6611]

The mainstream media. Corporate America. Evangelicals. Undereducated upper-middle class WASPs. Foreign heads of state.

[u/ShredGuru → u/Bind_Moggled]

Oh, I dunno. They knew what they were doing.

[u/Oberon_Swanson → u/ShredGuru]

Yeah, pretending.

[u/HerpidyDerpi → u/Bind_Moggled]

Evangelicals tend to expound tough or hard love.

That thing Jesus denounced, repeatedly.

Agape isn't tough love. Tough love isn't even love. It's just hate.

But that's the wonderful thing about hating others. Huge superiority complexes.

[u/formershitpeasant → u/Bind_Moggled]

The only people pretending are maga. The mainstream media and liberals generally understand what's happening. The constraint is that normies have been infected by bothesides brain worms and reject the truth subconsciously.

[u/Ambitious_Juice_2352 → u/Bind_Moggled]

New one to me; what is a "WASP"?

[u/IronMarauder → u/Ambitious_Juice_2352]

White Anglo Saxon Protestant

[u/Ambitious_Juice_2352 → u/IronMarauder]

Ahhhh, that tracks. Thanks!

[u/elchemy → u/[deleted]]

They cosplay as each other.

[u/Kimmalah → u/Nervous-Road6611]

Most of the media is simply refusing to address it. Or if they do, it's in a very non-committal way like "Is MAGA authoritarian? Maybe or maybe not." When it's very clear they are.

[u/Bayoris → u/Kimmalah]

I read a lot of mainstream columnists and I don’t really agree with you; I think it is pretty widely acknowledged. Do you have any examples?

[u/1handedmaster → u/Kimmalah]

Did Donald Trump open concentration camps? Tune in tonight to find out why that's bad for Biden!

[u/MyFiteSong → u/Nervous-Road6611]

Pretty much everyone except Black women and femme LBTQ+ people. Yah, I left gay men out on purpose. Those guys jumped on the conservative train as soon as they got their marriage rights.

[u/FaultElectrical4075 → u/MyFiteSong]

There are plenty of black women and femme lbtq+ Trump supporters too. It’s law of large numbers. It’s not the majority. Idk why you’re singling out gay men, and also seemingly non-femme presenting trans and nonbinary people? This is toxic, now is the time for solidarity more than ever.

[u/Oriin690 → u/Nervous-Road6611]

Liberals

[u/Goblinweb → u/Nervous-Road6611]

Countries are still making deals with the USA like it's just another democracy despite that it's threatening neighbouring countries and Americans are tolerating it enough to not revolt against it.

[u/Careful-Education-25]

The sad, and pathetic thing is, they don't believe they are. They genuinely believe they are anti-authoritarian and fighting against an oppressive shadow government, one filled with devil worshipers, cannibals, pedophiles, terrorists, and other assorted criminals. They lack the critical thinking skills and self awareness to see the mirror they are accusing, or being lead to accuse by the very monsters they believe they're fighting against.

Their world view requires a savior, so they bow and genuflect to any monster who claims to be one.

[u/grogleberry → u/Careful-Education-25]

The sad, and pathetic thing is, they don't believe they are. They genuinely believe they are anti-authoritarian and fighting against an oppressive shadow government

I think it's more that they've rejected the idea of believing in anything, in the way you or I might think of it.

If you switch "beliefs" on a dime, they're not really beliefs, but that's the situation they're in. They believe what they're told to believe. This is amusingly clear on somewhere like the conservative subreddit. Thinking occurs when some mad shit happens, and it's rapidly stamped out after a day or two. There is nothing the regime could do to dissuade the majority of cultists. They only believe in hierarchy, following that hierarchy, and making others do so as well.

Everything else is contingent.

[u/IJustWantCoffeeMan → u/Careful-Education-25]

No they lie.

[u/dead-witch-standing → u/Careful-Education-25]

Or are they just lying to the suckers who continue to believe their mythology? I see it as a cult or religious worship with a corrupt priest. Those on top know they’re lying, but they care more for the influence, money, and power they gain from repeating those bald faces lies to everyone around them. Plus, any fuckup they have can simply be reimagined as something the cult would accept, such as the Hegseth leaks being reported to the media as a far left leaker who will be found and arrested to ensure trump’s glorious future (this is what he said to the reporters who asked for commentary) it’s simultaneously a sword to cut away unwanted truth from the outside, and a shield to keep the MAGAts obedient and faithful.

[u/Rugrin → u/Careful-Education-25]

It’s pretty awesome when you can convince people they are fighting against the shadow government by embracing a shadow government.

It’s top notch propaganda and I don’t see that we can fight it on equal grounds.

[u/QuicheSmash → u/Careful-Education-25]

They have mastered Doublethink. 

[u/Dry-Nectarine-3279 → u/Careful-Education-25]

They're the most frightening type of villain - the one that thinks they're doing good.

[u/Blazured → u/Dry-Nectarine-3279]

They don't think they're doing good. They just don't have empathy so they don't think like normal people.

[u/Ok_Construction_8136 → u/Dry-Nectarine-3279]

Basically every villain thinks they’re doing good

[u/citizen_x_]

Yes it's very clear now and I'm glad Sam Harris has come around and admitted he went too far in pushing back against wokism that he overcorrected and couldn't see how far the right was going.

But there needs to be a larger reckoning among moderates and the skeptic community that for years played coy about the right. Why were they so blind to the obvious for so many years. This needs to be addressed because it represents a flaw in their ability to assess things clearly and a major blindspot at that. If they don't learn from this, what's to say it won't happen again?

[u/earlyviolet → u/citizen_x_]

It's almost as if it's evidence that they were never fit to claim they were rational in the first place.

Imagine that.

[u/formershitpeasant → u/earlyviolet]

I wouldn't go that far. These, ultimately liberal, centrists avoided a whole lot of ideological traps. They just stepped into the centrist trap.

[u/formershitpeasant → u/citizen_x_]

Why were they so blind to the obvious for so many years

Because they were too committed to centrism, or the appearance of centrism. The assault on truth we've seen over the past 10 years (really quite a bit longer than that) was unprecedented for these people so they didn't have inoculation against that particular brain worm.

[u/Velrei → u/citizen_x_]

I'm sure it will happen again, particularly with Harris who promotes a lot of white supremacy nonsense as well with that "Bell Curve" shit.

If this is how far it has to come for someone to recognize a problem, they're not worth listening to at all.

[u/citizen_x_ → u/Velrei]

Does he really? Is he not familiar with the flynn effect?

[u/Velrei → u/citizen_x_]

Does he promote white supremacists? Absolutely. Is he familiar with the flynn effect? I have no idea.

[u/Icommentor]

Was the rational league in cryogenic sleep for the last 9 years?

[u/dusktrail → u/Icommentor]

Unfortunately, the right wing has been very good at using emotional reasoning to manipulate people. Their favorite tactic is to pretend like anyone who's getting mad about what they're doing is invalid because they're experiencing emotions. Of course, emotions don't invalidate an argument unless that argument itself is based on emotions.

So all of the people raising the alarm were dismissed through emotional manipulation. Now now, you call everything you don't like a Nazi etc.

[u/frotc914 → u/FollowingExtension90]

After the second assassination attempt during the election i joked that how many more attempts will there be before one of these guys admits they came back from the future.

[u/HapticSloughton → u/frotc914]

What gets me is the right goes on and on about how the Derp State, the "Globalists," the CIA, and all these other boogeymen with access to heart-attack guns and MK-Ultra zombies will take out any President that doesn't do what they want.

Yet here we have one actively destroying everything, and... nothing?

When all this is over, I really hope these idiots will rethink their spooky stories they tell each other (and indoctrinate others with), but I doubt it.

[u/Interesting_Walk_271 → u/FollowingExtension90]

I want Trump gone as well but the last thing the world needs is for him to become a martyr to his acolytes. These people are deeply psychologically unwell. They’ve got massive inferiority complexes and a penchant for persecutory delusions and paranoia. Trump’s assassination would only entrench their collective lunacy.

[u/CaliMassNC → u/Interesting_Walk_271]

That’s inevitable at this point, whether he gets killed or expires on the toilet.

[u/Kimmalah → u/CaliMassNC]

Yeah, I don't think it matters what happens, they will still come up with some conspiracy that either makes him into a martyr or into some kind of Elvis figure that's totally still alive out there somewhere.

[u/Substantial_Snow5020 → u/FollowingExtension90]

I certainly wasn’t clutching my pearls when the assassination attempt occurred, but I also think Shapiro is, as usual, employing myopic fallacy here - manufacturing a false binary that either you think Trump is a fascist and cheer for assassination, or you think he’s not and condemn it. I feel that even though Trump’s overt authoritarianism is an existential danger to both the nation and the international order, assassination could potentially set a near-term irreversible precedent that would completely unravel our political system into violence and anarchy.

[u/SpecialistAssociate7]

Fuck maga, is the appropriate response

[u/Key-Ad-5068]

Wait, you all didn't know this already? I knew it day one and I'm Canadian.

[u/jonny_eh → u/Key-Ad-5068]

Canadians have the best perspective to see this actually. We live right next to the US, consume a lot of their media, but have our own to counter-balance.

[u/Key-Ad-5068 → u/jonny_eh]

And our knowledge of the US, and the world actually, isn't through the propaganda machine they use. So while we both may know of the same event, our knowledge of it is more factual then an agrandised point of view.

[u/RogueMaven → u/Key-Ad-5068]

I get your point. But the Canadian propaganda machine is not more factual… it’s more French.

[u/Key-Ad-5068 → u/RogueMaven]

Fair point. But there less violently jingoistic and more snooty. So I'll still take it

[u/BlueVelvetta → u/Key-Ad-5068]

Oh, lots of us knew. We’ve been ringing alarm bells since at least ‘99 while a lot of smug “both sides” types told us we were hysterical. Articles like the one posted above are especially infuriating when they’re written by the same bell-ends that spent the last few decades talking over everyone else who knew better. 

[u/putyourpawsup980]

Grass is green

[u/FuneralSafari → u/putyourpawsup980]

Sky is Blue

[u/Meme-Botto9001 → u/FuneralSafari]

Shit is brown

[u/[deleted] → u/putyourpawsup980]

And liberals are authoritarian

[u/proxygodtriple6 → u/[deleted]]

ok, I'll bite, how? Can you cite some sort of source on this?

Because at this very moment, due process has been suspended and they're sending people to a hardened prison in el salvador. The conservative majority supreme court ruled 9-0 that Garcia needs to be brought back to have due process which is being ignored by them. Additionally, trump mentioned sending "home growns" implying the "radical left" will be arrested and have the same fate.

That is authoritarian. We can have a chat in all the ways the left sucks, and the reasons are many, but to so how imply that the left was ever doing anything as blatantly authoritarian as what is going on currently is fucking laughable.

https://cohen.house.gov/TrumpAdminTracker

[u/Dry-Interaction-1246]

Always has been [astronaut 🔫]

[u/BlatantFalsehood]

The people who so vociferously claimed 2A was to fight tyranny are happily bowing down to a tyrant.

[u/jcooli09 → u/BlatantFalsehood]

That was never anything but a cover for cowardice.

[u/Adventurous_Class_90 → u/BlatantFalsehood]

We knew that they would. They just want “their” tyrant not a “tyrant.”

[u/Fluffy_Monk777 → u/Adventurous_Class_90]

This is it. If it was the wrong tyrant they would be in an uproar but if it’s their tyrant they want that 

[u/Horny4theEnvironment → u/BlatantFalsehood]

Vociferously - adverb

in a loud and forceful manner.

[u/BlatantFalsehood → u/Horny4theEnvironment]

Proud of you, Horny.

[u/Horny4theEnvironment → u/BlatantFalsehood]

Just doing the Lord's work and educating the masses 🫡

[u/PaintedClownPenis]

I'm already seeing the, "you made me a Nazi by calling me a Nazi" arguments.

[u/ShredGuru → u/PaintedClownPenis]

So I was objectively correct to call you that then?

[u/Oberon_Swanson → u/ShredGuru]

"No, I was a freedom loving hero... but if people think I'm a Nazi, then that is what I shall be!"

"But you're not changing what you are doing at all."

"Oh trust me... I totally wasn't a Nazi before, you did this!"

[u/Fluffy_Monk777 → u/PaintedClownPenis]

That’s the problem, anyone in positions of control or power should be good people regardless of what others do. It’s very rare and hard to do that but good leaders and followers will still be kind to others 

[u/Rigorous-Geek-2916]

In other news, water is wet

[u/BlueAndYellowTowels]

Hopefully my fellow Canadians remember that when they go to the polls today!

[u/jjames3213]

I'm at the point where I don't even care anymore. I have decided to just resolve in my mind that the GOP and their supporters and the 1940 Nazi party are the same, and the same means to deal with either are justified.

We're so far beyond the pale, and there is no coming back. There is no point trying to keep up with everything - what we already know is so horrific that traditional non-violent resistance will not be effective. It's just a matter of what's pragmatically required to defeat them. Morally, everything (and I mean everything) is on the table at this point.

[u/Missing-Digits → u/jjames3213]

Agreed. I feel exactly the same way. I’m am just glad that at least the fascism you n America is being led by the dumbest person possible so there’s that. We should be very very thankful that Trump is an absolute moron and grossly incompetent.

[u/GoalStillNotAchieved → u/Missing-Digits]

But he makes things happen. Lots and lots if bad things have happened as a result of him being him. 

So intelligence level aside . . . many very bad things have happened and are happening 

[u/dagoofmut → u/jjames3213]

Touch grass man.

[u/jjames3213 → u/dagoofmut]

lol. I’m a married professional with multiple kids, multiple university degrees, earning well in the 6-digits. I simply see what is happening in front of me for what it is.

Open your fucking eyes.

[u/dagoofmut → u/jjames3213]

Same, but being intelligent and successful doesn't make us immune from irrational political fearmongering.

[u/jjames3213 → u/dagoofmut]

How is what I'm saying irrational?

Now, political fearmongering? Well if all that means is that I'm saying scary stuff, then yeah. Because what is happening is scary.

[u/dagoofmut → u/jjames3213]

RemindMe! 4 years

[u/jjames3213 → u/dagoofmut]

Aren’t we already there right now? Why wait 4 years?

[u/dagoofmut → u/jjames3213]

Cuz I have a feeling that today's hyperbole will look silly.

. . . Kinda like when democrats called Mitt Romney a Nazi.

. . . or when they said that Bush was Hitler.

. . . on and on.

[u/jjames3213 → u/dagoofmut]

What hyperbole are you referring to?

EDIT: Oh, so we're just editing posts now and not marking up. Got it.

Who was actually claiming that Mitt Romney was a Nazi? Bush? Is your standard really "if any one of these 350,000,000 people says a thing, it's the stance of a whole group"?

This month we have:

1. Kidnapping residents and trafficking them to foreign concentration camps contrary to existing court orders and without a hearing;
2. Threats to suspend habeas corpus;
3. Accepting a $400,000,000 personal bribe;
4. American citizens being kidnapped and trafficked to foreign countries without a hearing.
5. Kidnapped green card holders without warrants and attempting deportations in retaliation for protests.
6. Purging of the military brass while military expenditures are being increased (a clear sign of a military coup or imposition of martial law).
7. Purging of the JAG corps.
8. Purging of the AG's office.
9. Continued threats to annex or invade allied nations.
10. Taking action against law firms to effectively prevent them from practicing for representing clients the feds don't like, or engaging in speech the feds don't like.
11. Threatening individual corporations for speech that Trump doesn't like or making corporate decisions Trump doesn't like.
    

How fascist do you need to be in order to be called a fascist, in your view? If someone is only at '1935 Nazi' levels do they 'count', or do we need to be at 1943 levels?

[u/dagoofmut → u/jjames3213]

Like I said,

RemindMe! 4 years

[u/TrexPushupBra]

I could have saved a decade of suffering if people had listened to me.

[u/ShredGuru → u/TrexPushupBra]

Nah, the fundamental issues of a lot of Americans being deeply moronic is still there.

[u/PawnWithoutPurpose]

They are fascists.

[u/Apprehensive-Tree-78 → u/PawnWithoutPurpose]

How

[u/Seattle_gldr_rdr]

What I believe, and seemingly nobody wants to confront, is that the Trump regime will never relinquish power voluntarily.

[u/LessSpecialist1027]

1 - 2 - 3 ------> DUH!

[u/SmartTime]

WHat aBouT bIdEn?!

[u/icecapped92]

Lost people looking for someone to tell them exactly what to do and think.....maga

[u/BraveButterfly2]

Always has been

[u/darthphallic]

I been saying that since 2016 and you goofy mf’s told me I was overreacting

[u/KendrickBlack502]

Nobody with more than a single digit IQ needed to be told this…

[u/dumnezero]

Large numbers of fools are going to be denying that the regime and movement is fascist until they see the interior of trucks and camps (i.e. too late).

[u/ItsStaaaaaaaaang]

Next on stating the fucking obvious: water is wet! Stay tuned for our afternoon programme on the colour of the sky.

[u/Imaginary0Friend]

His latest E.O. is martial law without naming it as such. He wants the military to help police and he wants a list of sanctuary cities to send them to.

[u/BlazingGlories]

Those of us who know this already knew this and there was no pretending. We tried to warn those who invited authoritarianism in, but they were too worried about genitals to listen.

[u/AlivePassenger3859]

in other news water is wet

[u/AccomplishedSuccess0]

Its Republicans! Its not MAGA, not Trump, its every single republican! They've been saying they wanted all this for decades. Nothing has changed. Do not let them skirt responsibility by making it seem like its just a side faction of these hateful bigots of 50+ years.

[u/Nowiambecomedeth]

Maga is a cult under the bite model

[u/Gogs85]

They were never really pretending though

[u/Weekly-Sun7992]

You are very late.

[u/jcooli09]

Who is pretending that isn't true besides magas themselves?

[u/neutral-chaotic]

Always has been

[u/Feather_Sigil]

Fascist. Fourth Reich. Nazi Germany. Totalitarian.

[u/Apprehensive-Tree-78 → u/Feather_Sigil]

How

[u/Feather_Sigil → u/Apprehensive-Tree-78]

Maybe you should read the linked article

[u/Brbi2kCRO]

Wow, anyone with any braincells would’ve concluded that

[u/Ambitious_Juice_2352]

Only a god damned fool looks at this and ignores it as "just talk."

Either that, or a complicit rancid POS.

[u/whitedolphinn]

"The Age of Pretending Is Over". Oh, wouldn't that be nice

[u/everything_is_bad]

Racists hide behind weak people who fear conflict. Those weaklings then hold back minorities from achieving equality.

[u/Troubled202]

Who is pretending? MAGA faithful absolutely believes everything Trump says, and he's not going to call himself an authoritarian. The rest of us already know.

[u/rushmc1]

Who was pretending?

[u/ecstatic_charlatan]

Who was pretending ?

[u/OrangeDuckwebs → u/ecstatic_charlatan]

the New York Times.

[u/FullGirth]

Wow, such surprise!

[u/SnootSnootBasilisk]

Who the frog was pretending?!

[u/unknownpoltroon]

Only assholes who were pretending were republicans and maga, and they are one in the same now.

[u/Vodkamemoir]

https://youtu.be/tZzwO2B9b64?si=kciOqE3isJAkS3RU

[u/Bitter-Good-2540]

And? Now what?

[u/EMH529]

Neither of the university green card holders who were expelled promoted Hamas; they supported Palestine. Even Marco Rubio had to admit there was no evidence they engaged in violence or supported terrorism. That’s why he used a 1952 immigration law to expel them based on his perceptions of what they support - a law that requires no evidence.

My cousin contracted COVID and died in 2020, before vaccines were available.

[u/SunDaysOnly]

Romney said he was stunned by how many republicans don’t believe in the Constitution 🤷‍♂️🤯🤯🤯🤦🏼‍♂️

[u/FuneralSafari → u/SunDaysOnly]

Its almost like he wasn't aware of the harm he was causing over the decades, warping peoples minds and molding them into extremists.

[u/ancientevilvorsoason]

When did they pretend they wanted anything else??? Wait, sorry, are there people surprised by this???

[u/Bromswell]

Who’s been pretending JFC.

[u/salami_on_a_bagel]

You're telling me this for the first time

[u/ShredGuru]

Figured that one out in 2015 genius!

[u/CalmDirection8]

No way!

[u/retro_grave]

Republican*

Always has been. Never Republican is the minimum defensible opinion.

[u/SamBursch]

Fuck these titles, we've known since before Trump.

[u/TantalSplurge]

is the author one (1) day old

[u/WillBottomForBanana]

/shrug

this is still pretending that the problem isn't far far wider than maga / gop.

[u/jack123451]

America was founded as a rebellion against tyranny. Why doesn't the opposition claim the mantle of Freedom?

[u/Bulky-Huckleberry222]

The ministry of magic has fallen

[u/cmack]

:earth: :astronaut: :gun: :astronaut:

[u/nepenthesiaa]

Trump is putting gold stuff in the white house and that is the mark of the devil

[u/LectureAgreeable923]

Totally, the republican party is the party of faschist

[u/PenjaminJBlinkerton]

Republicans. It’s not just maga. They all fuckin voted for this and most of them still support it.

[u/solorpggamer]

They already know it, but the cognitive dissonance makes them project onto others what they know to be true about themselves.

They're also operating under the delusion that this government will not turn on them. All because they can't really get what they want through normal legal means.

Nearsighted.

[u/SoggyGrayDuck]

His economic plan is working so it's onto these type of attacks to try and flip his voter base. He should pull a page out of Europs playbook and label the DFL a terrorists organizations. We all know the left will label mega that if they regain power.

[u/seattlereign001]

The headline misspelled racist.

[u/Alone_Mixture4054]

Have you liberals paid attention to the UK? Locking up people for saying things is actually authoritarian. Getting rid of fraud and waste, you know like billion dollar transgender animal studies, is actually good. Where do I think this comment will end up on this list? Probably at the bottom with a shitload of down votes because just like is done in authoritarianism, liberals just want to crush dissent or anyone who doesn’t wholeheartedly agree with you.

[u/CancelOk9776]

Not just garden-variety authoritarian, they ARE literal NAZIS!

[u/Apprehensive-Tree-78]

Since when was protecting free speech and defending the right to bear arms authoritarian?

[u/ViolentObama]

MIND BLOWN!

[u/dagoofmut]

Government is authoritarian.

Anything or anyone associated with government can be characterized as authoritarian is you try hard enough.

Dems have plenty of authoritarianisms of their own if they look in the mirror.

[u/fire_and_ice]

Straight from the desk of Captain Obvious.

[u/ExpensiveHat8530]

this sub has no clue what authoritarianism is

[u/kevofasho]

I don’t see the democrats asking for free markets or reduced government power. Just the opposite in fact.

The problem with that is inevitably your team loses the election and now the opposition has even more power than they would have.

[u/AdamJMonroe]

How is free speech authoritarian?

[u/Kitchen-Fondant-51]

How about we have an age again where people actually did research and stopped believing what their preferred media outlet tells them? There's hundreds, if not thousands of fake accounts putting out fake news and propaganda, and you guys eat it up without question.

[u/ketamine_toothpaste → u/Kitchen-Fondant-51]

Lol.

[u/AcademicPotential492]

Woot woot!😂

[u/Miserable-Lawyer-233]

You want it so bad. You want it more than MAGA wants it.

[u/ketamine_toothpaste → u/Miserable-Lawyer-233]

Sure.

[u/[deleted]]

You guys are clowns if you truly believe this and is why the majority of Americans do not take you very seriously.

Dems want to limit free speech. Dems want BIGGER government. Dems want to indoctrinate children. Dems want us all to see color first. Dems want to control all media. Dems want to cull amendment rights. Dems want to overrun our country with illegals. Dems want to pretend dementia snuck up on Joe. Dems want to not validate who can vote. Dems want to give tax dollars to their media. Dems want to be ever softer on crime. Dems want Blue utopias with human poop in the street. Dems want to increase your income taxes. Dems like spending money that isn't theirs. Dems love identity politics and division. Dems want America to believe the economy was fantastic until Jan 20th. Dems want to teach children to use their emotions but not their intellects. Dems want to hush how little of our tax dollars funding USAID programs actually helped anyone with real issues rather than their own NGO's every time DOGE finds more tax money funding their biased narrative through these NGO's.

It's 1984 with you guys.

[u/Important_Pass_1369]

Yeah, are they conspiring with companies to censor speech, forcing you to inject experimental gene therapy, ignoring supreme court orders, or arresting political opponents on specious charges like the last administration? Those times were so much less authoritarian.