What’s it going to be like living in a dictatorship?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Read the 2020 short story "Love Letter" by George Saunders. It is a subtly powerful description of the slow descent into dictatorship.

Just read it - this passage sums it up:

Every night, as we sat across from each other, doing those puzzles, from the TV in the next room blared this litany of things that had never before happened, that we could never have imagined happening, that were now happening, and the only response from the TV pundits was a wry, satirical smugness that assumed, as we assumed, that those things could and would soon be undone and that all would return to normal—that some adult or adults would arrive, as they had always arrived in the past, to set things right. It did not seem (and please destroy this letter after you have read it) that someone so clownish could disrupt something so noble and time-tested and seemingly strong, that had been with us literally every day of our lives. We had taken, in other words, a profound gift for granted. Did not know the gift was a fluke, a chimera, a wonderful accident of consensus and mutual understanding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Read the 2020 short story "Love Letter" by George Saunders. It is a subtly powerful description of the slow descent into dictatorship.

Just read it - this passage sums it up:

Every night, as we sat across from each other, doing those puzzles, from the TV in the next room blared this litany of things that had never before happened, that we could never have imagined happening, that were now happening, and the only response from the TV pundits was a wry, satirical smugness that assumed, as we assumed, that those things could and would soon be undone and that all would return to normal—that some adult or adults would arrive, as they had always arrived in the past, to set things right. It did not seem (and please destroy this letter after you have read it) that someone so clownish could disrupt something so noble and time-tested and seemingly strong, that had been with us literally every day of our lives. We had taken, in other words, a profound gift for granted. Did not know the gift was a fluke, a chimera, a wonderful accident of consensus and mutual understanding.

The problem is that clean water, cancer research, voting rights were never a "gift." They were built over time through shared values. We're not owed anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m at the point now that I’m trying to envision our lives in the coming years. What will it be like? What will our daily existence feel like under a dictatorship? Or authoritarian government or wherever we’re headed? What will it be like for our kids who are in middle school right now? What will their futures look like? FWIW we are white. My younger brother (34) is gay. My mom relies on a pension. We have various friends who are Jewish, black, deaf, autistic, LGBTQ. I’m really sad and scared about where we’re clearly headed. Will we be able to find happiness and livelihood? Travel? Express ourselves?

The bolded was obvious from the rest of your self-indulgent post.

You are dumb....probably MAGA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Once the Roberts court dismantles the voting rights act (this month) we will be in full authoritarianism. Because MAGA will get 19 more house seats and Dems will have to overperform by 6 points just to be even.

So when we have elections, and we will, they will be almost meaningless. Unless folks in “red states” wake up and realize GOP is screwing them and they stop voting for MAGA. It could happen but that would mean Dems need to put up candidates who will fight for working people, not middle of the road (nowhere) candidates.

This. It’s done. At this point it feels bleak and we are stuck. Our votes really don’t matter. And there’s no desire from the GOP to even try to pretend to run the government. As much as I dislike Trump, he’s right, we won’t have to worry about voting in the next election.

Authoritarians want us to feel defeated. It’s never over!

Did slaves just accept their fate? Make a plan to attend a No Kings rally, sign up to stay active, DO SOMETHING.

Come on people I know this is hard but anyone who says they’re giving up is obviously comfortable being a “good

German“ Don’t be that.

Bullying people is not the solution. And in case you aren’t sure, you are being a bully and it does not compel anyone to do what you want.

MAGAs need to hear this no one likes being bullied by their leaders. That is not the American way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A lot of people here in serious need of professional help.

Have you ever lived under an authoritarian regime? Do you have any acquaintances who have? Have you traveled much outside the US? Have you read any books about history or current events taking place in other countries? Authoritarianism comes in many forms, sometimes from the left, and sometimes from the right. Part of American exceptionalism involves thinking that things that happen over there, can't happen over here--that somehow we're different. Keep thinking that way if it comforts you, but know that every single day this country is moving away from democracy towards authoritarianism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are not going to be any midterm elections.

States hold them.

we can hope

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m at the point now that I’m trying to envision our lives in the coming years. What will it be like? What will our daily existence feel like under a dictatorship? Or authoritarian government or wherever we’re headed? What will it be like for our kids who are in middle school right now? What will their futures look like? FWIW we are white. My younger brother (34) is gay. My mom relies on a pension. We have various friends who are Jewish, black, deaf, autistic, LGBTQ. I’m really sad and scared about where we’re clearly headed. Will we be able to find happiness and livelihood? Travel? Express ourselves?

I see a lot of people fear mongering about this. Please list how you have been directly impacted by any of the so call dictatorship or authoritarian gov up to this point?

Then they came for me.....go read that poem and some history then get back to us

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of people here in serious need of professional help.

Have you ever lived under an authoritarian regime? Do you have any acquaintances who have? Have you traveled much outside the US? Have you read any books about history or current events taking place in other countries? Authoritarianism comes in many forms, sometimes from the left, and sometimes from the right. Part of American exceptionalism involves thinking that things that happen over there, can't happen over here--that somehow we're different. Keep thinking that way if it comforts you, but know that every single day this country is moving away from democracy towards authoritarianism.

Just wrote this

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of people here in serious need of professional help.

Have you ever lived under an authoritarian regime? Do you have any acquaintances who have? Have you traveled much outside the US? Have you read any books about history or current events taking place in other countries? Authoritarianism comes in many forms, sometimes from the left, and sometimes from the right. Part of American exceptionalism involves thinking that things that happen over there, can't happen over here--that somehow we're different. Keep thinking that way if it comforts you, but know that every single day this country is moving away from democracy towards authoritarianism.

Just wrote this

It's mind blowing how uneducated people are these days.....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m at the point now that I’m trying to envision our lives in the coming years. What will it be like? What will our daily existence feel like under a dictatorship? Or authoritarian government or wherever we’re headed? What will it be like for our kids who are in middle school right now? What will their futures look like? FWIW we are white. My younger brother (34) is gay. My mom relies on a pension. We have various friends who are Jewish, black, deaf, autistic, LGBTQ. I’m really sad and scared about where we’re clearly headed. Will we be able to find happiness and livelihood? Travel? Express ourselves?

I see a lot of people fear mongering about this. Please list how you have been directly impacted by any of the so call dictatorship or authoritarian gov up to this point?

DP, but since you have asked...

I have been asked for papers.
I have been held up in "check points"
I have friends and families who have list their jobs from illegal firings

I am a white, native born American.

I'm sorry you went through any of this in America. I am a white American who has their eyes wide open and all Americans need to wake up and quick!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Will everyone be wearing Hugo Boss?

we will all be forced to wear a dumb red hat

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m at the point now that I’m trying to envision our lives in the coming years. What will it be like? What will our daily existence feel like under a dictatorship? Or authoritarian government or wherever we’re headed? What will it be like for our kids who are in middle school right now? What will their futures look like? FWIW we are white. My younger brother (34) is gay. My mom relies on a pension. We have various friends who are Jewish, black, deaf, autistic, LGBTQ. I’m really sad and scared about where we’re clearly headed. Will we be able to find happiness and livelihood? Travel? Express ourselves?

I see a lot of people fear mongering about this. Please list how you have been directly impacted by any of the so call dictatorship or authoritarian gov up to this point?

DP, but since you have asked...

I have been asked for papers.
I have been held up in "check points"
I have friends and families who have list their jobs from illegal firings

I am a white, native born American.

So assuming you are telling the truth you have been inconvenienced twice and experienced something a lot of people go through having friends or family members be let go from a job?

Such a MAGA response

[Anonymous]

Since we're on the subject, this is the definition of where I think we are right now--we're a "backsliding democracy." It involves "a gradual process in which the democratic qualities of a political system decline, and it can eventually lead to a more authoritarian or autocratic form of government. In democratic backsliding, elected leaders often use legal or seemingly legitimate institutional changes to expand their power and weaken checks and balances. This can be difficult to identify as it is happening because it occurs in slow, incremental steps rather than a sudden, overt coup."

These are key characteristics of the phenomenon of democratic backsliding. Any of these sound familiar as it relates to our current situation? They sure do to me.

1. Executive aggrandizement: The executive branch expands its power at the expense of other government branches, such as the legislature and judiciary. This can be achieved by using legislation to weaken judicial independence or by interfering with the public service.

2. Strategic election manipulation: While holding elections, leaders subvert the integrity of the process. This can include blocking media access for opponents, disqualifying opposition candidates, or suppressing voter turnout.

3. Erosion of civil liberties: The government curbs fundamental freedoms like free speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly, often using "anti-terrorism" or national security laws as justification.

4). Discrediting opponents and institutions: Illiberal leaders often delegitimize political opponents and sow distrust in core democratic institutions, such as the courts or the media.

[Anonymous]

I truly hope that millions of MAGA voters see their medical insurance premiums double so that they might question what is going on. Unless MAGA starts questioning what’s going on it will be hard to stop them. At least Marjorie Taylor Green and Joe Rogan are beginning to speak out but it will take many more. Trump and his crowd have a bully pulpit unmatchable by any Democrat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m at the point now that I’m trying to envision our lives in the coming years. What will it be like? What will our daily existence feel like under a dictatorship? Or authoritarian government or wherever we’re headed? What will it be like for our kids who are in middle school right now? What will their futures look like? FWIW we are white. My younger brother (34) is gay. My mom relies on a pension. We have various friends who are Jewish, black, deaf, autistic, LGBTQ. I’m really sad and scared about where we’re clearly headed. Will we be able to find happiness and livelihood? Travel? Express ourselves?

I see a lot of people fear mongering about this. Please list how you have been directly impacted by any of the so call dictatorship or authoritarian gov up to this point?

DP, but since you have asked...

I have been asked for papers.
I have been held up in "check points"
I have friends and families who have list their jobs from illegal firings

I am a white, native born American.

So assuming you are telling the truth you have been inconvenienced twice and experienced something a lot of people go through having friends or family members be let go from a job?

Such a MAGA response

Same person was probably going insane over people wearing masks during a global pandemic .