this post was submitted on 13 Jan 2025

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‘I Think Things Are Going to Be Bad, Really Bad’: The US Military Debates Possible Deployment on US Soil Under Trump (www.politico.com)

submitted 4 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 56 points 4 days ago (3 children)

Yes, they are.

The US has at best stood idly by as other countries have been forced to live under the thumbs of murderous psychopaths (and all too often has been at least partially responsible for it), but now we're about to discover first hand what it's like.

The only saving grace of Trump's first term was the notable gap between what he wanted to do and what he actually could do, and this time around, he's even more bitter and spiteful and unhinged, and with the help of his patrons and cronies, has deliberately arranged things so that nobody can stand in his way.

I'm quite seriously not going to be the least bit surprised if he ends up up on the short list of all time mass murderers, right up alongside Stalin, Mao, Hitler and Pol Pot. I don't think it's a question of whether or not he would do it - he most definitely would. The only question is whether he'll be able to.

[–] [email protected] 34 points 3 days ago (1 children)

There's also a heavy irony in the fact that the US made a whole career last century out of meddling in other countries' elections to put murderous psychopaths in power, for reasons of our own, with absolutely no regard for the catastrophic suffering they were going to cause.

Now we're about to find out how it feels, I think. I hope I am wrong.

[–] electricyarn 6 points 3 days ago (1 children)

The chickens have come home to roost

[–] [email protected] 14 points 3 days ago (1 children)

"I tremble for my country when I remember that God is just." -Thomas Jefferson

He was talking about slavery, but it could just as much be about murder in Central America and the Middle East, and modern-day slavery that supports our air-conditioned lifestyle. The Yes Men did a presentation pointing out that a lot of people who make our modern-day stuff get paid less than it cost, back in the day, to keep slaves.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Would you happen to have a link to that presentation? Yes men is not exactly a great search term.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago

Oh man... I glossed over a little bit.

Here's the talk, I think you should see this one first. This was their group, giving a presentation at an extremely serious business forum, to people who thought that the presentation was being given by a rep from the World Trade Organization: https://theyesmen.org/project/finland/talk

Then, I think you should read the backstory: https://theyesmen.org/project/finland/behindthecurtain

Somewhere there is a video, I think.

[–] RoidingOldMan 14 points 3 days ago (2 children)

I’m quite seriously not going to be the least bit surprised if he ends up up on the short list of all time mass murderers, right up alongside Stalin, Mao, Hitler and Pol Pot. I don’t think it’s a question of whether or not he would do it - he most definitely would. The only question is whether he’ll be able to.

Luckily he's far older than any of those people were. Plus I don't think he's trying to speed run a genocide. Trump's more concerned with himself, so at least we've got that. But also I'd say he has far more in common with Mussolini. One of the worst world leaders in modern history, sure, but he's gonna die long before anything as extreme as Hitler or Pol Pot happens. A Stalin-like dictatorship seems plausible, but not within the next few years - it would have to be something his successor does. Whatever Trump's long term goals are, I'm confident it will all fall apart when he dies.

[–] SleepyBear 14 points 3 days ago (1 children)

The counter point to this definitely being, what happens when Trump ages out? He is going to be replaced, and his replacement could be far younger, with more ambition and efficiency in pursuing political goals. The Trump movement (basically conservative fascism) will not die with him, its going to be championed by the right as their own political goals. Its not Trump im afraid of, its all the people/minds that he has influenced and put in positions of power.

[–] RoidingOldMan 3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

Trump doesn't seem to concern himself with what's going to happen after he's gone. So whoever is next seems unlikely to have Trump's level of devoted fans from day 1. Good chance the whole movement will collapse with him and tons of infighting.

I also wonder, once he's gone, if Rs and Fox News will suddenly be more willing to criticize Trump. They fear retaliation right now, but once he's gone that threat may be gone. They'll have some new candidate to promote, they don't usually keep promoting the old one.

But from that collapse, they'll eventually find someone. Hard to imagine them being a whole lot worse. Mel Gibson? He sorta fits the Trump/Reagan mold. Would someone like Mel Gibson really be that much worse? Joe Rogan?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago

They don't fear retaliation from him, they fear retaliation from his fans. Those won't suddenly disappear when he is gone, look at Stalin fans in Russia.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago

Mm... yeah, now that you mention it, there is likely still a gap between what Trump would do and what he'll be able to do, just dictated this time around by age rather than checks and balances.

I guess that's something...

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

We just need one general to push the orange fuck out a window and return democracy to the people.Tall order I know but its really our only hope.

[–] Hobbes_Dent 26 points 4 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

The American public and military are going to find out how special America isn’t.

On purpose.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 days ago

Basically this whole thing reads that if Trump follows the letter of the law, even if it violates the constitution as most people understand it, then they have to follow the orders, even if it obviously violates the spirit of the law.