It shouldn't be, but I bet being a billionaire and being able to do whatever you want leads to them thinking "hey, I can do this taboo thing". Like the Most Dangerous Game stuff
Faux "News" spent 40 years programming brainwashing their robot army angry viewers to rage at their legislators on command, for whatever the issue of the minute was. If the fascist propaganda machine could be turned off, saner voices could apply pressure cut accountability.
well, voters should also be taking some of the blame here. They can stop selecting the GOP congressional candidates that are supposed to stop this and similarly senators (need a small GOP minority there) so he can be impeached and booted out.
GOP primaries are still being won by Trump sycophants, so Republicans themselves are still majority behind Trump.
He also has no intention of leaving office. It's why he surrounded himself with corruption, encouraged those he put in power to do the same and cut out those who would not. Whats left are highly motivated to keep themselves and trump in power to avoid the consequences of their actions.
It's not like the dems would even try holding them accountable anyway.
Ha! The joke's on you!! Last I heard they were preparing a very, VERY stern letter, some even willing to go as far as physically pointing fingers... Like, damn!
Like in many other corrupt countries, corruption isn't that big of a deal.
Pay a bit to get your documents faster? No problem.
Pay to get out of a speeding ticket? No problem.
But this needs to get normalised first, and I think he is doing exactly that.
Give people with money even more power, so they're even more above the law, than they're now.
Countries need years or decades to reverse established corruption systems.
He is speed running the other direction.
It has a self-reinforcing effect: it enforces the idea that this is normal and that the system is working as intended. Even though most of us know that this is only the case because the people who are supposed to hold him accountable are beholden to him, from the outside, it looks as though this is how things should be. This makes change seem hopeless and normalises tyranny, resulting in lasting damage and a chilling effect that will persist for years.
As long as there is no threat of accountability, there is no incentive to conceal corruption. By performing the act without defence in plain sight, it is legitimised and societal expectations are shifted.
I'm convinced my grandmother believes Trump can't be as bad as I say he is because she has too much faith in the system. She doesn't like Trump, she knows he's bad, but she doesn't seem to understand the extent of how bad he is. She thinks whatever he does must be justified on some level or else the president wouldn't do it. She thinks he can't be doing things that are that blatantly illegal because then something would be done about it
Everyone who isn't terminally online thinks like this. People who aren't exposed to the deluge of shit that is actually happening all think "He's a pretty bad president, but if he was as bad as these people say he is, he would have been impeached by now."
As corrosive as the corruption is the impunity with which the corruption is committed. Impunity – the expectation of unaccountability – is not only a stance. It is a tactic. It breeds cynicism, and popular cynicism is a necessary ingredient of autocracy and kleptocracy.
The autocrat does not just flout the law; he renders it so fungible that as social or moral framework, it becomes meaningless. There is no use trying to stay on the right side of the law when you don’t know from day to day which side is right.
The autocrat does not just defy the popular will; he dismisses it. Trump’s impunity once rested on confidence of his unconditional adoration: “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters,” he crowed during the first campaign. Ten years later, as his policies repel voters from his party, he is discovering that he needs neither party nor votes nor love to exercise power, and power is more gratifying, and remunerative, than any of these.
I guess I'm happy some media is talking about this. When they no longer can stop you, then exercise corruption openly to show everyone the opposition's helplessness, or to counterintuitively kindle anger against that opposition which appears feckless and powerless.
It's the reason Putin poisons people in ways obviously traceable to Russia.
It also directly contributes to hypernormalization, since the autocrat will then deny - with obvious lies - the truth of that corruption, which further exhausts the populace who eventually gets tired of trying to keep track of what is true and what is a lie, thereby handing more power to the autocrat to shape reality.
Trump, of course, is speedrunning every step of this.
The only things that would shake his most brainwashed subjects is watching him, in person, blow and get fucked by a black trans woman wearing a hijab or a sex tape of him and Hilary on Reagan’s grave. I’m not ever certain those would do it
Fake news. The fact that he posted the video himself, legally change his name to princess black trans, and that he keeps bragging about it doesn't making it true. You libtards are so brainwashed by the radical fake media lol.
He even famously said he could shoot someone in broad daylight without losing support. This was during his campaign before the first time he was elected
I think a lot of comments are missing the obvious. The right spent so much time and energy convincing everybody that everybody else was corrupt that their base and the ingrained whataboutism mindset makes it okay. And on the left we're afraid to follow their lead and do what they did, openly accuse and do the performative endless investigations that the right engaged in for so long. Instead, the left stands by and allows it to happen because they know they don't have the votes to do anything substantial. Even with the mountains of evidence of corruption, the left knows the right will fall in line and never impeach or hold anyone accountable.
You're right, except for one crucial detail: the Democrats refusing to do anything AREN'T left of center. They're Neoliberals,
sometimes borderline paleoconservatives.
Neoliberalism is a center right to right wing ideology based around a core of Keynesian pro-capital dogma, with letting "the little people“ have rights being surface level window dressing to sell the mission of protecting the financial and societal structures of Reagan and Clinton.
Not just from the fascists that wants to make everything much WORSE than it was in 1980-1999 or thereabouts, but also the ACTUAL left who wants to progress BEYOND that capitalist golden age.
As such, the LEFT, like your Kats Abughazaleh, your Coris Bush, and your Zohrans Mamdani are NOT afraid to take drastic action where necessary and WILL do so when the right wing DNC get out of the way.
I can't wait til the midterms are over. Either I'll be pleasantly surprised and democrats will take back power, or Trump's dictator powers will be solidified and maybe America and the rest of the world will come out of denial. Hope it's not too late
Because nobody is doing anything to stop him. If nobody prosecuted ordinary criminals, the crime rate would go up. People would freely and openly shoplift if there were no consequences
Also he's so old that even if he was then he would be fucking dead by the time the gears of justice turned far enough to land him any single consequence.
They're just gonna block mail in ballots from predominately democrat areas like they did last time since nobody stopped them. They'll just keep doing it.
Because Republicans admit that they don't give a shit how nakedly corrupt their guy is, as long as he's not some Democrat trying to trans their children with vaccines or whatever Joe Rogan said people left of "Hunting the Homeless for sport." were doing
It's too late for you buddy, your ass is already corrupted and it has spread to your brain. Assbrain, although not usually fatal, makes you appear dumb as fuck to all around you.
46 Comments
T00l_shed@lemmy.world · 166 pts · 103d
Its because he isn't held accountable
Eternal192@anarchist.nexus · 98 pts · 103d
And that's because those that should hold him accountable were on the island with him and are currently funded by him.
itrealgood@mander.xyz · 23 pts · 103d
Eternal192@anarchist.nexus · 14 pts · 103d
Pedophilia shouldn't be a "flex" it shows how much of a failure we are as a "intelligent" species.
Bustedknuckles@lemmy.world · 18 pts · 103d
It shouldn't be, but I bet being a billionaire and being able to do whatever you want leads to them thinking "hey, I can do this taboo thing". Like the Most Dangerous Game stuff
aramis87@fedia.io · 12 pts · 103d
Faux "News" spent 40 years
programmingbrainwashing theirrobot armyangry viewers to rage at their legislators on command, for whatever the issue of the minute was. If the fascist propaganda machine could be turned off, saner voices could apply pressure cut accountability.hanrahan@slrpnk.net · 1 pts · 102d
well, voters should also be taking some of the blame here. They can stop selecting the GOP congressional candidates that are supposed to stop this and similarly senators (need a small GOP minority there) so he can be impeached and booted out.
GOP primaries are still being won by Trump sycophants, so Republicans themselves are still majority behind Trump.
Maiq@piefed.social · 29 pts · 103d
He also has no intention of leaving office. It's why he surrounded himself with corruption, encouraged those he put in power to do the same and cut out those who would not. Whats left are highly motivated to keep themselves and trump in power to avoid the consequences of their actions.
It's not like the dems would even try holding them accountable anyway.
crandlecan@mander.xyz · 11 pts · 103d
Ha! The joke's on you!! Last I heard they were preparing a very, VERY stern letter, some even willing to go as far as physically pointing fingers... Like, damn!
naeap@sopuli.xyz · 8 pts · 102d
I also believe, that he tries to normalise it.
Like in many other corrupt countries, corruption isn't that big of a deal.
Pay a bit to get your documents faster? No problem.
Pay to get out of a speeding ticket? No problem.
But this needs to get normalised first, and I think he is doing exactly that.
Give people with money even more power, so they're even more above the law, than they're now.
Countries need years or decades to reverse established corruption systems.
He is speed running the other direction.
Edit: Just saw KindnessIsPunk making a very similar statement, but probably put it better, than I did
https://sopuli.xyz/comment/23741774
KindnessIsPunk@lemmy.ca · 42 pts · 103d
It has a self-reinforcing effect: it enforces the idea that this is normal and that the system is working as intended. Even though most of us know that this is only the case because the people who are supposed to hold him accountable are beholden to him, from the outside, it looks as though this is how things should be. This makes change seem hopeless and normalises tyranny, resulting in lasting damage and a chilling effect that will persist for years.
As long as there is no threat of accountability, there is no incentive to conceal corruption. By performing the act without defence in plain sight, it is legitimised and societal expectations are shifted.
Maeve@kbin.earth · 14 pts · 103d
The system is working as intended. It's just not masked anymore.
GraniteM@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 102d
The system thanks you for your support.
FreshParsnip@lemmy.ca · 9 pts · 102d
I'm convinced my grandmother believes Trump can't be as bad as I say he is because she has too much faith in the system. She doesn't like Trump, she knows he's bad, but she doesn't seem to understand the extent of how bad he is. She thinks whatever he does must be justified on some level or else the president wouldn't do it. She thinks he can't be doing things that are that blatantly illegal because then something would be done about it
jaaake@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 102d
Everyone who isn't terminally online thinks like this. People who aren't exposed to the deluge of shit that is actually happening all think "He's a pretty bad president, but if he was as bad as these people say he is, he would have been impeached by now."
homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world · 33 pts · 103d
samus12345@sh.itjust.works · 22 pts · 103d
Make no mistake, though, he desperately does seek adoration. Part of being a narcissist.
NekoKoneko@lemmy.world · 16 pts · 103d
I guess I'm happy some media is talking about this. When they no longer can stop you, then exercise corruption openly to show everyone the opposition's helplessness, or to counterintuitively kindle anger against that opposition which appears feckless and powerless.
It's the reason Putin poisons people in ways obviously traceable to Russia.
It also directly contributes to hypernormalization, since the autocrat will then deny - with obvious lies - the truth of that corruption, which further exhausts the populace who eventually gets tired of trying to keep track of what is true and what is a lie, thereby handing more power to the autocrat to shape reality.
Trump, of course, is speedrunning every step of this.
Yerbouti@sh.itjust.works · 31 pts · 103d
He could rape kids on national tv while doing coke and shooting immigrants, AT LEAST 40% of americans would support him.
cmbabul@slrpnk.net · 8 pts · 103d
The only things that would shake his most brainwashed subjects is watching him, in person, blow and get fucked by a black trans woman wearing a hijab or a sex tape of him and Hilary on Reagan’s grave. I’m not ever certain those would do it
Yerbouti@sh.itjust.works · 7 pts · 103d
Fake news. The fact that he posted the video himself, legally change his name to princess black trans, and that he keeps bragging about it doesn't making it true. You libtards are so brainwashed by the radical fake media lol.
crandlecan@mander.xyz · 3 pts · 103d
I'd pay for access to that video, for sure 😂
yarr@feddit.nl · 5 pts · 103d
And a % of those would find some way to blame it on Biden.
FatVegan@leminal.space · 3 pts · 103d
The numbers would probably go up
SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 102d
Because those are American values and always have been.
FreshParsnip@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 102d
He even famously said he could shoot someone in broad daylight without losing support. This was during his campaign before the first time he was elected
HazardousBanjo@lemmy.world · 20 pts · 103d
He's confident he will be able to successfully coup the government and become president for life.
Unfortunately, the Dems are so limp dicked about it that he might be right.
Pat_Riot@lemmy.today · 17 pts · 103d
Because he's been shown time and time again that he doesn't have to.
escapedgoat@lemmy.world · 16 pts · 102d
I think a lot of comments are missing the obvious. The right spent so much time and energy convincing everybody that everybody else was corrupt that their base and the ingrained whataboutism mindset makes it okay. And on the left we're afraid to follow their lead and do what they did, openly accuse and do the performative endless investigations that the right engaged in for so long. Instead, the left stands by and allows it to happen because they know they don't have the votes to do anything substantial. Even with the mountains of evidence of corruption, the left knows the right will fall in line and never impeach or hold anyone accountable.
Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 7 pts · 102d
You're right, except for one crucial detail: the Democrats refusing to do anything AREN'T left of center. They're Neoliberals, sometimes borderline paleoconservatives.
Neoliberalism is a center right to right wing ideology based around a core of Keynesian pro-capital dogma, with letting "the little people“ have rights being surface level window dressing to sell the mission of protecting the financial and societal structures of Reagan and Clinton.
Not just from the fascists that wants to make everything much WORSE than it was in 1980-1999 or thereabouts, but also the ACTUAL left who wants to progress BEYOND that capitalist golden age.
As such, the LEFT, like your Kats Abughazaleh, your Coris Bush, and your Zohrans Mamdani are NOT afraid to take drastic action where necessary and WILL do so when the right wing DNC get out of the way.
Malyca@lemmy.zip · 15 pts · 102d
He has assurance that he'll stay in power. For all the people waiting on the midterms to save them, pay attention
FreshParsnip@lemmy.ca · 13 pts · 102d
I can't wait til the midterms are over. Either I'll be pleasantly surprised and democrats will take back power, or Trump's dictator powers will be solidified and maybe America and the rest of the world will come out of denial. Hope it's not too late
FreshParsnip@lemmy.ca · 14 pts · 102d
Because nobody is doing anything to stop him. If nobody prosecuted ordinary criminals, the crime rate would go up. People would freely and openly shoplift if there were no consequences
CircaV@lemmy.ca · 8 pts · 102d
You don’t build a ballroom if you are leaving. He’s not leaving at the end of this term. It’s clear as day.
mrdown@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 8 pts · 102d
Because no american president will be hold accountable
Etterra@discuss.online · 2 pts · 102d
Also he's so old that even if he was then he would be fucking dead by the time the gears of justice turned far enough to land him any single consequence.
AdolfSchmitler@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 102d
They're just gonna block mail in ballots from predominately democrat areas like they did last time since nobody stopped them. They'll just keep doing it.
QueenHawlSera@sh.itjust.works · 5 pts · 102d
Because Republicans admit that they don't give a shit how nakedly corrupt their guy is, as long as he's not some Democrat trying to trans their children with vaccines or whatever Joe Rogan said people left of "Hunting the Homeless for sport." were doing
DragonAce@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 103d
We need to rise up and take this fucker down.
frog_brawler@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 102d
newton@feddit.online · 2 pts · 103d
Just drop him in IRAN ,case closed
ltxrtquq@lemmy.ml · 4 pts · 103d
Americans really shouldn't be exporting all our problems and trash overseas, though.
ButtfaceMcBooby@lemmy.world · -54 pts · 103d
Zombiepirate@lemmy.world · 42 pts · 103d
I remember when trolls used to try— there was an art to it. This is just sad.
rockSlayer@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 15 pts · 103d
Pathetic trolling attempt. You didn't even try
Madzielle@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 2 pts · 103d
four hour old account..
iThinkDifferentThanU@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 103d
Lucius_Sweet@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 103d
It's too late for you buddy, your ass is already corrupted and it has spread to your brain. Assbrain, although not usually fatal, makes you appear dumb as fuck to all around you.
Thoughts and prayers....
jordanlund@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 103d
His best corruption was in his previous administration and it was never addressed:
He routed military personnel out of their way in order to funnel money into his failing golf property in Scotland.
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/06/air-force-trump-scottish-retreat-1484337
https://abcnews.com/Politics/pentagon-spent-184000-trump-turnberry-resort-scotland/story?id=65701897
crandlecan@mander.xyz · 1 pts · 103d
🥴