Author Topic: US Politics & Presidential Election 2020  (Read 13356 times)

Jubal

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Re: US Politics & Presidential Election 2020
« Reply #75 on: December 10, 2020, 03:40:03 PM »
Yes, if one restricts election violence to "people having gunfights over ballot issues" then that's essentially been avoided (though I think dubs is correct to note that it's pretty hard to disentangle motives for other sort of violence). But there's certainly been a lot of intimidation. One Pennsylvania Republican literally said recently when asked about backing an effort to overturn that state's results that "If I would say to you, 'I don't want to do it,' I'd get my house bombed tonight.". (Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/pennsylvania-gop-leader-worries-house-would-be-bombed-trump-election-2020-12?r=DE&IR=T )
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dubsartur

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Re: US Politics & Presidential Election 2020
« Reply #76 on: December 20, 2020, 05:13:24 PM »
On 17 December, former Lt. General and former national security advisor Michael Flynn suggested in a meeting with the outgoing administration that the 45th US president should deploy military forces and "re-run" the election in swing states.  Apparently he went on a TV show called Newsmax and said the same thing as a 'purely hypothetical statement': "He could order, within the swing states, if he wanted to he could take military capabilities and he could place them in those states and basically re-run an election in each of those states. It’s not unprecedented. These people out there, talking about martial law like it’s something we’ve never done. Martial law has been instituted 64 times. I’m not calling for that. We clearly have a constitutional process. That has to be followed."

Whatever happens to the cabal of thugs and grifters who were in the White House from 2017 to 2020, all the people who are open to organizing a coup but not sure if they can pull it off are not going away (traditionally they spent a few years giving talks in Canada or the UK or in business and 'consulting' and working for think tanks before they try to move back in to US national politics).  Nor are the armed militias and the people trying to turn police and paramilitary forces into white supremacist death squads.  Anyone who says "inevitable" is selling something, but this is a very bad situation for people in the United States and it is not going away soon.

Edit: see eg. David Frum, who worked to align the Republican party and the Conservative movement behind invading Iraq, who was quiet for a few years, then started giving talks at universities and foundations across Canada, and then tried to brand himself as a "Republican against Trump."  Or Gina Haspell the torturer of prisoners and burner of records who left the CIA for a while then was reappointed to a high office.  Very wealthy and well-connected people in the United States look out for each other and make sure that nothing is more than a brief setback.
« Last Edit: December 21, 2020, 08:03:27 PM by dubsartur »

Pentagathusosaurus rex

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Re: US Politics & Presidential Election 2020
« Reply #77 on: December 28, 2020, 01:09:12 PM »
Oh I don't think it's just wealthy and well connected people in the US who do that.

TBH part of me would welcome some attempt at armed revolt by these "militia" groups, I imagine the reality of fighting against the world's most well funded military would probably cool their ardour rather swiftly. But I do hope these lunatics keep their tin foil hats on and stick to just playing soldiers.

dubsartur

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Re: US Politics & Presidential Election 2020
« Reply #78 on: December 29, 2020, 12:33:09 AM »
Oh I don't think it's just wealthy and well connected people in the US who do that.
The way I have heard it is that if you 'just' have a household income of a few hundred k a year in the United States, you can still be ruined if someone in your household has a medical crisis or becomes a person of interest to the security state.  There is a level above that where people in the United States are more or less invulnerable.  One big difference between the United States and most rich countries is that life for the wealthy and well-connected still has these two kinds of big risk. 

Most countries have wingnut welfare and ways to shuffle people who provided a service into an easy, well-paid job, but not such a direct cycle from disastrous time in government to sinecure back into government.
« Last Edit: December 29, 2020, 12:40:21 AM by dubsartur »