‘We are all afraid’: Murkowski says fear of retaliation from Trump administration is ‘real’

wing2000 · Apr 21, 2025

ozso said:
No them being under attack by the administration is imaginary. They're imaginary victims. I don't believe they're really afraid. I think they're just saying that to simultaneously make themselves into hero martyrs and vilify the administration.

Oh yes, President Trump is the martyr in the great cause to Make Trump...err America Great Again!

Servus · Apr 21, 2025

A2SG said:
No, he isn't imaginary. Unfortunately.

You seem to be having a hard time making up your mind on this issue.

Servus · Apr 21, 2025

wing2000 said:
Oh yes, President Trump is the martyr in the great cause to Make Trump...err America Great Again!

Switching around what someone said and putting words in their mouth isn't a good way to conduct yourself in a discussion.

wing2000 · Apr 21, 2025

ozso said:
Switching around what someone said and putting words in their mouth isn't a good way to conduct yourself in a discussion.

Nor is suggesting that Trump's authoritarian actions are all in our imagination.

Servus · Apr 21, 2025

wing2000 said:
Nor is suggesting that Trump's authoritarian actions are all in our imagination.

You're still doing it.

GoldenBoy89 · Apr 21, 2025

ozso said:
Which means squat. Either he is or he isn't.

There's never ever been nearly as much hysteria directed at any other US president. There's no equivalent comparison that can be made. I agree that people have the constitutional right to spew as much hyperbole as they want to. But they shouldn't expect to be taken seriously by those who aren't caught up in it.

Is it possible he’s just not as good a guy as you think he is and that a lot of what he gets is because of what he puts out into the world?

GoldenBoy89 · Apr 21, 2025

ozso said:
You're still doing it.

People have given lots of examples of how he is like a dictator. Why don’t you tell us in a few examples how he is not?

A2SG · Apr 21, 2025

ozso said:
You seem to be having a hard time making up your mind on this issue.

Not at all.

-- A2SG, just not accepting anyone else's narrative....

Servus · Apr 21, 2025

GoldenBoy89 said:
People have given lots of examples of how he is like a dictator. Why don’t you tell us in a few examples how he is not?

So it's back to he's an imaginary dictator.

GoldenBoy89 · Apr 21, 2025

ozso said:
So it's back to he's an imaginary dictator.

There’s nothing imaginary about it. How is it so many different people can come to the same conclusion that only Trump fans deny?

Why don’t you tell us all the ways he’s not a dictator since I know you’ve already heard all the different ways we claim he is.

Just saying “nuh-uh” isn’t really cutting it.

Servus · Apr 21, 2025

GoldenBoy89 said:
There’s nothing imaginary about it. How is it so many different people can come to the same conclusion that only Trump fans deny?

Why don’t you tell us all the ways he’s not a dictator since I know you’ve already heard all the different ways we claim he is.

Just saying “nuh-uh” isn’t really cutting it.

I'm trying to pin down the conclusion which keeps alternating from is an actual dictator to isn't an actual dictator.

A2SG · Apr 21, 2025

ozso said:
I'm trying to pin down the conclusion which keeps alternating from is an actual dictator to isn't an actual dictator.

It's pretty simple. Trump isn't an actual dictator because the US has a system of checks and balances on the office of the President, as well as an independent judicial system to prevent him from becoming one. The problem is, he continues to erode these checks and balances, he ignores and even outright defies court orders, and acts as if he is a dictator. Or, at the very least, in an authoritarian manner akin to a dictator. Heck, he's even stated that he's considering a third term in office, which is in direct conflict with the Constitution.

Which means that, if we're not careful and diligent about enforcing the limits of his powers, he could very well become an actual dictator. And it does seem there are a few out there who would welcome this, so it's not exactly out of the realm of possibility.

Does that pin it down for you?

-- A2SG, or would you care to refute any of this and explain how he isn't acting like a dictator, or an authoritarian?

Servus · Apr 22, 2025

A2SG said:
It's pretty simple. Trump isn't an actual dictator because the US has a system of checks and balances on the office of the President, as well as an independent judicial system to prevent him from becoming one. The problem is, he continues to erode these checks and balances, he ignores and even outright defies court orders, and acts as if he is a dictator. Or, at the very least, in an authoritarian manner akin to a dictator. Heck, he's even stated that he's considering a third term in office, which is in direct conflict with the Constitution.

Which means that, if we're not careful and diligent about enforcing the limits of his powers, he could very well become an actual dictator. And it does seem there are a few out there who would welcome this, so it's not exactly out of the realm of possibility.

Does that pin it down for you?

He's an imaginary dictator. Based on imaginary scenarios.

A2SG · Apr 22, 2025

ozso said:
He's an imaginary dictator. Based on imaginary scenarios.

None of the scenarios I mentioned are imaginary. They happened. You don't need a particularly active imagination to determine what they may lead to if unchecked.

-- A2SG, but if assuming these factual events are imaginary helps you sleep, I guess that's what you need to do....nighty night!

Servus · Apr 22, 2025

A2SG said:
None of the scenarios I mentioned are imaginary. They happened. You don't need a particularly active imagination to determine what they may lead to if unchecked.

That's a good description of imaginary scenarios. Last time around it was he was so hotheaded he was going to lose his temper and push the nuke-em button. He was so hotheaded towards Kim Jung-Un he was going to start WWIII. Then that did a complete 180 turn to outrage over him being "best buddies" with Jung-Un. So it's sit back and watch certain people go completely bananas on a daily basis for four years just like last time.

A2SG · Apr 22, 2025

ozso said:
That's a good description of imaginary scenarios.

Again, the events I mentioned are not imaginary. They have happened, and continue to happen.

ozso said:
Last time around it was he was so hotheaded he was going to lose his temper and push the nuke-em button. He was so hotheaded towards Kim Jung-Un he was going to start WWIII. Then that did a complete 180 turn to outrage over him being "best buddies" with Jung-Un. So it's sit back and watch certain people go completely bananas on a daily basis for four years just like last time.

I can't speak to any of that, as I never said anything like that. But the events I did mention, those have happened. Denial won't make them go away.

The only thing not known is what will happen in the future. And as to that, we have two options: keep vigilant, and work to ensure that our current system of checks and balances and the rule of law continues, or ignore current real events and allow authoritarianism to continue unchecked and unimpeded.

If we're wrong about Trump's current actions leading toward an authoritarian future or worse, an outright dictatorship, then all we've done is maintain our current system of checks and balances and the rule of law. But if we're not wrong, and we don't remain vigilant...well, coming back from a dictatorship and the destruction of our current form of government ain't easy.

We're at a crossroads. Which direction do you want us to go?

-- A2SG, this ain't a river in Egypt ya know.....

Servus · Apr 22, 2025

A2SG said:
Again, the events I mentioned are not imaginary. They have happened, and continue to happen.

What those events will supposedly lead to are imaginary scenarios.

A2SG said:
I can't speak to any of that, as I never said anything like that. But the events I did mention, those have happened. Denial won't make them go away.

The only thing not known is what will happen in the future. And as to that, we have two options: keep vigilant, and work to ensure that our current system of checks and balances and the rule of law continues, or ignore current real events and allow authoritarianism to continue unchecked and unimpeded.

If we're wrong about Trump's current actions leading toward an authoritarian future or worse, an outright dictatorship, then all we've done is maintain our current system of checks and balances and the rule of law. But if we're not wrong, and we don't remain vigilant...well, coming back from a dictatorship and the destruction of our current form of government ain't easy.

We're at a crossroads. Which direction do you want us to go?

We and us who? Only those few actually running things can make a difference. Everyone else is a powerless spectator.

A2SG · Apr 22, 2025

ozso said:
What those events will supposedly lead to are imaginary scenarios.

But not outside the realm of possibility. Imagining an authoritarian continuing to act in an authoritarian manner doesn't require much imagination, frankly. Kind of like seeing a car careening wildly down the street...what will happen to it may require some degree of imagination, but the outcome isn't completely unforeseeable.

The question is, though, how should we respond to the real events that have happened?

ozso said:
We and us who? Only those few actually running things can make a difference. Everyone else is a powerless spectator.

You do realize that you, as an individual, do have a say in how the government works, right? You have a voice, and you can act. It requires work, sure, but you're not powerless.

Though, if you choose to do nothing in response to the actual, real events that I've described, then I guess that would be a decision. So I guess you've answered my question.

-- A2SG, you're only as powerless as you choose to be, dude.....

‘We are all afraid’: Murkowski says fear of retaliation from Trump administration is ‘real’

E pluribus unum

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

E pluribus unum

Well-Known Member

Abolish ICE

Abolish ICE

Gumby

Well-Known Member

Abolish ICE

Well-Known Member

Gumby

Well-Known Member

Gumby

Well-Known Member

Gumby

Well-Known Member

Gumby

Similar threads