[skyfaller]

I have to disagree that the Republicans do not have a plan. They have a very clear and public plan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_2025

Yes, they spend a lot of energy on obstructing the government from functioning, and creating a naked kleptocracy to use the government to funnel money into their own pockets. But they are also moving openly towards a fascist dictatorship with very specific ideas about how society should function, and how (and when) people should be permitted to live.

[a_wild_dandan]

I'd argue that they planned:

1. Installing a conservative super-majority to the Supreme Court. [Criminalized abortion in half the US. Blocked student loan relief. Gutted voting rights. Environmental protections. Health mandates. Firearm restrictions.]

2. Indiscriminate obstruction. [Months of crucial Ukraine aid. Blocked voting rights bill. Immigration reform. Firearm safety. Tax relief.]

It's honestly difficult to pick the Greatest Hits, given how much damage they've done.

[s3r3nity]

> But they are also moving openly towards a fascist dictatorship

Democrats have been calling on Biden to increase his power through just writing Executive Orders to act on their platform, and bypass all other branches of government...but THAT's not dictatorship?

[lokar]

Bypass all other branches? Have you seen him defy the courts? Threaten judges?

[noahtallen]

If you look at the number of executive orders per president, republicans tend to have slightly more over the past couple decades. (Bush more than Obama, Trump more than Biden.)

I don’t think executive orders are that concerning when the legislative body has problems getting shit done. It’s a normal political tool that both parties use (relatively) evenly. What is concerning is gravely anti-constitutional movements to overturn the results of democratic elections.

[magicalist]

> calling on Biden to increase his power through just writing Executive Orders to act on their platform, and bypass all other branches of government

Executive orders are one instantiation of what's literally the job of the executive branch: executing the law.

Executive orders operate within the authority granted by the legislative branch as judged by the judicial branch, and that authority can also be removed by the legislative branch.

You can say an order is unconstitutional or unlawful, but it's still not dictatorship.

[PawgerZ]

Trump wrote 220 in 4 years, averaging 55 EOs/year

Biden has written 138 in 3.25 years, averaging 42 EOs/year

[a_wild_dandan]

Nope! That's called doing your job with the tools you've been given.

[redeeman]

funny, thats definitely not what it was called when trump issued executive orders, there we had to endure things like the definition of dictator which tends to include "rules by decree" etc, as proof of him being a dictator :) oh how the winds are fleeting

[xbar]

Every President is equivalently, and rightly, castigated by the opposition party over their executive orders.

Every executive order by every President is an abuse of power, as far as I'm concerned.

55/yr for Trump? 44/yr for Biden? No one should be proud of their side.

[bedhead]

Remember when there was no net neutrality and everything...worked great?

[sophacles]

That was before the people most opposed to net neutrality had started lobbying local governments to give them monopoly access and to make it illegal for local governments to try and encourage competition.

Basically I find a good rule of thumb to be: if comcast is against it, it's probably going to improve the lives of everyone via some form of competition between businesses.

[a_wild_dandan]

Remember having net neutrality and everything...worked great?

[MaxfordAndSons]

ISPs knew this would happen if Trump lost in '20, they never acted on it's repeal in the first place. We'll almost certainly get to see what the no-neutrality internet really looks like if Trump wins this year...