[glenndebacker]

You should really read the book “How democracies die” for some insights and signals how it begins.

Maybe it’s because I’m from Europe and there are numerous examples (Germany, Spain, Italy,…) how it starts, but there is no single bone in my body that does not think that Trump has the same traits. (Not that the solution should be violence)

And the problem is that “the shining city upon the hill” is dimming and it’s becoming more and more a bad example for other countries. I never ever would think to live in an age that political parties would question if we should throw basic human rights in the trash while dealing with people we don’t want.

[sam_goody]

We are descending too deeply into politics for HN, but my take is different.

Trump signals the opposite of a dictator. For example, in Covid he required the States to make their own rules, while the media was punishing him for not making federal rules about masking, etc. Regarding abortion, he was all about giving the States the right to decide, that it should not be federal. Etc. All the European strongmen were doing the opposite - using any excuse they had to increase their authority.

Sure, he talks tough. And sure, the media makes him into a demagogue. But they also take his words out of context (ALOT [1]) and have a storyline to sell.

Methinks the media doth protest too much.

[1]: Even the "dictator for one day", which was said about closing the border [opened by an executive order ("decree") by Biden on "day 1", and which will need an executive order to close again] and energy - and in which his point was that he would NOT use his term authoritatively - is turned into "I will be a dictator, starting from day 1"

[bamboozled]

For example, in Covid he required the States to make their own rules,

He also suggested injecting bleach and sunlight might wipe out COVID in the body [1]. Federal institutions and health organizations had to warn people not to drink bleach after that, oh man.

In my opinion, any leader who actually cared about solving the problem would try understand basic things better or delegate to someone who does. If anything it proves he is an authoritarian. Do you think Kim Jong Un actually tries to solve any problem for his people, or just bullshits about it to stay in power / popular with those who matter?

You might see it as some type of freedom preserving move to let states do whatever they want, but his actions were about being popular with conservatives. If he actually has his way and is completely unaccountable for anything he does, he wouldn't even done anything at all.

A pandemic is a thing which absolutely requires a federal response, not a "hey Texas you do this, and California, you do that".

Please do not let this guy become king of America, It was fine when he was on the apprentice. He should stay there.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33QdTOyXz3w

[sam_goody]

I lived through that bleach moment, back when I was anti-Trump. (I am still not pro-Trump, but think he is given a bad rap.) And I felt then that the media was being incongruous.

> In my opinion, any leader who actually cared about solving the problem would try understand basic things better or delegate to someone who does.

Nobody then knew what Covid was or what we needed to do to combat it. Trump got on the news almost daily and spoke freely about ideas that were being run by him - ideas that needed research or that had promise.

His open up-front style reassured the Nation; I have plenty of family that hated the man but felt reassured by his almost-daily updates, and the fact that he openly admitted that no-one knew yet how this was to be combated, but was willing to share ideas.

He very clearly was spending a lot of time to understand things well, and to share that info instead of "we are the experts so will make decisions without adequate facts and shove it down your throat without explanation" that some other politicians had.

In the video he doesn't tell anyone to drink bleach; he says that perhaps there is a cure based on bleach and research will be done. He says openly that sunlight will not cure Covid, but it may help.

> If he actually has his way and is completely unaccountable for anything he does, he wouldn't even done anything at all.

You have clearly read the media depiction of him. I don't think his record of action implies you are correct.

He clearly did not feel that the solution was to require China-level masking and quarantining - and in retrospect he was probably right. OTOH, his Admin did very well getting out a vaccines, etc. I disagree that we needed a federal response, but whatever - if things were so obvious all States would have had the same general requirements.

Overall, I can quickly point to dictator-type things that Biden has done, but have never heard even one convincing dictator-type thing that Trump has done. (If you are thinking "Jan 6" you should stop reading the media accounts and watch all the relevant footage. I have spent perhaps hundreds of hours watching Trump's speech that day, the J6 commission videos, etc. If there ever was a "big lie", it is that he was trying to stage a coup.)

[defrost]

> You should really read the book

Why would you assume I haven't read it?

Any reason I should reread a book that was published some 36 years after I studied politics in university ?

Again, Trump literally said that he woud only be a dictator for a day .. which I personally think sums him up beautifully and encapsulates just about everything you need to know about the man; starting with an over inflated sense of time management.

I blame the US system TBH, it was a shining star 300 years ago but heed was not given to Franklin's advice on tending it with care and avoiding despots.

Maybe it's because I'm from a politic system penned by grandparents who looked at the flaws (as they saw them) of both Washington and Westminster and created a Washminster hybrid (still flawed, but fresher and so far better tended).

[meiraleal]

How does it work to be a dictator for only a day? Are you ok with that like if kamala harris could be a dictator for a day if the democrats win?