"Whether persecuting Abrego Garcia, threatening Fed independence, or shredding the constitutional division between military forces and civilian law enforcement, Trump has signaled there are no limits (and scant consideration) to his dictatorial ambitions."
~ Jennifer Rubin
#Trump #authoritarianism #fascism #dictator#KilmarAbregoGarcia #military#WashingtonDC#LisaCook
/1
The DC situation is simple, Trump is afraid of a Jan 6th event to displace him, because if the roles were reversed that is exactly what he would do. So he has the troops on hand ready, just in case.
That's true. But context demands accuracy, that we know the difference between several hundred infantry Marines and several thousand.
Among other distinctions, it's the difference between a dictatorship in gestation, dangerous enough, and a full-blown one.
One reason for that is that we not discourage people by suggesting Trump is so far along in his effort, he can't be stopped. That carries Trump's propaganda water for him. He's not. He could be, if we wait longer.
His momentary financial interests figure heavily into it, as well. He wants to be immune from, say, the consequences of his tariffs, but he also wants a financial environment that's easier for him to make money, while being a moron.
Marine infantry battalion, not a division, but I agree about Trump-as-Big-Brother launching his forever war.
"It is slowly choking the life out of Washington, D.C. restaurants, which were still struggling to gain their post-pandemic footing just as Trump returned to town and started firing tens of thousands of their customers."
"I've lived here for 33 years, and it's a flat out lie that half the restaurants have closed because of safety...but restaurants will close because you have troops with guns and federal agents harassing people...making people afraid to go out."
Carrasquillo adds,
"Andrés is right. Trump’s deployment of 2,300 National Guard troops and 500 federal law enforcement agents has hurt foot traffic, chilled business, and made people cancel trips and nights out."
Trump announced Monday that half of the restaurants in DC had been closed due to crime, and he's gotten them open again. As Adrian Carrasquillo notes, chef José Andrés responded:
"I understand why you are confused...all your time in DC you haven't eaten ONCE outside the White House or your own hotel."
#Trump #authoritarianism #fascism #military #WashingtonDC
/21
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-is-strangling-the-life-out-of-washington-dc-restaurants
"This isn’t about the city of Washington, or crime or public safety. It is a highly symbolic signal of his intent to subdue American democracy itself to his whims, and turn America the free into an authoritarian police state."
#Trump #authoritarianism #fascism #dictator #military#WashingtonDC
/20
"I have always believed that at some point Trump would come for DC itself for it is the world’s most powerful monument to democracy, for freedom, for e pluribus unum and overcoming racism and slavery. For Trump’s rancid remaking of America into something other than a democracy to succeed he was going to eventually have to do something about this living, inspirational monument."
~ Simon Rosenberg
#Trump #authoritarianism #fascism #military#WashingtonDC
/19
https://www.hopiumchronicles.com/p/an-encouraging-win-in-iowa-national
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