US democracy is about to die

JFC take a day off 🥱 Is there a single thread on here that someone does pop up talking about gender neutral bathroom or women's sports? Some people make that issue their entire personality.

YANBU whether or not he manages it it's clear what his agenda is.

StandFirm · Today 14:47

But that would be a guaranteed path towards a civil war. I certainly hope that's not the way things will pan out.

Have you seen Civil War (Kirsten Dunst)? Frightened the life out of me.

This thread is bonkers. You all need to get some fresh air & touch grass

@SwerveCity

From Wikipedia:
Martial law is the replacement of civilian government by military rule and the suspension of civilian legal processes for military powers. Martial law can continue for a specified amount of time, or indefinitely, and standard civil liberties may be suspended for as long as martial law continues.

Without courts to check his power he can do what he likes to people and organisations he dislikes.

He and his supporters would gain exponentially more power and control.

Why would Trump want to enforce martial law? What would he or America gain from that? (Genuine question.)

Ironically, it's what Americans chose.

It's not like this was some covert secret. Trump tried to steal the 2020 election by setting an angry mob on the Capitol (and some of those who participated were plotting, and conviced for, seditious conspiracy - which Trump made clear he'd pardon). They know he's more prepared this time.

For whatever reason, Americans looked at their constitution and thought "that's enough of that" and thought they'd rather have King Donald.

China has been steadily expanding the organisation of the BRICS countries and building alliances across the globe, precisely in order to sidestep the US grip on the global economy.

I don't think China would mind if they were able to maintain their zones of influence whilst the US holds onto others.

@Pairymoppins I do agree that Trump's actions will ultimately weaken America's economic strength and power, and hasten the demise of the 'American Empire'. But an awful lot of harm can be wrought in the meantime.

You think Canada, the EU, and Australia are going to form some grand alliance and stand up to the U.S.? With what army? With what leverage? The EU can’t even keep itself together, Australia is too reliant on American defense, and Canada well, Canada needs the U.S. more than the U.S. needs Canada. As for China, sure, they’ll play the game but they don’t care about “counterbalancing” Trump. They care about winning, and they’ll do it in whatever way benefits them, not some fantasy coalition of democracies holding hands.

And tariffs? Yes, they hurt American consumers
but you know who they really hurt? Smaller economies that don’t have the power to push back. Trump doesn’t care about economic pain he thrives on chaos. And markets? Markets hate instability, sure but they hate weakness even more. They’ll bet on the strong horse every time.

Trump hinted at sending US soldiers to annex Greenland

China has been doing this for years.

Invade? Oh, no. That’s the old way of thinking. Boots on the ground are messy. Expensive. They come with bad press, resistance movements, and the kind of headaches that don’t go away. No, a man like Trump doesn’t need to send in the tanks when he can simply buy the generals.

Canada has what America wants oil, water, minerals. But why take by force what can be taken with a handshake and a contract?

Economic warfare is far cleaner, far more efficient. A pipeline here, a trade deal there, a few key politicians who suddenly find their interests aligned with Washington instead of Ottawa. Before you know it, Canada isn’t being invaded it’s being absorbed.

Power isn’t about grabbing land; it’s about making sure that, when the real decisions are made, you don’t even need to be in the room because you already own the table.

Fox News is now displaying photos of judges who rule against Trump while hosts and Republicans attack them live on air

https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3lkiure7hgc23

Disagree with this. Closer alliance between Canada, EU, Australia and even potentially China can provide a counterbalance. Tariffs are predicted to cause most harm to US own consumers. Global markets hate the instability. There could be a mass exodus of scientists and creatives from the US. There’s no longevity to a relationship between Trump and Putin. Ultimately it could be the US that ends up on its knees.

But do you think he could be motivated to actually invade in order to capture the valuable natural resources of those lands? Or can he get those using economic warfare?

Brilliant post @YourAmberPoet, very insightful analysis.

First the courts gave Trump immunity from the law while carrying out his duties. Secondly, he's circumventing the courts by using EO and third he established a bunch of supporters in positions of power during his last tenure.

Trump doesn’t need tanks rolling into Toronto to win. That’s not how power works in the 21st century. No, the real conquest is far more subtle. He doesn’t have to redraw maps; he just has to make sure the world bends to his rules.
You see, power isn’t about what you take it’s about what others give up.

A second Trump term isn’t the rise of an American Empire in the traditional sense. It’s something far more insidious: a world where alliances crumble, institutions erode, and democracy is no longer the currency of influence. He doesn’t have to invade Europe if Europe tears itself apart. He doesn’t need to destroy NATO if he can simply make it irrelevant.

So, forget the doomsday scenario of U.S. tanks storming Ottawa. The real danger is waking up one day to find that America’s friends have no choice but to kneel because there’s no one left to stop it.

I fully believe Trump has expansionist and dictatorial ambitions. I would not be surprised if his regime invaded Canada, Mexico and Greenland to create the Greater United States.

Who is going to stop him? Even if all the non US NATO members go to war against it, we are unlikely to win. Especially if his mate Putin simultaneously invades Europe on a separate front.

I wish I was being paranoid and scaremongering but the very fact that this is not an impossible scenario is terrifying.

Liberal leftists were right about UK austerity, we were right about Brexit and we may well be right about the consequences of giving Trump a 2nd term.

I think it's a distinct possibility that actually he wasn't gifted the Presidency again by voters, he stole it by electronically hacking voting machines. With Trump, every accusation is a confession. But that is another story.

Well Americans have utilised the 2nd Amendment to resolve issues with presidents before...

Totally agree OP, he's got a random (Musk) who does Nazi salutes in charge of gutting half the depts in the US Gov (god knows where all that data is now going), the wife of a wrestling chief is now heading up the Dept of Education which he is also trying to gut, DEI is out, the economy is tanking, he's doing whatever Putin says, warmongering with Iran, and saying he wants to takeover Greenland and Canada. I mean FFS the man is a psycho. The warlike speeches and conscription talk coming out of Europe is quite something. Dangerous times.