To think that the USA is a dictatorship now?

[spoonbillstretford]

Trump appears to have ultimate power. Who can challenge him? Who controls him? Presidents should not be dictating what drug companies charge for medicines on a whim, or indeed any other goods, at the drop of a hat. He says jump and the US says "How High?" What on earth have you done to yourselves and the world to let this evil, thick, orange toddler clown represent you? What the hell were you thinking?

One of those dreadful democratic dictatorships that elects their leaders.

The Chicago Trump Tower was financed by a loan from Deutsch Bank, and three private hedge funds. One was backed by George Soros, I can't remember who the other two were, but likely not Russian.

My “favorite” free speech incident in the UK was the teenage girl who was arrested for saying a police officer looked like her “lesbian nana.” That’s like something out of a dystopian novel.

If the US was a dictatorship, you wouldn’t be seeing loud, widespread opposition to Trump all over the nation. Do people think North Koreans are allowed to do that about Kim Jong Un? Do they think people in Nazi Germany were allowed to do that about Hitler?

That's not exactly the case. The girl was picked up by the police for Drunk & Disorderly and taken back home, where she became combative and verbally abusive.

One of the officers did arrest her for using a homophobic slur (they were obviously looking for a reason to nick her by that point), but she was released shortly after and nothing came of it. The officer was investigated, and their behavior was addressed.

Not really a 'free speech incident', despite what some would like people to think.

Until you’re paying taxes here, it doesn’t matter.
And yet people voted Trump.

15% of all sexual offences (including rape) were accounted for by foreign nationals in the most recent figures. Romanians had the most convictions, then Poles, Indians and Pakistanis.

I can't find the exact figure but I believe asylum seekers account for between 1-2% of all sexual offences.

I’d give him a ⭐️ for stopping immigration whereas our lot seem to be making it easier for immigrants to get in

Oh dear your one of those OP, who barely reads beyond MSM.
Whilst here in the UK, we’ve got Starmer and Khan, complete open boarders, a dying NHS and record numbers being arrested for thought crime-oh god yes we live in such a great country, not!

I also read a report that said a third of rapes are committed by migrants in the U.K. that means two-thirds are committed by non-migrants. I hope that helps

Has it occured to you to consider what proportion of the uk population are migrants?.

You’ve ignored everything that anyone, including myself, has said to you if you can’t froth at it. Anything balanced or factual that anyone has responded to you you have absolutely ignored.

BINGO! 'frothing'.

And, whether you agree with vaseofviolets or not, I challenge any poster to find a post that displays that.

We have our own homeless - what’s the solution?

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/native-americans-say-tribal-members-harassed-by-immigration-agents-2025-01-30/

Do you think Putin is a dictator?

The one where a vulnerable autistic 16 year old was taken home by the police after reports she was intoxicated and at risk in the city centre? Seems her mother was concerned enough to film her being arrested but not enough to protect her from being in dangerous situation in the first place.

Well said. Many of our citizens love to signal their virtue. They are obsessed with Trump and Farage, call everything they don't agree with Far right and/or racist. They will look for racism around every corner, while condescending POC. Being 'on the right side of history' - Gaza being a classic example - is a must for them. Luckily, the rest of us can just tell them to piss off, when they try to recruit you - except you can't say that as deliciously on here, as you can outside this bubble.

ETA@ @CerealForDinnerAgain

People die in the US because you have no health service & they will continue to die.

Trump being "the big i am" over Ukraine, his siding up to Putin, whats all that about??
Putin invaded, yet Zelensky is the bad guy....

Trump supports/excuses Putin at every opportunity, the real question is why??

Trump is actually a very poor "dictator" he is weak, very weak, you think you've a strong man but TACO is very real, does it on tariffs, does it over Putin.

My own belief is Putin has something over Trump.... You lot elected a Russian Stooge.

2 Tier justice? Trump ordered the release of people who tried to kill police officers at the Whitehouse and who he encouraged to overthrow an election.

...I'd look at your own justice issues and freedom of speech restrictions first.

All-powerful executive branch (well, one person only: POTUS) and subservient legislative and judicial branches (ie. removal of checks and balances), extreme gerrymandering potentially compromising the fairness of future elections , pressuring of academia and media, unaccountable beefed up agency dedicated to the removal of undesirables, military takeover of cities... I mean, it's not looking good. Anyone with any notion of political philosophy and history is in agreement that all of the above are telltale signs.

The UK doesn‘t have gangs of masked men lifting people off of the streets and sending them to CECOT with no due process.

The UK doesn't have DOGE rooting through its computers and passing confidential information to the Russians.

The UK isn’t starting a pointless trade war with the whole world, in which there will be no winners (but the US will be the biggest loser).

The UK doesn‘t have a head of state who let a violent insurrection happen.

The UK isn't deploying troops to suppress its major cities.

The UK isn't cracking down on academic freedom.

Do I need to go on? Yes, the UK is far better off.

It absolutely matters to the rest of the world. Have you thought of the millions of people affected by the withdrawal of USAid? And for Europe, you may not give a shit, but the decisions your dismal administration is taking directly and deeply affects our security. I have two kids of fighting age. I care.
By the way, I have have been a regular visitor to the US for my entire life, am partly US educated and have my childhood friends in the US. They agree with me.

'Protest groups being classed as illegal.'

Palestine Action weren't banned for protesting. Heaven knows, we have hundreds, probably thousands of protest groups in the UK doing their thing every day of the week. They were banned because of stunts like breaking into an Raf base. I' my guessing if a similar group had broken into an USAF base they wouldn't have been arrested and their group banned, but would have probably been shot.

As to Russian meddling in US elections - from Trump's mouth to your ear.......

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jul/18/donald-trump-putin-2016-election-russia-cbs

https://time.com/5341137/donald-trump-vladimir-putin-russian-meddling-correction/

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/politics/senate-panel-finds-russia-interfered-in-the-2016-us-election

The last is about a report from a Republican led Senate committee.

Correct about PAG - protestors, when they support those terrorists, are supporting interfering with military aircraft. I don't see what's so hard to understand.

What dictatorship still has freedom of expression?

Agree with all of this except for the last word.

America is not a dictatorship yet. I will reserve judgement on that point until we see if he tries to extend his term somehow, eg postponing the election for some spurious reason. He's got form, the events on Jan 6 showed us that.

Some of the actions the immigration service is taking in his name are appalling, and clearly contrary to human rights, like this US citizen child with cancer detained . Where's the due process, and right to challenge the action?

There's a lot wrong with the UK, for sure, but our government isn't locking up and deporting children, and certainly not children who are UK citizens.

Somebody better explain to the OP what the First Amendment is.

Yep.
I wouldn’t say things in the US seem great but that’s by our standards - compare the US to any actual dictatorship past or present and the US will seem like a utopia