That would be a lot easier and more predictable way of doing things, but election or no election I believe popular will matters. Authoritarianism is a lot harder to do when the subjects are restless.
Last time a president won by a landslide was when Obama pretended that it does in 08. Then he governed as just another “moderate” and the myth died everywhere except in the minds of the chronically naive and/or uninformed and the willfully obtuse.
Authoritarianism is a lot harder to do when the subjects are restless.
Sure, but it’s still been the modus operandi for the US government forever. Being the richest nation with the most bloated military in the history of the world makes unpopular things MUCH easier to get away with.
While overt fascism coming back is new, the US government has ALWAYS been authoritarian and the popular will has very rarely mattered more to its governance than “might makes right and rich makes mighty”.
If only they still planned to honor election results.
That would be a lot easier and more predictable way of doing things, but election or no election I believe popular will matters. Authoritarianism is a lot harder to do when the subjects are restless.
Last time a president won by a landslide was when Obama pretended that it does in 08. Then he governed as just another “moderate” and the myth died everywhere except in the minds of the chronically naive and/or uninformed and the willfully obtuse.
Sure, but it’s still been the modus operandi for the US government forever. Being the richest nation with the most bloated military in the history of the world makes unpopular things MUCH easier to get away with.
While overt fascism coming back is new, the US government has ALWAYS been authoritarian and the popular will has very rarely mattered more to its governance than “might makes right and rich makes mighty”.
Every time you say this you give them more power
But this is given that they won’t honor. The question is whether we let them.
Here’s my take on this:
There’s never been a “landslide win” for anybody, right? It’s always been just above 50%. So they just need to shake or discredit 1 or 2%.
Their approach is multipronged, and already happening for the longest time:
All these things have precedent going back decades. Not 100% sure about the last one though.