By Kumar David –
Prof. Kumar David
There have been more than a few articles and commentaries in recent weeks arguing that Donald Trump is attempting to foist a dictatorship on the USA. It can’t be done before the November 2020 presidential election but more than one writer (most of them American) makes the case that this is entirely possible during his second term if he wins one. I do not think this is likely but to be fair let me summarise the case of these interlocutors today.
Part of the case is built around comparison with Adolf Hitler in the 1930s and more important what Hitler got away with as all Europe (except the lone voices of Trotsky and Churchill) shivered and shrivelled in the face of rising arrogance. There is truth in the parallel. In March 1938 Hitler annexed Austria while the European powers and America looked away. Pleased by this docility, he annexed the Sudetenland a largely German part of Czechoslovakia. France and the UK betrayed Czechoslovakia just as they are today complicit in dishonouring the Iran nuclear deal since they fear to say boo to the Trumpian goose. A year later in March 1939 (Trump never waits that long) Hitler invade all of Czechoslovakia, split it into the German client Slovak Republic and protectorates Bohemia and Moravia. America operates with similar objectives but through intermediaries; the Saudi Royalty despite its allegedly murderous Crown Prince, the Emirates and British colony Bahrain are contracted to contain Iran by war (Yemen) and embargo (Iran and Oman). Israel holds the nuclear trump (sic!) on behalf of Washington.
Appeasement of Hitler followed on two more fronts: The bogus “peace in our time” Munich Agreement entered into by British PM Chamberlin and the hateful Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact which recognised German rights over western Poland and Lithuania while eastern Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Bessarabia were lunch for the USSR. The Pact was signed in August 1939, France and Britain declared war on Germany on 3 September, so Germany and the USSR helped themselves to their servings of the booty immediately afterwards. Today EU and NATO leaders squirm before Trump to a degree that even Chamberlain never would have, China’s president Xi Jiping dares not confront him not only on trade but also arming Taiwan with powerful new weapons and South China Sea logistics (I do not support China’s claim to the South China Sea but that’s a separate issue). Also, Trump plays footsie with an ever-willing Putin and gaily indulges in a love-in with fat-boy Kim.
I have no faith that the so-called international community will reverse the onward march of this mega bully. Except Putin all are waiting for November 2020 and praying for his defeat. Everyone in China and Hong Kong, in view of Beijing’s cowardliness in the face of Trump’s arrogance seem to be beaching the US electorate to rid them of this troublesome ogre. Observe the importance of the US voter to all who hope that election will bring deliverance to a world that dares stand up for itself.One fine morning Briton awoke to discover that Trump had told Theresa May that “Many people would like to see Nigel Farage as British ambassador to the US. He would do a great job!” I would not be surprised if Trump copycat Boris Johnson, Britain’s incoming PM, were to mawkishly kiss Trump’s butt with an appointment decreed from across the Atlantic.
Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers moans “There’s something depraved about Trump’s dictator envy”; London Mayor Sadiq Khan compares Trump to 20th century fascist dictators and calls him “A Poster Boy For The Far-Right” and Thom Hartman claims in Salon that “Trump and GOP are blatantly encouraging foreign dictators to hack the 2020 election” in a reference to Trump-Putin bonhomie. Jonathan Freedland, a regular Guardian columnist cautions on 5 July 2019 that “Trump wants to be a dictator; it’s not enough just to laugh at him”. Not that humour is in short supply. Andy Borowitz a bestselling comedian has a skit in the New Yorker of 10 July titled “U.K. unable to find replacement ambassador who does not think Trump is an idiot”.
Following the resignation of Ambassador Kim Darroch the UK government has disclosed that it has been unable to find a replacement who does not think Donald J. Trump is a blithering idiot. At a press conference at Downing Street, Prime Minister May revealed that the search for a new ambassador who does not believe that Trump is an imbecile had come up empty. “We did not want a repeat of the unfortunate Kim Darroch incident, so we made the first question on the job application, ‘Do you think Donald Trump is a moron?’ So far none of the applicants has checked the ‘no’ box” she admitted.
Jonathan Freedland in the piece I referred to before observes that calling Trump a bone head because he had Washington’s troops capturing “British airports” in 1865 during the American Revolution” and fanciful gibberish “We will plant the American flag on Mars” at his July 4th speech should not deaden us to a chilling truth. This man is “behaving like an authoritarian dictator who threatens democracy in his own country and beyond”. He demonises migrants, dissidents and Congresswomen of colour and builds a kleptocratic hereditary dynasty. His claim of voter fraud in Texas has been debunked; he lied that his opponents were stealing elections; he accommodates foreign leaders at his profitable hotels and resorts to make money. The really chilling prospect that Freedland flags is: “He muses out aloud about being president for live saying it would be great. He has indicated that he would not accept the outcome of an election he lost and he has threatened to jail political opponents”. If he loses in 2020, he will galvanise an army of devotees howling that it was rigged and demanding the result be annulled; I expect him to declare the result void based on imaginary voter fraud or some other pretext.
Trump is unlike any US president we have seen before There is a false presumption that an elected dictator is an oxymoron. Democracy is a means to place someone in office; dictatorship is about wielding power. Trump does not fit the stereotype because he has is an American autocrat but American democracy may be facing the gravest crisis in its 255 years of existence. Often a dictator is elected for a first term but the game changes afterwards. Trump’s style is different from Duterte’s but equally outrageous. Not only Republicans but also some Sri Lankan ex-leftist are making excuses for this authoritarian is in the Oval Office. Democracy has withstood past threats but this time it seems different. He is appointing sympathetic judges in record numbers; the Judiciary is not going to be reliable in checking Executive abuse.
It is true that Trump hasn’t murdered journalists, jailed political opponents or confined minority millions to camps like in China. But he has built camps on the border where children are separated from their families in cruel conditions; some have died. He pushed zero tolerance for asylum seekers and fired officials for not being cruel enough. He instructs aides to ignore Congressional subpoenas; he is the first US president ever to declare a national emergency to circumvent the constitutional authority granted to Congress by the constitution; a straightforward authoritarian power-grab.
His most recent profanity is outright racism. He deemed four Congresswomen unfit to live in the US and asked them to go back and fix their rotten broken “home” countries though three were born in the US and the fourth got there at the age of twelve. By these criteria (colour, birth place, age at arrival and broken country of origin) every one of my relatives and friends had better start packing their bags. This man is a menace; violence against minorities and immigrants starts small before it goes out of control; Nazi Germany, SWRD’s Sri Lanka, Mugabe’s and recently Modi’s India. As the 2020 election campaign builds, Trump’s racist campaign is for electoral purposes. He is playing to his gallery as SWRD, Mugabe and Modi did. America has tens of millions who will fight him. In the end his dictatorial ambitions will bite the dust, but only after a fight. Republicans and the emigrant sludge from Lanka I spoke of will be hapless spectators in this fight. Pity!
JD / July 21, 2019
What we see every where is Capitalism or the Neo-liberalism is falling apart. Those days, they said we should give good wages and then only every one can buy a car. So, each house had few to several vehicles. They said globalization is good for the world. But, Trump said America is first and Trans Pacific Trade Treaty would harm american businesses.
Trump came saying he would become a socialist. But, now he is working for the american Deep State which is run by the Hyperstate needs and he has to win the election if not he would become a loser.
Ranil and Mahinda Rajapakse are doing exactly the same. The minimum, TRUMP is patriotic andd loves his country in comparison to Ranil and UNP, Mahinda rajapakse and his SLPP who are trying to live extravagant lives at the expense of the country.
TrUMP tried to bully North Korea and China came in the middle. Now Trump is trying Iran and he wants Britain as the CAT PAW and it is working. US is very careful not to a SUEZ canal like war.
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CondemnedLizaPriceless / July 21, 2019
Trump is a f’ing DISGRACE to be compared to Hitler. Please don’t insult Hitler Professor David. Trump has already made the US into a kakistocracy. Trump has not made the USA into a dictatorship because dictatorships have a modicum of moral decency and efficiency This is not an ‘attempt’ but a surgical gutting of a US democracy by conspirators and villains plotting her demise. The villains are none other than Putin and Kim Jong-Un, the latter being Trumo’s new found lover boy according to Trump himself. Damn good lesson to the USA’s megalomaniacs who thought they were the center of the universe and commanded everything in the world. The US now finds under a mountain of SHIT being detached from their one time allies. Theocratic mad hatters such as Iran do not need to shout slogans anymore to threaten “Death to America” because under Trump, the USA is, DEAD. If this Trump lunatic is re-elected, then the USA can finally be laid to rest. What a pathetic end to a country that once was a major contributor and beacon of hope for life, liberty, scientific inventions and prosperity to the rest of the world.
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Leonard / July 21, 2019
“CondemnedLizaPriceless”
This response is the proof “Trump Deranged Syndrome” is real sicknesses and it’s going to be worst than ever after 2020. Wait for more incoherent mumbling.
It’s going to be so entertaining can’t wait for 2020.
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niro / July 21, 2019
Kumar David seems to be only reading the liberal media and hence his conclusions are flawed. Trump is the darling of the right and can’t put a foot wrong with white male majority. This’ll is what he promised and what he is is delivering. Also the American foreign policy since the 1940’s is controled by the Zionist front group – the council for foreign relations. Trump is doing their bidding. One of their main goals being the destruction of Iran and sriya.
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Don Stanley / July 21, 2019
Kumar: How come you ignore that Sri Lanka must first boot out the US Ambassador Alina Teblitz for weaponizing Buddhism (and Islam with her Saudi partners), and impeach US puppet Bondscam Ranil and his partner in the corruption racket Mahinda Rajapassa and ex-US citizen Gota the wanna be Racist President of Banana Republic in the Trump model?!
This corrupt generation of UNP-SLFP politicians must share a prison cell and it is time for a new and YOUNGER GENERATION of politicians to take over and lead Lanka.
But KD like the NGO protestors remain silent these days instead of pushing for a generational change that the country desperately needs.
Teblitz and also the EU Representative has been interfering in domestic affairs of Sri Lanka, visiting and funding Buddhist monks and violating the US Constitutional separation of Religion and State. A far bigger offense than the UK ambassador’s leaked cables on the Trump administration.
Bondsacm Ranils LGBTQ NGO sareee ladies and activist actors should protest outside the US Embassy and pile the Diego Garcia garbae dumped in Sri Lanka there. US is building a military base on Galle Road in the heart of Colombo on land where the UK embassy used to be. This should be shut down.
US has bee promoting inter-religious – Islam-Buddhist conflict and intra-religious conflicts among Buddhist groups and within Islamic community in Sri Lanka ever since the LTTE was defeated with US citizen Gota funding BBS, Mahasohon Balakaya and Towheed Jamat.
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Leonard / July 21, 2019
Oh Professor nightmare continues and its become a daymare for likes of you Clinton’s Pelosi & AOC 99% tax the rich the squad the pseudo liberals and the new entrant Megan the princess.
In case you miss the news because it obvious you get all your news only watching Trump hating news outlets. Obama the so called intellectual who chose white supremacist friendly China Biden as his Left hand man with his all oratory skills paying the Iran ransom money Iranians now sticking up to the UK. not US because the Mullahs are s**t scared of Trump.
More people are in jobs specially the minorities best economic recovery Chinese factories closing and cutting back on production wrenr the Chines wrer going to bring the Trumpster to his knees . Did the world war happened as predicted in case I missed it you can fill me up on that. Trump popularity is soaring. It is sad to see now you are upset and crying over Trumpster showing the door to a snobby English colonial once you hated so much. See the irony I cant stop laughing.
By the way you can sit with AOC , old Bernie who’s wife sold out university building that some old nuns were residing so much for the socialism ai! , Kamala who slept her way up the ladder the Pocahontas Liz and start preparing for apocalypse.
Worst scenario dictator may well win the ballet and will have a second term. Good news for the Taleb described “intellectual yet idiot’s” they can keep writing and be employed so by try to convince ordinary hard working people that they know better because they are intellectuals. Isn’t the freedom of speech marvelous.
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Tara / July 21, 2019
A typical Trump supporter, who has bought the conspiracy theories spewed by Trump and the right wingers. Here are THE FACTS:
“Full Story
As a candidate during the 2016 campaign, President Donald Trump criticized the international agreement to curb Iran’s nuclear weapons’ program — formally called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action — that had been adopted the year before. He suggested that the U.S. had returned $150 billion to Iran as part of the deal.
That’s not true. We’ve written about this issue before. PolitiFact and the Washington Post have, too.
But Trump has repeated the claim as recently as December, when he tweeted: “The Democrats and President Obama gave Iran 150 Billion Dollars and got nothing, but they can’t give 5 Billion Dollars for National Security and a Wall?”
Trump’s bogus claim now has been repeated in a meme that references the president’s declaration of a national emergency to redirect federal funds for a proposed wall on the southern border.
The meme, which has been shared 149,000 times on Facebook, mentions the recent lawsuit brought against the Trump administration by 16 states to block the national emergency. The meme says: “So, when Obama bypassed the Congress while giving Iran 150 billion in cash, how many States had sued him?”
First of all, former President Barack Obama didn’t give “150 billion in cash” to Iran.
The nuclear agreement included China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union, so Obama didn’t carry out any part of it on his own. The deal did lift some sanctions, which lifted a freeze on Iran’s assets that were held largely in foreign, not U.S., banks. And, to be clear, the money that was unfrozen belonged to Iran. It had only been made inaccessible by sanctions aimed at crippling the country’s nuclear program.
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Leonard / July 23, 2019
Tara
And you are? A typical supporter of Team Obama and China Biden (friend of James O Eastland Herman E Talmadge) . Enough said.
Americans can be tolerant but even for them after eight years rejected commander in chief Food Stamp President Obama doctoring. Or are you implying over night American’s decided to become racists and elected Trump. Now dont say Crooked Hillery got more votes.
I guess your heart is with Iran because you live in a Muslim country with all the freedom they allow to you with in the boundaries of Koranic Law and feel animosity towards Western way of living. For FYI Trump may get a second term.
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Tara / July 24, 2019
You have no clue, do you? Not only do you NOT know who I am, where I live, and what my political affiliation is, you also wrong in spewing talking points found in conspiracy websites by American right wingers. I am not going to waste my time trying to convince an ignorant person like you what the facts are. I can however advice you to go get your information from websites that fact check, instead of right wing propaganda. You will be smarter for that.
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Tara / July 21, 2019
Trump’s popularity is NOT soaring. Only his cult followers still support him, believe him, and are not informed enough to realize they are being conned:
“As he seeks a second term in the 2020 election, President Trump should be able to lean on his advantage in the Electoral College — in 2016, as you might remember, he lost the national popular vote but won enough states (and the right states) to secure 270 electors and take the presidency.
But new polling of his state-by-state approval ratings suggests the president is unpopular in some of the most important battleground states for 2020, an ill omen if the trends hold until Election Day 2020.
Trump has been unpopular since his first day in office. The question now is whether he’s so unpopular that it overrides his advantage as an incumbent and a pretty strong US economy. The new state polls from Morning Consult don’t bode well for him.”
Reality. He has never gone above 50percent Approval rating throughout his presidency, in fact has the lowest Approval ratings for any president. With these numbers he cannot win, and he has divided the country so much, he has NOT earned any new supporters.
Change your source of information.
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Leonard / July 23, 2019
Tara
Memory loss is one main symptom of Trump derange syndrome. Remember the polls before the last election 2016 of-course not . Let me remind you of expert predictions by pollsters.Crooked Hillery by 85%. Hillery by land slide. And one Genius said he could see Trump as the “President in SNL skit” that was what’s his name Obama, and another famous loony said “Trump will not be the President” that was Clooney. And I read Tom Hanks still waiting for little green men come from Mars.
My few favorites are Steve Kornacki. Rachel Mad-ddo, Alcoholic uncle Bob Dekel. Billy Cristal.
So keep you faith in polls hold on to it when one is drowning try and grasp a straw.
After giving you so much grief I will give you one statistic because your undying love affair and faith with the poll numbers.
At the time of the election 2016, Trump had the highest unfavorability rating in history, with over 61% of Americans having an “unfavorable” view or “disapproving” of Trump. So said the polls.
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Tara / July 24, 2019
The polling companies did NOT factor in Russian interference.
You can keep vomiting out right wing propaganda, and attack the main stream American media, and although they are not perfect, they report the news, report what the dumb American president says, and IT IS UP TO INTELLIGENT PEOPLE TO FACT CHECK IT FROM CREDIBLE SOURCES, NOT RIGHT WING GARBAGE.
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Karthigesu M Nirmalannathan / July 21, 2019
Why do people never learn? They always fall in the trap of quick-fix merchants and emotional politics.
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L. Piyadasa / July 21, 2019
Ver good summary of week’s news for those who couldn’t get to read or watch TV!
Nothing more.
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Chitra / July 21, 2019
The first thing a dictator does, is turn the people against the media, because it is the main stream media that will criticize and bring into focus the dictator’s crimes, mistakes, and the eroding of democracy. This is exactly what Trump did as soon as he took over the country. He calls the media the “enemy of the people”, and endorses conspiracy websites, and links them in his tweets. The media is not perfect, but any intelligent person should know how to verify, research, and get to the truth, which unfortunately the Trump cult followers do not do. This is why he bragged he can kill someone on 5th street, and he will not lose a single supporter. Fact checkers have found he has lied over 10,000 times, and yet his supporters keep believing him. If President Obama had lied on tape so many times, been accused of rape, caused a humanitarian crisis at the border, refused to release reports, prevented officials from testifying, shown racist tendencies, and been involved in so many scandals, hiring, firings, investigations, and caught lying on a daily basis, the republicans would have howled with outrage, and impeached him by now. Trump is a racist, sides with white supremacists, and treats brown children like animals in cages. Many children have died under Trump’s cruel policies, and records show no child died during other presidents. By now you would think his non white supporters would have understood it clearly, but it seems they have bought into his narrative that the media, the Democrats, Hillary Clinton, his own FBI officials, intelligence officials, world leaders, and anyone who dares to criticize him, are all out to get him. Pathetic.
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Leonard / July 23, 2019
Chitra
Obama miss speaking shocking for such a high IQ intellectual GENIUS.
If you like your Dr you can keep your doctor,
Not a smidgen of corruption in the IRS under my administration.
Day after Benghazi I acknowledge this was terrorist attack
I didn’t call the Islamic state JV team
Republican’s have filibustered 500 legislation.
90% of budget deficit because of Bush policies
More Black people in jail the attending schools and universities ( more minorities go jobs and now working under Trump fact)
Signed in to law biggest tax cut in the history.
Do you want moor to fact check?
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Tara / July 24, 2019
Here is some information that you seem to have missed:
“Trump has also frequently touted that black unemployment is at a record low. But that figure is volatile on a monthly basis. After achieving a record low of 5.9 percent in May, it has since jumped back up to 6.6 percent.
Trump is taking credit he doesn’t deserve for job growth, according to many economists who view the continued growth since the middle of 2009 as the primary explanation for the recent hiring. More important, there are multiple signs that the racial wealth gap is now worsening and the administration appears to have done little, if anything, to specifically address this challenge.
“To identify a single indicator of employment as an indicator of economic health is, at best, incomplete,” said Darrick Hamilton, a professor of economics at the New School in New York City. “It is intentionally deceptive to focus only on that indicator.”
Government data show troubling economic disparities for black Americans” APNews
Change your source of information, you are embarrassing yourself here.
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K.Pillai / July 21, 2019
Kumar David’s {“Trump Boots Out UK Ambassador”} is the born-again Kumar sensationalising.
Sir Kim Darroch has resigned as UK ambassador to the US, as a row over leaked emails critical of President Trump’s administration escalates. Sir Kim called a spade a spade. He stood up, was counted. He resigned.
Trump {“Panics Europe”}? EU leaders do not care at all, except the President of Hungary Janos Ader.
Trump {“Intimidates Xi”} Even non-admirers of Xi accept it is the other way
Trump {“Bullies Iran”} Is trying to bully
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Kumar was told to say if at all {“But He Will End Up A Damp-Squib-Hitler”}
Hitler of the Asgiriya variety?
Minnesota Representative Democrat Ilhan Omar has responded to Donald Trump’s criticism of her as well as the chanting of ‘send her back’, which was heard at a Trump rally in North Carolina. Speaking at Capitol Hill on Thursday, she said ‘we have said this president is racist’ before later adding that she believes Trump ‘is a fascist’.
PS: Trotfucius say “Know where come Kumar. Where go?”
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Salagama American / July 22, 2019
He’s gonna win on 2020. Then Pence will win in 2024. All socialists, heathens, minorities will have to accwp Trump. Look at job growth, p
Optimism in the business community, how high the Dow Jones Index is.He wins.
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Jay Chambers / July 24, 2019
Sadly almost everyone here is missing out on the real story. Under Trump America is great again – record low unemployment, commercial activities at their peak, stock markets beatings records, pride in country and heritage, etc. etc. This he achieved in his first 24 months, and he will by 2020 command the biggest dollar war chest for campaigning for his re-election raised from his loyal base. And almost all the anti-Trump propaganda is easily proven false. Its envy on steroids!
Democrats have now become socialists and communists and deep in their hearts people hate these developments. You can put me down for November 2020 – the greatest electoral victory in recent history or something close will happen and the winner will be Donald Trump. He will totally change America for the better and also the whole world better. The President of Pakistan, a country crawling with fanatic, barbaric Moslem monsters, the rogue country who gave refuge to Osama Bin Laden just came to the US and he has to ride a train from airport like yet another regular traveler to get to his ambassadors place and then crawl to the White House to get a meeting with Trump. In contrast India’s Modi is treated to a state dinner and feted as a world leader. This is TRUMP, the real leader, who knows how to deal with lunatic fringe in his country as well as the global Jihadi ISIS network and their sympathizers.
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