Thirteen months ago, November 15, 2016, I wrote my first post after Trump was elected president. I was stunned. Horrified. Terrified contemplating the future of our country in a Trump regime. In that post, I wrote that I knew awful things would happen with any Republican president in office who had a Republican Congress and a conservative-majority Supreme Court supporting him. Millions of Americans, probably hundreds of millions, would be hurt when conservative priorities were turned into law and executive actions. But as bad as that might be, it wasn’t what I most feared. Eventually the damage could be mitigated or reversed when Democrats regained some of their lost power. My worst fears had to do with a slide toward Trump-led authoritarianism which would change the very nature of our constitutional democracy. The effects could be irreversible.

I titled the post THREAT Watch, short for Trump Human Rights Erosion And Termination Watch.

But hell, I was upset over the election results. Maybe I was being irrational, a sore loser overreacting to Trump’s unexpected win and exaggerating the damage he could do.

I wish I could say my predictions were an overreaction. Looking back at the post from a year’s distance, I see no reason to change a word. The Trump administration started out badly. It got worse. Right now, we stand at the most dangerous crossroads of his short presidency.

Here’s what I wrote about the changes I thought were inevitable once Republicans dominated all three branches of the federal government.

All kinds of terrible things are going to happen with Trump in the White House, a Republican majority in both houses of Congress and a conservative majority on the Supreme Court. Taxes and business regulations will favor the rich even more than they do now. Entitlement programs for the poor will be cut dramatically. Comprehensive women’s health care which includes abortion will be nonexistent in many parts of the country. Obamacare, Medicare and Social Security will be savaged.

Everything on my list has either happened or is in the works. Trump and his cabinet have gutted every economic and environmental regulation they’ve been able to get their hands on and ignored the rest. The tax cut is a big, wet, sloppy kiss on the mouth of every one-percenter in the country. And the trillion-plus deficit created by the tax cuts will accomplish the Republican goal of starving the budget beast, giving them the excuse they need to say we simply can’t afford all that entitlement spending for welfare, food stamps, Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

The gutting and cutting will only get worse when the legislature returns in January. And yet, disasters written into legislation and regulation aren’t written in stone. Like the destruction brought by hurricanes, floods and fire, much of the damage can be repaired through time and effort.

More dire is the possibility the Trump presidency will damage the fabric of our society, which is not easily restored. I wrote about that next.

But as bad as those changes will be, my worst fears for the country have to do with the loss of human rights and the suppression of dissent. Trump and his allies don’t have to pass new laws to persecute minority groups and target enemies. All it takes to create a police state and a climate of fear is an increased use of force against citizens and credible threats directed at the media. A Trump administration can do that on its own. It can make people afraid to congregate, afraid to act, afraid to say and write what they think—even afraid in some cases to come out of their homes.

If Trump had been free to enact what he has promised and threatened on the campaign trail and continues to rant about in his daily tweets, we would already be deep into the scenario I described a year ago. His targeting of Muslims in particular and immigrants in general, along with his support for white supremacists, has been shocking. His expanding enemies list makes Nixon’s paranoid fixation on people he was sure were out to get him look quaint by comparison. Trump’s hatred for and threats directed at the media continue nonstop.

Thus far, fortunately, the country’s institutions have been strong and resilient enough to withstand the worst of Trump’s excesses. The courts reversed much of his anti-immigration edict, though they let some of it stand. The media outlets he has targeted with unrelenting ferocity have mostly held firm. Instead of being cowed into submission and becoming meek stenographers for his half truths and lies, they’ve continued to report the facts as they see them and cover stories the way they should be covered. Serious reporters have resisted the urge to normalize the aberrant Trump presidency. Meanwhile, people continue to take to the streets and occupy congressional office buildings to make their voices heard.

During this time, though, right wing media has solidified in its support for Trump. Its most visible organ of disinformation, Fox News, has become a wholly owned subsidiary of the administration. And lately, Republican politicians who were wary of giving Trump too much support when he first came into office are lining up to flatter him, kiss his ring and call him Godfather. Voices of Republican dissent in Congress and the party establishment have grown weary of the fight and fallen in line.

Very possibly the greatest threat to our democracy right now is the threat to Trump’s presidency in the form of the Mueller investigation. Trump and his allies are the only people who know for sure how much they have to worry about what Mueller digs up. If it’s half as damaging as it looks from the outside, Trump and his team could be in grave political and legal danger, and the only way they may see to staunch the bleeding is to bring the investigation to a screeching halt. Trump, Fox News and the crazy-base rightwing media are creating the impression that anyone who wants to investigate connections and collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia are enemies who want to destroy Trump for partisan reasons — worse, they’re mounting a coup to overthrow the government. A substantial number of Republicans in Congress, including some who have expressed skepticism about Trump, are joining in.

The most logical way to stop the coup described by Trump and his acolytes is to disempower, maybe even arrest its leaders and empty out complicit parts of the government. Not only would Mueller have to go, but so would much of the FBI and anyone else in government who is disloyal to Trump. In this scenario, it would be necessary to destroy our democratic form of government with its checks and balances in order to save it. As for members of the media and protesters, they would need to be brought to heel for their treasonous words and actions.

This possibility is being discussed with increasing alarm by a growing number of people, including conservative writers and intellectuals who see Trump and his presidency as a genuine threat to the country. We are edging toward a constitutional crisis which could tear the country apart and, if Trump and his followers solidify power, we could become a country which is a democracy in name only.

This article appears in Dec 21-27, 2017.

33 replies on “T.H.R.E.A T. Watch, a Year Later”

  1. Donald Trump’s “America First” policy with the mantra “We will win”!! is nothing more than the recrudescence of the Social Darwinism of the 19th century philosopher, Herbert Spencer. It held that White European’s were superior socially, politically and economically to the rest of Human Society. Trump is claiming the same for the United States.

    This view of Human Society was used by Hitler to justify the Holocaust with the removal of those that the Nazis considered inferior. It also supports the view that “social welfare programs” are contrary to “social improvement’ by perpetuating those with “inferior genetics”.

    Once again, Donald Trump demonstrates how Dangerous and Destructive he is to our Constitutional Democracy and National Security. He lacks a complete understanding of the very nature of Human Society; our Inherent Relatedness, Commonality and Mutual Dependence.

    In this Age of Advanced Destructive Technology, including Biological and Chemical, the implementation of Trump’s Neo-Nazi Social Darwinism, a reflection of our mere Animal Nature, will result in either complete mutual annihilation or the annihilation or subjugation of all but the more “Technological Advanced” Social System.

    To avoid these possible scenarios, we must REJECT Trump and his “America First” Neo-Nazi Social Darwinism. Let us hope that we do the same in the up-coming 2018 Election Cycle and eliminate the Trump supporters from the Arizona Legislature and Congress; and, with this in place, the Removal of Donald Trump from Office!

    “This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing Government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it, or their revolutionary right to dismember or overthrow it”.. Abraham Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address March 4, 1861

    “….The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is it’s natural manure….” ( Thomas Jefferson to William Stephens Smith, Paris, 13 Nov. 1787)

  2. Sorry David but once the public found out that the media and the Democrats were lying to them about the tax cut legislation, they liked the actual truth. You sound like Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, trying to scare Americans with their irrational babbling about end times.

    Grow up and man up. You are estranging yourself from reality.

    Were you one of those that wanted George W Bush jailed?

  3. If only Trumps policies remained popular enough with the man himself so that he would follow through with them.

    He said Saudi Arabia was behind 9/11 and threatened to stop buying oil from them during his campaign, then went on to not mention a word about this when he was welcomed into the country by the royal family.

    He said he would label China a currency manipulator and buy them mcdonalds before he’d invite them out to dinner, and said we didn’t need to appease their “one china policy” but then went on to deny Taiwan’s independence and invite the Chinese president to mar a lago without mentioning a word about currency manipulation.

    He said that we should stay out of foreign wars during his campaign and (rightfully so) called out Hillary for being pro war during his campaign, then preceded to send even more troops to the middle east and attack the Assad government for the first time in US history.

    He said he was the only republican nominee who vowed not to cut medicaid, medicare or social security, but then threw his support behind a healthcare bill that would do just that.

    He talked about draining the swamp before filling his cabinet with billionaires, millionaires, businessmen and CEOs. The very same kind of people who filled that swamp before him.

    Divide and conquer politics. LBJ said it best “If you can convince the lowest white man he’s better than the best colored man, he won’t notice you’re picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he’ll empty his pockets for you.” Trump did the same thing convincing his supporters they can do something that “the establishment” doesn’t want; and it worked.

  5. I’m sure a lot of stooges agree with Geeks like Safier and Mr. Big words, but not everybody. Like the employees of Pfizer, AT&T and Comcast who received huge bonuses yesterday. I heard on the radio that Bob Parsons was giving 1.3 million in bonuses to it’s 725 employees. All because of Trump’s tax cuts. Just sayin’.

  6. Don’t worry, once his presidency is over we can rebuild the welfare state and become the great socialist, overpopulated country every Democrat desires in their heart.

  7. I can’t wait to see all of the people who voted for Trump and the Republicans to suffer financially from the tax-debacle that was just passed by REPUBLICANS. The irony is that most of the people who voted for Trump will benefit the least from the tax overhaul . Republicans are so mentally inept they know nothing about the Republican Party Platform and the only part of the Constitution that they comprehend is the 2nd Amendment. But one thing you can say about the conservative supporters is that they are INTRANSIGENT and will stand by any delusional decision they make regardless of whether they were right or wrong. When I talk with minimum wage earners, union members, and elderly on social security who proudly say they voted for Trump and the Republicans I realize at that point America has lost it’s mind and Democracy is crumbling before my eyes.

  8. Socialism: abolition of private property, private production, wages, the class system, and eventually the state.

    So how are democrats, controlled by large donors and lobbyists who don’t want the corporations they represent to be abolished, socialists?

  9. Pfizer, AT&T and Comcast bonuses were news because of their rarities. The AT&T bonus was negotiated months ago by their union and has nothing to do with the tax cut (although I give you Mgmt may have conceded in anticipation of the cut). Nevertheless, for each of these, there are thousands of corporations who will use the extra profits to buy back their own stock for the benefit of shareholders and senior executives, or for M&A, which typically leads to downsizing and fewer jobs. Most other CEOs have indicated that. Fox News doesn’t report that, but its in the business press. Interesting how people selectively listen to and tout the news they like to hear…ok both sides.

  10. Filterman. You are one of the many left wing stooges who refuses to give Trump any credit for anything good he does. If he found a cure for cancer your first thought would be ” look at the oncologists he just put out of work”. I guess you’re on the board of directors at A T & T to have all this inside information.

  11. Even if you’re shallow or greedy enough that all you really care about is money–and many of Tchump’s supporters are just that–Tchump still can’t be justified in any rational way.

    Tchump knows nothing of labor, economics, fair trade or even how to run a business. He made his money by being born to the right capitalist sperm donor, who passed down his talent for fleecing people and racially discriminatory real estate strategies to his spoiled-brat, silver-spoon son. Tchump pissed most of his daddy’s money away until he realized that he could parlay his psychotic narcissism into a lucrative TV career. Sadly, any society that’s fucked up enough to make a TV star out of a first-class jackass like Donald Tchump is also fucked up enough to make him President. The rest is (sordid) history.

    With any luck, 2018 will see our moronic, greedy, abusive, racist, sexually-assaulting “president” in chains. But don’t hold your breath. Wealthy white males like Tchump are good at evading responsibility for all sorts of things. It’s their greatest talent.

    And a Merry Capitalist Orgy Day to all.

  13. Beginning to look like Socialism is the new Communism… it’s always something we are supposed to be so afraid of that we let our government take away our rights and money and applaud them in their efforts to do so….

  14. CW13,

    Your blind love for tRump the Chump is only surpassed by your ignorance of everything he’s doing to destroy this country and make the government a complete plutocracy. He’s all about the 1% and that’s all he’s all about. Quit cherry picking the tRump “helping the little guy” nuggets and realize that he gives not one shit about you or any other little guy. Time for you and the other tRump lovers to understand that the only people who should be loving him are the 1%, for he works only for them because he has been bought and sold by them. Anyone else who shows support for him is only stepping on their own dick. It’s time to look at the whole big picture instead of insignificant pieces of it and understand why this country is going down the crapper because of his administrations so called leadership.
    Also, in reference to that AT&T thing, read how they made an announcement regarding thousands of their employees. What a great Christmas gift and what a wonderful start to the new year. Are you going to pat your buddy tRump on the back for that one also? Please feel free to link to the address I have included and while you’re at it hopefully you’ll get a clue.

    https://boxden.com/showthread.php?t=2562794

  16. Merry Christmas David and a Happy New Year;

    But, what a load of leftist spew. Let’s go over some facts:

    1) One hundred million taxpayers in quintiles one through three will receive $45 billion in tax cuts, more than, a lot more than 100% of what they paid in 2014 the last IRS distribution table publication.

    2) Yes, all of your economists are saying the economy and tax revenues are going to collapse next year. But, what do the leading indicators, the variables competent economists are supposed to study when predicting the future say?:

    1. Consumer Confidence is at a 20 year high, up sharply from its downward trend in 2015 and 2016;
    2. Aaa bond interest rates haven’t been this low since 2nd q 1959 when the economy grew 9.3%.
    3. The insured unemployment rate is at an all-time low by far, never been lower. Unemployment claims are at their lowest level in 43 years.
    4. Manufacturing hours are higher than any time since the 1940s;
    5. The stock market, this very second, is at $27.9 trillion, an all-time record, up $5.4 trillion since Trump was elected. By comparison, all of Europe’s stock market is $8 trillion, all of China’s stock market is $8 trillion, all of Russia’s stock market is 0.3 trillion (yes rounding error on our stock market).
    6. Single-family home permits are at records not seen since before Obama’s Great Recession.
    7. So, the leading, predictive indicators are red hot, heck white-hot. But, the inflation indicators are ice-cold. The embedded inflation rate in 5, 10, and 30-year inflation-adjusted bonds is less than 2%, below the Feds target. They can’t get inflation up to where they would like it to be.
    8. Every one of these variables has improved since Trump released his tax package on September 28th.

    So, you can believe your politically correct economists about the effects of reducing tax rates at the federal level or you can believe excellent economic analysis but you can’t believe both.

  17. Yeah, let’s be honest.

    The person posting under “Let’s Be Honest” is another person fooled by the tRump administration.

    Let me guess, you’re probably not one of the 1% either, correct?

    You and all the other fools who are not part of the 1% and praise the tRump administration are the truest of the truly ignorant.

    Read some articles that aren’t full of the fake news which you love and hopefully you will learn something.

    Also, Huppenthal, as usual, you don’t understand anything. Crawl back under your rock, you know, the same one you crawled under when you were exposed as Falcon, Socrates or whatever BS names you used when you were outed.

    Once a moron, always a moron when you keep on spouting the same BS.

  18. For jhuppent@hotmail.com , If everything is going so well in every aspect of our Economy please tell me why Trump and the Republicans felt the necessity to overhaul the tax system?? The answer lies in the near future. Republicans have been looking for a way to defund Social Security , Medicare, and Medicaid for decades without making them look like the MONSTERS they really are. So with this “Fantastic” tax cut which basically hands Trump and the Oligarchs BILLIONS the U.S. Treasury will be depleted in a short time and then these “entitlement” programs which sustain 100 million Americans will be unsustainable and will collapse. Blaming it on Capitalism takes the heat off Republicans for one of the greatest tragedies since the holocaust. Look at Kansas if you want to see how a mindless Republican in charge of the state can destroy it with the help of it’s own citizens.

  20. Okay, that’s fair, I don’t have a dick to step on because I have a vulva instead.

    By the way, did you read the link I provided?

    Hopefully you did and hopefully you learned something.

  22. Mr Good, Am I reading your post correctly in that you believe the Tax Reform will defund Social Security and Medicare?

  23. CW13,

    I don’t have anything regarding this situation in which I need to learn. I already see that big picture for what it is. You are the one in the dark and you prove it with each snide comment you post. I can tell that I’m probably wasting my time trying to show you the light because you’re not interested in seeing it. That’s too bad, because a 99 percenter that supports tRump is only hurting themselves. I can’t stop you if you want to be a masochist, so have at it.
    Here’s another link which proves tRump has no love for you or anyone else who makes up 99% of this country. I know that you’re too stubborn and intransigent to actually learn something from it, but read it anyway. Sometimes the light makes it through.

    https://mic.com/articles/187048/after-tax-bill-passes-trump-reportedly-tells-his-friends-they-all-just-got-a-lot-richer#.5pHQc21Fm

  25. Nope. I sure don’t. When I read tRump’s tweets, I know he’s full of shit.

  26. Now hear this, now hear this:

    Trumps approval rating is about to surpass Obama’s after his first year in office.

    I thought it might help if you heard it rather than reading it.

    See Twitter soon for details.

  28. David, I hope you are well stocked with Kleenex, as it will be a long, hard three more years for you. For me, the First year of Donald has been truly great!

    What you see as problems, I see as progress; notable the rollback of the hedious regulations imposed on us by the clueless Obama crowd. For me personnaly, the tax reform will be a great boon. While I am not in the top 1%, I am in the top 10% because of hard work for 58 years – indeed almost 75 years, as I started delivering papers at age 6 and have had a job until full retirement recently.

    Those who work, earn and advnace; those who do not, are stuck and doomed to remain and there is no reason my money should be used to try and move the “will nots” of the world.

  29. Wow Bb, you’re that old and you haven’t learned anything?

    You need to be a case study for graduate students who are in their 20s and have knowledge beyond what you could ever comprehend.

    Some people just don’t have it going on.

  30. Exactly Bisbee Boy. I couldn’t agree more, what a great year. And a Happy New Year to you. Those stuck in the welfare mentality can only hope that government takes from the producers and gives to their willing subjects.

    Sounds kind of like slavery. And it has been done by choice.

  31. Wayne Olson,

    So, I see that you’re still trolling on this thread. Your love for the tRump is unmatched. Head over to those fake news sites and profess your love for the orange orangutan in those places. It is not welcome here. We understand that he is a fool and we also understand that those who support him are also.

  33. Rest assured, I’ll never speak for you because I’ll never understand you. A 99 percenter (CW13) who loves an administration that his hell bent on destroying him (CW13) and his kind. I will never understand why someone wants to defeat themself. A great case for Ripley’s Believe it or Not!

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