by Jim Anderson
November 1, 2024
The central question of the election of 2024 is “do Americans want to vote for the first Dictator in Chief in our nation’s history?” Trump has not concealed his intentions to be “Dictator on Day 1.” He idolizes Putin and the other dictators of the world because they have unlimited, unchecked power.
That is what he wants for himself in the United States. He has not hidden his plans from the American people, but it appears Americans are not envisioning the America he intends to create. If they were, they would be rushing to the polls to avoid that reality at all costs, regardless of their political affiliations. Too many Americans remember that Trump served one term as President and then the country elected Joe Biden over Trump in the 2020 election. They may anticipate that if Trump is elected in 2024, they can vote him or his designated successor out in 2028, but that is not the case. If Trump wins in 2024, that will be the last free and open election in our county’s history. Russia has “elections,” but the outcome is predetermined with the Dictator receiving huge margins of victory.
In July, 2024, Trump told evangelical supporters, “Get out and vote. Just this time. You won’t have to do it anymore. Four more years, you know what? It’ll be fixed, it’ll be fine. You won’t have to vote anymore.”
Think about how citizens live in countries controlled by dictators. The millions of people in Russia are poor and their economy is cratering, but that doesn’t matter to Putin and his oligarchs who have lined their pockets by using their dictatorial power to become among the richest men in the world. Their government does not serve the people; the people are there to do the bidding of the government. The most common characteristic of dictatorships is that the people lose their freedom. Anyone who disagrees with the Dictator is an enemy of this country…Trump is calling it “the enemy within.”
Those people will either have to change their behavior and support the Dictator or have the power of the State come down upon them. Those who disagree with the Dictator are often jailed or even killed, their property and assets seized by the State. This has been part of Trump’s playbook from day 1 when he wanted Hillary Clinton imprisoned (“LOCK HER UP”) because she opposed him. In our history, we have never had a Presidential candidate leading his followers in chants to “lock up’ their political opponents.
He has already said (on September 7 at a rally in Wisconsin) that under his dictatorship, lawyers. donors and political workers supporting democratic candidates will be under his close scrutiny, and if they did anything wrong (and Trump is the one defining “wrong”), they could face long prison terms. He has already said he will use the military against American citizens if necessary (and he will define what is “necessary”). He has already demonstrated a willingness to use the power of his office for retribution against his enemies.
Our institutions will be forever changed.
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