Mar- A Lago raided FBI Warrants
- Thread starter hillbill
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DIY-HP-LED
Well-Known Member
Umberto Eco Makes a List of the 14 Common Features of Fascism
One of the key questions today is can we use words like fascism with fidelity to the meaning of that word in world history?
While Eco is firm in claiming “There was only one Nazism,” he says, “the fascist game can be played in many forms, and the name of the game does not change.” Eco reduces the qualities of what he calls “Ur-Fascism, or Eternal Fascism” down to 14 “typical” features. “These features,” writes the novelist and semiotician, “cannot be organized into a system; many of them contradict each other, and are also typical of other kinds of despotism or fanaticism. But it is enough that one of them be present to allow fascism to coagulate around it.”
- The cult of tradition. “One has only to look at the syllabus of every fascist movement to find the major traditionalist thinkers. The Nazi gnosis was nourished by traditionalist, syncretistic, occult elements.”
- The rejection of modernism. “The Enlightenment, the Age of Reason, is seen as the beginning of modern depravity. In this sense Ur-Fascism can be defined as irrationalism.”
- The cult of action for action’s sake. “Action being beautiful in itself, it must be taken before, or without, any previous reflection. Thinking is a form of emasculation.”
- Disagreement is treason. “The critical spirit makes distinctions, and to distinguish is a sign of modernism. In modern culture the scientific community praises disagreement as a way to improve knowledge.”
- Fear of difference. “The first appeal of a fascist or prematurely fascist movement is an appeal against the intruders. Thus Ur-Fascism is racist by definition.”
- Appeal to social frustration. “One of the most typical features of the historical fascism was the appeal to a frustrated middle class, a class suffering from an economic crisis or feelings of political humiliation, and frightened by the pressure of lower social groups.”
- The obsession with a plot. “Thus at the root of the Ur-Fascist psychology there is the obsession with a plot, possibly an international one. The followers must feel besieged.”
- The enemy is both strong and weak. “By a continuous shifting of rhetorical focus, the enemies are at the same time too strong and too weak.”
- Pacifism is trafficking with the enemy. “For Ur-Fascism there is no struggle for life but, rather, life is lived for struggle.”
- Contempt for the weak. “Elitism is a typical aspect of any reactionary ideology.”
- Everybody is educated to become a hero. “In Ur-Fascist ideology, heroism is the norm. This cult of heroism is strictly linked with the cult of death.”
- Machismo and weaponry. “Machismo implies both disdain for women and intolerance and condemnation of nonstandard sexual habits, from chastity to homosexuality.”
- Selective populism. “There is in our future a TV or Internet populism, in which the emotional response of a selected group of citizens can be presented and accepted as the Voice of the People.”
- Ur-Fascism speaks Newspeak. “All the Nazi or Fascist schoolbooks made use of an impoverished vocabulary, and an elementary syntax, in order to limit the instruments for complex and critical reasoning.”
One detail of Eco’s essay that often goes unremarked is his characterization of the Italian opposition movement’s unlikely coalitions. The Resistance included Communists who “exploited the Resistance as if it were their personal property,” and leaders like Eco’s childhood hero Franchi, “so strongly anti-Communist that after the war he joined very right-wing groups.” This itself may be a specific feature of an Italian resistance, one not observable across the number of nations that have resisted totalitarian governments. As for the seeming total lack of common interest between these parties, Eco simply says, “Who cares?… Liberation was a common deed for people of different colors.”
Budzbuddha
Well-Known Member
Not Mar a lardass related but still funny.
The issue was brought up in court filings related to Carroll’s current lawsuit against the former president. She sued Trump while he was still at the White House, claiming she was defamed when Trump said the journalist’s revelations in her memoir were lies, adding a piggish line about how “she's not my type.”
Although the underlying accusations deal with sexual assault claims against the real estate billionaire, the nature of the legal dispute wasn't primed to go after Trump for the actual alleged assault.
That’s changed.
Roberta A. Kaplan, the journalist’s lawyer, explained in her letter to the judge that Carroll is now preparing to file a separate lawsuit under New York’s Adult Survivors Act “on the earliest possible date,” which is Nov. 24.
Kaplan also explained that Trump—as he has done in nearly every court case of late—is refusing to turn over court-mandated evidence.
Trump “remains unwilling to produce any documents in discovery,” not “a single document,” Kaplan wrote.
That's why, she said, Trump should be dragged into a room for a deposition that will question him under oath—an embarrassing exercise that could elicit damning information from the former president. And given that it's a civil case, any question Trump refuses to answer can be interpreted in the worst light possible—even as an admission.
Carroll’s next lawsuit could have a dramatically different—and more serious—result than the current defamation case.
In the current legal fight, Trump managed to employ the Department of Justice to defend him, leaving taxpayers on the hook for what was clearly a personal battle. However, any lawsuit under New York’s rape survivor law would target him directly while he’s no longer in office.
The issue was brought up in court filings related to Carroll’s current lawsuit against the former president. She sued Trump while he was still at the White House, claiming she was defamed when Trump said the journalist’s revelations in her memoir were lies, adding a piggish line about how “she's not my type.”
Although the underlying accusations deal with sexual assault claims against the real estate billionaire, the nature of the legal dispute wasn't primed to go after Trump for the actual alleged assault.
That’s changed.
Roberta A. Kaplan, the journalist’s lawyer, explained in her letter to the judge that Carroll is now preparing to file a separate lawsuit under New York’s Adult Survivors Act “on the earliest possible date,” which is Nov. 24.
Kaplan also explained that Trump—as he has done in nearly every court case of late—is refusing to turn over court-mandated evidence.
Trump “remains unwilling to produce any documents in discovery,” not “a single document,” Kaplan wrote.
That's why, she said, Trump should be dragged into a room for a deposition that will question him under oath—an embarrassing exercise that could elicit damning information from the former president. And given that it's a civil case, any question Trump refuses to answer can be interpreted in the worst light possible—even as an admission.
Carroll’s next lawsuit could have a dramatically different—and more serious—result than the current defamation case.
In the current legal fight, Trump managed to employ the Department of Justice to defend him, leaving taxpayers on the hook for what was clearly a personal battle. However, any lawsuit under New York’s rape survivor law would target him directly while he’s no longer in office.
hanimmal
Well-Known Member
Tossing Cohen back in j ail to try to get him to sign something saying he wouldn’t write a book isn’t?
Is this one of those situations where you have some backwards ass view of what fascism is?
Fogdog
Well-Known Member
It will be back. Cluttering these pages with ad hominems and other insults.
Budzbuddha
Well-Known Member
Only the BEST PEOPLE …. 
Donald the Dullard and his ragtag group of lawyers eating crow instead of cake.
Donald the Dullard and his ragtag group of lawyers eating crow instead of cake.
DIY-HP-LED
Well-Known Member
He is squirming and as he does the noose just tightens. Busting Donald on this black and white easily proved case will send him away for life, nothing complicated like J6 and proving intent etc. This is an easy case for the public to understand and the photo of the secret documents said it all, Garland punched Donald square in the face with that move. They can deal with the rest of Trumps crimes while he's in a cage, little point in it, other than busting the others involved in the election conspiracies. The only way out of this one for Teflon Don is death by cheeseburger.Only the BEST PEOPLE ….
Donald the Dullard and his ragtag group of lawyers eating crow instead of cake.
Herb & Suds
Well-Known Member
Hopefully it starts with why Trump had our documents and what did he intend to do with them
Until then they have no right saying it was legit
Herb & Suds
Well-Known Member
DIY-HP-LED
Well-Known Member
Laurence Tribe Predicts Whether AG Merrick Garland Will Indict Trump
172,461 views Sep 21, 2022 Harvard Law Professor Laurence Tribe joins MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell to discuss why it’s “impossible to not indict Donald Trump” for withholding top secret government information.
DIY-HP-LED
Well-Known Member
I wonder if Donald will attack Judge Dearie at his rallies. Death threats for Dearie! He must have gotten a few already, wait till the right-wing MAGA websites dox him! Donald has attacked every judge so far, so I can see him ranting about a deep state judge at his rallies. Maybe Donald will go so far off the deep end in inciting violence as he panics and freaks out Garland will have to indict Donald so the judge can muzzle or jail him, for public safety if nothing else. If a string of federal judge's ruling against Trump keeps getting deluged with his attacks inciting death threats, they will deal with Donald, even if they have to put him in a cage with a ball gag in his gob.
DIY-HP-LED
Well-Known Member
Bust Trump a week before the election and the media can ask the republican candidates if they would favor pardoning Trump.
Garland wants to wait until after the election to indict Trump, however he's not running and Trump's escalating violent public rhetoric inciting threats against the courts and witnesses could force Garland's hand. Once they indict Trump a DC federal judge owns his ass and is responsible for it and what he says while released on bail, the judge would be a fool not to slap a gag order on Trump, even if he granted him bail. Most people who are busted for the kind of top-secret documents crimes Trump will be indicted for, don't get bail, the obstruction of justice indictment and track record of intimating witnesses won't help him get bail either.
Garland wants to wait until after the election to indict Trump, however he's not running and Trump's escalating violent public rhetoric inciting threats against the courts and witnesses could force Garland's hand. Once they indict Trump a DC federal judge owns his ass and is responsible for it and what he says while released on bail, the judge would be a fool not to slap a gag order on Trump, even if he granted him bail. Most people who are busted for the kind of top-secret documents crimes Trump will be indicted for, don't get bail, the obstruction of justice indictment and track record of intimating witnesses won't help him get bail either.
Roger A. Shrubber
Well-Known Member
"I can't say Democrats did anything to earn it."
the infrastructure bill, the covid relief bill, the gun bill (such as it is), the chips bill, the inflation reduction bill...the pact act.
not being fuckface republican douchebags...not being involved with white supremacists...not trying to overthrow the legitimate government...seems like they ought to get at least a little credit...
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Bagginski
Well-Known Member
First hearing with 'special master' Judge Dearie turns into special disaster for Trump's legal team
Judge Raymond Dearie conducted his first hearing as “special master” over the documents the FBI removed from Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday, and it was not a good day for Donald Trump’s legal team. Dearie not only insisted that the whole thing should move along...
www.dailykos.com
DIY-HP-LED
Well-Known Member
Facts don't matter to many, and perception is everything, truth doesn't matter, according to Trump and his MAGATS. Well, we all know our perception is warped by our conditioning, fears and prejudices. So, the rightwing media has a highway into their souls already paved and ready for the garbage trucks to deliver the trash. They can easily fill their empty heads and hearts with the hate and bullshit shit they sell for a profit. They even sell Russian propaganda during a war with your close allies and the MAGAT politicians' rhetoric is identical to the bullshit coming out of Moscow, they are even writing each other's lines FFS. Why pay someone to create bullshit when the Russian's provide it free? Saves money and increases profits. Treason and backstabbing your country are good for business, give your audience what they want, stick yer thumb in Uncle Sam's eye and grind it in good!
Fogdog
Well-Known Member
Those acts you list kept the base of support but a turning point for Democrats was Republican over-reach on abortion. If they hadn't done that, we'd be looking at Senate and House strongly under Republican control. The House has shifted to Pugs gaining only 10 (from forty) seats and the Senate leans Dem but is still in play for pugs.
The main reason given for Biden's disapproval are high inflation (economy), and gun policies. The largest demographic group that will probably decide the outcome of this election are white people, of whom 51% disapprove of Biden while 38% disapprove. They say are not happy with Biden's economy, policies on gun laws, and hold negative views on him personally. That disapproval leaks into the congressional races. Outside of what Biden and the Democratic congress has done, people hold strongly negative views on Congress, which never helps.
Completely outside of rational thought, history plays a large role in forecasting results in this election. In the 22 midterm elections from 1934 -2018, the President's party has averaged a loss of 28 House seats and four Senate seats. (source)
Does this sound ignorant and dumbass to you? It does to me, but the fact remains that a lot of people aren't happy about the direction the country is going and their sentiment makes a difference.
Don't forget that the House is strongly affected by Gerrymandering. In states where pugs drew up district maps, Dems have to way outperform just to have a chance of winning. Voter suppression looms large too.
Then again, this isn't a normal election, Repugs are pissing all over themselves when it comes to the quality of their candidates, a lot of Independent voters haven't made up their minds and opinion polls won't be decent indicators of how people will vote until we are closer to the election. Trump looms large. He's not popular among most of the population. If Democrats can keep the election about him, maybe they will manage to beat historical patterns. Which is why I say Democrats didn't EARN the shift in sentiment toward them, Republicans handed it to them.
