Donald Trump: Imperialistic Authoritarian?

I've tried so hard not to make a thread focused on Trump but I feel like we need to look more closely at the beliefs of this man and have a real debate about it. First of all, I don't completely disagree with everything he says or believes, he cannot be wrong about everything after all. I tend to lean to the right and I wouldn't promote Hillary in place of Trump, but I feel like both options are equally bad and that indicates to me something is very wrong with society in the US.

It seems like every second post on ATS says something along the lines of "I'll vote for Trump because he scares the establishment and wont push the status quo". What I want to do in this thread is describe why those comments are extremely far from the truth and why I believe that Trump will not challenge the status quo in the most crucial areas. I will also point out why I think he has imperialistic and authoritarian tendencies and why he would pose a great threat to peace around the world.

If you define "establishment" as the current Obama administration, then I would agree that Trump is anti-establishment. But Trump clearly has many powerful backers in the private sector since he wants to lower taxes for the highest earners[1] and repeal banking regulations such as the Dodd Frank Act[2]. He has publicly stated that he loves hanging out with the guys on Wall Street, and I'm sure the bankers and ultra wealthy love the idea of Trump being president.

He's also very likely to increase defense spending[3] so he has the war industry behind him. Trump also publicly asserts that global warming is a hoax, which would give him support from big oil. Even I don't totally buy into global warming, but Trump wants to take very extreme measures such as cancelling the Paris climate deal[4]. Furthermore, he is willing to accept global warming as a real phenomena and use it to his benefit whenever it directly affects his businesses[5].

Trump has also expressed ideas related to locking down parts of the internet[6] and as a business man I'm sure he loves copyright laws, so he has the film and music industry in his pocket too. More recently, he suggested punishing people who don't report suspicious activity to authorities[7]. Do I even need to mention the fact he's estimated to be worth at least several billion dollars? Lets not kid ourselves here, the man is about the furthest thing you can get from an "outsider".

He may be a good business man but he has very little morality and he's willing to use very lowbrow tactics to increase the dominance of the US. Is that really what you want the US to be? A ruthless empire that uses threats and coercion to dominate the world while it hides behind a huge wall and bans certain groups of people from entering? I totally get the resistance to globalization but these are very extreme solutions and might just be taking things a bit too far.

It's clear that a major reason Trump is so popular is due to his "nationalist" policies. I believe a certain level of nationalism can be good and healthy, but it can also be extremely unhealthy if taken too far. Banning all Muslims from entering the country or building a huge wall across the southern border could be interpreted as nationalism, but I would strongly argue they are both terrible ideas and will likely cause more problems than they solve and create more enemies for the US.

The really ironic thing is, if Trump gets elected it will result in more turmoil in the US and around the world. The first thing you'll have to deal with is the inside fighting between the Trump lovers and Trump haters, which seems to be one half of America vs the other. Then you'll have to deal with inflamed racial tensions because even if you don't think he's racist he has made many controversial remarks which many people have interpreted as being racist or highly disrespectful.

Some racist organizations have latched onto Trump and a few months ago Trump even re-tweeted false racist propaganda[8]. When questioned about this in an interview he dismissed it as a simple human error because he doesn't have time to check all the facts, and claimed to be the "least racist person on Earth". Now I really don't think he intends to be racist, he clearly just has the intelligence of a pre-schooler, because otherwise I don't know why he'd say something so stupid.

Regardless of if he is or isn't racist, human nature is predictable and some people will use Trump to push racist and anti-racist agendas. If he increases defense spending and decides to increase US forces in a bunch of nations, while banning his idea of a terrorist from entering the nation until he "figures out what is happening" then it will increase hatred for the US around the world and especially in the middle eastern region, having the opposite effect than intended.

The only politician I've ever seen truly acknowledge how the US has helped create the terrorist problem by constantly meddling in the affairs of other nations is Ron Paul, and he was a true underdog. Trump essentially has the opposite outlook, he takes a hard-line approach to almost everything. He's basically an imperialistic authoritarian, he looks at his own nation much the same way he looks at his own life; he must expand his empire at the expense of everyone else so he can have it all.

If we're being completely honest with ourselves I think that is one of the reasons many people will vote for this guy, simple greed. People think that Trump will greatly increase the wealth of the US by applying the same cunning tactics he used to become ultra wealthy. There may very well be some truth to that, but it wont be without consequences. The result of the heavy handed tactics used by the Bush administration in response to 9/11 is proof it doesn't work.

Trump will continue propagating the established agenda in the ME without a doubt, and has indicated he wants to expand the US presence in the ME which will require an increase in defense spending, despite the fact the US already spends more on defense than the next several biggest spenders combined. Believe it or not a healthy war economy is actually good for weapons manufacturers and the largest manufacturers are based in the US, and I'm sure Trump is well aware of that fact.

There's very few things where I think Trump would actually challenge the "status quo". Having a controversial opinion does not automatically mean that opinion goes against the status quo. He clearly thinks it's ok to trade liberty for security, be it locking down the internet or locking down the border, he doesn't give much respect to notions of freedom and liberty. He frames terrorists as a boogeyman and uses arguments which appeal to our emotions, which is a very old tactic.

You have more chance of being struck by lightening than caught in a terrorist attack[9]. I urge people not to let emotions such as fear and hate drive their voting decisions, that is the worst possible way to make your choice, not that there is much of a choice. Just don't delude yourself about the type of person Trump is and stop treating him like some sort of saint. The guy has spent many years advertising brands and manipulating public perception and he is clearly very skilled at it.

References:

1. Top 0.1% would be big winner under Donald Trump's tax plan

2. Trump preparing plan to dismantle Obama's Wall Street reform law

3. Donald Trump could cause military spending to skyrocket by more than $100 billion

4. Donald Trump would 'cancel' Paris climate deal

5. Donald Trump calls global warming a hoax, until it threatens his golf course

6. Donald Trump wants to close up the Internet

7. Donald Trump: Americans Who Don't Report Their Suspicious Neighbors Should Be 'Brought To Justice'

8. O'Reilly Confronts Trump Over Neo-Nazi Retweet

9. The Terrorism Statistics Every American Needs to Hear

Welcome to reality... I know it's hard to accept, but this is it.

I have hopeful directions that I would like to see this country go, but I seldom get what I want.

I would rather go with the "unknown" factor than the "known" direction that Hillary will take us.

That woman is something else entirely.. It's like a virus reanimated a talking yeast infection or something... The country can survive DJT, but it wouldn't survive her.

I've tried so hard not to make a thread focused on Trump but I feel like we need to look more closely at the beliefs of this man and have a real debate about it

Then why ,in the name of all things good , did you ? This makes 1,026. Oh , wait , this is for new stuff.

a reply to: ChaoticOrder

LOLOLOLOLOLOL

The gritchy one . . . the vengeful, spiteful, pathological liar, homicidal, narcissist, bw*tchy, Machiavellian, Communist, oligarchy, power-mongering, tyrannical stooge in a pants suit is an Olympic Class Imperialist Authoritarian far, far more than anyone else on the public stage currently--with the slight exception of the current Imposter/Destroyer-in-Chief in the WH--but even he doesn't reach her levels.

To whatever degree Trump may have such tendencies--they are still in kindergarten and wimpish compared to those two and particularly compared to the screeching one.

Enough of the finger pointing at Trump and Hillary. Both candidates have huge negatives, they're power hungry and liars! If you defend and believe anything these two candidates say, you're a fool! The American public should be demanding better from their presidential candidates. Instead of defending the lesser of two evils, all Americans should send a message and vote for Gary Johnson or any independent candidate who throws their hat in the ring. At this point, anyone would be better than these two rich wolves who will both be catering to special interests and continue to ignore the voice of the people.

If you vote for either one of these candidates and they become America's nightmare, you have nobody to blame but yourselves!

Well done...well written post...but in the end if we vote for either of them we...the people of America are to blame for the choice no matter which crazy win the election.
We are fooked.
Cheers

a reply to: ChaoticOrder


There is some, if not much truth in your assessment, from what I can see.

Personally, I have zero problem with him 'hanging' with other Wall Street types, as you say. He'd better if he's going to have any sense of where these guys are headed and where they intend us to go. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.


I DO have a problem with your connecting his positions with specific industries. Any stance or position by a Presidential candidate will enhance some vested interest at the expense of others. Trump, Hillary or even J.C., himself. It is no more than talking points used to detract from Trump as you don't mention similar results/consequences of any other candidate.

You also state you don't fully buy into the global warming issue yet call withdrawing from the Paris climate deal 'extreme'. contradictory.

He wants to withdraw from NATO-which I fully agree with- doesn't really feed the MIC, does it?

Yet the most damning aspect of your OP is the trend-which you follow- that claims disliking both candidates...YET FOCUSES EXCLUSIVELY ON TRUMP.

The left play-book-and the extreme right(?)- are plain to see.

We already have a dictator in the WH. I would see one that is Pro-U.S. if, in fact, Trump turns out to be dictatorial...which I doubt.

Trump over Hillary, thank you very much,

a reply to: nwtrucker

Yet the most damning aspect of your OP is the trend-which you follow- that claims disliking both candidates...YET FOCUSES EXCLUSIVELY ON TRUMP.

Trust me I could easily make a thread like this about Hillary but I'm pretty sure we have enough of those already. But I felt like there wasn't enough criticism of Trump so this thread was necessary.

Here's a post I made about Hillary just a few days ago: First female major party nomination in History: Congratulations Ladies! - Page 7

a reply to: ChaoticOrder


Hmm, I stand corrected then. I find that assessment of Hillary accurate, as far as it goes.

Of course, Hillary has a track record, if one dare calls it that, whereas your "imperialistic authoritarian" -I cede the question mark- is speculative regarding Trump.

I highly doubt there's any 'thinking' supporter of Trump who doesn't cede the potential downside of a Trump Presidency.

He is obviously outside the collective 'comfort zone' for Presidential candidates. His supporters are way outside their comfort zone regarding the D.C. machine.

Simply put, he offers a 'potential' where none is seen elsewhere.


While I'd see Trump win, that fact is due to Trump....and to him alone, the political landscape will never be the same again. If he loses, the current GOP is D.O.A.. There will be a third party, at the very least. A Hillary Presidency will likely result is secession of states from the Union. (Please do not think I exaggerate that prediction/possibility)

Overall, I see in your example post criticizing Hillary nothing worse than an evil already 'known'. It omits the 'evil' that is the beltway machine that she represents.


Either way this goes....fur will fly...