The Duce Disappoints

Guest Post by Eric Peters

The “debate” earlier this week disabused me of hope that Trump might be something other than yet another authoritarian collectivist.trump-1

He basically agreed with would-be (and probably will be) Chairman Hillary on every substantive point – from not disputing “climate change” to amen’ing her calls for government direction of the economy.

They bickered over details.

He did not denounce Obamacare – or take issue at any level with either the police state at home or the warfare state abroad. If anything, he has become even more belligerent on the latter score. For example, his blood-curdling call for the death penalty for any person who shoots an armed government worker (i.e., a cop).    

Trump – like all authoritarian collectivists – views the lives of those who enforce authoritarian collectivism as particularly valuable.

Ours less so.

He defended presumptive guilt “stop and frisk” policies, an outrage against not just the Fourth Amendment but the core tenet of a free society: That a man who hasn’t done anything to arouse suspicion he may have committed a crime should be left in peace to go about his business – without having to prove he hasn’t committed a crime.

Donald is earning his Fez.

It’s all pretty depressing.

Trump’s appeal is fueled by popular hatred for a system – a government/corporate nexus – that has become economically exploitative to a brazen and insufferable degree and contemptuous, at the same time, of whatever scraps of our rights remain.il-duce

A government – and government officials – who do whatever they like, often profiting despicably from it – and never being held to account much less put behind bars.

So many examples.

Snowden, for instance. This guy leaked “state secrets” revealing criminal actions of the government … and was targeted for criminal prosecution by the government.

Hillary commits criminal acts – and runs for president.

A cop shoots an unarmed, hands-up, retreating-from-her man… and is eventually charged with manslaughter. Only because of popular outrcry, which occurred only because the summary execution was caught on tape.

An ordinary citizen who shot an unarmed man walking away from him, attempting to retreat, with his hands up in the air, would be looking at a murder charge and decades in prison.

On and on it goes…

Trump’s meteoric ascendance has been fueld by the hope that, somehow, he might do something to ameliorate these and many other outrages. That he might be different. Not one of them. Not another authoritarian collectivist.

Well, it looks like those hopes were misplaced.

Trump’s selection of Mike Pence – a worse-than-boilerplate authoritarian collectivist – was unsettling. But it could be put down to the necessity of making nice with the GOP partei establishment, which was necessary in order to secure the nomination.

But Trump’s refusal on Monday to disagree with Hillary in any fundamental way about the legitimate authority of the state – his piddling with her over how the state’s authority would be imposed by him rather than her – makes the idea of getting out of bed on Election Day seem pretty pointless.

They had elections in the old Soviet Union, too.

Team Red or Team Blue will win.

But the old American ideas of being left free to pursue our happiness as individuals, free from coercion to conform and submit to the “plans” of Dear Leader (and Chairperson) types in a far-away capital, their minions sent hither and yon to enforce these edicts…. well, they’ve been thrown in the woods.

Might as well vote for Chairman Hillary.

She’s more honest about her authoritarianism.

Now, perhaps Trump was merely unprepared – and fumbled. There will be another debate.

If he states unequivocally that the government of a free society has no business forcing people to purchase health insurance and, accordingly, will if elected do everything in his power to repeal – not replace – Obamacare, I will reconsider my decision to stay home on election day.

If he states unequivocally that individual citizens have an absolute right to armed self-defense (no quibbling about “sportsmen”) and that he will nominate only men and women who understand and support that principle, as enshrined in the Second Amendment, I will reconsider my decision to stay home on election day.

If he states unequivocally that the proper role of the armed forces is the defense of the United States – not offensive operations to establish global hegemony – I will reconsider my decision to stay home on election day.

These are the minimums Donald must deliver, if he means to have the support of people like myself who have had it with everything embodied by the Bush-Clinton-Bush-Obama regime – a singular entity that has ruled the country for a generation.

If he is no different, represents merely the extension of this regime, why get out of bed on election day? 


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cletustheslackjawedyokel
cletustheslackjawedyokel

Coffee. You get out of bed for coffee, not because you expect a rigged system to suddenly unrig itself.

Chicago999444
Chicago999444

Excellent post- the author expresses perfectly my misgivings with Donald Trump, who moreover seems, with every utterance, to be an overgrown 9-year old boy with ADHD, a shocking ignoramus, and a piss-poor compulsive liar who has reverses his stated positions so often that it is impossible to tell what he believes in, if he believes in anything at all but lining his own back pocket, or intends to do anything in office other than exploit the business opportunities presented.

I originally supported Gary Johnson, but his equally appalling ignorance of global affairs and support of the TPP and Citizens United lost me- a defender of individual rights and liberties, this guy is not, unless the only “right” you care about is the right to turn your brains to mush smoking dope.

I’ll probably stay home on election day- or I will unhappily cast the vote for Clinton, if only because she has better impulse control and seems less likely than Trump, to start lobbing nuclear warheads at countries whose leaders in some way offend her. Corrupt and venal she surely is, but she is the only functional adult in the room.

Iska Waran
Iska Waran

She’s a psychopath trying to decide which country to invade next and it’s been well explained here on TBP how she’s pushing us to war with Russia. Trump is many of the things you said, but this guy Peters is overwrought in claiming Trump is Mussolini. He’s not Mussolini, he’s Berlusconi. So you take the bad with the good. This election is about three things: killing TPP, sealing the border and not starting more stupid wars. Any authoritarian impulses Trump might seem to have are mostly New York-speak and even if more serious than that would be constrained by the rest of the power structure. He’s neither a democrat, nor the First Black President, so he wouldn’t get a pass on anything. Calm the fuck down.

Bruce Smith
Bruce Smith

Don’t forget the Supreme Court. Trump has given his out-of-the-box list of potential nominees and they come from the common-sense hinterland, not the loony left of Harvard or Columbia.

jwoop66
jwoop66

All I can say is with trump you have constant pushback from congress, the press, probably half the states and both the left and right establishment.

Checks and balances. The system works as designed.

With clinton, no pushback from any of the above entities. She gets everything she wants without a fight.

That’s what this election is about.

Bruce Smith
Bruce Smith

There are only 3 viable choices, this election, for president.
1) Trump
2) Hillary
3) I’m fine with whomever everyone else chooses (includes not voting)

The road to less government and more freedom wanders terribly. That does not mean one should avoid it entirely.

A vote for Hillary would, through the Supreme Court, complete Obama’s fundamental transformation of America and remove that road for generations to come. Also, because of Hillary’s total commitment to the military-industrial complex (hence the huge corporate/Wall Street donations to her and her corrupt “foundation”), it would likely continue the failed-policy wars that have plagued our nation for a generation or more.

If Trump does nothing more than prevent these things from happening, he’s good enough in my view (and don’t forget his pledge to end common core and devolve school decisions to local communities).

IndenturedServant

He does look remarkably like Il Duce. I’m sure it just a coinkydink like Hitlary looking like a Kirby vacuum ba……..I mean Chairman Mao.

kokoda - Les Deplorables
kokoda - Les Deplorables

IS….not even close to the pic of a specific pose of Obama which was a perfect double of a famous pose by Mussolini.

smatto
smatto

I noticed that characteristic il Duce pose of Obama back in 2008. I guess it wasn’t PC for the media to mention it. Obviously, it’s different with Trump.

IndenturedServant

Anybody hear from Pirate Jo lately?

Iska Waran
Iska Waran

She’s busy not having kids.

IndenturedServant

Well that should leave more time for TBP!

kokoda - Les Deplorables
kokoda - Les Deplorables

“US Presidential Candidate Donald Trump has signalled a drastic revision of US environmental policy, by nominating high profile climate skeptic Myron Ebell to head his proposed “EPA transition” team.” https://wattsupwiththat.com/2016/09/28/trump-names-cei-energy-director-as-epa-transition-manager/

Mr. Peters – seems you are off the wall on this subject

Stucky

The author presented quite an excellent case regarding Donald’s shortcomings.

1. Immigration.
2. WWIII.

There are no other reasons to hope Donald changes anything. In fact, there’s a good chance he’ll make some things much worse. He is definitely not the sharpest tool in the shed.

harry p.
harry p.

comment image

mike in ga
mike in ga

This boat’s goin over Niagra Falls. Codevilla’s article this week nailed it. We are past the point of no return. All this talk of different people to occupy the Oval Office is a popularity contest and for that, Trump’s my man! I just can’t stand the thought of hearing her voice nor seeing her consolidate the vast left-wing deep state and media any more.

There ain’t no pushin this country back from the 3rd world shithole brink. Who do you want to look at and hear every freakin day as we await our turn for the bus to camp?

Anonymous
Anonymous

His election alone, something the entire world Establishment opposes with everything they can, would be a change.

If they, the ruling Elite, allow it to happen. They still have all sorts of devastatingly nasty tricks left they can pull to stop it.

bubbah
bubbah

Peters is just a purist Libertarian, holier than thou type. He can’t even take the time to check 100’s of articles written about Trump speaking strongly about the 2nd ammendment, not getting involved in foreign wars/conflicts, or his relentless berating of Obamacare. It’s basically a staple of the Trump stump speech to reinforce 2nd ammendment rights as inherent to self-defense, and to rip apart Obamacare. So either Peters is willfully ignorant or purposeflly just spitting out shit for another one of his articles.

There are plenty of things to bust Trump about as someone that is a Libertarian leaning person, but the above listed rips aren’t the ones to go off on Trump about. It’s not as if the “debate” format allowed for him to even discuss these things unless he ignored the questions asked and just went on a completely different topic.

Trump may be a collectivist, but it’s at least collectivism light. Erie Peter’s and all the other Liber’s that try to remain purist are like religious zeolots–they can’t get past their own narrow view. Ron Paul is the closest thing the Libert’s ever had, and he was a long long way from having any chance. Who gives a shit who Eric Peters votes for, as someone who voted 3rd parties my entire life—I can honestly say it had as much effect as voting for Mickey Mouse. Half of these articles just stink of hopeless nihilism, oh woe as me, the Replublican’s aren’t putting forth a Libertarian candidate. No shit shurlock! Fucking Gary Johnson is a fairly shitty representative of lib’s as well, and his VP is a fucking globalist type. The purist Libert’s have moved too far toward crazy, most of them want unfettered immigration, including letting in all the Islamists who want to kill/control the world. I quit reading Peter’s awhile ago, just like Reason, they have left reason at the door…they believe in utopian bullshit as well. Pushing some Libertarian ideals and those with leanings in that direction is the best you can hope for at this point. Hell they berated Paul Jr. endlessly b/c of his lack of purity, but he is a hell of alot better than nearly any other jackass in gov’t but that’s not good enough for the irrational utopians.

harry p.
harry p.

for the last couple of months peters has been supportive and hopeful of/for trump and even said he was going to vote for him which is why he points out how disappointed he is now.

i listened to the entire debate yesterday (hard enough to hear Shrillary’s voice, let alone see her face) and anyone who thinks trump did “well” or it was a “tie” is simply full of shit and downright delusional.

stop and frisk and the no-fly=no-buy were major gaffs.
trump ran out of steam 25 mins in while hillary paced herself. was the moderator biased? fuck yeah. did trump get over his head and let jabs at his eager derail his focus? abso-fucken-lutely.

i still think trump is the less likely to start a war but other than that peters is mostly right.

still, voting for trump is the lesser evil and he “might” not be horrible but i pity the people that think if trump gets in (which i dont’ think will happen) it will be transformative in a positive way. they are probably the same people who think trump “won” the debate.

this boat aint’ gettin fixed, the best hope is just to avoid megabitch from putting additional holes in the lifeboat.

being a genuine fan of liberty/freedom is not going to be a good position moving forward no matter which one is in the WH in January.

Jimbo
Jimbo

Typical lurker here. Wanted to concur. Trump has made a number of strong statements about positions and policies he will implement. I wanted to chime in and recommend people look up his “Foreign Policy Speech”. It was the best speech I’ve ever seen from a Presidential candidate (I’m 30). I’ll be voting for the 1st time in November, because this time there’s an actual choice and either candidate’s winning will cause a real effect.

BUILD THE WALL!

Stucky

bubba

I missed at least half of the debate. I thought it was mostly boring … and I simply can’t watch Hillary for too many minutes in a row without breaking into convulsive seizures.

So, did Trump really — “call for the death penalty for any person who shoots an armed government worker” ??

Wow. This doesn’t concern you? TRUMP LOVES POLICE. A lot. Wants to give them more power and equipment than ever. This concerns me.

Bea Lever
Bea Lever

It’s a club and we ain’t in it. They hire some really good actors to keep John Q. Public busy while they continue to rape and pillage. This election is no different, heck you people loved the Bush crime family for decades until you woke up.

Your choices on November 8th: Criminal#1 and Criminal#2 (brought to you by the power elite that Mr. Rosenjoo says is a conspiracy theory).

Anonymous
Anonymous

Well, if you were running it would be criminal #3 too, now wouldn’t it?

Bea Lever
Bea Lever

Anon- You are truly an ignorant sheep. Do you enjoy being a slave…..I think you do……but wait, you do not even KNOW you are a slave. Call me when you get a clue as to how the world works.

TC
TC

Trump may be bad. Whatever he is, Hillary is 100x worse. In 2012 I wrote in Ron Paul. Sorry, but I can’t fathom a Hillary presidency, so I’ll be voting Trump.

Anonymous
Anonymous

As for me, I’m looking for a pro American President, not a messiah.

Trump fills that bill, Hillary does not.

If I were perfect I would demand perfection from my leaders, but I’m not so I don’t.

Gayle
Gayle

Both candidates have major flaws. Peters apparently can tolerate the evil and incompetence that dogs HRC to the freewheeling bragadaccio and inconsistent statements of DJT. Take your pick. After all, Eric, at this point, what difference does it make?

bubbah
bubbah

@Stucky,

I agree Trump has said some very authoritarian type stuff regarding cops at times and Snowden for example. I’m not a Trump “fan”. But regardless he is the only candidate that has a realistic view toward Islam and it’s attempts to destroy what’s left of this country/culture.

I didn’t watch the show either. I can’t handle Hitlery, and I rarely enjoy listening to Trump speak either. But Peter’s would have to be willfully ignorant to suggest Trump hasn’t been hitting the pro 2ammendment, anti-foreign entaglements and anti-Obamacare stuff constantly. Sure he didn’t do it in this debate but he does it constantly, and if given the chance I’m sure he will nail those items as well.

This is a binary choice and the three things Eric Peter’s messed with Trump on are the three things Trump has been clear about. So that part makes no sense to me. If he doesnt’ like Trump on a whole host of other issues, then fine, I agree with that. But let’s not pretend Trump was ever the “libertarian” candidate. He is the anti-illegal immigration/islamist candidate. A third party IF EVER was going to have a shot would be now, since Trump and Hitlerly are so highly unliked/hated. Yet 3rd parties remain left out even now. Based on policy positions for me its TRUMP by such a large margin it’s not even close. There are nearly no policy positions that Hitlery has suggested that have any chance of doing anything but harm. But like many here I view this as voting for who is the new Captain of the US Titanic. The iceburg did its damage, I just hope that some choices can make lifeboats available in the years ahead. Clinton’s policies will quicken the waters and add more people to the sinking ship, that wanted to kill us before the boat even took on water.

Stucky

Great commentary, Bubbah. We’re pretty much in lock-step agreement.

Hey … 100 injured, some critically, 3 dead …. Hoboken NJ train crash. Aren’t you glad I didn’t go to NYC this morning?! lol

Also, today … shooting at Univ of Illinois …. 1 dead 6 wounded.

Jebus Henry Krist. Ain’t ‘Murika grand??!!

Anonymous
Anonymous

About that train wreck.

“What a horrible thing, how could an accident like that happen?” would have been my normal reaction to the news of it, but:

What my first thought actually was, “Could it be terrorism (by sabotage)?”. Have I just become needlessly paranoid, or is this a valid thing to think first when I hear of something like this happening?

Things like this are, in all realistic probability, just accidents from mechanical failure or severe human error/negligence, not any kind of terrorism.

As for the shooting, last I heard it was near the campus and not necessarily related to it, but more will be told I’m sure. Drugs and alcohol involved at a party lasting after midnight I’d guess.

Iska Waran
Iska Waran

In most elections, if you want to vote for a candidate who’s a bit of a crackpot but who represents a giant Fuck You to the Uniparty globalist corporate neocon establishment, you have to vote 3rd party or write in Dog the Bounty Hunter or something. This time you can vote for a major party candidate AND the Fuck You crackpot at the same time. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Ralsballs
Ralsballs

Even if the Donald came out at the next debate and stated all the things Eric P. needs to hear to vote for him can it be believed or trusted? The dude flip flops a bunch like an earlier commenter said. He is a known narcissist, and that is easily observable when you watch the guy. If he does anything for the common folk, it will likely only be done to exalt his sense of awesomeness. And he obviously hasn’t read/doesn’t give a fuck about the bill of rights. Stop and frisk!? When I heard that my heart sank. That being said, he’s still better than Cankles. I’ll vote for him, just to keep Hitlery out. It’s a shitty situation we are in, and Trump truly is the lesser of two evils, at least as far as I can tell right now.

Iska Waran
Iska Waran
susanna

Thank you Iska Waran,
And of course the points rendered do not include the
subterfuge against the ranchers in the West, murdered and
destroyed, for the uranium lands. I guess it is implied.

larry morris
larry morris

well what a load of crap, if tpp, and letting in muslims is ok, selling out to the highest person with the most money is your idea of vote for hillary, our country is lost. me i don’t trust any that i got your best at heart. hell is here, just waiting for the flame.

pj12
pj12

Well, I still hope that the Trump debate performance was due to handlers telling him not to be “rude” to lady Hillery so as to not piss off the “undecided” women who might let their husbands vote for him–not much chance that they will themselves. And, I think Trump will hit her with everything in the book next time–hope so.

But, does anyone really believe that there is still a political solution to the current state of affairs? If Trump wins, the media, the Republicans in Congress, and all the people who love Obama, will fight Trump on every turn. But, even more telling is the condition of the economy–there is no possibility of “fixing” it without a total collapse and crisis that wrings the expectations of ease out of it.

The fixing we seek is coming, but not from Washington and not from anyone elected. It will be economic, and I see no way that it won’t be here very soon. But, at least with Trump, we would have less of a sense of loss of our personal and national sovereignty while we hunt rabbits for food.

susanna

PJ12,
I thought it was agreed that the first debate needed to be
low key…that Trump needed to hold back and be polite?
After all, his (((opponent))) was 3 weeks past a complete
physical collapse and a case of aspiration or viral pneumonia.
Trump did the right thing. I like his goofy NY persona.
Further, Trump has articulated the state of affairs that no one
else dared to. How many people did he wake up?
We need to be patient, and not so freakin’ fickle.
There is little point in getting so het-up about all of this
anyway. The country is on a trajectory, as is the entire world,
and it is a financial chaos. Get a clue. Want to hear Hillary
laughing about her latest kill? Or want to hear a NY talker?

harry p.
harry p.
susanna

Harry, someone big (government) enough to protect us
is surely big enough to destroy us. Napolitano was just
quacking. What was Trump supposed to do…leave the
podium and go throttle her for her crimes? Speak over the
moderator and Hil and start listing stuff? It was a tight
format.
Let’s take this stuff one step at a time please. Don’t make
more problems. Have a bit of faith.

David
David

Sure trump is a buffoon and probably a major jerk, also according to the pretty girl reading the news he tried to hire pretty people for certain customer facing roles, quelle horreur.

I don’t think he is going to get anything too bad through congress and major roles need confirmation.

With Hillary, I know she will find new Supreme Court justices who believe that the constitution is really more like guidelines and the press will crush the republicans if they block the nominations no matter how egregious. Also no wrongdoing of government or giveaways to cronies will be stopped.

With trump, he might find an ok court nomination but congress will have a free hand to block anyone so we might delay the collapse of the country and there is an outside chance he will put some backbone in the DOJ and FBI so they will go after some corruption. A bonus would be to actually focus on some efficiency.

delusional? Probably, but with Hillary I know what happens.

susanna

Ah David, a voice of reason.
There are troubles at Deutsche Bank right now. This am.
The corporate $ is leaving the fold. And shares are
down again.
Maybe Trump will buy us some time to round out our
preps, so we can help our delusional brethren. Should there
be a credit freeze? Look out below!!

TJF
TJF

So, after watching a little bit of the debate, I am not really sure which one of those two clowns will hasten the demise of what is left of our country faster.

They are both poor choices. I admit that I do feel hatred and revulsion when it comes to one of them (Hillary) and only bemusement and bewilderment at Trump. I’m still not convinced to vote for the lesser of two evils even though I live in one of the key battleground states (NC).

I have yet to see or hear any reason why I would actually cast a vote for Trump other than he is not as bad as Hillary.

Lysander The Deplorable
Lysander The Deplorable

I liked the Z Man’s metaphor. He said that the election is like Russian Roulette for the voters. With Trump you are playing with a revolver with six chambers and only one loaded with a bullet. With hildabeast, you are facing a semi automatic pistol with a round in the chamber.

Donald MIGHT fuck up on some things, but it’s guaranteed that bitch will devastate this nation and all of us deplorables.

Oh, and Eric Peters? Stick to yapping about cars. You remind me of a prissy school boy whining about the lunch his mommy packed him.

Paul Bonneau
Paul Bonneau

Let’s face it, Ron Paul wouldn’t have been able to turn this turkey around, never mind a fascist like Trump.

Trump’s sole appeal is that the establishment hates him. Not that he will fix anything. He won’t. He’s just battling Hitlery for command of the ship USSA Titanic, with iceberg dead ahead. Heaven knows why – masochism maybe…

Hitlery maintains a certain appeal though. She’s more likely to kick off a Revolution, which this country needs. Sadly, she’s also more likely to kick off a nuclear war.

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