Summary
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is organizing grassroots events to oppose Trump’s policies, arguing that “Trumpism does not believe in democracy.”
In an op-ed, Sanders criticized Trump’s ties to Elon Musk, federal budget cuts, and media influence, warning of authoritarianism.
He cited Trump’s recent post likening himself to Napoleon and accused him of disregarding the rule of law.
The White House dismissed Sanders’ concerns, accusing Democrats of authoritarian tactics.
Authoritarian tactics is extremely vague. I wonder if they could name one of those tactics? Could they point out one dictator in history and criticise them? Explain why they’re different? Doubtful.
If conservatives become convinced that they can not win democratically, they will not abandon conservatism. They will reject democracy.
This is known.
“The White House dismissed Sanders’ concerns, accusing Democrats of authoritarian tactics.”
They never fail to put the P in GOP, good ol’ fucking Projection.
As long as those that voted for Trump continue to lap up whatever he says it doesn’t matter what’s true. We’re now just in 1984 doublespeak, where for the media, profit is more important than the truth, because really capitalism has driven us off the cliff straight into fascism
We have the doublespeak and the two minutes hate: Fox news and right wing social media.
No shit. The talking Cheeto is quoting napoleon and calling himself king
Then goes off saying democrats are using authoritarian tactics lol
came to say this.
Wasn’t that obvious at very latest 4 years ago?
It must be repeated and repeated and repeated and repeated and repeated until the message gets through their thick stubborn skulls. It’s how MAGA indoctrinated them in the first place and the only way to deprogram them.
Sadly they are as likely to believe the dems as much as the dems will believe the reps. The only way the magats will come to believe is when each and every single one of them start to suffer, until then it is “someone else that is being hurt, not me!” Once it finally comes home they will see, but by then it may be too late.
If you keep repeating something over and over again people on average are more likely to believe it, especially if it’s multiple people all repeating the same point. It’s part of social psychology: conformity and is the basis of psychological warfare.
Bannon and Cambridge Analytica used this to great effect via social media. Now the bosses of social media have fallen in line behind trump, this message and similar ones MUST be repeated.
This isn’t a debate where whomever has the best standing with the audience or the best argument will win.
This is a shouting contest.
Every 10 second lie they spout will take 1 minute to debunk. The only way to win is to repeatedly shout a 10 second retort, finishing with “read this!” and SHOVE a list of evidence in their face.
They won’t look at the list for the first two dozen times, but by the third or fourth dozen they’ll take a look, that’s all we can do via the soap box.
I didn’t poo-poo the idea, it is just going to take a lot of effort to get through to them. Please, keep trying, all of you (I will be dealing with something similar as a “Temu Trump” is trying to run/ruin our country as well and he has the 3 word method down, good thing Trudeau is gone and will hopefully be replaced by someone I can support).
It is just infuriating every time I check r/republican and they are stating Trumps words as fact though they have already seen that is not the case, hence why I said they would each need to suffer to see this. “Fuck you, got mine” is very prevalent down there and to a lesser degree up here as well. (I check every so often to see just how insane it is getting over there)
How is this helping? Sanders is doing something. What is your snark achieving?
I simply wonder what’s happening and expressing my frustration.
No question - it’s good he is mobilizing people. Organization is key, and to me it looks like it’s currently lacking. I really hope Sanders can change this.
It has been damn obvious and yet way too many people voted Trump. And, come on, it was clear Elon would be there as well. From outside the US it’s hard to understand why. It leaves me with two explanations, both of which I don’t like: either people were misinformed and/or did not understand what is going on, or they did really want it.
Maybe you can help me understand.
How is this doing something? he’s been bloviating for years about this and things have only gotten worse.
Where’s the action?!
What is he supposed to do, kick down the doors to the white house with a machine gun in each hand?
Keep talking, I’m liking what you’re saying…
See my other comment responding to the typical liberal lack of imagination.
You can’t get to things like general strikes if you don’t start by organizing and educating people. Calling for a sudden and mass uprising of public action with no base to support it is just a wild fantasy. How are you even going to make it happen? Share some memes on BlueSky? Organized resistance needs organized people.
I fully believe that it will take a general strike, and perhaps more than that to avert fascism in the US, and every day I pray that it happens because my country is fucked if it doesn’t. But I don’t for a second believe that you have a realistic plan to get there when all you can think to do is dismiss the people doing the hard work of getting the public united, educated and organized.
That’s why I’m saying bernie should be calling for it and leading the organization. He has the social clout and following. Many disillusioned with him (myself included) would see this as an actual action instead of the equivalent of just another sternly worded letter which is all the democrats and Bernie seem to be capable of doing for most of the past decade.
And fuck Bluesky. I’m not moving over to another monopoly. I never liked Twitter to begin with I don’t see why I’d like Bluesky even if it was genuinely defederated and not a corporate owned imitation of the fediverse.
You mean he should be saying something like this?
Trumpism will not be defeated by politicians inside the DC beltway. It will only be defeated by millions of Americans, in every state in this country, coming together in a strong, grassroots movement which says no to oligarchy, no to authoritarianism, no to kleptocracy, no to massive cuts in programs that working people desperately need, no to huge tax breaks for the richest people in our country.
Oh, wait that’s a direct quote from Bernie, discussing what he’s doing right now.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/feb/19/trumpism-bernie-sanders
Not to the MAGA-nation. Or maybe they are aware and just flat out supporting it. Not sure which is worst. Hm.
I bet that what we see here is partly the work of the worlds largest propaganda machine. I’d like to believe that misinformation was the reason for them supporting Trump. So yes, properly informing people could help. But I’m worried that the Trumpian shit-show clogged some brains. What to believe in a world made of “fake news”?
Bernie is completely right here.
Well yes, but actually no.
First of all, don’t get me wrong: I’m saying this as a massive fan of Sanders, and someone who thinks he is way more on-the-ball about the current situation than pretty much any other non-Republican nationally-significant politician (except maybe for AOC).
That said, even he is still partially in denial/massively understating the problem/playing catch-up. Trumpism doesn’t just “not believe” in democracy, it is acting on that belief right now to destroy it. When the attack is already in progress, you don’t say “Trump doesn’t believe in democracy,” you say “Trump is destroying democracy.”
Thank you. I can’t believe libels are falling for this nonsense. Even in his sternly worded speeches he’s not describing the threat accurately. He’s underestimating it.
Ah Bernie Sanders…does anyone take this guybseriously?
Right?! I used to work for his campaign. All he did was sell us out to the democrat mailing list that begs me daily for donations because they’re powerless and make a bunch of sternly worded speeches.
It’s fucking 2A time, not march around like a bunch of fucking pussies with signs and chants and trigger warnings about clapping from x time to y time in the least annoying and least disruptive manner possible.
All liberals have is vote harder and protest mildly. I’m fucking sick of it. These pussies led us straight into fascism. Their nazi shooting grandparents are rolling in their fucking graves right now if they can see what utter failures their grandchildren are at stopping fascism.
Now let’s all wiggle our fingers in consensus while singing kumbaya! That will show the fascists!
Ok and? Are the democrats and Bernie going to do anything about it? Nope!
What other tactics do they have available outside of making noise and organizing public events ?
Ask in a thread on a different instance.
I’d love some practical ideas that aren’t political violence. The Reichstag fire didn’t exactly turn out well for Germany.
We’ve been on the receiving end of political violence daily now for decades. They want to crank up the dial on our level of suffering then they should expect we crank up our resistance to the same level.
Not a single human right was won or protected without violence.
Who said anything about that? If that’s what you want to talk about, it should happen in a different instance.
That said, in the abstract and speaking generally, a single instance of a particular tactic within a broad category of strategy failing does not disprove the efficacy of the entire broad category.
I assumed you wanted to talk about solutions that these mods ban. Isn’t that political violence?
No, I have no interest in being baited into getting banned.
But never mind that; can I infer from your lack of rebuttal to my actual argument that you concede the point?
Not trying to bait anyone. Honestly just confused about what you’re suggesting that we can’t talk about here.
Right!! LW is liberal censorship land where the only acceptable forms of opposition are voting harder and marching around with signs yelling chants. Utterly pathetic and ineffectual as they lead us all to slaughter. And lead is being generous right now.
Typical liberal lack of imagination. How is it that republicans are easily able to consolidate power yet democrats are weak as hell and consistently fail to do anything at all? Vote for us! We’re powerless to do anything! But if only you voted harder we would! Ignore the fact that we confirmed trumps nominees!
He should be calling for a general strike and help organize it. Law and order is a joke, the country is collapsing at record speed. Our only non violent hope yet is an actual, French style, general strike. Protests don’t work and just play into trumps desire to declare martial law. But a general strike where people simply stay home and not work would grind this country to a halt and not trigger trumps bloodthirst to use violence against opponents.
And if that doesn’t work, violence it is. This country is fucking done and arguably it’s been done for a while now only everyday people are finally waking up to reality.
I think we’re in for it when the effects of burning through the federal government finally reach “normal” people.
General strike is a good idea.
You think he wouldn’t use force? I’m all for a general strike, but if that day comes, I’m also prepared for the repercussions from a delusional president.
A traditional strike where people group up in protest, likely. A strike where people simply stay home like it’s covid all over again… impossible to attack
so things like gernal strikes usually come from a major party who is part of the system one is governed under?
“Omg we’re powerless to do anything guess we’ll just suffer”
Fucking liberals.
