I appreciate this distinction so much. I used to be one of the shrill voices screaming emotionally about Trump. But I have forced myself out of my leftist bubble to get a clearer picture of reality and it has not been easy. So I need calm, experienced voices like yours, Mr. Kasparov, so I actually have an idea of where we are on the map.
Mr. Trump attempted to discard an election and take power on January 6, 2021. His supporters stormed the Capitol… and he almost succeeded.
As he has assumed the Presidency in 2025, he has sidelined Congress and has governed by decree (many call it executive order).
He may not have taken full power over our government… but he sure has made progress is sidelining the procedural protections of the American constitution.
People are being arrested and deported without due process. A good number of these good people are either here legally or in the process of establishing legal residency.
Our dear leader just had a parade of military equipment for his birthday. He is also attacking freedom of the press (see the lawsuit CBS settled pertaining to its coverage of the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol). He is pursuing his opponents with a variety of harrassments, using the governmental agencies under his control to pursue his opponents.
It is true that Mr. Trump does not yet used U.S. law enforcement agencies (except for ICE) to punish his opponents. But he has used other federal agencies to punish those who disagree with him. Many a requested governmental approval has been denied to those applicants who have displeased Mr. Trump.
Mr. Trump has not gone full blown Putin on us…. but he is close. He is taking steps in that direction.
I respectfully disagree with your article and support those who are ringing the alarm bells against the moves toward dictatorship.
Excellent, that means you support people like Garry, who has been pointing out this exact thing.. even in this article which you say you disagree with. No doubt Trump takes America on a slippery slope towards authoritarianism but there are still ways or means by which he can be a should be halted. It doesn't help to talk in hyperboles so "we" can sit back and act defenseless like there's nothing more we can do about it. I think Garry is merely trying to point out this fact.
I agree. Garry's point that if we were in an actual dictatorship, we wouldn't bother thinking about whom to vote for because the elections are rigged... honestly, I don't know what to make of this. @gregpalast reported on the unprecedented level of voter suppression that got Trump elected. There's more in the world for the midterms.
Amongst my friends, we talk about who to vote for, and then qualify that with "if there are elections".
It's a work in progress dictatorship. It's been a work in progress for decades. It's just finally hit an inflection point.
I definitely agree with "Under a dictatorship, the fight is extremely dangerous. I have seen my allies in Russia jailed and even murdered." I actually one of the people who was jailed and almost murdered on couple occasions. But i never saw a actual dictator who actually broadcasts his intentions.
No, Drumpf is not yet a dictator. That will still take some time (if it happens at all). He is a near-autocrat with an authoritarian bent. And yes, a wannabe dictator. But Drumpf has not yet (i) undermined the underlying institutions and agencies of the government to the degree that a dictator would need, (ii) has not quite undermined the rule of law (and specifically the Courts) to the degree required for dictatorship, and (iii) is still more about the "grift" than about power (though the latter is definitely something he increasingly enjoys and seeks).
As well, only ~40% of the populace actually supports him and would "give into him" as a dictator. The majority of the country is still mortally opposed to him and his policies.
So while he is definitely attempting to move in the direction of dictatorship (and fascism), it is not quite as simple as he, or even the true fascists around him, think.
Garry, we are all suffering from the president's crime wave. What do we think is our next move? Let's take a page from Lewis Powell. Maybe we need to convene a Chamber of Democracy meeting, in which we pass around a memo drafted by our best minds, urging our donors, economists, public policy thinkers, attorneys, bankers, ecologists, climate experts, activists and humble citizens to join us in the work, to rebuild from the wreckage of our nation a strong, sustainable, just, anti-autocratic Democracy.
Trump is a wannabe dictator, a wannabe authoritarian, but he hasn’t succeeded yet. An important distinction because we do have democratic tools available such as protesting this Thursday in honor of John Lewis.
It’s also more accurate to say Trump is trying to become a dictator rather than he is (the courts still often defy him as do blue state governors to some extent). While we might feel justified in using hyperbole giving Trump’s frequent falsehoods, in the longterm democracy is maintained by trust which includes describing the world as honestly as we can.
This post reminds me of an old joke from the end of the Cold War era: an American and a Russian official are standing in front of the White House discussing the difference between the political regimes of their respective countries. The American says to the Russian: you see, I can stand here in front of the White House and scream “Reagan is a total idiot!” and nothing will happen to me. And the Russian replies: So what? I can do the same!
The problem is, Americans can’t really do that any longer without fearing arrest, or some kind of retribution can they?! So, while Trump may not be a dictator yet, the USA are not really a democracy any longer. Certainly the Rule of law no longer applies…
Cause he an ignoramus, Tyrant who hurts his citizenry, with Ice military freaks who are masked, I say show your face. Edward R. Murrow once said, "No one can terrorize a whole nation, unless we are his accomplices." He added, ‘A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves.’”
I'd like to believe that. But then I don't believe we have either. As long as there are those thugs to implement Trump cabal evils ... You lose if you play by moral rules.
“The difference between a troubled democracy with an illiberal leader and a fully-fledged dictatorship is important to note. If we point out a wildfire risk because we see a forest full of dry kindling, we can build an effective coalition to stop an inferno. If we say there’s already a fire and people see no flames, they’ll ignore the danger until it’s too late.”
Well, Putin wasn't a dictator from day one either, neither was Hitler. They were both duly elected by the misinformed and brainwashed electorate first. And with the help of prominent voices who were both-sidesing all the way till those actually became dictators and there was no going back.
Dictatorships Have One Thing in Common Lack of Empathy
Hopefully we can all agree that what Herr Homan, head of the Brown Shirts(Hitler’s paramilitary in contrast to the Gestapo which was Hitler’s secret police ie Kash Patel’s agency), is despicable, illegal, and reprehensible Herr Homan says he’s getting rid of the "worst of the worst" which is hardly the case Herr Miller who is part of the Gestapo has set a quota of prisoners the Herr Homan must achieve by whatever means
Today a DACA recipient was abducted by the Brown Shirts and taken off to a concentration camp Weeks ago a naturalized child citizen was sent out of the country
It’s getting closer folks First it was undocumented immigrants Now it’s legal citizens who are naturalized by birthright(Cheeto wants to end birthright citizenship and SCOTUS has essentially ruled against him)
WE the People should be appalled at what’s happening in our streets This is NOT who WE are as Americans and WE should never tolerate what is happening in our country
Getting rid of the "worst of the worst" is hardly the case No civil rights for immigrants Lack of empathy? You bet Should we care? Absolutely!!
As Pastor Niemuller wrote (https://bit.ly/3ImpTch) he indirectly condemns complicity of German intellectuals and clergy following the Nazis' rise to power and subsequent incremental purging of their chosen targets.
If you don't like what's happening to your fellow human beings, our immigrants then PROTEST locally and make your voice heard
I appreciate this distinction so much. I used to be one of the shrill voices screaming emotionally about Trump. But I have forced myself out of my leftist bubble to get a clearer picture of reality and it has not been easy. So I need calm, experienced voices like yours, Mr. Kasparov, so I actually have an idea of where we are on the map.
Mr. Trump attempted to discard an election and take power on January 6, 2021. His supporters stormed the Capitol… and he almost succeeded.
As he has assumed the Presidency in 2025, he has sidelined Congress and has governed by decree (many call it executive order).
He may not have taken full power over our government… but he sure has made progress is sidelining the procedural protections of the American constitution.
People are being arrested and deported without due process. A good number of these good people are either here legally or in the process of establishing legal residency.
Our dear leader just had a parade of military equipment for his birthday. He is also attacking freedom of the press (see the lawsuit CBS settled pertaining to its coverage of the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol). He is pursuing his opponents with a variety of harrassments, using the governmental agencies under his control to pursue his opponents.
It is true that Mr. Trump does not yet used U.S. law enforcement agencies (except for ICE) to punish his opponents. But he has used other federal agencies to punish those who disagree with him. Many a requested governmental approval has been denied to those applicants who have displeased Mr. Trump.
Mr. Trump has not gone full blown Putin on us…. but he is close. He is taking steps in that direction.
I respectfully disagree with your article and support those who are ringing the alarm bells against the moves toward dictatorship.
Excellent, that means you support people like Garry, who has been pointing out this exact thing.. even in this article which you say you disagree with. No doubt Trump takes America on a slippery slope towards authoritarianism but there are still ways or means by which he can be a should be halted. It doesn't help to talk in hyperboles so "we" can sit back and act defenseless like there's nothing more we can do about it. I think Garry is merely trying to point out this fact.
Of course I support Mr. Kasparov. I also admire him.
We just disagree as to how far Mr. Trump is into dictatorship. I say he is further along than Mr. Kasparov does.
I agree. Garry's point that if we were in an actual dictatorship, we wouldn't bother thinking about whom to vote for because the elections are rigged... honestly, I don't know what to make of this. @gregpalast reported on the unprecedented level of voter suppression that got Trump elected. There's more in the world for the midterms.
Amongst my friends, we talk about who to vote for, and then qualify that with "if there are elections".
It's a work in progress dictatorship. It's been a work in progress for decades. It's just finally hit an inflection point.
Mr. Kasparov I have followed you since the 90’s not only are you the greatest chess player of my generation but a great voice for democracy.
I definitely agree with "Under a dictatorship, the fight is extremely dangerous. I have seen my allies in Russia jailed and even murdered." I actually one of the people who was jailed and almost murdered on couple occasions. But i never saw a actual dictator who actually broadcasts his intentions.
No, Drumpf is not yet a dictator. That will still take some time (if it happens at all). He is a near-autocrat with an authoritarian bent. And yes, a wannabe dictator. But Drumpf has not yet (i) undermined the underlying institutions and agencies of the government to the degree that a dictator would need, (ii) has not quite undermined the rule of law (and specifically the Courts) to the degree required for dictatorship, and (iii) is still more about the "grift" than about power (though the latter is definitely something he increasingly enjoys and seeks).
As well, only ~40% of the populace actually supports him and would "give into him" as a dictator. The majority of the country is still mortally opposed to him and his policies.
So while he is definitely attempting to move in the direction of dictatorship (and fascism), it is not quite as simple as he, or even the true fascists around him, think.
Garry, we are all suffering from the president's crime wave. What do we think is our next move? Let's take a page from Lewis Powell. Maybe we need to convene a Chamber of Democracy meeting, in which we pass around a memo drafted by our best minds, urging our donors, economists, public policy thinkers, attorneys, bankers, ecologists, climate experts, activists and humble citizens to join us in the work, to rebuild from the wreckage of our nation a strong, sustainable, just, anti-autocratic Democracy.
Trump is a wannabe dictator, a wannabe authoritarian, but he hasn’t succeeded yet. An important distinction because we do have democratic tools available such as protesting this Thursday in honor of John Lewis.
It’s also more accurate to say Trump is trying to become a dictator rather than he is (the courts still often defy him as do blue state governors to some extent). While we might feel justified in using hyperbole giving Trump’s frequent falsehoods, in the longterm democracy is maintained by trust which includes describing the world as honestly as we can.
This post reminds me of an old joke from the end of the Cold War era: an American and a Russian official are standing in front of the White House discussing the difference between the political regimes of their respective countries. The American says to the Russian: you see, I can stand here in front of the White House and scream “Reagan is a total idiot!” and nothing will happen to me. And the Russian replies: So what? I can do the same!
The problem is, Americans can’t really do that any longer without fearing arrest, or some kind of retribution can they?! So, while Trump may not be a dictator yet, the USA are not really a democracy any longer. Certainly the Rule of law no longer applies…
You can still say things like that in public. Peaceful protests with signs and the ability to shout at passersbys is alive and well…for now.
Probably for regular citizens 😉. A State Department official? He/She probably wouldn’t keep the job for very long 🤷🏼♀️.
Cause he an ignoramus, Tyrant who hurts his citizenry, with Ice military freaks who are masked, I say show your face. Edward R. Murrow once said, "No one can terrorize a whole nation, unless we are his accomplices." He added, ‘A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves.’”
Great quotes and absolutely accurate as we now see!
Voters and politicians of all stripes continue being accomplices.
Beautiful prose and serious concern didn't save Mystic and won't save you or me!
We just need time and courage with the beast,
I'd like to believe that. But then I don't believe we have either. As long as there are those thugs to implement Trump cabal evils ... You lose if you play by moral rules.
Point of order
People are being murdered. Slowly and intentionally.
I agree with your response to a certain degree.
I frequently find myself correcting people who say that democracy is dead. It’s not dead, it is getting beaten up by lawless thugs but it’s not dead.
Perhaps we can compromise, and refer to DJT as the Dictator Wannabe.
“The difference between a troubled democracy with an illiberal leader and a fully-fledged dictatorship is important to note. If we point out a wildfire risk because we see a forest full of dry kindling, we can build an effective coalition to stop an inferno. If we say there’s already a fire and people see no flames, they’ll ignore the danger until it’s too late.”
A bullet could solve the problem in one day.
I've always worked with the following formula:
Authoritarianism = authoritarian leader + authoritarian system
There are a lot of things Trump would love to do if only the system would let him.
For example, prior to Jan 6th he made attempts to replace top military brass with loyalists.
I think there's no doubt he would have used the army to hold on to power if he could have.
Well, Putin wasn't a dictator from day one either, neither was Hitler. They were both duly elected by the misinformed and brainwashed electorate first. And with the help of prominent voices who were both-sidesing all the way till those actually became dictators and there was no going back.
Dictatorships Have One Thing in Common Lack of Empathy
Hopefully we can all agree that what Herr Homan, head of the Brown Shirts(Hitler’s paramilitary in contrast to the Gestapo which was Hitler’s secret police ie Kash Patel’s agency), is despicable, illegal, and reprehensible Herr Homan says he’s getting rid of the "worst of the worst" which is hardly the case Herr Miller who is part of the Gestapo has set a quota of prisoners the Herr Homan must achieve by whatever means
Today a DACA recipient was abducted by the Brown Shirts and taken off to a concentration camp Weeks ago a naturalized child citizen was sent out of the country
It’s getting closer folks First it was undocumented immigrants Now it’s legal citizens who are naturalized by birthright(Cheeto wants to end birthright citizenship and SCOTUS has essentially ruled against him)
WE the People should be appalled at what’s happening in our streets This is NOT who WE are as Americans and WE should never tolerate what is happening in our country
Getting rid of the "worst of the worst" is hardly the case No civil rights for immigrants Lack of empathy? You bet Should we care? Absolutely!!
As Pastor Niemuller wrote (https://bit.ly/3ImpTch) he indirectly condemns complicity of German intellectuals and clergy following the Nazis' rise to power and subsequent incremental purging of their chosen targets.
If you don't like what's happening to your fellow human beings, our immigrants then PROTEST locally and make your voice heard