Brazil elects fascist

dude I was born here and fucking LIVE HERE and have for 56 years more or less. I fucking served this country for 22+ years. I've lived in many places in this country and in a couple of other countries and thus I have a pretty good "boots on the ground" perspective of how this country works. If I really thought it was about to implode I'd catch the first thing smoking out of here. I haven't bought a ticket yet - when I do you'll be the first to know.
I'm not complacent so much as EVEN KEELED and I know what flies and what doesn't fly in this country. You don't live here so you can only go off the picture people (the media, personal opinions, etc) paint for you. If the only picture you get is from the same type of artists it may be a very dark, bleak picture indeed. The US is a loud, opinionated, chaotic, over-the-top three fucking ring circus at every level, always has been, always will be, and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. I'd take a bullet for any citizen in this country and that's a fact. That said I'd never harm any citizen of this country either and that's a fact too. Trump hasn't "changed" this country in any way that can't be changed back by the next president. Then in a few years it might change again - it's cyclical. I wouldn't get my knickers in a twist over it if I were you.

I sincerely hope you are right and my gut instinct to point out people were expressing much the same sentiments as the Reichstag burned down is off base. Those people lived there and many had served their country, they believed it couldn't happen because their democracy was modern and sophisticated even by todays standards. They had checks and balances, they were highly civilised with a rich culture and history. They became one of history's most notorious dictatorships in a matter of a couple of years and the patterns were startlingly similar.

So yeah, Godwinned, except not because according to Godwin himself the rule doesn't apply when referring to actual Nazis.

The US won't turn into 1938 Germany any sooner than England turns into 1991 Somalia. In other words any country can implode but the odds of a country succeeding increase with their value to the rest of the world - or at least to their allies & trading partners. Sad but true - "too big to fail" usually applies.

"Usually" implies that you can identify a pattern, so where did we get the term "Pax Americana" from?

I'll give you a clue, there've been previous incumbents for the throne and thus far they've had a one hundred per cent failure rate.

As it happens I see the UK turning into a third world nation to be a worryingly likely outcome at the moment, this isn't a campaign of mine to attack the US, merely to point out how dangerous hubris is.

Remember the times I've said the US is sliding toward a civil war and everyone made fun of me? Yeah, those were good times.

there's not a sliver of daylight between this and what everyone though in the 1930's (when 20,000 AMERICANS attended a Nazi rally in MSG

And I live here too so the "you are too far away to know" card don't play.

Sir you live in a state in which the SoS, who's within a hair's breadth of being your governor, openly and notoriously - proudly! - busies himself shoveling the "wrong" voters off the rolls in order to advance his own, and his parties, political interests and he's not an exception . And my guess is that the odds are very high you are about to vote for him.

It's not that you don't see fascism coming - it's that you're down with it, so long as it's your preferred crew in charge.

Having just rewatched Ken Burns' The Civil War and Vietnam, back to back over the last couple of weeks...nah.

As terrible as things seem, we're nowhere near as bad off as we were even as recently as fifty years ago.

Plus, I don't think enough people on either side would actually have the gumption to do anything, at least not on any sort of scale.

a big part of the problem is the 24/7 news & information cycle. it's a great tool for getting different viewpoints and staying up to date on rapidly changing situations. But if you are the type of person to get obsessed with things, and stew in your own juices, and the news becomes a negative influence in your life and it overwhelms you - it's time to take a mental break & decompress. But that's a lot easier said than done in the modern past-paced sensory overload world. The constant barrage of an echo chamber that grows exponentially on social media can further upset and/or encourage the intense, passionate types too. All the amps are cranked up to eleven and they broke the knob off!

true the media can't cause anything that you don't allow it to cause. Personal responsibility is still the bottom line. Either you are the type of shit bag to use the media as fuel for your hatred, or you are not the type. Nobody (to my knowledge) has ever been a calm, responsible, loving "pillar of society" for their entire life, turned on the news and the next minute they became a hateful terrorist.

to be fair, we didn't expect you to vote for it...

Ahh . . . I didn't.

Fuckbag was sworn in today.

Nikki Haley: Congratulations to Brazil’s new President Bolsonaro. It’s great to have another U.S.-friendly leader in South America, who will join the fight against dictatorships in Venezuela and Cuba, and who clearly understands the danger of China’s expanding influence in the region.

^You just listed three of the most oppressive places to live on earth. Of course, Trump's kneejerk detractors have deluded much of the world that the US is an oppressive place too, sliding toward autocracy, and Trump is part-Hitler part-Stalin. But of course you already know that, you're Exhibit M.

OTOH Brazil has a chance to again rise far above shithole status.

Oh come now, when has the U.S. ever backed anybody that was bad?

Drama...queen.

People have literally never had it so good, but the voices of discontent are, paradoxically, louder than ever.

That said, in politics perception is reality. If enough people are angry enough for long enough, there will be a reaction. Ignore and dismiss them at your peril. Ask Hillary or the folks on the Remain side in Britain.

Is a new American Civil War in the offing? No. But I'm finding the idea that the country will have some kind of realignment in the coming decades to be more and more plausible.

but the US isn't PERFECT which = evil according to the left. And any "improvements" in our society are really just adding to the misery, oppression & injustice unless the improvements pass muster with the left.

Those in armed 'rebellion' would have to sincerely conclude that they'll probably be better off after the upheaval - which isn't as easy a sell as simply mumbling disgruntled rhetoric during periods while out of power, and typing furiously away on their high-tech device. Plus a lot of them will grow up a bit before the 'event.'

I have no fucking idea what that Fukuyama quote meant. Fukyomama - put it in plain English please!

^Long story short, he's quoting from Alexis de T's book "democracy in america" with a marx-like prediction about havenots rising up to take from haves. Brilliant guy, great book, but pshaw, as if this was France (founded on toppling the aristocracy instead of founded on mandate of liberty, equality and prosperity).

Most of americans live in pretty much the same social level, with only the politicians and super-wealthy living according to their own separate set of standards.

Amen.

"It’s great to have another U.S.-friendly leader in South America, who will join the fight against dictatorships in Venezuela and Cuba, and who clearly understands the danger of China’s expanding influence in the region."

food for thought people! If this were the case of "it's great to have another China - friendly leader in South America.....etc....etc....and who clearly understands the danger of America's expanding influence in the region" would Rick with joyful abandon until he collapsed then begin to and shed tears of joy? Asking for a friend!

Link to where I provided any level of support to Chinese imperial ambitions or STFU.

That's because too many shortsighted scumbag politicians have learned that manufactured outrage is an easy way to win elections. The bigger problem comes when that angry mob they created doesn't disappear after the election.

as far as I know I don't have to STFU....I still live in a democracy.

You really are this callous and stupid.

I like your version better than Alexis del Tacobell or whoever.