Terrorism (noun): violent action or threats designed to cause fear among ordinary people in order to achieve political aims (from the Cambridge Dictionary)
Who doesn’t think Trump is engaged in a fear-mongering campaign backed with the taking and killing of hostages (yes, people have already died and many more will do so) effort from the Oval Office? He’s empowered Musk to do what those who served in his first disastrous administration could not. Or at least enough to suit him. However he’s inspiring fear on a massive scale both at home and abroad. Everyone knows it. They KNOW it. Even Republicans would agree although for many the cruelty of that fear is the whole point. So take a look at that definition of terrorism and tell me I’m crazy. Terrorism is more than people setting off bombs or shooting up public events, schools, etc. Or burning down black churches with was all the rage with the Klan when I was growing up. It doesn’t require someone actually commit large acts of violence against people and/or property. Properly wielded a razor can do far more damage with a thousand cuts and that includes administratively.
What matters is Trump has turned Elon Musk and DOGE loose and mass firings have disrupted, and perhaps destroyed the lives of individuals working for the government and their families. No one is safe. We know Trump has allowed Musk into the Social Security and IRS databases. This used to be HIGHLY protected information that includes virtually everyone. (Babies get Social Security numbers for chrissakes) I for one am convinced Musk’s little minions have downloaded it all. Are you scared Musk (and he’ll give it to Trump for others to use) now has ALL your private information including financial stuff (via the IRS) and will soon have all your medical records too? I sure as hell am. While that’s going on there is plenty more. Entire agencies have been shut down (USAID, the Consumer Finance Protection Elizabeth Warren worked so hard to establish) and more are to come.
Yes, it’s already costing lives. People are starving to death because USAID can’t distribute food and medicine. Hell, the wife of a worker overseas late in pregnancy was slated to be sent back to the U.S. for both her own health and that of the baby. At least that’s what the doctors said should be done to give them both the best chance. But, thanks to Trump, Musk and DOGE the State Dept. cancelled the travel voucher. TWICE. She’s stuck now overseas as it’s too late and risky to get her home to a better level of medical care. I guess the anti-abortion fanatics are okay with certain people’s ‘babies’ get treated like ‘mere fetuses’ after all! It’s a safe bet there are numerous other instances out there of this kind of cruelty.
People are dying in Ukraine as I write this because Russia is being newly enabled. Trump wants to extort that country for his own benefit. Others will die in other places because of aggression by other dictators who have good reason to believe Trump will continue shutting down various parts of what the State Dept., NATO and others do will have an easier time using force. Here at home people depending on cutting edge medical treatments created and/or funded by the NHS are dying or will soon do so because their last hope has had it’s funds cut off. It might not be a flashy way of killing people but those affected are every bit as dead as someone filled with shrapnel from a bomb.
It is ALL about Trump inspiring FEAR. The Republican Party is terrified of him. News outlets too. Hell, so are businesses that because of public pressure worked to have truly inclusive workplaces where anyone with qualifications and a good work ethic had a chance to succeed. Just to keep Trump from attacking them many have already done what Trump has ordered done in the government – fire everyone who works on, or even has a loose affiliation with “DEI.” How widespread is the fear Trump is engaged in? It has people scared both on a personal level and on a much wider one than themselves and their families, workplaces and communities.
I’m fearful at the damage being done to the world order and how China, and now again Russia and smaller dictatorships can threaten their own people AND other countries. Trump loves that and given his talk about Canada, Panama and Greenland clearly wants some of that action for himself. So I think I’m justified in fearing the free world is headed for a literal world of trouble and grief. As is our country overall. It’s a big world, but if Trump is allowed to continue unchecked for four years it’s going to be a LOT smaller than it looks on the map. People forget that in the interval between WWI and our getting involved in WWII the United States was a second-rate power on the world stage. Over thirty countries had larger militaries and our economy certainly didn’t dominate the way it would post WWII.
On a personal level, I look at what’s going to happen with the VA, and the HUD subsidy that allows me to have a roof over my own head and am scared. The Medicare co-pays are much higher than with the VA health care system and I can’t afford them. That means loss of medical care and prescriptions which will lead to my death. Or just some order that HUD eliminate staff that process applications for housing assistance. If my apartment complex and countless others around the country lose that money guess what? Those of us who rely on the subsidies will get kicked out so tenants able to pay the full monthly rent on their own can move in. Hundreds of millions of Americans, even teenagers and younger have quite real things to fear.
Trump has decided he’s a KING and that people will goddam well treat him like one and sing his praises or he’ll destroy them. As far as he’s concerned we are all his hostages now, AND he’s already “shooting” various bunches of them to make the point everyone better get with the program, HIS program or else. It’s abundantly clear now Trump is all about inspiring fear in EVERY – SINGLE – AMERICAN. (And people in other countries, especially our long-time allies) Trump wants everyone afraid to speak up against him. HE will decide which favored few will become his oligarchs and get protection but they too know what happens it they don’t suck up to him enough or don’t cough up the “tribute” (money as in kickbacks) he demands. And god help them if they try to play games and shield some of the filthy lucre they accumulate.
So again I say look at a dictionary definition of Terrorism. You can find similar ones in other “name” dictionaries but the point I want to make is that they don’t require actual violence. That threats that are meaningful enough to achieve the same end are still TERRORISM. Trump wants a seat at the table in the ‘Dictator’s Sanctum Santorum’ and knows that to get it he has to do what they (people like Putin for example) have done – inspire universal fear and ensure no institutions exist in their countries that allow for anyone to challenge them. People like Putin, Orban and even Edrogan have shown him how it’s done. And he’s now doing it.
Trump is engaged in a massive and so far pretty successful campaign to inspire fear among individuals, groups/classes of people and even nations. So yes, we have a Terrorist as President. Forget the “Stochastic” in the title picture. We have a President who’s grabbed unprecedented power and is using it to inspire fear of him. Worse, he’s already proven he knows the damage he’s doing and DOES NOT CARE. He’s using the vast powers he holds to make everyone afraid. That’s straight up TERRORISM!
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he said, over and over, that he wants to rule the country with an iron fist, just like Xi in China. so again, this is what they voted for.
Trump is evil, the dictionary definition of evil. He’s the devil, personified. Hey, voters who voted for him, WTF?