this post was submitted on 17 Jul 2024
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158
Jon Stewart Reacts to Trump’s Assassination Attempt: “We Dodged a Catastrophe” (www.hollywoodreporter.com)
submitted 3 months ago by return2ozma@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world
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[–] ASDraptor@lemmy.autism.place 113 points 3 months ago (7 children)

Hard to say what would have been better.

There's no doubt removing a Hitler from the US elections would benefit everyone.

But given how dangerous his cult is, can you say without a doubt they would stay calm and just accept their leader got killed? And, above all, that the one coming to take his place would be a less fascist person?

[–] alcoholicorn@lemmy.ml 106 points 3 months ago

OK, but if it did trigger a civil war, it'd be better to do that now than after they hold the government.

[–] Deceptichum@quokk.au 42 points 3 months ago (1 children)

But given how dangerous his cult is, can you say without a doubt they would stay calm and just accept their leader got killed?

His cult will (and already does) do damage if gets in, so it doesn't matter if they might if he doesn't.

And, above all, that the one coming to take his place would be a less fascist person?

The current one already is a fascist person, at that point it doesn't matter if they're more or less, any fascist needs to go.

[–] ASDraptor@lemmy.autism.place 10 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (7 children)

There are levels of fascism. A fascist like Trump is dangerous, but given his lack of intelligence, he's less dangerous than a fascist that's smart. You don't want a smart Trump.

Edit: typo

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[–] mozz@mbin.grits.dev 18 points 3 months ago

Trump embodies fascism on an instinctive bedrock level. By the time he saw the democracy, he was already a man, and it was nothing to him but stupid.

It’s unlikely that the person that replaces him will be as spiritually aligned with fascism. On the other hand, just like with Hitler, Trump’s pure stupidity and laziness is the one bright spot in what would otherwise be an unbroken landscape of horror that we’re currently driving into.

I think replacing him, atop the machinery that’s been created at this point, with someone who really knew what to do with it and could apply themselves to getting it done, would be probably the worst catastrophe possible out a set of possible futures that doesn’t have any shortage of catastrophes.

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 14 points 3 months ago (1 children)

You remove Hitler and you get Chancellor Göring. As you suggest, it's just not that simple.

[–] Evotech@lemmy.world 10 points 3 months ago (1 children)

There level of martyrdom would be insane

[–] Deceptichum@quokk.au 21 points 3 months ago (1 children)

They're already delusional and obsessed about their new prophet, what difference would it make.

[–] linearchaos@lemmy.world 5 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Most likely they would take significant action. There'd be a lot of terrorism.

Though, probably not much more than if he loses.

[–] Zos_Kia@lemmynsfw.com 8 points 3 months ago (1 children)

You'd think that but significant action required significant coordination. Coordinating these people without their guru would be like herding cats. Possibly, the leaders and influencers would tear each other apart, leading to mixed messaging, leading to apathy in the ranks.

[–] linearchaos@lemmy.world 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

ion required significant coordination. Coordinating these people without their guru would be like herding cats. P

You mean like the attempted coup?

Or like the guys that were hitting substations?

Or like the guys driving through peaceful marches?

[–] Zos_Kia@lemmynsfw.com 0 points 3 months ago (1 children)

The attempted coup made sense because they were united under their leader. Even then, while it was shocking, it didn't accomplish any of their immediate goals. Without Trump, my guess is the high level individuals that effectively coordinated it would be too busy fighting each other to accomplish anything significant.

The other examples are individuals committing criminal acts, not significant actions. Maybe you'd see a flare up of those, but probably not that much as crazy individualists get bored quick.

[–] linearchaos@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I disagree with "significant action required significant coordination."

One person can take significant action, as we saw in the news the other day.

I'm not agreeing with you and then saying that single people were coordinated; I'm saying that coordination isn't necessary to perform significant acts.

[–] Zos_Kia@lemmynsfw.com 0 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I think we're not talking about the same thing. Individual acts of terrorism are not significant in my view, the US gets a bunch of politically motivated shootings every year and it accomplishes absolutely nothing. They are horrible tragedies, but not political drivers.

I'm not Nostradamus but my guess is that if Trump were to suddenly up and die, his movement would fizzle out pretty quickly. His lackeys would fight for power Game of Thrones style, which would fragment the movement and make it essentially toothless. His fans would be agitated for a while, most wouldn't do shit about it, a few would attempt shootings, even fewer would succeed and make headlines for a couple days. But nothing politically significant would happen. Just my $0.02 !

[–] linearchaos@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

"Individual acts of terrorism are not significant in my view"

You can go find someone else to 'argue' with.

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[–] APassenger@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

An organic cause would play out different than an assassin's bullet. Both candidates have the best Healthcare available, so I dunno that organic is likely tho.

[–] ASDraptor@lemmy.autism.place 2 points 3 months ago

Him dying of an illness or simply old age would remove a good portion of the followers ire (not 100% because I'm sure there would be an interesting portion thinking the cause is fake and someone killed him; and of course some nutjob would try to capitalize it). The problem of a potentially worse successor remains.

The solution is by no means simple and, to do it well, you need a long term plan that includes not only defeating him but also a shock plan for anyone trying to copy him until they return to being a moderate right party.

The solution must include too opening the elections to a more complex system with more than 2 parties and actual alternatives that make people able of voting for something that's not just "the lesser evil".

[–] androogee@midwest.social 71 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Why do people act like Trump supporters are even tangentially connected to reality? They're not.

If they want to do some awful thing, and the reason doesn't exist, they'll make up a reason. They'll shoot up a pizza restaurant over a basement that doesn't exist. They'll storm the capital to deny the reality of an election. They do not give a fuck about reality.

They are already doing every single awful thing they want to do. Refusing to resist them because they might continue to be the exact same people they already are is so fucking stupid and infuriating.

[–] dan1101@lemm.ee 71 points 3 months ago (2 children)

I think we'd be better off dealing with the illegal actions of some unhinged Trump mourners than dealing with a legal second Trump administration for 4 (or more?) years.

[–] dmtalon@infosec.pub 17 points 3 months ago (2 children)

I disagree with this completely. I believe if he had been killed his supporters would massively ramp up the division that exists now, which would be bad. Revenge, and Retribution are terms used by trump and his followers. I think under that reality it would have triggered some awful things.

[–] knightly@pawb.social 40 points 3 months ago (3 children)

They're doing that anyway, the only difference is that their martyr is still alive to lead them.

[–] Wytch@lemmy.zip 16 points 3 months ago

I'm inclined to agree.

When a sudden power vacuum appears, two things are likely to happen. One, there's a mad scramble to grab that power and two, they'll turn on each other in the attempt. But that's all that seems certain.

Leadership would change hands and divisions would deepen, but they've been on a path of retribution and violence for a long time now. Trump's exit wouldn't end that.

[–] MeekerThanBeaker@lemmy.world 7 points 3 months ago

He'll likely die of a heart attack or stroke and MAGA folks will still blame the left for it.

[–] dmtalon@infosec.pub 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Would love for you to expand "already doing that" in relation to what I was suggesting. I do not see political opponents being physically attacked, I do not see/hear of any armed mobs actively physically trying to 'take their country back'.

I think that because of 1) trump is still alive and 2) this cook kid doesn't seem to fit the narrative of their enemy has kept things 'civil'.

[–] knightly@pawb.social 20 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (2 children)

Would love for you to expand "already doing that" in relation to what I was suggesting. I do not see political opponents being physically attacked, I do not see/hear of any armed mobs actively physically trying to 'take their country back'.

You already forgot about Paul Pelosi? The plot to kidnap the governor of Michigan? January 6th? Gabby Giffords? The Proud Boys? Charlottesville? Austin Combs? Kyle Rittenhouse?

Do you need me to keep going? I can name the armed mobs trying to 'take their country back' until the cows come home and barely scratch the surface.

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[–] dan1101@lemm.ee 11 points 3 months ago

Bring it on, get it over with. The Civil War would have been much worse if Jefferson Davis was president instead of Lincoln.

[–] radivojevic 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

And on the other hand, DeSantis vs Biden? Uh ohhh

[–] return2ozma@lemmy.world 14 points 3 months ago

Direct video: https://youtu.be/u8yL3I_6Oco

[–] ryathal@sh.itjust.works 9 points 3 months ago (2 children)

He's not wrong. If you thought the last debate was bad for Biden imagine if there was a DeSantis or Haley up there to really hammer the age difference and speak in complete sentences. That person also gets to carry out Trump's vision and honor his memory. Once they won the election, they also get the opportunity to pass legislation that was Trump's dieing wish.

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[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 8 points 3 months ago

I'm just glad he decided not to go in person to the RNC.

Because he dodged a catastrophe.

[–] xc2215x@lemmy.world 7 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Jon is completely right.

[–] Today@lemmy.world 5 points 3 months ago

The (unhinged, dumb as a rock, self absorbed) devil you know is better then the (smarter, psychopath) devil you don't.