this post was submitted on 16 Feb 2025
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politics

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Summary

Trump's defiance of court orders—refusing to release funds or reinstate officials—signals a dangerous drift toward dictatorship.

Courts use civil and criminal contempt to enforce orders, yet their power relies on DOJ-controlled agencies like the Marshals and Bureau of Prisons.

If the DOJ ignores or pardons contempt findings, judicial authority is undermined.

With Congress failing to check executive overreach, Trump's persistent noncompliance erodes the rule of law.

The situation risks transforming government into a dictatorship unless public outrage and political resistance reverse this trend.

top 28 comments
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[–] [email protected] 187 points 2 weeks ago

We're already here. Can we stop dancing around with "here's this way you'll know" or "we're coursing towards this!"?

We. Are. Here. Already.

[–] [email protected] 105 points 2 weeks ago

Why are they talking like this might happen? JFC it's happening.

[–] [email protected] 97 points 2 weeks ago

The easiest sign is when you're bombarded with instructions about how to recognize if you're in a dictatorship.

[–] [email protected] 71 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Alternatively, the easier sign (since a good chunk of the courts are complicit) is when we started being ruled by decree. The second easiest is when language is getting policed.

After checking my notes, that started January 20, 2025, when sweeping Executive Orders were decreed that are being treated as the force of law when they most certainly are not. The removal of "T" from LGBTQ, and enforcement of the stupid, unilateral renaming of the Gulf of Mexico is the other.

Congratulations, we live in a dictatorship.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago

Id argue its still in pieces thanks to the states, itll be felt more directly in say Arkansas rather than say California. Though I guess thats like comparing Nizhy Novgorod to the Vladivostok, but its still a factor to consider.

[–] [email protected] 45 points 2 weeks ago
[–] [email protected] 37 points 2 weeks ago

LOL there's a MILLION ways we know. another big way is how the MSM fucking ignores them all

[–] [email protected] 32 points 2 weeks ago

Here's one big way you can tell if the US if becoming a dictatorship:

Did Trump get elected? If yes, then it is.

[–] [email protected] 30 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

We've been in a crypto-fascist state since Dubya. We had so many rights to question our government revoked, and even the ones who loved it had theirs removed too. Loyalty to the party didn't secure anything.

This is just the final nail in the coffin. Dubya tried to pretend he was on the side of the American public. Trump doesn't. Mask off, showing what America has always wanted to do and become since Nixon.

[–] [email protected] 29 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

in other countries, the last hope was the military siding with the people

[–] [email protected] 34 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Did you see this:

That's where we're at

[–] [email protected] 16 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Thanks for this, i had no clue.
(transcript below of the last of those 3 notes ... hope i did not make too much typos ...)

3.C.1.A.6. (U) Any soldier currently under medical care for gender dysphoria or transition will continue to receive medical treatment consistent with the standard of care.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 weeks ago

I did not see this, this is excellent news. Thank you for sharing this.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

I don’t think trans veterans killing themselves in the VA is gonna do much for morale.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 weeks ago

Yeah, trans veterans aren't the majority of veterans. While it's horrific what's being done to them, it's not really going to have any impact on the military resisting a dictatorship.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Don't worry, we're defunding the VA. They'll kill themselves in the streets instead

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago

Back to Vietnam! Hopefully don't also go back to post ww1 where they sent tanks after veterans asking for their war benefits

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

This is how how you get Rambo.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago
[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago

Not like they are known for caring about the troops ever. They love posing with them, and that's about it

[–] [email protected] 17 points 2 weeks ago

Musks little brat told Trump to shut his mouth and go away the other day so at least the situation is not without some comedy. So we have that going for us. And Luigi. Not a whole lot else though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IjjJGFCVfI&t=23s

[–] [email protected] 17 points 2 weeks ago

Huh. TIL:

The looming obstacle to deployment of civil contempt against Trump’s merry band of constitutional arsonists is the reality that judges do not arrest or imprison people themselves. Nor does the judicial branch have its own armed employees to arrest those who defy its orders or its own jails in which to hold prisoners. Those jobs are performed by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Federal Bureau of Prisons … which are both components of the DOJ and are thus subordinate to the attorney general, who is subordinate to Trump. Even an order imposing a fine can be enforced only against a noncompliant defendant by action of the Justice Department.

Pretty good article on why refusing to enforce a contempt order would really be the South Bank of the Rubicon.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Will knowing about it enable me to do literally anything about it or is this just going to give me an ulcer to go with my other old man diseases?

[–] [email protected] 16 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

You can do something about it every day. PolRev, 50501, inequality.org, theres a new resistance group every day. Now is the time to disobey. Cast your die.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Joining a political action committee will lack the... catharsis I'm looking for

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Then grab that catharsis! I'm about it right now.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Shrödinger's ToS violation

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago