Kellyanne Conway keeps accidentally revealing Trump’s fascist intentions — according to a historian

Donald Trump and Steve Bannon are carrying out an authoritarian coup, according to an expert on fascist history — and Kellyanne Conway keeps dropping hints about their intentions.

Ruth Ben-Ghiat, professor of history and Italian studies at New York University, warned in a CNN column that Trump and his chief strategist intended to remake American politics in their own image, and she cites some revealing comments by Conway, a senior counselor to the president, to back her claims.

The author of Italian Fascism’s Empire Cinema argued that the president and his team were intentionally generating “confusion and chaos” with a quick succession of executive orders, especially a controversial ban on travelers from some predominantly Muslim nations.

Ben-Ghiat called these “shock events,” which she argued were intended to disorient and disrupt Americans and the political system to help Trump consolidate his power. Conway, the president’s campaign manager, applauded the chaotic implementation of the immigration ban, celebrated Trump’s orders as “breathtaking” and warned “get used to it. @POTUS is a man of action and impact … Shock to the system. And he’s just getting started.”

The historian described how Trump and his team appeared to be setting up a “government within the government” to further consolidate their power and sideline dissenters. This strategy requires the creation of a small group of loyal insiders — say, the Strategic Initiatives Group — that takes orders directly from the president’s inner circle and bypass existing chains of command. Conway described this setup when she said: “It’s really time for (Trump) to put in his own security and intelligence community.”

That tight inner circle must then purge anyone — the acting attorney general, for example, or the State Department’s entire senior staff — who questions their absolute authority over even the truth itself. “You’re saying it’s a falsehood,” Conway said, challenging unflattering reports about the size of Trump’s inauguration crowd. “Sean Spicer, our press secretary, gave alternative facts to that.” Then even outside dissent must be silenced, as Conway warned. “Not one network person has been let go, not one silly political analyst and pundit who talked smack all day long about Donald Trump has been let go,” Conway said. “I’m too polite to mention their names, but they know who they are, and they are all wondering who will be the first to go. The election was three months ago. None of them have been let go.”


http://www.rawstory.com/2017/02/kellyanne-conway-keeps-accidentally-revealing-trumps-fascist-intentions-according-to-a-historian/

Yep truly scary the way they are leading the US down this well worn path...

And we had four rabid right wing extremists on here (now three, thankfully..)  happily and proudly cheering on Trump's ascendency, and his plans to introduce his fascist ideals onto American society..

How long will it be now, before the first disgruntled grassroots GOP nutter decides to take a potshot at Trump, in a patriotic attempt to take back his/her homeland from these fascist upstarts..

Surely, it's only a matter of time,  now  ?

veya_victaous wrote:
Yep truly scary the way they are leading the US down this well worn path...

"Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it."

George Santayana,   'The Life of Reason'  1905.

Conway knows exactly what she's doing. She did this before the election, too ... she might be one of us. Deep undercover.

Ben Reilly wrote:Conway knows exactly what she's doing. She did this before the election, too ... she might be one of us. Deep undercover.

Have you see here latest fake news claim?

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/02/02/kellyanne-conway-refers-to-fake-bowling-green-massacre.html

She's speaking to people smart enough to Google stuff? Hopefully.

Ben Reilly wrote:Conway knows exactly what she's doing. She did this before the election, too ... she might be one of us. Deep undercover.

She did it to Mitt Romney, too.

Kellyanne ConWay used her daily broadcast in the White House Briefing Room (and the expensive airtime of the various news stations!!) to endorse and promote Ivanka's frocks business.  This represents a serious breach of ethics -  in addition to the permanent conflict of interests that exists because Trump and his enormous extended family and in laws are all hard nosed business people.


A cry went up for disciplinary action of loose cannon ConWoman ConWay. Sean Spicer tried to defuse the furore by saying she would be counselled but ConWay completely undermined him by bragging that she'd had a meeting with Trump about it and Trump assured her she had done nothing wrong and would thus be receiving no counselling. In fact Trump apparently said he did not even like the word  (too progressive and liberal. As someone who gifted the world the glorious term ''alternative facts'' maybe  she could now invent a term that could replace counselling, that her boss would prefer. Cos a lot of his staff will need counselling the way they are disgracing the dignity of the white house.)

Trump's lenient stance here was not surprising as he'd been ranting himself on twitter about the injustice done to Ivanka's frocks company. Btw has ConWay forgotten that her own role is supposed to be 'counsellor to the president'? Her words! How come he now hates the word?


Donald was elected on the 'clean up politics' ticket. He said politics was going to be very different and he represented the wind of change. He did not freshen up the air at all,  all he did was replace it with his own particular brand of stink. He did not separate politics from Wall Street as he promised, on the contrary he employed a high profile team from there.  

As a vengeful overly sensitive guy who takes everything everyone says personally, he will abuse his presidential powers and ignore all boundaries of decency. Moreover he and his enormous extended family are all hard nosed businessmen, they will use his presidential connections relentlessly and the spectre of corruption will taint all their business dealings.

People expect serious discussions and a certain level of gravitas when someone speaks directly from the White House ... and all you get is boasts about how big his inauguration crowd was, how hard people clapped for him and how wonderful his daughter's frocks are. No respect for the dignity of Office.

Jules wrote:People expect serious discussions and a certain level of gravitas when someone speaks directly from the White House ... and all you get is boasts about how big his inauguration crowd was,  how hard people clapped for him and how wonderful his daughter's frocks are.  No respect for the dignity of Office.

That's why I keep saying, he's not a real man. A real man takes his responsibilities seriously and understands the weight of his own words.

I have to say, I think it would have been hard for him to develop these character traits given how he was raised. He's always been spoiled and is obviously quite accustomed to getting his own way, and getting what he wants with little effort.

Ben Reilly wrote:Conway knows exactly what she's doing. She did this before the election, too ... she might be one of us. Deep undercover.

That's one theory that fits the facts. Another is, they see the boss getting comfortable with his conflicts, why not make it a rule...in fact, make it a joke? They say ridicule helps to settle in a new standard.

I'm ambivalent. Either way, it's grating on the public. Did you see the new poll numbers from PPP last night? Pretty soon whatever net is holding them up is going to break.

Hi Quill, yes Ben,  he is indeed spoilt  but he should learn to put his personal feelings and preferences on the back burner now, he's the leader of a big nation, not a private citizen.  He failed the diplomacy test when he slammed the phone down on Malcolm Turnball!

Back to my rant, ..

there is enough wealth in that family to enable them all to tone down their voracious money grabbing lifestyle and become more discreet and decorous. They can become America's version of European royalty.

But old habits die hard and their business instincts always come to the fore.  When the Japanese PM  met up with Donald,  Ivanka, who has business interests in Japan (but has absolutely nothing to do with politics)  sat in on the meeting. Why????

Eric Trump's entire career is his charity and he gives his father's private golf clubs a hefty cut of the moneys raised by this charity. These clubs host all the events and then bill Eric, who pays whatever they ask, and these are logged as ''expenses'' in tax sheets, (~15% ) despite him saying that next to nothing (0-5%) is deducted from the charity funds.

Eric also declared last year that his dad regularly pays ''hundreds of thousands'' into this charity, though when pressed further by the press, he withdrew the statement and refused to discuss it further.

Taxpayers pay for the security services and personal bodyguards to accompany members of this huge family wherever they go, including any  flights to far flung places for business meetings which have nowt to do with politics.

The colossal amount to keep melania safe in Trump towers, bet he employs some of his own private bodyguards then sends the bill to the govt?


Fair fucks to the guy, he is doing things his own way and he is singleminded about it, but don't pretend you have come in to clean up politics, you're no less greedy than Hillary would have been.
  

Hi Jules...you make some very good and rational points, but Trump is not rational...or even intelligent.

You hear a lot of noise about Trump's business acumen, but as Robert Reich pointed out, he inherited $200-million from his father.  If he had just invested that in good growth stocks over his lifetime, and just sat there doing nothing else, he would be worth some $6-billion more than where he is now.  Essentially, that means he lost $6-billion--in addition to his three bankruptcies--which in my book makes him a total failure.

Trump is in the position he is in because of the complete collapse of the Republican Party.  No, Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan don't realize it yet, but Jeb Bush does.

Trump is a loud-mouthed, totally ignorant, ego maniac.  His every thought is me, me, me.  Don't look for any rationality out of him.  No 'lay-low' strategy.  No 'quiet down' strategy.  He's incapable of that kind of rational thought.  Remember, he is responsible for the loss of $6-billion.  It takes a real infection to end up that sick.

Original Quill wrote:

Ben Reilly wrote:Conway knows exactly what she's doing. She did this before the election, too ... she might be one of us. Deep undercover.

That's one theory that fits the facts.  Another is, they see the boss getting comfortable with his conflicts, why not make it a rule...in fact, make it a joke?  They say ridicule helps to settle in a new standard.

I'm ambivalent.  Either way, it's grating on the public.  Did you see the new poll numbers from PPP last night?  Pretty soon whatever net is holding them up is going to break.

Yep!

Also check this out: http://www.valuewalk.com/2017/01/republicans-2018-midterm-elections/

Jules wrote:Hi Quill, yes Ben,  he is indeed spoilt  but he should learn to put his personal feelings and preferences on the back burner now, he's the leader of a big nation, not a private citizen.  He failed the diplomacy test when he slammed the phone down on Malcolm Turnball!

although didn't turnball say he didn't?

The Devil, You Know wrote:

Jules wrote:
Hi Quill, yes Ben,  he is indeed spoilt  but he should learn to put his personal feelings and preferences on the back burner now, he's the leader of a big nation, not a private citizen.  He failed the diplomacy test when he slammed the phone down on Malcolm Turnball!

although didn't turnball say he didn't?

You really are a moron, Deano..

And a coward to boot..

A lot to say about two other countries in international affairs -- when you, yourself, are hiding away in your tax-avoidance bolt-hole. Go home to Britain, and maybe your opinions will count for something..

The Devil, You Know wrote:

Jules wrote:Hi Quill, yes Ben,  he is indeed spoilt  but he should learn to put his personal feelings and preferences on the back burner now, he's the leader of a big nation, not a private citizen.  He failed the diplomacy test when he slammed the phone down on Malcolm Turnbull!

although didn't turnball say he didn't?

A shouty conversation  was  abruptly cut short 35 minutes before it was scheduled to end.
[It was meant to last one hour but was terminated after 25 minutes when tempers rose]
To me, that translates as slamming down the phone  ... in all but name.

Goodnight guys!

And only cause Turnbull's got class and knows it's better to keep the US President on side. He got what he wanted no need to twist the knife and make an enemy when this small act can turn him into a potential ally. Or at least get begrudging respect from a man he may need in the future

Just Like the UK, Australia is a Vassal stare, forced to play nice and work with whatever hand it is dealt.