This is a dynamic right out of my book #Strongmen... And here is my Lucid essay on autocratic backfire: open.substack.com/pub/lucid/p/... - ThreadSky

ruthbenghiat.bsky.social • 16 days ago

This is a dynamic right out of my book #Strongmen...
And here is my Lucid essay on autocratic backfire: https://open.substack.com/pub/lucid/p/welcome-to-autocratic-backfire?r=4urvg&utm_medium=ios

Comments

paulakeys142.bsky.social•16 days ago

Thank you Ruth!

wndlb.bsky.social•16 days ago

The noisy ones are all for them.

audreyhenderson.bsky.social•16 days ago

📌

nataliakerr.bsky.social•16 days ago

If that idiot doesn't know for himself that tariffs are trade barriers that inevitably stifle competition and raise prices on consumers, God helps us all...

robindescamp.bsky.social•16 days ago

Wait until his voters get hit with the next punch: groceries that come to the shelves with help from undocumented immigrants will be much more expensive. That’s basically all groceries, of course. But the upside is losing Medicare, I guess?

crookedbridge.bsky.social•16 days ago

Wait until MAGA realizes that the return of manufacturing to U.S. was a mirage solely designed to appeal to their nationalism and engender more fealty.

robindescamp.bsky.social•16 days ago

That’s a real bummer, since I know most people dream of working in factories screwing tiny little screws into iPhones. When I had a kid 24 years ago, that was my ultimate goal for his life.

crookedbridge.bsky.social•16 days ago

Yep, I am sure he aspires to be on losing end of the income equality equation.

adayinmylife64.bsky.social•16 days ago

If that’s the case why did he halt them?

nonnieida.bsky.social•16 days ago

And their opinion of tariffs will only get worse as they begin to impact prices.

524lsdmt.bsky.social•16 days ago

They have to tell him because he won't or can't read for himself.

joerandomguy.bsky.social•16 days ago

The "dictator's dilema"; he wants loyalty, so he gets no contrasting opinions, or good advice, or even any correct data. Just ego-stroking yes-men.

ehamburg.bsky.social•16 days ago

Just like Mao

https://boingboing.net/2025/04/09/trumps-new-loyalty-test-golden-trump-bust-lapel-pins.html

thornsoftristan.bsky.social•16 days ago

Hideous. Exhibit A that Fascist cults have zero taste.

coldownsouth.bsky.social•16 days ago

Trump’s WELL PAST HIS USE BY DATE.

megunderwood.bsky.social•16 days ago

I bought your book after watching you on Nicolle’s show for years now. It, like you, is amazing! I only wish people had listened to you!

barch24.bsky.social•16 days ago

Thank you for being a light.

zulaqi.bsky.social•16 days ago

Absolutely. Trump's fans love that he is bullying, threatening, and cheer when others are fearful, hurt, and concede.That's core American culture, that apparently many didn't know existed at all, or still.

henrymn44.bsky.social•16 days ago

I believe the 60-80% of MAGA base accepts anything Trump does as serving their best interests. X, Fox, Newsmax provide next to no counter considerations.

henrymn44.bsky.social•16 days ago

The vast majority of billionaire money supported Republican candidates. The top 100 billionaire-family donors made 70% ($1.84 billion) of their donations to committees that backed GOP candidates, while 23% ($594 million) went to entities backing Democratic candidates.

sharonf59.bsky.social•16 days ago

they are all admiring his clothes, all we see is horrible wobbly naked flesh

auntiegg.bsky.social•16 days ago

Trump is being played. Who's gonna tell him?

carolnorris.bsky.social•16 days ago

They kept GWB in the dark about things, as well.

l84thesky.bsky.social•16 days ago

I just watched the PBS documentary "The Dictator's Playbook" (which includes interviews of you). I gasped when Mussolini's slogan "Mussolini is always right" was mentioned because I've seen "Trump is always right" hats on his supporters. We are quickly headed down the path of dictatorship.

vcat11.bsky.social•16 days ago

Q: Why do stocks go up and down?
A: Because they can. It’s called liquidity. Easy in, Easy out.

Q: But aren’t investors in for the long term, like Warren Buffett?
A: Not all are. Most short term swings in stock prices come from short term players. e.g., hedge funds

Up, down. Easy in, easy out.

downwrdspiral.bsky.social•16 days ago

Good article but when will it end?

upchuck66.bsky.social•15 days ago

Read Ruth’s, Lucid, essay on autocratic backfire where she explains this dynamic.

iddybud.bsky.social•16 days ago

It's like every movie you've seen where a bunch of loser nerds hover around the doofus company leader, reassuring him with false statistics that he's doing a great job while, in reality, people are out there pointing and laughing.

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