I was surprised that social scientists who study authoritarian personalities remained largely silent during the 2024 presidential campaign. They now have almost a decade of hard data on Trump and his followers. Will this silence continue?
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Being "tuned out" doesn't mean you're not yelling at the top of your lungs! Plenty of information was shared. Times are past when people took time off work to "listen" to the "smoking guns"🇺🇸Experts are silenced in a regime. Americans voted for an autocrat "fearing" losing the little they may have.
Good point. The mainstream press back in 2017 covered him like a novelty, even when he called them out as "enemies of the people." Now they know the actual damage he's caused, but won't have a public discussion of his fascism. They might scare too many viewers off. It's up to posters on Bluesky!
I think that there are lots of people saying lots of good things but we currently have a media that heavily meditates, where the big tech billionaires control the algorithms that decide what people see and hear. Fact is siloed and fiery opinion is emphasized/propagated.
I fear that we will suffer and it will be harder to come back. I fear tariffs and that the Republicans will turn on the middle class because they are being brought by the billionaires. I'm a conservative but not a republican
Yes, we will all suffer. None of it has been secret. Agenda 47, trump rallies, Project 2025, interviews w MAGA leaders, it's all been there in plain view. Tariffs, inflation, recession / depression. Brutality. Loss of services. Cutting SocSec.
To see the debt being paid off. I'm not trying to suppress people rights. Allowing businesses to run but also making sure that they don't take advantage of their positions. Allowing people to speak. I think that the Republicans are worried about the billionaires, and I don't understand
I'm sure that you are right. It's just that I was taught differently, and now I understand that I was wrong. It's hard for an old lady to realize that what you believe is what democrats are
Not true PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIANS/Social Sc experts KEN BURNS & Pros Doris Kearns & John Meecham & Michael Beschloss ALL CAME OUT ON TALK SHOWS WARNING OF TRUMP! Ken Burns broke his silence!
John isn’t talking about Trump’s personality. He’s referring to research into a personality type that wants and embraces authoritarianism. As I recall, a surprisingly large number of Americans were found to have this personality type. Very worthy of further research and discussion!
They also endlessly platformed Republicans, endlessly. And Joe and Mika, the Bulwark folks, and never called on a single Republican to take any responsibility for getting us here. Nicolle was fawning to W right up to the end. I'm done.
It's the silence of the leaders who didn't participate in the 2020/21 coup attempt that shocked me. Not 1 leader made outcries when Biden supported the treasonous leaders stay in office & run again. Leaders should have united to oust & jail the traitors; now, soon traitors will hold all USA power.
In 3/22 Biden said 'he'd be very fortunate to run against Trump in 2024' Biden refused to answer questions about the attempted coup leaders. Biden's AG pick did NOT hire SC for almost 4 yrs. Nixon's AG hired SC Cox 2 days after Watergate hearings began. Yes, Biden upheld the treasonous leaders.
Biden is not the enemy here, for crying out loud he is a thoroughly good man who believes in treating people well. It is ridiculous to blame him for Trump. The billionaires want to rule the planet, the billionaires are using Trump to get what they want.
Biden could have hired an AG who aggressively sought the leaders who committed treason. Biden could have gone to Congress & demanded leaders unite & oust the traitors. Biden could of united Americans to march to oust the traitors. Biden normalized leader treason; Biden did NOTHING but support them
Biden was staying out of it, other that hiring Merrick Garland who was not aggressive enough, a good and decent president doesn't interfere with the justice department. That is what dictators do.
American journalists tried to warn Americans that American journalism was falling, but they were drowned out by American journalists assuring America that everything is fine. They’re still at it.
The issue is that if so many are watching only Fox News, newsmax or one America and listen to podcasts of right wing extremists, they don’t hear anything but trump trump trump and everyone else is the enemy. How do we combat that?
One of the few personalities who constantly warned against the dictatorial bigot Trump were
@timothysnyder.bsky.social @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social @kathleenbelew.bsky.social
Unfortunately most media agencies, platforms and newspapers are owned by billionaire cowards😏
Yes they were, but not until a bit prior to the election. Most knowledgeable folks who noticed the authoritarian bent who were on social platforms (or had access to MSM outlets) remained silent. Sounding the alarm came too late to change the election.
It's not on the experts, or the media who interviewed them, if people didn't follow those stories.
The same knowledgeable folks have been and remain on social media, explaining, warning, all along. Tim Snyder published a book that was widely promoted on xitter.
I respectfully disagree. Experts need to be more vocal earlier. Misinformation hounds bark loudly to get attention. Sounding alarms when destructive fascism becomes abundantly apparent should be pushed more fervently. Waiting until a few weeks before an election does nothing.
Sorry, I was a little crabby last night when I wrote that ; )
I've given this a lot of thought. Why was their propaganda so effective, and why did we have nothing to counter it. Same goes for Covid. I'm not sure what more experts could do than tweet, write op-eds in newspapers, sit for ...
media interviews. Their normal medium is the journal article. Some of them were happy for more exposure than usual, I'm sure, but I imagine it was jarring for a virologist to explain something in lay terms only to have hateful people telling him he was wrong and stupid.
Same with the fascism.
Of course it will continue. Trump never hides his criminality and stupidity. It all out there for the world to see. And he was voted in..what does that tell you of how stupid the masses truly are.
I'm being way too cynical about this, but it seems like they might be coming out of the woodwork now that he won.
"You can see even during the election cycle that he followed classical authoritarian..."
Thune as leader will turn out to be what stops Trump. Senators are not about to give away their power. I don’t see much of this out in the media but can we get some good media outlets to help us ? If he is successful, there won’t be a media. Not much employment for press in authoritarian regimes.
They have not YET. That is still to be decided. If they had chosen Scott , yes game over. Out work is to get the House back and even try to win the 3 seats that are opening in a red area and Democrats have done it before.
I'll be surprised if 3 GOP senators dare to defy trump.
Or if they'll be in a position to. He's already told us he will confirm his own nominees, having "his people" doing background checks instead of the FBI.
He's mad now that Hegseth's dirt is coming out. It's not the first dirt they've missed.
They know it’s over for them if they capitulate on this. Rejecting Trumps pick it showed me they will not play along. We need to focus on the 3 seats open soon. 2026 can be when voters who realized what they are in turn back this nonsense. The infighting is hurting us all. It caused this disaster.
They're aren't gonna be recalled.
There probably won't be future elections.
We're heading straight into autocracy.
trump refused to sign the important parts of the transition MOU.
he's exempting himself from any laws.
He's planning to rule, not govern.
I don’t know if anyone can speak up enough, or loudly enough, against Donald Trump, however, many social scientists and historians did speak up. Three of my favorite are Heather Cox Richardson, Timothy Snyder, and Ruth Ben-Ghiat.
@sarahkendzior.bsky.social has written several books and embedded useful language in our daily vocabulary from her podcast with @andreachalupa.bsky.social "They knew." "Elite criminal impunity." "Dismantle the US and sell it for parts." @gaslitnation.bsky.social
The media couldn’t bothsides authoritarian personalities. Without bothsidsing they apparently have no idea how to report. And are afraid of being seen as “tipping the scale.” The experts were out there warning us. The media failed us.
They were not silent, just ignored! George Conway was particularly vocal and many top psychology experts. When a country makes fun of doctors of the mind, they end up with the election of a mentally sick psychopath. Ergo, the silence will continue......
George Conway is not an expert in authoritarianism. But the corporate media insisted on #Bothsidesing everything and there's no way to do that with fascism on one side.
Blame the bothsidesing ceos of corporate media, they tell their talking heads what to cover. Many in media are not allowed to use their journalism degrees if they have them, in order to keep their jobs. Capitalism at its worst.
Maga is a terror machine. So many cowards are obeying in advance. I've learned America is half religious fanatics or lazy uninterested that don't think politics matters. So all of us get to go through a lot of pain.
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Cheaters
Yes, we will all suffer. None of it has been secret. Agenda 47, trump rallies, Project 2025, interviews w MAGA leaders, it's all been there in plain view. Tariffs, inflation, recession / depression. Brutality. Loss of services. Cutting SocSec.
Business running w oversight & regulations -- not conservative. Besides taxes, cutting those are their raison de etre.
Free speech? The right of free speech ends 1/20/25.
I don't know you, but I'm proud of you : )
the forefront appearing and writing throughout this tragic ordeal.
I agree with everyone else pointing out that plenty of folks have written extensively about this (pertaining to DT)
The MSM let us down. Educated democrats knew
Also many voters are excited (wrongly) about a strong authoritarian leader who promises to get things done
It's our civic duty. If you count on TV, you're not informed. If you skim headlines, ditto.
Last 10 years -- critical for READING widely & deeply. Hannah Arendt. Tim Snyder. Wise social media accounts.
Autocracy will hit hard.
John, Do you know how many books were written about Trump?
They all sounded the alarm.
@timothysnyder.bsky.social @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social @kathleenbelew.bsky.social
Unfortunately most media agencies, platforms and newspapers are owned by billionaire cowards😏
Our reality of the media space.
please try and get the word out to them. "we the people" are trying to recount #PA
@anneapplebaum.bsky.social is 💎💎💎
It's not on the experts, or the media who interviewed them, if people didn't follow those stories.
The same knowledgeable folks have been and remain on social media, explaining, warning, all along. Tim Snyder published a book that was widely promoted on xitter.
I've given this a lot of thought. Why was their propaganda so effective, and why did we have nothing to counter it. Same goes for Covid. I'm not sure what more experts could do than tweet, write op-eds in newspapers, sit for ...
Same with the fascism.
I also believe that some may be waiting to confirm their research…
Media includes books, social media, longform magazine articles, like this one about Hegseth.
Americans should have been READING instead of watching TV.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/pete-hegseths-secret-history?utm_social-type=owned&utm_brand=tny
"You can see even during the election cycle that he followed classical authoritarian..."
I guess we'll see what happens after these new disclosures:
https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/pete-hegseths-secret-history?utm_social-type=owned&utm_brand=tny
Or if they'll be in a position to. He's already told us he will confirm his own nominees, having "his people" doing background checks instead of the FBI.
He's mad now that Hegseth's dirt is coming out. It's not the first dirt they've missed.
They're aren't gonna be recalled.
There probably won't be future elections.
We're heading straight into autocracy.
trump refused to sign the important parts of the transition MOU.
he's exempting himself from any laws.
He's planning to rule, not govern.
The last decade has been a critical time to pay attention. That involved reading, thinking, drawing inferences, noticing implications.
Most Americans didn't bother. The majority still don't have any idea what's coming.
Watching partisan TV isn't informative.