I repeat my opposition for most of his policies but I do find it frightening that the clampdown on freedom of expression continues - under the guise of stopping Covid or protecting the abused MeToo or Black Lives Matter or which ever populist causes can be guaranteed media support. The one thing I admired Trump for was his courage in daring to fight media. America First is a loathsome concept - just like Brexit. I go to the other extreme; Open All Borders. In fact - Humanity First. But God forbid I get silenced for having those views and expressing them. I've been silenced (in mainstream media) for being a wrongly convicted victim of the False Allegations Industry. For that very reason, 25 years ago I started this site; since then am heard all over Social Media; now over 4 million viewers to Vile Pervert: The Musical on You Tube; thousands read or follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and everywhere else.

Protest by the 50% of American voters who support Trump is not only fair but vital. He will say and, I believe, mean it, that violence is wrong. The media will find excuses to show the tiny quantity of trouble makers (most NOT Trump supporters). I remember witnessing ITV organising a fake "riot" in Marseilles after a football game between Tunisia and England, to back up the (totally false) agenda of violence by fans. They paid a dozen kids to pretend to fight, filmed it and showed it as proof of violence. Likewise when I was released from prison ITV (again) paid the manager of the hostel near my house to wave a banner from a window saying Go Home Pervert or something similar. The guy didn't even know who I was, when - next day - I offered to buy the banner. ITV had taken it back after filming the footage. They had paid him a few quid. The street was jammed with protesters - yet, after that news day - I got not one neighbour be negative to me. Bussed in renta-mob. Totally phony. In the fifteen years since then - not one single negative comment.

If I were 100% American (I'm 50%) I'd be a Democrat. I thought Clinton, Obama, Carter were the best Presidents. But God forbid Republicans be silenced. Let the other side speak and try to win votes (sadly with simple slogans). Let our side win (equally sadly with simple policies and catchy stories). The anti-Trump media reeks of what's going on today in Russia.

Fight the media..appaling to claim that as a positive.

What he did was promote real Fake News and "alternative media" in the form of extreme right wing fascist style outfits.

Trump did a J.Goebbels and promotes the equivalent of Due Styrmer as the source of "news.

So destructive. No wonder he got away with it when those who should know better admire his destructive antics.

But that is the way of the modern world Hedda. You might just as well condemn those in WW2 who used subs, tanks, guns instead of horses and bayonets. You don't have to like Trump or agree with his policies to admire his modern methods. He bloody nearly got a second term too. The media is not always right. Indeed it is frequently wrong. Media rools OK in this century so you need to fight fire with fire (in Trumps case, using social media).

I am glad though that Trump is being called out for disseminating his hatred on social media, though Hedda I think it can weaken the argument to use words like 'fascist' too loosely. Odious twerp, con man and moron, yes.

There remains a difference between news bias and group think (as we have seen so appallingly with the BBC and C19 only reporting SAGE "science" and ignoring the rest). Trump as POTUS can't be allowed to spread entirely fake news unchallenged. It is incredibly destructive and divisive and NOT yet the new normal JK for leaders of the free world, thankfully.

That said I agree totally with JK about free speech. Trump should not be banned from twitter and other platforms. Apart from anything they highlight how awful he is to most of the globe.

Let him post, challenge and satirise him. He has ordered 250 statues built this morning we have learned - to honour American achievements, which include, erm, the English Hitchcock and Swedish Bergman.

Now the unselfconscious, happy ignorance of Trump I will miss....

Yes everyone should agree he is a character (whether good or bad). And has been a very different President from all before him. Again - part good; part bad.

oh it's the beginning of Fascism..if it walks like a duck etc.

Not full blown Fascism, but exactly the sort of steps that Mussolini successfully used to rise to power- incrementally- and picked up by Hitler & Goebbels, refined and far more successfully.

Trump is simply a natural and the saving grace is Trump is just too old! (like me but not as good looking). If he was 50 he'd be really scary.

Trump fell into Fascism so naturally and if he got another term who knows where it would have led. Certainly his 10,000s of screaming fans seem prepared to rip to shreds anyone who dares question their twisted narrative.

And if a younger successor came along..Ivanka "Eva Peron" Trump or that crazy Trump Jnr...

What the media hasn't mentioned in the early 70's the Black Panthers stormed the Capitol ARMED !

capitolweekly.net/black-panthers-armed-capitol/

All the footage have I seen of the National Guard walking around Washington don't have magazines in their guns. Sky and BBC don't like it when a militia have guns but support the Black Panthers doing it (Proud Boys are majority black). Hypocrisy at it's finest.

Just admit it's all for show and scaremongering.

www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2021/01/13/Natio...ation/6901610553785/

hedda wrote:
oh it's the beginning of Fascism..if it walks like a duck etc.

Not full blown Fascism, but exactly the sort of steps that Mussolini successfully used to rise to power- incrementally- and picked up by Hitler & Goebbels, refined and far more successfully.

Oh I agree Hedda. Left unchecked there was only one way he was going. Thankfully he got too much for the Americans and is no Hitler or Goebbels who had strategy, patience and intention (where I think Trump mainly just reacts).

But if you use that language too early people assume you are exagerrating and it gets self defeating and rallies supporters and unintentionally allows the problem to grow.

If used too often or early the words lose power; bit like calling Covid a world plague. And then a real one comes along...

Sorry couldn't resist!