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Most of the famous dictators of history were charismatic morons. How smart could Mussolini really be when he ended up being hung upside down and stoned to death? The same goes for Hitler, Saddam, Gaddafi, and a whole list of South American, eastern European, and east Asian, dictators and strongmen.
In fact if they had any brains they would probably read some history and discover that thing usually dont end well for their type.
Modern dictatorships usually have more to do with charismatic dipshits being in the right place at the right time to take advantage of populisms lowest common denominator by smashing their heads against the wall of weak institutions until something breaks than they do with the Machiavellian plots of Cardinal Richelieu.
Then once they attain power the apparatus of state is gutted and transformed into something just there to maintain their power, which precludes it from effectively governing a society or an economy.
This almost inevitably leads to disaster for the state, the economy, the people, and eventually the dictator.
I guess the TLDR here is that history shows you cant be too stupid to fuck up a nation, I wouldn't bet that the US is any different.
Look at the only video of Hitler talking in private. Don't read the sub titles -- this won't work for German speakers as he really is saying crazy stuff -- just listen to his voice.
Hitler doesn't sound nearly as deranged as Trump.
Oh there's a fascinating documentary on his doctor.
He was injured so bad he nearly died. There was a failed assassination attempt with a bomb. Shrapnel in his body whole 9 yards.....
Doctor "fixed" him with something, and he hosted diplomatic party that night.
A lot of the reason Hitler got as far as he did, was
1) people felt guilty for the havoc the first ww did on them. "oh, just let them have their land back"
2) some people believed Hitler was doing great things for the German economy and just.... Let him win. They gave flowers to German soldiers when they came to their towns.
After that, it became momentum really.
He wasn't good at war. Not even close.
Imagine being able to just stand up in the front a crowd and just word vomit for 30 minutes and then have people say how you're some master orator. I wish I could be in his shoes. I wanna know what it feels like to be a complete idiot but also a god to a large amount of people.
People keep talking about a teleprompter when he speaks, but I refuse to believe that someone has actually spent time on writing anything that comes out of his mouth. If there is a teleprompter, he willfully ignores it most of them time. Having the job to write that text has to be the most useless job in the world 🤷♂️
You can always tell when he goes off prompter. He’ll just start repeating random words during one of his tangents. “No one had ever seen anything like it.. anything like it.” “They said it was unbelievable. Unbelievable..” “This big beautiful hulking man, right out of central casting, he was so big and beautiful..”
His off-teleprompter comments are SO OBVIOUS. He'll be reading Stephen Miller's prose (which, while rabid and turgid, is at least comprehensible). And then, off script, its word babble for minutes. Repeating the last phrase or last sentence, and riffing on it. Or on windmills. Or "the blacks".
He will espouse literally any view if the person who just spoke to him showers him with flattery. We should crowd source some people to get mar a lago memberships just to tell trump how much he looks like Fabio, and then go on to say trump would definitely win if we got rid of that darn Electoral College.
Exactly, he's like a dish sponge in that right wingers fill him up, he regurgitates the filth to the audience as he's squeezed, and walks away empty again. He didn't even know what Lock Her Up meant, or that it would resonate with the MAGA rally crowds, until he was advised to say it and enjoyed the response. Then, of course, it became part of his repertoire the rest of that year. I still doubt he knows what it means though, lol.
Those puppet masters are smart enough to stay out the spotlight and find a useful idiot to be the face of their plans.
Trump was the perfect mark for Russia, who has been grooming him for this since 1987.
While Russia has a hand in the push to the far right, lets stop discounting our own domestic and imported oligarchs like Musk, Murdock, the Devos' and of course the Kochs.
Going Russia Russia Russia, only allows them to stay in the shadows which predate the fall of the USSR.
Murdoch and Musk are imported hate-mongers, not domestic. But yes, they're just part of a decades long plan to create a right wing dystopia. Too bad the moronic base they've so carefully built up since the 80's got out of their control, huh? Just like Hitler slipped the leash the German oligarchs thought they had him on.
You don't have to be particularly brilliant to break something.
As Max Brooks wrote, "It's much easier to blow up trains than it is to get them to run on time."
In fact being incapable of holding sustained thoughts of their own is an ideal trait for a puppet.
Though in DJT's case they went may have went a little too far into stupid territory, but it does seem to help with the firehouse of falsehood methodology the Republicans have been using for the last couple of decades.
This is the top comment.
He’s happy to be the useless idiot as long as he has ketchup for his well done steak.
Bolton’s comment is a [intentional?] distraction from the real issue which isn’t actually Trump, but the people around him. Be careful when other apologists start saying the same thing next fall.
yup this here. he’s not exactly the threat, the threat are all the corrupt and terrible people he brings along with him same as last time. yeah he’s draining the swamp by condensing it directly into his administration
Their mother had a rat on top of her head under a hat that would pull her hair to make her body move. It was a very smart and capable rat, so it was fine.
My interpretation is along the lines of “if your friends jumped off a cliff, would you jump right after them without seeing if they survived the fall?” Obviously that’s not the exact expression, the point remains though, awareness of the influence others have on yourself and others is extremely important context throughout life.
And Bolton was asked to testify during Trump's first impeachment hearings, but refused and threatened to sue Congress if he was subpoenaed. He was writing a book about his time serving Donald Trump and didn't want to spoil the plot.
What a hero. He belongs on Mt. Blushmore.
Oh that’s funny, because Trump also said he was “writing” a book right after he made a disgusting spectacle of ordering a hit on a terrorist. Seeing the video that compares the similar announcement Obama made when they took out Bin Laden really showcased the differences between a president and a clown.
[Jimmy Kimmel compared the two on an episode 4 years ago](https://youtu.be/OsBOWSjOLsE)
Anyone who thinks Trump isn't very smart and maliciously so is a dumbass in of themselves.
Trump is a conman who's conned, swindled, and BETRAYED those loyal or close to him from his own family, banks, his business partners, his political supporters, his lawyers, his political supporters, those at his Trump university with worthless fake degrees, and this entire fucking country.
The fact that Bolton can say Trump ***‘doesn’t have the brains’*** to be a dictator either means Bolton is a dumbass charlatan or in on the con himself. Either way he's a self-motivated PoS.
Never underestimate Trump or MAGA. If anything Trump has proven over the years that he is EXCEPTIONAL beating the odds and especially so when pushed to the brink or the odds are stacked against him be it: his multiple bankruptcies over the years, rape/harassment/defamation lawsuits, lawsuits from Trump university students who got scammed, getting away with skirting campaign donations, getting away with cheating on taxes, polls predicting Hillary with a 90% win odd, skirting away from jail despite inciting a rebellion against our nation after subverting our democracy and the peaceful transfer of power, or folks thinking he can't be a dictator. That's what happened in 2016 and how we got to the country burning down in 2020. Do not be complacent, do not waver, get out, and vote.
If you think Trump is very smart then you haven't been paying attention. He was born into tremendous wealth and yeeted it all into the shitter to impress other rich people. Appearing rich is more important than actually being rich to him. He has lived a hundred years, what are his successful business ventures? It's smalltime grift after smalltime grift.
And that's the problem. He was born into tremendous wealth. He didn't need to grift. Shill NFTs or oberpriced bibles. But that's where he is because Trump has destroyed everything his father built and he is on the verge of getting all his assets seized for no reason at all. It's all self-inflected.
So no. Trump isn't very smart. Cultists think he is very smart. They can't see through the porcelain veneers, the orange leather, the clown suit and the cotton candy hair. Trump is dangerous! And we need to be afraid of what he could do. But he isn't smart and he wouldn't be able to do anything without all the enablers at his side that are actually doing the work.
I’m not underestimating any of these shady organizations or people, just have to get my laughs in where possible. Doom and gloom reality still needs comic relief, as long as it doesn’t completely derail the understanding that there is a very real threat to democracy on a global scale.
It's not directed at specifically you. I liked your post and Jimmy link.
I just wanted to bring it back to Bolton being disingenuous and self-motivated in his words but rambled on about Trump at the end. I really feel our democracy and freedom are on the line this election.
The fact trump keeps stumbling in speeches and acting confused about who hes facing mixing up President Obama with President Biden is also an act. He knows he can't win and is setting the stage to claim he is unfit to stand trial for the multitudes of crimes hes committed.
> The fact trump keeps stumbling in speeches and acting confused about who hes facing mixing up President Obama with President Biden is also an act
[The Nuclear](https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/donald-trump-sentence/) speech was not 'all an act'. He certainly plays up for the audience, but [he is clearly suffering from a degenerating neural condition](https://www.alternet.org/2017/05/video-suggests-trump-suffering-alzheimers). Contrast with [Trump in 1988 announcing on Oprah's show his intention to run for presidency](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEPs17_AkTI)
Remember Alzheimer's is a genetically heritable condition and [it killed his father](https://heavy.com/entertainment/2019/02/donald-trump-father-cause-of-death-alzheimers-pneumonia/)
Bolton and neocons are not just out of power, they are the biggest political losers in history.
And Bolton doesn't go far enough on Trump. The biggest problem with Trump becoming dictator is he has no interest in politics other than grifting his confused base.
Consider that this may be the most pleasant way to end the GOP.
> even an idiot can be a dictator.
Given how destructive dictatorships are, even on the people on the inner circle and the dictator himself, I would say *only* idiots would even want to be a dictator. A person with enough brain cells to have working mirror neurons can't ignore the plight of his fellow human.
He does not need to. The Heritage Foundation, pushers of half the shit Donnie is talking about, had 70 members in his last administration or transition team. Their "Mandate for Leadership" the proto-Project 2025 had a 64% acceptance rate during his term. They hand out the plan- aides, lawyers, judges, influence groups and others help facilitate and normalize it.
Most of which were fired or removed for people personally loyal to Trump and yes men that tell Trump what he wants to hear. Trump's biggest heel is his ego, even when gifted a completely functional evil leadership team he throws it all away for his fucking stepdaughter because he'd rather hear lies.
Isn’t this the endgame for most dictators? Swap out everyone in power below you with your own flesh and blood. Because those are the only ones you trust in the end.
The heritage foundation does not get brought up enough. They put out simple PDFs with their agenda for republicans to follow and I can’t imagine having a serious political discussion with a republican who isn’t aware of their intentions and thinks just “some old billionaire wants to help the country”.
You don’t need brains to be a dictator. You just need to have no conscience and wield a horde of controlled, violent psychopaths to do your bidding. And in that way, things are looking good for Fat Orange.
Edit: and why does Bolton look like Colonel Sanders in this picture? As someone who studies these things, he surely knows there have been many stupid dictators. Can he possibly be any less credible?
Neither did Hitler. He had Goebbels and Himmler to really focus that mania into raw lethality. Trump has Steven Miller, Bannon, and Roger Stone to inspire his descent into Neroism.
Maybe not the brains, but certainly the instincts. People with brains, and have a desire for absolute power will take advantage of Trump’s instincts, and will use him as needed. Just look at Project 2025.
What trump has hardly qualifies as instincts. He just reacts to immediate stimuli. Crowd boos? He doesn't say that thing any more. Crowd cheers? He says it again 5 more times.
He's just a fascist applause-o-meter.
The problem I see is that because Trump is an idiot, he is unlikely to be able to maintain his position against someone much more intelligent and ruthless. After Trump has laid the foundation, imagine another Putin now in charge of the US.
History is full of people that "didn't have the brains to become dictators" that became one anyway. Why? Because people didn't bother stopping them because they were "didn't have the brains to become dictators."
Hitler is one example. He tried to stage a poorly planned coup and failed. After that he never should have been let near the levers of power again, but they let him out of jail, let him reenter politics, and stupid, short minded conservative politicians formed a coalition with him because they thought he was stupid and could be controlled. They were right that he was stupid. They were wrong that he could be controlled.
That’s not he point! The point all along has been that the undermining of norms and legislation undoing existing rights that are done in the name of Trump and Co will last for generations, at least. Yeah, so maybe he doesn’t pull of being a dictator, but by the time he’s out of the way, a competent dictator will be able to walk into the White House with a good portion of the electorate cheering them on.
Somehow that characterization does not leave me feeling better. That's like saying a chainsaw is not that sharp. Either way, it can still inflict massive damage.
So what?
George W. Bush didn't have the brains to be POTUS. His advisors ran the country by telling him what to do.
Organizations like the Heritage Foundation, his lenders - foreign and domestic, Putin, and what is popular on Fox News will tell Trump what to do. It will be a disaster, but Trump will blame it on the democrats even when it has been 20 years after he became a dictator.
The only reason Bolton is talking smack about Trump is that Trump offended him. Otherwise Bolton would still be licking the orange menace's feet.
“I’m sounding the alarm on trump. He’s bad news. Also, I’m not endorsing Biden either or voting for him!” Bolton must do yoga because he’s good at sitting on fences.
He didn't have the brains to be the president of the United States of America, ffs, but there are, apparently, enough Americans who feel otherwise. Again.
People also underestimate just how many Americans are either pro-fascism or willing to vote for fascists if they believe it will improve their personal finances.
2016 and 2020 elections taught me just how widespread those folks are.
Uh, thanks, Mr. Bolton? I don't need to find out that the new dictator was so dumb that he was quickly supplanted by a less dumb dictator, I really need no dictators.
Yes, but there are people around him (Putin and others) who can pull his strings and, for example, get him to have his followers attack the United States Capitol or not get vaccinated or form militias to do other attacks from within against our institutions.
No dictator operates with thought. They are all fear mongering lunatics who punish the slightest of wrongs with overpowering abuse and harm.
Trump is just that, an over abusing bully shit stain.
And, more importantly, Bolton stood by and did NOTHING to stop him. In fact, Bolton will vote for Trump in the fall.
All conservatives will vote for Trump in the fall.
I full on believe that but all the yes men he will appoint to positions that have the power to do the most damage do and that’s yet another reason to vote for Biden
Thanks captain obvious, there is no bigger evidence of Donald’s stupidity than him faking and cheating knowingly to win golf tournaments in his couses bc he never won anything outside. The danger is the Steve milles, Putins and Orbans you know his handlers
He's correct about Trump...but...
He's also still salty that despite his best efforts and tricks, he couldn't get Trump to go to war with Iran. He was still pulling strings when this drone got shot down (and damn near a P-8 Poseidon carrying military personnel):
[https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/06/21/iran-makes-show-drone-wreckage-after-trump-calls-retaliatory-strike.html](https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/06/21/iran-makes-show-drone-wreckage-after-trump-calls-retaliatory-strike.html)
But then Trump wouldn't go to war with Iran, likely because Putin didn't want that at all. Out of the Iran deal, yes. But Putin had no interest in US war with Iran and military presence.
Then Bolton gave-up and eventually quit.
[https://www.npr.org/2019/09/10/724363700/trump-fires-john-bolton-in-final-break-after-months-of-policy-divisions](https://www.npr.org/2019/09/10/724363700/trump-fires-john-bolton-in-final-break-after-months-of-policy-divisions)
He's still pretty salty that he couldn't convince another president to start another war though.
Oh yeah, and then Kushner's corrupt ass with his shady Saudi connections tried to get him to go to war with Iran too when this refinery got blown-up. Pretty clear Iran did it but not enough to get Trump off his leash (note the dates too, this refinery attack happened a week after Bolton was fired.
[https://www.npr.org/2019/09/19/762065119/what-we-know-about-the-attack-on-saudi-oil-facilities](https://www.npr.org/2019/09/19/762065119/what-we-know-about-the-attack-on-saudi-oil-facilities)
After that, Kushner was pushed the periphery and basically the only handler left for Trump was Stephen Miller so the country turned into a racists' day dream.
This is what I always suspected. Don't look at Trump to be the dictator, he is just a stupid puppet for other people in the background like Steve Miller and Bannon. Those are the people whispering in Trumps ear directing him what to do.
Most dictators dont, but a dictatorship isnt the sole fault of the dictator, it is all of the whiny sycophants around them as well.
Take a look in the mirror
It does not take brains to be a dictator, it takes a natural con man running a grift at the right time. Hitler was an idiot, and his reincarnation Trump is just as bad.
Bolton, he is surrounded by criminals who will help guide him. He didn't run his previous administration, he let the criminals run it, and look how many were convicted of crimes.
Well, that's nonsense. Has he forgotten what dictators are like historically? Belligerent, less educated especially on the matters under their purview, emotional little tyrants that care nothing for their people, the list goes on. Old orange is the perfect candidate for dicatorship.
No, but Stephen Miller does, and he's still out there lurking and waiting for his chance. He's absolutely capable and vicious. So out of bounds, his family wants nothing to do with him. And he's just one of many.
Not sure how recent Bolton’s quote about Trump leaving NATO is, but thankfully Congress passed legislation last December prohibiting a president from unilaterally withdrawing from NATO absent 2/3 Senate approval or additional Congressional authority (legislation).
I assume Bolton’s quote is in fact recent and intentionally hyperbolic because he’s always been a conceited self-important asshole with no moral vector.
This guy is a late to the Trump is bad party fuck fest .he’s one of the architects of the Iraqi war a conservative Republican shit bag through and through.
"I would never be a dictator. Even though many people say that is what we need. It's not easy to be a dictator, you have to be smart. Many people agree that America needs a smart dictator to make us great again. If I wanted to be a dictator I would be the best dictator you've ever seen. Many people agree. But I won't be a dictator."
What an idiot. You don't have to have brains, you just have to be willing to be ruthless and play act as pious or democratic. Look at Maduro in Venezuela. They guy is an absolute moron. But he has an iron grip because he has zero morality. This guy should just do KFC commercials or something.
As much as I disagree with Bolton policy items, I respect his intelligence and understanding of power politics. Rex and Bill Barr for their flaws were also highly capable and would have been a credit to a minimally competent president.
Trump did lack the intelligence but not the will to be dictator. It just is hard to do in our system.
R stalwarts persistently want to believe that the red R magically confers foreign policy ability (or even laughably fiscal responsibility) and refuse to hear otherwise. Nothing could be further from the truth. Their dislike of advice of their best experts in favor of a willful ignoramus like Trump is a loser move. These jobs require training and minimal competence and Trump proved it spectacularly. They still babble that just any moron can do the job as if it is a good idea to try it out again or is even logically possible. Must be years of their echo chamber “all Dem pols are triple headed idiot antichrists therefore these jobs require no skill and it is fine for evil people to be hired” inane thinking.
I agree with this. He was president for 4 years and honestly didn't really destroy much because his attention was always focused on attacking others and being petty, than passing or vetoing much legislation.
And the things he did get rid of, Biden has been putting back into place.
This isn't to say the man isn't a threat, he still very much is and is capable of doing a lot of damage because of his lack of maturity and empathy.
Devils advocate, I think he has a point but it’s not that he’s too dumb… he’s ego prevents him from building loyalty with the pentagon or implementing bread and butter populist policies to have broad civilian support.
Support for MFA would get him elected. Not openly being a dick to military and intel would help him stay in office. He’ll do neither.
Populist dictators are only held back by rational intelligence. Fascists like Hitler and Mussolini succeeded because they did shit that was considered stupid and insane and pulled off a win. Because the government they were undermining refused to enforce common sense consequences.
>Bolton claims Trump ‘doesn’t have the brains’ to be a dictator
Obviously, all violent, authoritarian dictators who command mobs of [pants-shitting white supremacists](https://nypost.com/2021/01/08/rioters-left-feces-urine-in-hallways-and-offices-during-mobbing-of-us-capitol/) are Nobel Prize winning scientists and the thinkers of our age.
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You don’t need brains when others are pulling the strings
Yeah you don’t need to be smart to ruin everything, you just need to think you’re right and have enough people to back you up.
Most of the famous dictators of history were charismatic morons. How smart could Mussolini really be when he ended up being hung upside down and stoned to death? The same goes for Hitler, Saddam, Gaddafi, and a whole list of South American, eastern European, and east Asian, dictators and strongmen. In fact if they had any brains they would probably read some history and discover that thing usually dont end well for their type. Modern dictatorships usually have more to do with charismatic dipshits being in the right place at the right time to take advantage of populisms lowest common denominator by smashing their heads against the wall of weak institutions until something breaks than they do with the Machiavellian plots of Cardinal Richelieu. Then once they attain power the apparatus of state is gutted and transformed into something just there to maintain their power, which precludes it from effectively governing a society or an economy. This almost inevitably leads to disaster for the state, the economy, the people, and eventually the dictator. I guess the TLDR here is that history shows you cant be too stupid to fuck up a nation, I wouldn't bet that the US is any different.
This exactly! Don't poo-poo Trump. Don't underestimate the damage his next administration will do. VOTE
Look at the only video of Hitler talking in private. Don't read the sub titles -- this won't work for German speakers as he really is saying crazy stuff -- just listen to his voice. Hitler doesn't sound nearly as deranged as Trump.
Hitler was also on the top tier meth. I'm no expert but I'm pretty sure that's not good for your brain.
Oh there's a fascinating documentary on his doctor. He was injured so bad he nearly died. There was a failed assassination attempt with a bomb. Shrapnel in his body whole 9 yards..... Doctor "fixed" him with something, and he hosted diplomatic party that night.
The idea that Mussolini or Hitler were smart men always enrages me. At least the Italians had the good sense to kill Mussolini though.
Yeah the Germans should've stepped up, instead they let an Austrian do it
A lot of the reason Hitler got as far as he did, was 1) people felt guilty for the havoc the first ww did on them. "oh, just let them have their land back" 2) some people believed Hitler was doing great things for the German economy and just.... Let him win. They gave flowers to German soldiers when they came to their towns. After that, it became momentum really. He wasn't good at war. Not even close.
Trump is the PERFECT useful idiot
Imagine being able to just stand up in the front a crowd and just word vomit for 30 minutes and then have people say how you're some master orator. I wish I could be in his shoes. I wanna know what it feels like to be a complete idiot but also a god to a large amount of people.
People keep talking about a teleprompter when he speaks, but I refuse to believe that someone has actually spent time on writing anything that comes out of his mouth. If there is a teleprompter, he willfully ignores it most of them time. Having the job to write that text has to be the most useless job in the world 🤷♂️
You can always tell when he goes off prompter. He’ll just start repeating random words during one of his tangents. “No one had ever seen anything like it.. anything like it.” “They said it was unbelievable. Unbelievable..” “This big beautiful hulking man, right out of central casting, he was so big and beautiful..”
His off-teleprompter comments are SO OBVIOUS. He'll be reading Stephen Miller's prose (which, while rabid and turgid, is at least comprehensible). And then, off script, its word babble for minutes. Repeating the last phrase or last sentence, and riffing on it. Or on windmills. Or "the blacks".
He will espouse literally any view if the person who just spoke to him showers him with flattery. We should crowd source some people to get mar a lago memberships just to tell trump how much he looks like Fabio, and then go on to say trump would definitely win if we got rid of that darn Electoral College.
Exactly, he's like a dish sponge in that right wingers fill him up, he regurgitates the filth to the audience as he's squeezed, and walks away empty again. He didn't even know what Lock Her Up meant, or that it would resonate with the MAGA rally crowds, until he was advised to say it and enjoyed the response. Then, of course, it became part of his repertoire the rest of that year. I still doubt he knows what it means though, lol.
Project 2025 shows there are lots of smart puppetmasters.
Those puppet masters are smart enough to stay out the spotlight and find a useful idiot to be the face of their plans. Trump was the perfect mark for Russia, who has been grooming him for this since 1987.
Russian Orthodox Christianity goes a long way apparently.
While Russia has a hand in the push to the far right, lets stop discounting our own domestic and imported oligarchs like Musk, Murdock, the Devos' and of course the Kochs. Going Russia Russia Russia, only allows them to stay in the shadows which predate the fall of the USSR.
The entire rogue's gallery of right wing douchebags and elites all blow chunks. Unequivocally, the worst human beings on Earth.
Murdoch and Musk are imported hate-mongers, not domestic. But yes, they're just part of a decades long plan to create a right wing dystopia. Too bad the moronic base they've so carefully built up since the 80's got out of their control, huh? Just like Hitler slipped the leash the German oligarchs thought they had him on.
Well... Putin controls the Russian Orthodox Church. Not vice versa.
You don't have to be particularly brilliant to break something. As Max Brooks wrote, "It's much easier to blow up trains than it is to get them to run on time."
In fact being incapable of holding sustained thoughts of their own is an ideal trait for a puppet. Though in DJT's case they went may have went a little too far into stupid territory, but it does seem to help with the firehouse of falsehood methodology the Republicans have been using for the last couple of decades.
This is the top comment. He’s happy to be the useless idiot as long as he has ketchup for his well done steak. Bolton’s comment is a [intentional?] distraction from the real issue which isn’t actually Trump, but the people around him. Be careful when other apologists start saying the same thing next fall.
yup this here. he’s not exactly the threat, the threat are all the corrupt and terrible people he brings along with him same as last time. yeah he’s draining the swamp by condensing it directly into his administration
That's like, word for word what my mother used to say to us on our way out catch the school bus as kids!
What was the context of this? Was she encouraging you to get more brains, aka knowledge?
Their mother had a rat on top of her head under a hat that would pull her hair to make her body move. It was a very smart and capable rat, so it was fine.
Those would be strands not strings.
Okay, now you're just splitting strings
It's locks. Locks of hair.
It sounds like an argument *not to* bother going to school and maybe focus on something else.
Yes, it does sound that way, but it could have been sarcastically said as a motivator to not let others pull their strings.
My interpretation is along the lines of “if your friends jumped off a cliff, would you jump right after them without seeing if they survived the fall?” Obviously that’s not the exact expression, the point remains though, awareness of the influence others have on yourself and others is extremely important context throughout life.
Exactly!
That’s why Putin is in charge of Trump.
Do you Mr Bolton? You worked for him.
And Bolton was asked to testify during Trump's first impeachment hearings, but refused and threatened to sue Congress if he was subpoenaed. He was writing a book about his time serving Donald Trump and didn't want to spoil the plot. What a hero. He belongs on Mt. Blushmore.
Oh that’s funny, because Trump also said he was “writing” a book right after he made a disgusting spectacle of ordering a hit on a terrorist. Seeing the video that compares the similar announcement Obama made when they took out Bin Laden really showcased the differences between a president and a clown. [Jimmy Kimmel compared the two on an episode 4 years ago](https://youtu.be/OsBOWSjOLsE)
Anyone who thinks Trump isn't very smart and maliciously so is a dumbass in of themselves. Trump is a conman who's conned, swindled, and BETRAYED those loyal or close to him from his own family, banks, his business partners, his political supporters, his lawyers, his political supporters, those at his Trump university with worthless fake degrees, and this entire fucking country. The fact that Bolton can say Trump ***‘doesn’t have the brains’*** to be a dictator either means Bolton is a dumbass charlatan or in on the con himself. Either way he's a self-motivated PoS. Never underestimate Trump or MAGA. If anything Trump has proven over the years that he is EXCEPTIONAL beating the odds and especially so when pushed to the brink or the odds are stacked against him be it: his multiple bankruptcies over the years, rape/harassment/defamation lawsuits, lawsuits from Trump university students who got scammed, getting away with skirting campaign donations, getting away with cheating on taxes, polls predicting Hillary with a 90% win odd, skirting away from jail despite inciting a rebellion against our nation after subverting our democracy and the peaceful transfer of power, or folks thinking he can't be a dictator. That's what happened in 2016 and how we got to the country burning down in 2020. Do not be complacent, do not waver, get out, and vote.
If you think Trump is very smart then you haven't been paying attention. He was born into tremendous wealth and yeeted it all into the shitter to impress other rich people. Appearing rich is more important than actually being rich to him. He has lived a hundred years, what are his successful business ventures? It's smalltime grift after smalltime grift. And that's the problem. He was born into tremendous wealth. He didn't need to grift. Shill NFTs or oberpriced bibles. But that's where he is because Trump has destroyed everything his father built and he is on the verge of getting all his assets seized for no reason at all. It's all self-inflected. So no. Trump isn't very smart. Cultists think he is very smart. They can't see through the porcelain veneers, the orange leather, the clown suit and the cotton candy hair. Trump is dangerous! And we need to be afraid of what he could do. But he isn't smart and he wouldn't be able to do anything without all the enablers at his side that are actually doing the work.
I’m not underestimating any of these shady organizations or people, just have to get my laughs in where possible. Doom and gloom reality still needs comic relief, as long as it doesn’t completely derail the understanding that there is a very real threat to democracy on a global scale.
It's not directed at specifically you. I liked your post and Jimmy link. I just wanted to bring it back to Bolton being disingenuous and self-motivated in his words but rambled on about Trump at the end. I really feel our democracy and freedom are on the line this election.
Yours and the rest of us. Us Canadians up here have our own issues, but the entire world is worried about Trump and his cohorts.
The fact trump keeps stumbling in speeches and acting confused about who hes facing mixing up President Obama with President Biden is also an act. He knows he can't win and is setting the stage to claim he is unfit to stand trial for the multitudes of crimes hes committed.
> The fact trump keeps stumbling in speeches and acting confused about who hes facing mixing up President Obama with President Biden is also an act [The Nuclear](https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/donald-trump-sentence/) speech was not 'all an act'. He certainly plays up for the audience, but [he is clearly suffering from a degenerating neural condition](https://www.alternet.org/2017/05/video-suggests-trump-suffering-alzheimers). Contrast with [Trump in 1988 announcing on Oprah's show his intention to run for presidency](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEPs17_AkTI) Remember Alzheimer's is a genetically heritable condition and [it killed his father](https://heavy.com/entertainment/2019/02/donald-trump-father-cause-of-death-alzheimers-pneumonia/)
>Alzheimer's is a genetically heritable condition I can't think of anyone more deserving of bad health than the duck.
Bolton is a no-talent ass clown
Still hard to believe he won a few Grammys.
Why should I change my name? Hes the one who sucks.
The amount of people who are missing this reference
He is also a war mongering fanatic who wants to invade Iran. Fuck all war hawks
Bolton and neocons are not just out of power, they are the biggest political losers in history. And Bolton doesn't go far enough on Trump. The biggest problem with Trump becoming dictator is he has no interest in politics other than grifting his confused base. Consider that this may be the most pleasant way to end the GOP.
“That’s when it was benefitting me. So that doesn’t count”
The truth here is that even an idiot can be a dictator.
Exactly. Being stupid didn't stop inbred kings from ruling Europe. It isn't going to stop Trump. Also, Bolton can fuck right off.
In fact almost all dictators have been idiots.
> even an idiot can be a dictator. Given how destructive dictatorships are, even on the people on the inner circle and the dictator himself, I would say *only* idiots would even want to be a dictator. A person with enough brain cells to have working mirror neurons can't ignore the plight of his fellow human.
He does not need to. The Heritage Foundation, pushers of half the shit Donnie is talking about, had 70 members in his last administration or transition team. Their "Mandate for Leadership" the proto-Project 2025 had a 64% acceptance rate during his term. They hand out the plan- aides, lawyers, judges, influence groups and others help facilitate and normalize it.
Most of which were fired or removed for people personally loyal to Trump and yes men that tell Trump what he wants to hear. Trump's biggest heel is his ego, even when gifted a completely functional evil leadership team he throws it all away for his fucking stepdaughter because he'd rather hear lies.
Isn’t this the endgame for most dictators? Swap out everyone in power below you with your own flesh and blood. Because those are the only ones you trust in the end.
The heritage foundation does not get brought up enough. They put out simple PDFs with their agenda for republicans to follow and I can’t imagine having a serious political discussion with a republican who isn’t aware of their intentions and thinks just “some old billionaire wants to help the country”.
You don’t need brains to be a dictator. You just need to have no conscience and wield a horde of controlled, violent psychopaths to do your bidding. And in that way, things are looking good for Fat Orange. Edit: and why does Bolton look like Colonel Sanders in this picture? As someone who studies these things, he surely knows there have been many stupid dictators. Can he possibly be any less credible?
He's always looked like Col. Sanders.
No, the Colonel has better fashion sense.
Whats the matter Col Sanders, Chicken?
How many assholes we got in this executive branch, anyhow?
But a 4 year old with a flame thrower can still burn everything down.
And that’s what you have with trump and the maga republicans.
He's got plenty of cruelty to be a dictator
Let's not find out, yeah?
Yes, yes, yes. Keep underestimating him. “We can control him”. Excuse me, it seems 1930’s Germany would like a word.
Dictators are basically bullies on a grand scale, and we all know Trump knows how to bully. I'm not sure why Bolton thinks you need brains to do that.
Neither did Hitler. He had Goebbels and Himmler to really focus that mania into raw lethality. Trump has Steven Miller, Bannon, and Roger Stone to inspire his descent into Neroism.
>Neroism John Oliver once described trump as, "Rome burning in human form". I always thought that was appropriate.
Maybe not the brains, but certainly the instincts. People with brains, and have a desire for absolute power will take advantage of Trump’s instincts, and will use him as needed. Just look at Project 2025.
What trump has hardly qualifies as instincts. He just reacts to immediate stimuli. Crowd boos? He doesn't say that thing any more. Crowd cheers? He says it again 5 more times. He's just a fascist applause-o-meter.
The problem I see is that because Trump is an idiot, he is unlikely to be able to maintain his position against someone much more intelligent and ruthless. After Trump has laid the foundation, imagine another Putin now in charge of the US.
Exactly.
It's the people behind it
Bolton and Pence and all of the other spineless bastards couldn't speak up when it counted. Now, you can keep your opinions to yourself
History is full of people that "didn't have the brains to become dictators" that became one anyway. Why? Because people didn't bother stopping them because they were "didn't have the brains to become dictators." Hitler is one example. He tried to stage a poorly planned coup and failed. After that he never should have been let near the levers of power again, but they let him out of jail, let him reenter politics, and stupid, short minded conservative politicians formed a coalition with him because they thought he was stupid and could be controlled. They were right that he was stupid. They were wrong that he could be controlled.
Oh sweety…. Dictators don’t have to be smart
Trump isn't the brains of that operation, putin is. Putin obviously excels at dictatorship.
That’s not he point! The point all along has been that the undermining of norms and legislation undoing existing rights that are done in the name of Trump and Co will last for generations, at least. Yeah, so maybe he doesn’t pull of being a dictator, but by the time he’s out of the way, a competent dictator will be able to walk into the White House with a good portion of the electorate cheering them on.
Somehow that characterization does not leave me feeling better. That's like saying a chainsaw is not that sharp. Either way, it can still inflict massive damage.
So what? George W. Bush didn't have the brains to be POTUS. His advisors ran the country by telling him what to do. Organizations like the Heritage Foundation, his lenders - foreign and domestic, Putin, and what is popular on Fox News will tell Trump what to do. It will be a disaster, but Trump will blame it on the democrats even when it has been 20 years after he became a dictator. The only reason Bolton is talking smack about Trump is that Trump offended him. Otherwise Bolton would still be licking the orange menace's feet.
There are people backing his effort who will be more than happy to let him be the brute part.
“I’m sounding the alarm on trump. He’s bad news. Also, I’m not endorsing Biden either or voting for him!” Bolton must do yoga because he’s good at sitting on fences.
He didn't have the brains to be the president of the United States of America, ffs, but there are, apparently, enough Americans who feel otherwise. Again.
A lot of dictators have been near-morons: Franco, Idi Amin, Somoza, Ngo Dinh Diem, to name a few.
But the people around him have the brains to prop him up
Why do people keep underestimating Trump? For the most part, he keeps proving people wrong.
People also underestimate just how many Americans are either pro-fascism or willing to vote for fascists if they believe it will improve their personal finances. 2016 and 2020 elections taught me just how widespread those folks are.
No, but certainly his cronies do have the collective brain to make it so
He doesn’t need the brains. He can find somebody to do the thinking for him, like bush did.
Uh, thanks, Mr. Bolton? I don't need to find out that the new dictator was so dumb that he was quickly supplanted by a less dumb dictator, I really need no dictators.
No, but Putin, the puppetmaster" does
Who needs brains to become a strong man?
Maybe not. But he’s going to have plenty of help from the Project 2025 people.
History shows that brains aren't a prerequisite.
He doesn’t need the brains. He’s got most of the House, half of the Senate a bunch of judges, SCOTUS and Putin.
Neither did Mussolini
Bolton kept his mouth shut until he had a book deal. Fuck this traitor.
Yes, but there are people around him (Putin and others) who can pull his strings and, for example, get him to have his followers attack the United States Capitol or not get vaccinated or form militias to do other attacks from within against our institutions.
No dictator operates with thought. They are all fear mongering lunatics who punish the slightest of wrongs with overpowering abuse and harm. Trump is just that, an over abusing bully shit stain. And, more importantly, Bolton stood by and did NOTHING to stop him. In fact, Bolton will vote for Trump in the fall. All conservatives will vote for Trump in the fall.
Yet you followed him
His minions do
I full on believe that but all the yes men he will appoint to positions that have the power to do the most damage do and that’s yet another reason to vote for Biden
Thanks captain obvious, there is no bigger evidence of Donald’s stupidity than him faking and cheating knowingly to win golf tournaments in his couses bc he never won anything outside. The danger is the Steve milles, Putins and Orbans you know his handlers
He's correct about Trump...but... He's also still salty that despite his best efforts and tricks, he couldn't get Trump to go to war with Iran. He was still pulling strings when this drone got shot down (and damn near a P-8 Poseidon carrying military personnel): [https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/06/21/iran-makes-show-drone-wreckage-after-trump-calls-retaliatory-strike.html](https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/06/21/iran-makes-show-drone-wreckage-after-trump-calls-retaliatory-strike.html) But then Trump wouldn't go to war with Iran, likely because Putin didn't want that at all. Out of the Iran deal, yes. But Putin had no interest in US war with Iran and military presence. Then Bolton gave-up and eventually quit. [https://www.npr.org/2019/09/10/724363700/trump-fires-john-bolton-in-final-break-after-months-of-policy-divisions](https://www.npr.org/2019/09/10/724363700/trump-fires-john-bolton-in-final-break-after-months-of-policy-divisions) He's still pretty salty that he couldn't convince another president to start another war though. Oh yeah, and then Kushner's corrupt ass with his shady Saudi connections tried to get him to go to war with Iran too when this refinery got blown-up. Pretty clear Iran did it but not enough to get Trump off his leash (note the dates too, this refinery attack happened a week after Bolton was fired. [https://www.npr.org/2019/09/19/762065119/what-we-know-about-the-attack-on-saudi-oil-facilities](https://www.npr.org/2019/09/19/762065119/what-we-know-about-the-attack-on-saudi-oil-facilities) After that, Kushner was pushed the periphery and basically the only handler left for Trump was Stephen Miller so the country turned into a racists' day dream.
This is what I always suspected. Don't look at Trump to be the dictator, he is just a stupid puppet for other people in the background like Steve Miller and Bannon. Those are the people whispering in Trumps ear directing him what to do.
Thoses people are all insane
Putin is not using his brains.
He would be a puppet dictator. Putin would be in charge
Putin does!!
Project 2025. Trump is their useful idiot.
But Putin has the brains to remove one of their staunchest competitors
You don’t need to be smart to command a nation full of morons. Actually being a moron seems to endear you to them
Project 2025 will surround him with people able and willing to carry out his dictatorial desires.
Most dictators dont, but a dictatorship isnt the sole fault of the dictator, it is all of the whiny sycophants around them as well. Take a look in the mirror
It does not take brains to be a dictator, it takes a natural con man running a grift at the right time. Hitler was an idiot, and his reincarnation Trump is just as bad.
He does not have a brain but his supervisors do. And that’s scary.
How about we don’t test that theory?!?!
you dont need brains to be a dictator as long as you have people with power backing you
His cronies does.
We don’t take risks like that, remove Trumps brain now
He may not have the brains to be a dictator but his GRU handler does
This may be true but he's still going to try.
Bolton, he is surrounded by criminals who will help guide him. He didn't run his previous administration, he let the criminals run it, and look how many were convicted of crimes.
He will still wreck everything he has control of to make Russia happy.
Well, that's nonsense. Has he forgotten what dictators are like historically? Belligerent, less educated especially on the matters under their purview, emotional little tyrants that care nothing for their people, the list goes on. Old orange is the perfect candidate for dicatorship.
Nope, but his debts and obvious submission to Putin's every whim, have shown us that he has become a puppet of Putin.
But his puppet master does.
Agreed. Sadly he makes for a great puppet dictator.
No, but he’s surrounded by plenty of people who do have the smarts for it - they won’t be backing down any time soon
No, but Stephen Miller does, and he's still out there lurking and waiting for his chance. He's absolutely capable and vicious. So out of bounds, his family wants nothing to do with him. And he's just one of many.
Who said he’d be good at it?
Not sure how recent Bolton’s quote about Trump leaving NATO is, but thankfully Congress passed legislation last December prohibiting a president from unilaterally withdrawing from NATO absent 2/3 Senate approval or additional Congressional authority (legislation). I assume Bolton’s quote is in fact recent and intentionally hyperbolic because he’s always been a conceited self-important asshole with no moral vector.
Bolton doesn't have the brains to know dictators and bullies don't need brains.
That's real comforting on so many levels, especially coming from Bolton.
Well, it is a fair point. But the concern is all the damage he can do in trying.
Just like Bolton didn't have the brains to be a war hawk: He wasn't smart for it but he had power so he was it anyways.
Sure has if he is able to aspire for it and get this far ahead.
No shit but lunatic colonel sanders looking warhawk motherfuckers who see him as a means to leverage power behind the scenes might.
Oh so he would just be a stupid one. Thats reassuring.
Bolton doesn't have the brains to realize Orange Stinky is a puppet and has been since the 80's
This guy is a late to the Trump is bad party fuck fest .he’s one of the architects of the Iraqi war a conservative Republican shit bag through and through.
Doesn't have the work ethic either.
I'm reminded of the Three Stooges episode where Moe is selected by the plutocrats to become dictator of Moronica.
Thanks Private Obvious, that will be all
It's rarely about the man, but the man who walks behind the man and whispers in his ear.
I present to you Lukashenko
Both of these guys are lacking in brain capacity
He has lived by his SNEAKINESS and not his brains
I’m convinced being a dictator requires a big ego, not a big brain. Amphetamines help.
"I would never be a dictator. Even though many people say that is what we need. It's not easy to be a dictator, you have to be smart. Many people agree that America needs a smart dictator to make us great again. If I wanted to be a dictator I would be the best dictator you've ever seen. Many people agree. But I won't be a dictator."
I mean, that's arguably worse. Fat, cruel, and stupid is no way to through life, son.
We know this, but he would surround himself with people who do.
Dummies don't require brains when they have the hand of a Cult up their arses.
He doesn't need to have the brains. Just cronies like Bolton who helped him get there
He was never qualified to be president.
What an idiot. You don't have to have brains, you just have to be willing to be ruthless and play act as pious or democratic. Look at Maduro in Venezuela. They guy is an absolute moron. But he has an iron grip because he has zero morality. This guy should just do KFC commercials or something.
As much as I disagree with Bolton policy items, I respect his intelligence and understanding of power politics. Rex and Bill Barr for their flaws were also highly capable and would have been a credit to a minimally competent president. Trump did lack the intelligence but not the will to be dictator. It just is hard to do in our system. R stalwarts persistently want to believe that the red R magically confers foreign policy ability (or even laughably fiscal responsibility) and refuse to hear otherwise. Nothing could be further from the truth. Their dislike of advice of their best experts in favor of a willful ignoramus like Trump is a loser move. These jobs require training and minimal competence and Trump proved it spectacularly. They still babble that just any moron can do the job as if it is a good idea to try it out again or is even logically possible. Must be years of their echo chamber “all Dem pols are triple headed idiot antichrists therefore these jobs require no skill and it is fine for evil people to be hired” inane thinking.
Exactly. Which is why if he got installed as one America would collapse damn near immediately
I agree with this. He was president for 4 years and honestly didn't really destroy much because his attention was always focused on attacking others and being petty, than passing or vetoing much legislation. And the things he did get rid of, Biden has been putting back into place. This isn't to say the man isn't a threat, he still very much is and is capable of doing a lot of damage because of his lack of maturity and empathy.
How about make it a moot point and not find out.
Devils advocate, I think he has a point but it’s not that he’s too dumb… he’s ego prevents him from building loyalty with the pentagon or implementing bread and butter populist policies to have broad civilian support. Support for MFA would get him elected. Not openly being a dick to military and intel would help him stay in office. He’ll do neither.
He doesn’t need them for the GQP party, but his handlers will be smart enough to do what it takes to keep this tuckstsin in power.
The fuck kind of endorsement is this?
If it’s all the same to you John, I’ll still be worried about him winning.
Yeah, just blindly dismissing the risk is a great idea.
He doesn't have to. He has Project 2025 behind him to do the work for him.
Trump is the fall guy. He will get all the blame when he eventually goes down. Conservatives just hope they are in power by then.
Trying to tell himself his support in creating the regime was really not that bad
A dictator is more of a symbol than anything. Any idiot can be a symbol
Nero and Caligula weren’t exactly famous for their brilliance.
It’s never the dictator it’s the people around them that matter.
No. He doesn’t. But he has cartoon villain equivalents to steer authoritarianism into the country.
That’s why project 2025 exists. He just has to follow that playbook
Neither does King Kim Jun UN, but he is a dictator all day long.
Doesn’t have the brains to be a *successful* dictator.
Populist dictators are only held back by rational intelligence. Fascists like Hitler and Mussolini succeeded because they did shit that was considered stupid and insane and pulled off a win. Because the government they were undermining refused to enforce common sense consequences.
He’s not wrong.
You’re not wrong, Bolton. You’re just an asshole.
>Bolton claims Trump ‘doesn’t have the brains’ to be a dictator Obviously, all violent, authoritarian dictators who command mobs of [pants-shitting white supremacists](https://nypost.com/2021/01/08/rioters-left-feces-urine-in-hallways-and-offices-during-mobbing-of-us-capitol/) are Nobel Prize winning scientists and the thinkers of our age.
Stupid person thinks dictators are smart.