tru

This is relatable though

Some points:

- Citation needed for your idea that voter base apathy is primarily a ''democratic'' tactic. Of course you want high turnout for your base and low turnout for the other guy's base, but in many countries with healthy liberal centre parties, my own included, it would be a massive political faux pas to even suggest that as a political goal.

- Assuming that all parties try to rally their base, there is essentially a ''voter arms race'' going on amongst political parties to increase turnout during election season. How, do you figure, does this lead to lower turnouts compared to autocratic or totalitarian regimes? Since we often don't get reliable polling and election data from autocratic regimes, I would say it's almost impossible to compare turnout rates at all.

- I am referring to the very specific geopolitical goals of Russia. I am very specifically referring to the shaping operations of their hybrid warfare strategies in the West.

- Authoritarianism as a political system can indeed do those things. I don't think it really stands in opposition to anything I said, though. If you feel it does, please let me know what it was meant to conflict with in my original statement.

- Fascism is most certainly also authoritarian. It can develop into totalitarianism, but that's not a prerequisite at all. Trump is not a totalitarian leader, but he definitely embraces elements of authoritarianism:

1) Has advocated for removing contraints in the legislature and opposing political parties that impede him.

2) Makes political appeals based on emotion that present his regime as a necessary evil to combat easily recognized social problems.

3) Has advocated for suppression of his enemies and minimal mobilization of voters (recently:"You won't need to vote anymore, we have all the votes'')

4) Favours the unitary executive theory, which gives him vague, shifting and ill-defined limits to his power.

- Fascism is populist. Consequently, it valorizes ''normalcy'' and mobilizes the everyman to fight ''the corrupt elite''. To ''fully engage'' with a fascist project is to primarily engage in identity politics. Policy is secondary to the much more important and, for the fascist base, reassuring idea that ''the normals'' are finally back in control. But that leaves large, very large sections of their populations repressed or sidelined.

The goal of Russian disinformation campaigns is precisely to create an apathetic voter base that is sufficiently confused by conflicting information to disengage from politics. This is the status quo in Russia. The average Russian knows they're being lied to all day and just takes it lying down because ''hey, that's politics for ya''. That attitude suits the dictators of the world just fine. The Russians are exporting their twisted logic to the whole world. The United States, which has mainly experienced fascism as an external threat to be fought in other parts of the world as opposed to an internal pressure at home, has never had to develop the necessary internal mechanisms by which to curb fascism. Cue Trump. Because you have never experienced fascism, you think that to call someone a fascist is to call them pure evil. Fascism is not pure evil. Fascism is common-sense rule, and a failure to recognize that the system is complicated for a reason. It is giving the reins to your crazy, racist uncle after he had too many beers as he screams ''give me two weeks and I'll fix this country''. But they never do.

damn didn't hear that

song name is Enigma - Principles of Lust

God I love prequel memes

yup