Trump’s Affinity for Authoritarians
Today’s autocratic leaders—in places like Russia, North Korea, and China—don’t share the same ideology or politics, but they DO share the same thirst for power.
Increasingly, the world’s autocrats are working together! “Nowadays, autocracies are run not by one bad guy, but by sophisticated networks…and technological experts who provide surveillance, propaganda, and disinformation,” notes Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, Anne Applebaum, in her book, “Autocracy, Inc: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World.”
According to Applebaum, propagandists in one authoritarian country share resources, troll farms and media networks that promote a dictator’s propaganda with other countries. You can identify autocrats by their narcissistic tendencies. They regularly destroy the lives of ordinary people—and have a history of disregard for others, redirecting blame and perpetually lie.
“The members of these networks are connected not only to one another within a given autocracy but also to networks in other autocratic countries and sometimes in democracies too.” That fact makes Donald Trump’s alliance with Viktor Orbán, Hungary’s authoritarian leader, especially troubling. In his disastrous debate performance against Kamala Harris, Trump actually used Orbán as a character witness!
Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation, and architect of Project 2025, says his task is “Institutionalizing Trumpism.” Manybelieve Heritage is actually modeling its vision of America on Hungary, which the EU no longer even considers a functioning democracy!
We saw Trump’s affinity for authoritarians in his first presidency. Don’t count on a second Trump presidency working in your favor; history shows it WON’T!
Marilyn Goldfarb, Boalsburg
JD Vance Shows How Much Trump Despises America
Upon being nominated, each Presidential candidate makes one of his or her most important decisions: Who will join the ticket as the prospective Vice President.
From the VP choice, voters get a look at the Presidential candidate’s thinking and concern for the country. And who, if the ticket wins and the unthinkable happens, would become president should the sitting president die or become incapacitated while in office.
But did anyone really think that Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin should have been a heartbeat away from the oval office? Or actual Vice President Dan Quayle? But that was nothing compared with what we face now.
Donald Trump’s decision to make JD Vance his VP shows just how much Trump despises America. He wants to flip us off…..and he did exactly that by adding Vance to the GOP ticket. Either that, or it confirms the cognitive decline of a befuddled old man. In Trump’s case, probably both.
Everyone should shudder at the prospect of a President Vance and what that would mean for the children, men and, especially, the women of our country.
The return of convicted felon and insurrectionist Donald Trump to the White House would be bad enough. The prospect of a potential President Vance is absolutely horrifying.
Bob Potter, Boalsburg
Make Upper Makefield Great Again?
I am a lifelong Democrat. I was driving around the beautiful scenery of Upper Makefield and saw so many McMansions hanging huge Trump banners and enormous Trump signs. I saw huge homes with multi-car garages on acres of land surrounded by miles of fences. I saw some outdoor swimming pools and beautiful horses and cows on rich farmland. And everywhere I saw Trump banners and even a sign that said Trump is for Unity, not Divisiveness (okay, I admit I had some trouble with that one.)
But suddenly, as if a great cloud descended on my faltering mind, I became MAGA. I saw the Orange Light.
Trump was absolutely correct in saying that the Democrats were destroying America. And the proof was right before my eyes.
Some of these McMansions only had 2 floors with 8 bedrooms. Why couldn’t they have 4 floors with 16 bedrooms? Because of Biden!
Why did these houses only have 5 car garages when they should have 10 garages for an extra 5 cars? Because of Biden!
Why did the landed gentry only own 100 acres instead of 200 acres? Yes. You guessed it. Because of Sleepy Stupid Joe!
Oh the horror of it all in once great Upper Makefield.
Yes, we need to Make Upper Makefield Great Again! Thank goodness all those suffering McMansion owners took the time to hang those huge Trump banners and signs so I could see the error of my Democrat ways.
But then I suddenly saw even more evil that the diabolical Democrats brought to our once great Upper Makefield. I saw several brown-skinned people riding vehicles of terror in the hot sun across the many never-dwindling acres of these fine cash-loaded landowners. Sharp knives were whirring under these death machines as the tall innocent grasses were being mercilessly cut and torn asunder from the blades of terror worked by these heartless animals infecting the blood of our nation. Grass that had once been tall and upright had suddenly been cut to pieces and now lay short and crestfallen close to the now wretched sullied earth. Who let these hordes of cruel laborers of destruction into our precious defenseless Upper Makefield? Yes, evil Joe Biden! He must be stopped.
Oh wait, he is not running anymore. Well then, it’s that stupid “black” woman Kamala that is doing all these horrible things to Upper Makefield.
Please, Make Upper Makefield Great Again (MUMGA) so the rich McMansion and estate owners can once again live in peace and prosperity like in the wonderful lost days of yore. Vote for that 78 year old man with the orange glow who remembers (imagines?) how great things were long long ago and wants so desperately to bring us all, not forward, but backwards, far away from the many horrors of today’s Upper Makefield.
Steve Cickay, Newtown
Bucks County Is a Must-Win Battleground
Bucks County remains the most purple of the counties that surround Philadelphia and really seems to be a contentious battleground all by itself within the swing state of Pennsylvania. The upcoming election has multiple important topics on the ballot such as the continuation of our democracy, reproductive and civil rights, the economy, housing, immigration, education amongst other areas.
We need Bucks County voters to express their views at the ballot box! We need Bucks County voters to SHOW UP!
Bucks Residents: Vote by mail, absentee ballot, or at the polls in person on November 5th.
Gail Titus, Newtown
Senator Casey Will Protect Social Security and Medicare
On November 5th, Pennsylvania voters will elect a US Senator to represent our interests in Washington for the next six years. Our choice: incumbent Democratic Senator Bob Casey, Jr. or Republican challenger David McCormick (who lost in the 2022 primary election).
Your decision and your vote could have a major impact on your life and health.
Currently, the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) lets Medicare negotiate drug prices with manufacturers and prevents drug companies from increasing these prices beyond inflation. It caps out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for seniors at $2,000 per year. It limits the cost of insulin to $35.00 per month for Medicare recipients. The IRA also extends Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace subsidies through 2025, saving seniors an average of $800 per year.
McCormick is against all that. He supports Republican proposals to repeal Medicare’s ability to negotiate drug prices. He supports proposals to make Medicare Advantage the default enrollment option “for people who are newly eligible for Medicare,” which would gradually phase out traditional Medicare. He supports former president Donald Trump’s plan to replace the ACA with his “concept for a plan.”
Senator Casey has experience in this area. He serves on the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and on the Committee on Finance. He has vowed to maintain and improve the current Social Security and Medicare programs. He favors protecting and expanding the ACA to provide health care for all Pennsylvanians.
If you are one of the 329,000 Pennsylvania residents on Social Security or the 2.8 million on Medicare, the choice is obvious. Re-elect Senator Bob Casey, Jr. For your health. For our health.
David B. Kyle, New Columbia
