Are we now a Dictatorship?

[Nyvin]

With Trump pardoning Arpaio as a political ally after a federal court ruling (before sentencing was completed, which is outside the norm),  I think it's a legitimate question to ask if the United States is at least partially a dictatorship now?

Here's the argument - Arpaio disregarded court orders and was convicted of being guilty of doing so, whether you agree with the laws or not, he still disobeyed the rule of law.   BUT in the end it didn't matter because he was a political ally of Trump, and Trump simply pardoned him for disobeying the rule of law.   

Trump making this move and showing that he is a strongman that can overpower the court system in the country moves the USA closer to dictatorship then ever before, since we're now basically governed by Trump's political allies who will disregard the justice system knowing Trump will pardon any wrongdoings.

[GlobeSoc]

The pardon is alarming and the president's power to pardon should be curbed, but Trump doesn't have the capability to create one, at least not yet

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Lol

[Nyvin]

No. The president has always had pardoning powers, rightly or wrongly it does him a dictator.

Can you give a previous example where the president so willfully used a pardon for a political ally who was convicted?

[TheSaint250]

the f***

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

No. We are a broken democracy, not a dictatorship or anything like it. Yet. (Trumpolini would love to be a dictator, but is too incompetent an executive to ever be more than a figurehead.)

[Crumpets]

Obviously not, and it's both irresponsible and counter-productive to suggest so. Not to mention patently offensive to the billions of people actually suffering under dictatorships today.

[An American Tail: Fubart Goes West]

lol no

[pbrower2a]

Corporate lobbyists control Congress and most state legislatures... Donald Trump is testing the limits of executive power, but the Constitution has well protected us from executive despotism (a grave concern of the Founding Fathers) with Donald Trump.

We do not have a democracy.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

If the U.S. were a dictatorship, Trumpcare would have passed unopposed in the Congress or else.

[Kingpoleon]

No. The president has always had pardoning powers, rightly or wrongly it does him a dictator.

Can you give a previous example where the president so willfully used a pardon for a political ally who was convicted?

Please, please tell me you're not this ignorant.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

If America is a dictatorship, then Trump would be able to do more than just pardon his buddies. A dictator can imprison his enemies single handedly which is a power that Trump doesn't have.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Of course not, and this kind of hyperbole doesn't help anything.  Try comparing the U.S. to a real dictatorship, such as Russia, Syria, or North Korea.  At the worst, we are moving along the continuum from a liberal democracy toward an illiberal democracy.

(Note: before any conservatives get triggered, the use of "liberal" here is for "liberal democracy" in the classical sense, i.e. a democratic system of government in which individual rights and freedoms are officially recognized and protected, and the exercise of political power is limited by the rule of law.)

[100% pro-life no matter what]

Manning broke the law by revealing highly classified information, but that didn't stop Obama from issuing a pardon (largely on ideological grounds).  How is this situation any different?

[GeorgiaModerate]

Manning broke the law by revealing highly classified information, but that didn't stop Obama from issuing a pardon (largely on ideological grounds).  How is this situation any different?

Manning wasn't pardoned; his sentence was commuted after he was convicted and served seven years in prison.  That's very different from a pardon.

[Nyvin]

Manning broke the law by revealing highly classified information, but that didn't stop Obama from issuing a pardon (largely on ideological grounds).  How is this situation any different?

Manning is not a politician, nor someone of power or a "political ally".    Also the pardon was "after" the sentencing and while Manning was in prison.  That's quite an exaggerated parallel.

[Nyvin]

So what exactly is stopping Trump from telling all the people involved with the Russian investigation "just ignore any threats they send your way....I'll just pardon you from whatever they charge you with, don't tell them anything!!!"

Wouldn't this be completely constitutional...since it's in his powers to pardon anyone he pleases?

[The Dowager Mod]

Manning broke the law by revealing highly classified information, but that didn't stop Obama from issuing a pardon (largely on ideological grounds).  How is this situation any different?

Manning wasn't pardoned; his sentence was commuted after he was convicted and served seven years in prison.  That's very different from a pardon.

Transphobic much?

[Rookie Yinzer]

No.

If you don't like it you can vote him out in 2020 or elect a Congress in 2018 to impeach and convict him.

[PoliticalShelter]

In order to be a dictator, you need more than just having the power to protect the guilty.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Manning broke the law by revealing highly classified information, but that didn't stop Obama from issuing a pardon (largely on ideological grounds).  How is this situation any different?

Manning wasn't pardoned; his sentence was commuted after he was convicted and served seven years in prison.  That's very different from a pardon.

Transphobic much?

Not in the least.  FWIW, I have a (very much loved and cherished) trans family member.  Just sloppy writing by an old man who was thinking of Manning at the time of the original charges.

[Daniel909012]

Nonsense, in Spain the king pardoned members of a terrorist group that was dedicated to hunt political opponents, all countries have pardoned for motivations Policies.

[The Dowager Mod]

Manning broke the law by revealing highly classified information, but that didn't stop Obama from issuing a pardon (largely on ideological grounds).  How is this situation any different?

Manning wasn't pardoned; his sentence was commuted after he was convicted and served seven years in prison.  That's very different from a pardon.

Transphobic much?

Not in the least.  FWIW, I have a (very much loved and cherished) trans family member.  Just sloppy writing by an old man who was thinking of Manning at the time of the original charges.

ok

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

A president using his powers as chief executive under the Constitution to make a bad decision is not the same as dictatorship.

[TheLeftwardTide]

This argument sounds very familiar, kind of like the arguments the Whigs used against Andrew Jackson, although comparing Andrew Jackson to Trump is like comparing a part-moldy, part-eatable banana to a s**t-smeared uranium dildo. That said, the point I'm trying to make is this argument, if put on a pedestal, will make it much more likely that the Democrats will go the way of the Whigs.

Nonsense, in Spain the king pardoned members of a terrorist group that was dedicated to hunt political opponents, all countries have pardoned for motivations Policies.

Is a king not just a hereditary dictator...? Terrible argument, 0/10.