You know, DOGE, fascist president and corporations dictating what people can do, institutions being ruined, laws being ignored. Is there any way out of that or is it over? Is the USA done?
In the short term, yes.
If trump remains in office after this term, absolutely yes.
If we get a different admin - not just another republicrat trump clone - they’re going to have to spend an inordinate amount of time fixing all of trump’s fuckups. One of which should be restricting any wannabe monarch’s ability to rule by decree in the US. So yeah, we’re fucked, and we’re gonna have to spend a lot of effort getting unfucked, digging ourselves out of an oligarchy hole, instead of moving forward from a continually advancing starting point.
E: allies are already turning away from us, politically and economically. They’ll form new alliances and relationships that the US doesn’t get to be a part of, or at least won’t get a leading position in. Same with things like soft power from international aid. China will step in, maybe the EU or even Russia. We lose the goodwill, stability, and any economic “ins” we could have achieved with that soft power. We’re fucked in lots of ways.
Just wanted to say: react now. Their actions will slowly get normalized and it will be a much harder fight once culture starts working against you
The culture of incompetence, crime, failure, and collapse will become normalized? Not on my turf.
Not even close to being done. Right now the biggest changes are a reduction in non law enforcement/immigration government staff and contracts being paid out. The biggest thing coming down the pipeline is Trump clearly wants to free himself of the courts and congress. But it’s far too early to say he’s won that. And even that wouldn’t be the end of things. In the US the states have a lot of autonomy. They are actually the ones responsible for holding elections. So let’s look at a worst case scenario, where he tries to say we shouldn’t have elections.
The first thing that’s going to happen is all the blue states are going to tell him to fuck off and hold them anyways. The second thing that’s going to happen is some red states will also do so, although they’ll likely be less coarse with the language. Then a few more red states will be pressured into having elections by massive protests of people angry they can’t vote anymore. Then while Trump is having a fit because there’s no real way for him to stop this process, we get to learn about a fun feature of the US Congress. There is no law requiring it to meet in D.C. Trump would likely try to claim whatever is left over is the real congress, but without having been elected the Constitution is clear that those states forfeit representation until they hold an election.
So we’d be left with a House that is majority anti-Trump, after all, he tried to make them irrelevant at best. In the Senate we’d likely be looking at something of an even split in 2026. There’s probably 5-7ish red states that would hold elections anyways and combined with the blue states and senate democrats leaving DC they would be able to convene elsewhere with a majority to declare rules of the Senate without Trump’s interference. The new Congress would likely swiftly vote to impeach Trump. The remnants of the old one would protest this but they don’t have any legal power. Only the backing of Trump and propaganda power.
This leaves Vance with a choice. This would be by design because our democratic party leaders only appear to be stupid when convenient. Vance can throw his weight behind Trump and get impeached himself or he can order Trump removed from the White House thus acknowledging the primacy of Congress. If he chooses the first option then Congress simply repeats the process and the presidency goes to the next person in line, the speaker of the house. Yes, Congress can effectively vote one of it’s own members into the White House at any time. This president then declares an emergency and orders the military to secure DC. The military loves process, and loves the Constitution. It is highly likely this order would be followed.
However all would not be well, it’s not a fairy tale. It would likely be the start of an American Insurgency that would take decades to root out. It would certainly be the end of the US as the hegemonic world power. Our Aircraft Carriers would rust in port and our projection of soft and hard power over the world would wither. But we would still be here, just much diminished and never the same in our lifetimes. This is certainly scary but if we all do our part this is as close as we would come to losing our democracy. Far more insidious is the threat of slowly revoking the right to vote. They’d start by raising the age, then by requiring you to not have any debt of specific kinds, then by making harsh punishments for illegally voting, and other such things until voting is effectively restricted to land owners. Certain factions would like to get it to white christian male landowners but that’s probably a decade or more down that line if at all.
Notes -
Why wouldn’t he just send in the military?
2028 isn’t enough time to purge and train enough people to make the military loyal to him. He would be mid project on that at best and the states could effectively counter him into a stand still with their national guard. This would make many people stay home, but the determined voters are likely to be anti-trump because that’s the change incentive. Loyalists will feel like the elections don’t matter.
What’s stopping SCOTUS from declaring the elections invalid?
The states. SCOTUS is only relevant as long as they have reputation of being an impartial arbiter of Constitutional Law. That opinion is already in the trash heap. They could not make such a decision today, or after 4 more years unless they spend the next 4 years setting themselves as at least a mild opposition in a long game. But they haven’t shown that kind of patience.
What happens in Trump surrounds himself with thousands of armed loyalists in DC?
We select a new capital and wish him the best of luck dealing with DC. There is no law requiring DC be the Capital. The Constitution doesn’t even require the states to give up a district, it only provides the legal possibility. There’s no need to engage in that kind of a conflict. Such a group would be arrested bit by bit by Maryland, Virginia, and Federal authorities until it could be resolved swiftly.
I really only lurk on Lemmy, but I felt the need to comment. Thank you for writing this. I’ve been stressed out since the EO was announced. I felt like we were doomed, but this gives me some hope. Even if this doesn’t happen, I feel better knowing there is still a way to possibly course correct.
This is actually one of the more pessimistic courses. It’s probable that Trump gets enough push back that his legacy consists of massively handicapping the civil service, screwing up the economy and our alliances, and then peacefully transferring power to a democratic party president.
One of the other things we need to do is seriously organize to support a more left candidate in the 2028 primaries. Part of this shock and awe is meant to make us give up, not only resisting Trump but also in organizing within the Democratic party.
Thank you for this. It’s so easy to feel hopeless in the face of everything that’s happening, which is exactly what they want.
Yeah, there’s still quite a few good paths here. I can’t guarantee we do what’s needed but I can show how if we demand it from our leaders and publicly support them it becomes really hard for Trump and friends to reach their goals.
When it’s all done and dusted, I hope it’s the beginning of the end for corporate capitalism as we know it. Allowing them to become that big and powerful through corruption that they literally think that they can control the world, is insane.
This is happening because of greed.
I would say it would’nt be able to happen due to greed exclusively. You need an entire nation (race! the entire human race) to be selfish, dumb and hateful enough to allow these buffoons to rise to power, in the first place.
The orange faeces sprinkler could have done literally everything, have the voters been empathetic and intelligent enough - he wouldn’t have gotten much further than being the head of a hotel company, or something. At best.
But yet, here we are, because the entire human race, the human DNA itself is designed to be a selfish dick, and prioritise themselves or their closest circle (friends/family) over anyone and anything else. This will be our end, and hopefully it happens before any other forms of life cease to exist on this planet.
If we can’t get enough people protesting and taking action, yes. The window is closing.
The fuck is protesting going to do at this point, lets be real here. Why do you think a protest has any sway of the bulldozer that is happening in the US Legal system?
Protesting is just not gonna accomplish much, a little bit more than that is needed I think.
General strikes are the only answer.
That just means your target changes. You’re not protesting to change an unchangeable administration. Instead you’re building consensus and creating a movement that can activate if certain lines are crossed.
We live in a criminally stupid country but Musk is doing his best to show everyone that being a billionaire should be a crime.
Edit: the tweet is fake, btw
It’s scary how plausible this tweet sounds in this age. I had to frantically Google to make sure this wasn’t a true tweet haha 😅
There’s usually stuff “unspoken” and it seems the folks in power are slowly removing that veil… with minimal repercussions.
Is that a real tweet?
No, it’s intended to show their real intent. He has an entire PR team dedicated to trying to make him appear intelligent, competent, and in control. However his actions speak so much louder than words. He’s barely able to contain himself. Luckily, his living flak jacket that he wears around is learning to speak and his hilariously repeating all of the things he says in private.
I hate this dumbshit as much as trump, but we shouldn’t be sharing fake twitter posts. It doesn’t help anything.
Anything from twitter should be suspect, especially without a date. I get your point though, I’ll note screenshot is fake.
Dennis! There’s some lovely filth down 'ere!
It’s never over.
Even the worst dictatorship can collapse. They get internally couped until the dictator learns to purge anyone capable of challenging them, then human mortality fixes that dictator and the government collapses
It’s not good though. The best time to fix it was ages ago before Reagan. The second best time is right now before the police state is firmly in place
The second best time to fix this was 4 years ago, when the Capitol was attacked to try to overturn a democratic election. But the USA has a big problem: nothing was done. A criminal staged a coup and failed. And nothing was done. He was allowed to go free, run for president and now he is in charge. The USA already failed years ago and now is just reaping what it allowed fascism to sow. Because nothing was ever done about it.
Yeah it’s just bonkers.
A criminal tried to seize power in a violent coup.
Not only was nothing done but voters elected him to be fucking president because they were confused about Palestinians and concerned about the price of eggs.
Getting rid of dictators typically takes decades once they’ve built up their power base. I doubt Trump has that kind of mileage in him, given how old he is. But the damage has been done now. Trump has proven that the famous “checks and balances” of the US system just don’t work.
As for the US’s reputation in the world, it’ll take a long time to recover (if at all). One Trump Presidency was a blip; an experiment. A second Trump Presidency is like America saying “fuck you” to the rest of the world, especially its allies like the UK and the EU. Americans will be hated everywhere else as much as Russians are hated now.
It’s only February of the first year of Trump’s second term. Who knows what might happen in the next 4 years; but honestly, I think the US is done as a superpower and a reliable friend to the West. Every empire dies, and I don’t think I’ve ever read in history books about an empire dying quietly in its sleep; it’s always a turbulent process that historians can usually pinpoint to a specific precipitating event afterwards.
That’s how you get new checks and balances, once the dictator falls.
But you’re right the US is rapidly burning its power and alliances. That would take decades to repair, and they might never reach the same position again.
The wound predates Reagan and goes back to the Civil War. Sherman had the chance to cauterize it, but he held back and let it fester, and here we are.
Damn you, McCarthy! Your imaginary list of communists doomed us all!!
Whether it’s now or later, life has to get a lot worse before it gets better. People will have to feel a lot more pain than they’re feeling now before they do more than bitch and moan online.
Life doesn’t have to get harder tho
I mean, don’t be so defeatist. Thats what they want you to feel.
We still have a last line of defence: Federalism.
We’d just have to hope the Democratic governors have the spine to stand up against Federal tyranny when the time comes, when they use the military against the people. And it’s up to the people in the 50 State’s National Guard, and law enforcement, and the military to decide between the constitution and fascism.
As for the federal firings, that’s not something that state governments can do anything about, so that’s unstoppable. But if you are talking about soldiers on the streets nazi style, probably not happening yet. We still have a bit of time to change course.
I’ll tell you this: if the 2026 midterms elections is cancelled, or if republicans win both houses, there’s probably no hope (since the opposition usually gains during midterms). That’s just civil war, and you’ll have to hope the pro-constitution side wins the civil war.
TLDR: You’ll have to hope elections still exist, and hope that democrats win in 2026, hopefully both houses. And also they’ll have to win 2028 with a trifecta.
And States run elections btw, the federal government will literally have to deploy troops to stop elections. And the governors can try to use the National Guard to blockcade federal troops from entering.
And it’s up to the people in the 50 State’s National Guard, and law enforcement, and the military to decide between the constitution and fascism.
Okay but you do remember we were here before and the national guard and law enforcement extremely made it very clear who’s side they were on… right?
Yes I know. They are right wing, they always have been.
Even when the miliary affirmed Biden’s victory, that was a right wing military doing so.
The questions is: How far will they go.
If you were talking about Jan 6, that’s because trump was in control of the national guard so he obviously didn’t call them in, since he plotted it himself.
Americans have always grew up learning the idea of “Rule of Law”. If trump (or whoever is president in 2028) cancels elections and they receive orders to march into polling stations to shut them down. That would conflict their worldview of “Rule of Law”.
Its one thing for trump to do a Jan 6. He has plausible deniability (at least in the eyes of the right-wing). He didn’t directly say “Go Storm The Capital”. He implied it. So its easy for the people in the militaey to say “well he didn’t intend for that to happen”.
Getting an order to literally stop voting from taking place will probably make them have a “Are we the baddies” moment.
Of couse, some will still obey orders. But not all. We just have to hope that enough will disobey orders
The fact thats only as far back as you went is sorta my point.
Yall dont remember before that, when Trump last was president as well, the crowds getting kettlepotted and gassed out, the peaceful crowds getting dispersed just so trump could take a photo op?
the crowds getting kettlepotted and gassed out, the peaceful crowds getting dispersed just so trump could take a photo op?
Suppressing protests have happened throughout US history, it’s nothing new.
Civil Rights, Unions, Strikes, Vietnam War Protests, etc… Americans would’ve desensitized and gotten used to it that it is wasn’t gonna raise any red flags.
What does that have to do with my original statement.
Hmmm, it seems the modern way for autocracies to deal with elections is to control the information space. I don’t see election being called off, but major social media platforms boosting one side while attenuating the other goes a long way. We know Musk is all in on this and the other big players like Zuckerberg & Co seem all too happy to oblige. Tiktok is an open ended question at this point.
Hmmm, it seems the modern way for autocracies to deal with elections is to control the information space.
So there is two different types (from how I understant it):
One is that elections are just completely fraudulent
The other has legitimate elections (as in, they actually count the votes and not make up numbers) but with a strong propaganda machine that favors the government.
Russia is the first type
Turkey is the second type
I think the USA would become more of a Turkey situation than a Russia situation
Short answer? Yes. Long answer? Absolutely.
It won’t end without armed conflict
Fascists don’t understand anything else
I heard there was a mentor coming to fix this soon…sorry, I apologize. I mean to say Meteor. Chances of landing up my own ass have increased once more. I probably won’t feel it so I’m not too worried about it.
Unless you get good with a sniper rifle its going to stay screwed for ever. Or if you actually have the gall to try to annex one of your neighbours. Then we’ll take care of your problem for you.
We’re cooked fam. Can’t wait for the reboot.
Probably.
