Finding a Way Back (America)

aGDevil2k

aGDevil2k

Inconceivable Member
Messages
3,264
OK things are bad. We all (well most of us) get that. And it's getting worse:
- Attacks on Higher Ed
- Cuts to critical government programs
- Economic issues
- Reputation across the world
- Land of the free (generally)

But say we get to have elections again that are fairly counted. How can America recover from this? Is it possible? How long will it take, if ever? And HOW?
 
It's not much, but Poland is on a path to recovery after Tusk got elected. I was in Warsaw over the weekend and a lot of people are hopeful that the mayor of Warsaw will win the presidency and the rightwing anti-democracy party will be now totally out of power. Things were getting very bleak there and the republic was nearly lost a few years back. With that said, Poland allowed elections to happen so they could take back the legislature. That is not guaranteed in the US in 2026.
 
It is still TBD how far we go before someone with the ability to at least stop the descent takes action. Assuming that the GOP remains on board with authoritarianism, and it seems foolish to hope otherwise based on the evidence before us, then it is all about the mid-term election.

Even then, as a practical matter, it is very unlikely that Dems have a shot at re-taking the Senate due to the seats that are up in 2026, so it is all about the House, which is doable. But all Democratic control of the House can do is block legislation and investigate the Trump Administration excesses. I very much doubt the Trump DOJ would act on any recommendations for investigations forwarded from a Dem-controlled House and impeachment will always fail in the Senate even if Dems miraculously win control of the Senate.

So even if Dems mount a successful midterm (and word on the street is Dems are getting crushed by the GOP in fundraising in the last quarter), people need to understand that their power is still limited to throwing sand in the gears and seeking redress in federal courts.
 
I was listening to PSA on the drive in this morning and one of them made a good point. One of the most pervasive myths about Trump is that he doesn't respond to incentives. He does, most of the time to a fault. When big law firms capitulate, it teaches Trump he can control them. When Columbia capitulates, it teaches Trump he can control major universities. When ABC capitulates, it encourages him to go after CBS and the AP. Conversely, when Trump imposes tariffs and the bond market crashes, he backs off.

The point is that the "way back" is resistance. Not necessarily protest, and certainly not violence. But consistent, persistent, insistent resistance every hour of every day. So far, the courts are at least somewhat holding up and that absolutely MUST continue to happen. The polls are moving in the right direction. Our allies are rightly moving away from Trump, but I don't think for a second they're unwilling to do whatever they can to help the liberal democratic resistance that, despite current appearances, makes up ~50% of this country and maybe more. So we lawyers resist by filing lawsuits and taking on pro bono representation of immigrants and others impacted by Trump's inhumane policies. Small business owners can resist by making it absolutely clear how they'll be crushed by Trump's trade wars. Retirees can resist by volunteering for Democratic campaigns and showing up at town halls and city council meetings. Harvard is resisting. Susman Godfrey is resisting. CBS is, so far, resisting. Certain Democratic congresspeople are, finally, starting to find their voices and resist.

I think that's all we can really do right now -- just find what we can do to resist in our little corner of the world and do it. As long as those who stand on the side of humanity and justice keep showing up, we'll find our way back eventually. That's one of the greatest lessons of human history.
 
I am becoming more and more convinced that it's not going to happen (at least the massive sea change we need isn't going to happen) without some sort of national crisis. World War, another Great Depression, natural disaster on a massive scale, etc. Something that unites us in the understanding of an existential threat. Too many people in this country are so far removed from any sort of real danger to their lives or comfort that they invent problems out of whole cloth and invent the things supposedly needed to fix them. When all we have are made-up problems we can never really get any shared consensus on what's going on. Right now we are a nation full of people scrolling Instagram and getting mad that we don't get to go to Tahiti like all the people we see posting pictures.

IMO the best-case scenario is that the Trump admin so obviously and idiotically breaks the economy, in a way that is felt long enough and deeply enough by most Americans, that there can be no debate about what happened and who is to blame. So the veil is lifted on this idiotic right-wing authoritarianism and everyone remembers the lesson that we've learned and forgotten countless times throughout history: that it doesn't work, and instead of security and prosperity it brings incompetence and misery. But remains to be seen what happens.
 
When it comes to finding a way back, those with any clout need to emulate this wonderful American who continues to stand up to Trump and protect/enforce the rule of law...

www.rawstory.com

NY AG reviewing possible insider trading by Trump administration: report

State prosecutors in New York are looking into whether the Trump administration engaged in insider trading, according to a report.The office of New York Attorney General Letitia James told CNN on Monday it is looking into potential insider trading by officials and associates after Trump...
www.rawstory.com www.rawstory.com
 
nycfan said:
It is still TBD how far we go before someone with the ability to at least stop the descent takes action. Assuming that the GOP remains on board with authoritarianism, and it seems foolish to hope otherwise based on the evidence before us, then it is all about the mid-term election.

Even then, as a practical matter, it is very unlikely that Dems have a shot at re-taking the Senate due to the seats that are up in 2026, so it is all about the House, which is doable. But all Democratic control of the House can do is block legislation and investigate the Trump Administration excesses. I very much doubt the Trump DOJ would act on any recommendations for investigations forwarded from a Dem-controlled House and impeachment will always fail in the Senate even if Dems miraculously win control of the Senate.

So even if Dems mount a successful midterm (and word on the street is Dems are getting crushed by the GOP in fundraising in the last quarter), people need to understand that their power is still limited to throwing sand in the gears and seeking redress in federal courts.
Click to expand...
They need to be formulating a clear message and strategy or we're in for a painful midterm.
 
3 months ago UK and Europe said that the US economy is the envy of the world. Due to the idiot tariff wars and attacks on international aid, science infrastructure, universities - our ability to innovate is tanking; this JV Vance moment sums the FAIL of Trump 2.0 perfectly.

 
lawtig02 said:
I was listening to PSA on the drive in this morning and one of them made a good point. One of the most pervasive myths about Trump is that he doesn't respond to incentives. He does, most of the time to a fault. When big law firms capitulate, it teaches Trump he can control them. When Columbia capitulates, it teaches Trump he can control major universities. When ABC capitulates, it encourages him to go after CBS and the AP. Conversely, when Trump imposes tariffs and the bond market crashes, he backs off.

The point is that the "way back" is resistance. Not necessarily protest, and certainly not violence. But consistent, persistent, insistent resistance every hour of every day. So far, the courts are at least somewhat holding up and that absolutely MUST continue to happen. The polls are moving in the right direction. Our allies are rightly moving away from Trump, but I don't think for a second they're unwilling to do whatever they can to help the liberal democratic resistance that, despite current appearances, makes up ~50% of this country and maybe more. So we lawyers resist by filing lawsuits and taking on pro bono representation of immigrants and others impacted by Trump's inhumane policies. Small business owners can resist by making it absolutely clear how they'll be crushed by Trump's trade wars. Retirees can resist by volunteering for Democratic campaigns and showing up at town halls and city council meetings. Harvard is resisting. Susman Godfrey is resisting. CBS is, so far, resisting. Certain Democratic congresspeople are, finally, starting to find their voices and resist.

I think that's all we can really do right now -- just find what we can do to resist in our little corner of the world and do it. As long as those who stand on the side of humanity and justice keep showing up, we'll find our way back eventually. That's one of the greatest lessons of human history.
Click to expand...
Listened to the same podcast this morning.

The ABC's of the world caving are not helping.

Even if we win the midterms and the next presidential election, some of the damage will take years, if not decades, to repair.

The Prime Minister of Canada said that it will never be the same.

I guess the question is how much pain can the cult endure?
 
Trump is an infantile bully yet has charisma for low information voters... and sycophants who thought they could profit from Trump 2.0. The Tariff farce provides that answer - you fight back hard, unlike some law firms, Columbia University, Chuck Schumer.

Trump only punches down at the perceived weak people, institutions, and countries. Punch the bastard in the nose...and he'll back down.
 
UNCatTech said:
Listened to the same podcast this morning.

The ABC's of the world caving are not helping.

Even if we win the midterms and the next presidential election, some of the damage will take years, if not decades, to repair.

The Prime Minister of Canada said that it will never be the same.

I guess the question is how much pain can the cult endure?
Click to expand...
That's the point of the thread - how can the damage be undone?
 
lawtig02 said:
I was listening to PSA on the drive in this morning and one of them made a good point. One of the most pervasive myths about Trump is that he doesn't respond to incentives. He does, most of the time to a fault. When big law firms capitulate, it teaches Trump he can control them. When Columbia capitulates, it teaches Trump he can control major universities. When ABC capitulates, it encourages him to go after CBS and the AP. Conversely, when Trump imposes tariffs and the bond market crashes, he backs off.

The point is that the "way back" is resistance. Not necessarily protest, and certainly not violence. But consistent, persistent, insistent resistance every hour of every day. So far, the courts are at least somewhat holding up and that absolutely MUST continue to happen. The polls are moving in the right direction. Our allies are rightly moving away from Trump, but I don't think for a second they're unwilling to do whatever they can to help the liberal democratic resistance that, despite current appearances, makes up ~50% of this country and maybe more. So we lawyers resist by filing lawsuits and taking on pro bono representation of immigrants and others impacted by Trump's inhumane policies. Small business owners can resist by making it absolutely clear how they'll be crushed by Trump's trade wars. Retirees can resist by volunteering for Democratic campaigns and showing up at town halls and city council meetings. Harvard is resisting. Susman Godfrey is resisting. CBS is, so far, resisting. Certain Democratic congresspeople are, finally, starting to find their voices and resist.

I think that's all we can really do right now -- just find what we can do to resist in our little corner of the world and do it. As long as those who stand on the side of humanity and justice keep showing up, we'll find our way back eventually. That's one of the greatest lessons of human history.
Click to expand...
Well said. Harvard and MIT are resisting in the open. Our universities in Texas are resisting behind the scenes.

Do not capitulate. Fight back tooth and nail.
 
nycfan said:
It is still TBD how far we go before someone with the ability to at least stop the descent takes action. Assuming that the GOP remains on board with authoritarianism, and it seems foolish to hope otherwise based on the evidence before us, then it is all about the mid-term election.

Even then, as a practical matter, it is very unlikely that Dems have a shot at re-taking the Senate due to the seats that are up in 2026, so it is all about the House, which is doable. But all Democratic control of the House can do is block legislation and investigate the Trump Administration excesses. I very much doubt the Trump DOJ would act on any recommendations for investigations forwarded from a Dem-controlled House and impeachment will always fail in the Senate even if Dems miraculously win control of the Senate.

So even if Dems mount a successful midterm (and word on the street is Dems are getting crushed by the GOP in fundraising in the last quarter), people need to understand that their power is still limited to throwing sand in the gears and seeking redress in federal courts.
Click to expand...
The midterms are critical and I’m not willing to take the senate off the board just yet. Flipping the Senate would really gum up the fascism. Yes it’s a much harder pull but I’m counting on anti-Trump sentiment to keep growing, which I think is a reasonable assumption.
 
Geisterfahrer said:
The midterms are critical and I’m not willing to take the senate off the board just yet. Flipping the Senate would really gum up the fascism. Yes it’s a much harder pull but I’m counting on anti-Trump sentiment to keep growing, which I think is a reasonable assumption.
Click to expand...
Agreed, but I'm not that optimistic. Schumer capitulated and the Dems have no unified messaging. They have no unified national plan. Pubs have been coordinating Christo-fascist, racist, hate messaging for 20+ years: "Family values, America first, No trans." TV candidate ads have been cookie cutter same from Texas to Alabama to North Carolina.

There is vociferous resistance against 2.0 in those willing to stand up, but will that translate to votes in national, state campaigns? We'll see. Trump approval is about 45% now, but was in the low 40s to mid 40s for much of Trump 1.0.
 
The image of Trump is carefully curated.

The 38% think trump is handsome, beautiful, masculine and powerful. We should run ads attacking trump's image incessantly. We should run ads showing trump looking old, feeble, frail, stumbling, slurring, or sounding incoherent.

I see ads on their media asking their base to call their Representatives to protest against the "Biden Pill Plan," which does not exist - but sounds bad. We should do the same. Demand the republican base contact congress to fight against the "Trump Medicare Reduction Act" and protect "their Medicare."

Run ads showing frustrated seniors spending HOURS on the phone trying to get through to a Medicare Office.

Run ads showing an old man with tears in his eyes standing on his family farm with a FOR SALE sign posted in the field, because of tariffs.

Run an ad showing trump sitting at the Resolute Desk. On it are two huge red buttons. One reads Coke, the other reads Nuclear War. Sycophants are surrounding the desk and trump asks “who wants cokes? You, you, you and you! Trump hits the nuclear button four times. He looks down and sees the nuclear button is flashing. He exclaims “oppsie!” Sycophants all laugh.

There are a million ways to attack these dumb-asses. They deserve them all.
 
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aGDevil2k said:
But say we get to have elections again that are fairly counted. How can America recover from this? Is it possible? How long will it take, if ever? And HOW?
Click to expand...

​

Generations. It will be a long time before anyone in the world trusts America, and rightfully so. Even if Felon 47 goes away in four years... who's to say we won't "elect" a hand-picked successor? America MUST do away with the electoral college.

A particular quote stood out to me during the election cycle.

“We cannot leave the security of Europe in the hands of voters in Wisconsin every 4 years" says France's Europe Minister, Jean-Noël Barrot​


America MUST do away with the electoral college.
 
Burgawnc said:
The image of Trump is carefully curated.

The 38% think trump is handsome, beautiful, masculine and powerful. We should run ads attacking trump's image incessantly. We should run ads showing trump looking old, feeble, frail, stumbling, slurring, or sounding incoherent.

I see ads on their media asking their base to call their Representatives to protest against the "Biden Pill Plan," which does not exist - but sounds bad. We should do the same. Demand the r base to contact congress to fight against the "Republican Medicare Reduction Act" and protect "their Medicare."

Run ads showing frustrated seniors spending HOURS on the phone trying to get through to a Medicare Office.

Run ads show family farms with FOR SALE signs posted in the field, because of tariffs.

There a million ways to attack these dumb-asses. They deserve them all.
Click to expand...
Absolutely. If things were reversed, Pubs would be running ads 24/7.
 
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