I just woke and the thing that popped into my mind was that the election defeat provides a way for people to be triggered and turn against each other. If there was a coup, this may open space for a shock and awe incident. Just a warning.
What do you mean? Ever since 2016, there has been hatred between the parties with Republicans being gleeful bullies while Democrats try to take the high road but are simmering with rage.
If there is a coup at some point, it may start with the military. I don't see them agreeing to round up Trump's enemies or go door to door rounding up immigrants. Next, I don't see blue state governors doing that either. Red state governors may try, but they honestly lack the resources to mount any sort of statewide initiative.
The Federal Reserve may be an issue as well. If Trump rocks the boat too much, the economy will become unstable, hurting the voters (which I actually hope for, because if Trump's reputation as an economic genius is destroyed, he will have less support).
In other words, Trump has promised things that he can't possibly deliver on. He can't deport millions of illegals because he simply doesn't have the manpower or money in place to make it happen. Remember the wall Mexico was supposed to build? Never happened.
But honestly, if Trump tries to arrest his enemies or use the military to deport immigrants, I think military leaders will balk. If Trump persists, Republicans will freak out. What happens next is anyone's guess, but I suspect that Trump may end up having an "accident" based on his age, at which time Republicans will put Vance in. If Trump is just utterly incompetent like he was last time and fail to accomplish his goals, then we can retake government and do what we need to do to Trump-proof the nation to ensure we never have a repeat.
Cross posted from 2024 U.S. Presidential Election in the hopes that we can also move discussion over here to include ways to honor MVP's statement on filling the sky with the light of a brilliant, brilliant billion of stars.
As Harris herself put it yesterday: “There's an adage a historian once called a law of history, true of every society across the ages. The adage is, only when it is dark enough can you see the stars. I know many people feel like we are entering a dark time, but for the benefit of us all, I hope that is not the case. But here's the thing, America, if it is, let us fill the sky with the light of a brilliant, brilliant billion of stars. The light, the light of optimism, of faith, of truth and service.
And may that work guide us even in the face of setbacks toward the extraordinary promise of the United States of America. I thank you all. Make God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America. I thank you all. “Again, let's use THIS thread to talk about ways we can continue to be the light. We've commiserated in the election thread about our fears, let's illuminate our HOPES here.
Kamala's words were brilliant and inspiring.
I tend to find myself among those who feel that we will be 'entering a dark time'. I may write down for myself what I feel the dark times may hold so as to be mindful of the challenges. (Happy to share those in the proper forum at some point so others can ponder them)
I do feel that many of those who have enabled the darkness will at some point become part of the 'billion stars' that illuminate our way forward.
@tedp OK, I'm trying to get a grip and be the light, so here is one offering in support of that effort. IMO, we are entering a dark time. Maybe it won't be as bad as I fear, but the reality is that with 45, things are always worse than anyone's fears or imaginations. If anything, the wildest imaginations fail to anticipate how low this person can go, or how much darkness he is capable of. So, I think the times, for the foreseeable future, will be bad. With the said, when have times not been dark, at least for some? The 50s and early 60s were relatively stable (in the US). During that time, my parents lost their country and became refugees in this one. Their world ended, literally. All they loved was gone in an instant, including family members. But they rebuilt, and while they never recovered fully from all that was lost, they still moved forward, lived their lives and had at least some joy. I have some old home movies from the early-mid 60s of some of the parties my parents threw for the many other Cuban refugees who had been resettled in Chicago, where we lived at the time. In those movies our apartment was packed with people dancing and laughing, and that was barely 1-2 years after they'd fled with the clothes on their backs. My mom once told me she and my dad had planned a Christmas party and there ended up being a huge snowstorm that day they thought no one would show up, but everyone did. There was no excuse to miss gathering with their community and celebrate. So much lost, but there was still joy that could not be passed up.
I think about my parents, who are gone now, all the time, but particularly during sad times. I think about the hard lives they had but how they marched forward, into a strange country, language and culture, and they made new lives, raised my brother and me, and looked forward way more than back. They had such courage, way more than I will ever have. I want to honor them and all they endured by getting a grip and moving forward myself. That's what my mother would tell me to do, and no one in their right mind ever said no to my mother, lol.
Happy Saturday, folks. The sun is shining in NYC. I am going to try to pull myself together and be grateful for what I have. I may fail, but I'm going to try. I hope you all have a good day too.
@lovendures I barely slept at all that night. Got up and checked the results again (don't remember the exact time- 3 AM ish) Saw that he was at 266 and felt a wave of fear. Looked out the window and saw very ominous looking clouds... Wed & Thu we had a strong winter storm come through, FWIW
Remember gang - this is the “Path Forward” thread - we want to stay focused on what we’re going to do going forward to keep bringing the light and finding more of it.
To that end, this morning, I was putting my clothes away and sighing that I hadn’t lost the 20 pounds I gained post recovery. The good news, I told myself, was that I also hadn’t gained more since being cleared which means I now know what I can and can’t eat in combination with working out to maintain my weight and that in and of itself is a goal!
I decided that since the cupboard I store my T-Shirts in was full to bursting, that I would go through them all and get rid of all the 2X and 3X shirts there (except for show shirts that I was in, or our Disney trip ones from 2019) , leaving only XL shirts in good condition and the L’s I’ve been buying the last year. I got a big bag full of ratty old shirts I can dispose of. I got more space in my cupboard to buy more L’s. And I have a closet full fo clothes that I can do the same thing to the next time I get antsy about something.
For me, I inspired many during my liver donation journey last spring, and I’ve decided to turn some of my social media presence into more peeks into this journey. And knowing that I removed my safety net of bigger shirts is a motivator to get back on track. This was my step forward today.
There was no excuse to miss gathering with their community and celebrate.
It's funny that you mention this. AOC has a post or story (can't remember which) up today on her Instagram account saying that the most important thing we can do right now is to seek out and build community, with neighbors, co-workers, at our places of worship, and elsewhere. She emphasized that it doesn't need to be political organizing, just communing with other human beings in a safe way.
This chimes well with the incoming Pluto in Aquarius energies, which rule friends, groups, the collective, the community. We have become so isolated behind our phone and laptop screens over the past decades, and I believe it's a contributing factor in Trump's rise. Spending time with other people may be a way forward out of these times.