Now What

[kevin_standlee]

I had expected better from my fellow citizens. Now we have to figure out if the winners will do what they said they wanted to do: replace American democracy with a totalitarian Christo-fascist dictatorship. And what the relatively sane parts of the USA will do if ordered to treat the Constitution like toilet paper and simply Follow Orders from Glorious Permanent Leader. And for that matter, what the US military will do when given illegal orders, given that Glorious Leader is certain that anything he says Is The Law.

Now I've made comparisons to what's happening here and what happened in Germany in the 1930s, but I've had it pointed out to me that in the 1930s, the Wiemar Republic was a new thing, and many Germans were more accustomed to a Strong Central Leader, so maybe they weren't so bothered when they got one. The USA has been a republic for more than 200 years, and maybe, just maybe, some of those people who voted for the Leopards will realize what a mistake they made before they get their faces eaten.

But no, I have no idea what comes next. Will the Trumpists start parading through the streets of Fernley demanding that we all come out and grovel at their feet and hauling people like me out of our homes to be burned alive for the Glory of the Emperor? Or will they figure that everything will stay the same, except that somehow they personally with get paid more or something like that.

Mind you, Glorious Orange Leader can't live forever, despite what his sycophants may think. Is there anyone who can take his place and exercise the strange charisma that has half of the US population worshiping him? Most of the nominal candidates for that job (including the VP-elect) are deeply unpleasant people whose fellow-travelers don't like either. Maybe they'll be like the dog that chased the car and not know what they'll do when they catch it.

Comments

[madfilkentist]

Trump is power-mad but inept and blustering. A lot depends on what happens on his promised Day 1 Dictatorship. If he issues a bunch of illegal orders and the people who get them refuse to carry them out, he'll have the wind taken out of his sails. The next four years will be bad but not catastrophic. If he's able to follow through, things could get grim.

He has a couple of advantages over his first term. The first time, he made appointments to reward other factions, and that slowed him down. His lower-court appointees often didn't go along with his wishes. This time, he probably won't make so many compromises. Also, he has the Supreme Court-invented doctrine that he can commit crimes with impunity (except for impeachment) in the course of conducting official business.

[kevin_standlee]

Of course, Trump takes it for granted (and alas, seems to have the SCOTUS on his side) that orders he gives are legal, simply because he gives them. I really, really hope that enough people will not stand for that that he'll get frustrated and just go play more golf.

I'm generally not in favor of the filibuster in the Senate, but given that the upper house of the US Congress is even less representative than the British House of Lords (the latter of which can only slow down legislation, not stop it entirely), I guess we need something to stop a count of senators representing an absolute minority of the population from imposing Glorious Dictator's laws.

Our democracy is crumbling, and too many people think that it's better to have a Strong Man giving Orders than it is to have laws upon which we can depend. Those people are convinced that such a situation will never hurt them, just the Other People.

[scott_sanford]

I do think the filibuster could be fixed so as to be both useful and less prone to abuse, but this is not the time for that discussion.

[a_cubed]

Relying on TFG dying isn't a viable solution if by 2028 they've sufficiently dismantled the electoral process that whomever they put up as his successor gets in.

On a purely personal note, I am now reconsidering whether or not to attend Seattle and LA in person. Certainly not considering bringing $DAUGHTER with me even if I decide I can use my white male privilege to take the risk. I'm seeing others already saying they won't be in Seattle.

[calimac]

I have for years now recommended against people from other countries visiting here, for adjacent reasons.

[kevin_standlee]

Unless they really change all of the rules so that no candidates are allowed other than the ones specified by Glorious Leader, I do not think any of his would-be successors have enough charisma to bamboozle the electorate the way Trump does. It seems to me that many of his supporters still think of him as the character he played on The Apprentice. They all have a bad case of "Notice me, sensei!" although I doubt many of them would get the reference. They think Glorious Leader will heap riches upon them or at least tell them it's okay for them to go out and hurt and kill anyone they hate without consequences. Just look at the other people who ran against him in the primaries.

[scott_sanford]

I hope this link is stable: Trump flunkies in Doonesbury, 14 Nov 2004

[kevin_standlee]

It was stable, but it took a long time to resolve on my browser. Thanks for posting it.

[scott_sanford]

I have also seen others opting out of the Seattle Worldcon, for reasons.

[history_monk]

I'm annoyed with myself that it took me so long to figure out what Trump really is: a confidence man, and quite good at it. He presumably learned this in self-defence during his emotionally abusive childhood, and just kept on doing it. His arrogance is unsurprising, given how long he's been doing it.

Better observers than me figured this out years ago (see "Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America" by Maggie Haberman), but the American public seems to prefer an illusion of past glories to reality.

[wild_patience]

The Heritage Foundation, who are behind Project 2025, has his appointees all picked out. Only loyalists will be allowed to be in civil servant positions or the administration. It will not be like last time with a rotating line of incompetents. Gen. Milley and the others are now on his enemies list. If you have not read Project 2025, please look it up online. There is a graphic novel version as well done by various artists who illustrate the impact these things will have on us.

[kevin_standlee]

Oh, I know. The question is how many of their stooges can get through confirmation, and how well they can get rid of the non-political positions. I know enough US history to know why we have the civil service. Of course, Trump and Co want the return of the Spoils System. Let's see if they can get all of the laws they want repealed off the books.