Exactly. Whistling in the dark may help reassure us, but it doesn't say "run in that direction" if trouble actually comes. Having lived in Occupied Berlin, however briefly, gives me a very small idea of what the next 4 years could be like. But I admit to lacking the cultural preparedness.
As a person with a fair amount of privilege, what I'm wondering most now isn't how I'll know when to leave, but how I'll know when I need to give up the safety that privilege affords me and put my body and liberty on the line, and when I need to lie low, save my resources, and be in place to fight a bigger battle.
My sense right now is that as long as my workplace stays open, I should do what I can to stay employed. I work in a government office that may simply be shut down altogether, but if it isn't, its research is going to be very much needed and my team is the last line of defense against those publications being defanged or coopted. I need to find out whether my clearance could be revoked for a civil disobedience arrest; if it could, I think I need to stay away from protests as long as I have a job to go back to. If they axe the whole office, that's another matter.
I think some of this might have rubbed off on me a bit when I was exploring orthodox Judaism, or else maybe it came along with an unstable and traumatic childhood, because I've been discussing contingency plans and at what point to take certain actions since the Tories won the UK election in 2010. But only with my spouse and a couple of very close friends; others haven't really wanted to hear it.
Thanks for linking to the Metafilter question, the answers to which are indeed instructive.
I agree with the vast majority of this, but think you're being a bit unfair to Godwin's Law. It was not intended (nor, for the first decade or so of its existence, was it particularly used) to shut down discussions of fascist politics. It was an observation that comparisons to Hitler would arise EVERYWHERE, even in, say, discussions of whether Coke or Pepsi were preferable. It was not an attempt to prevent all discussion of Hitler, but to rein in the DILUTION of Hitler comparisons.
Yes, that is what people who have been using it to shut down discussion of the rise of fascism have been telling themselves and everyone else all along.
I entirely agree with your premises and and also worried. At this point, I see 3 options - Trump could be a really bad president, a murderous tyrant, or a failed murderous tyrant.
I suspect we'll get hints fairly soon, both from his cabinet appointments and also how he handles failure. Senate Republicans may dump the filibuster for Supreme Court appointments, but they won't eliminate it for other types of votes, since the Senate changes hands too often for any of the experienced Senators to be willing to vote for this. So, Trump will be filibustered, and any truly horrific or idiotic proposals will have at least a few Republican Senators voting against him, and a couple is all it takes to fully defeat him. If we see childish ranting and spiteful vetoes in response, Trump will merely be a bad president or at worst a failed tyrant. If he starts finding ways to silence or replace opponents, then things will get very bad indeed.
You are assuming that "how a Trump presidency turns out" is a function of the functioning of the legislature. I think that's a bad assumption. I don't think you appreciate how much power the executive branch has all on its own. My god, it's been declaring undeclared wars.
That's deeply uncomfortable, I'd previously thought that the Japanese Internment required Congressional approval, but it was accomplished with just an executive order. Now I'm even more hoping that Trump is content to be a figurehead for Pence, who will clearly be horrible, but not *that* level of horrible (I hope). Ugh.
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My sense right now is that as long as my workplace stays open, I should do what I can to stay employed. I work in a government office that may simply be shut down altogether, but if it isn't, its research is going to be very much needed and my team is the last line of defense against those publications being defanged or coopted. I need to find out whether my clearance could be revoked for a civil disobedience arrest; if it could, I think I need to stay away from protests as long as I have a job to go back to. If they axe the whole office, that's another matter.
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Thanks for linking to the Metafilter question, the answers to which are indeed instructive.
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You're wrong.
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I suspect we'll get hints fairly soon, both from his cabinet appointments and also how he handles failure. Senate Republicans may dump the filibuster for Supreme Court appointments, but they won't eliminate it for other types of votes, since the Senate changes hands too often for any of the experienced Senators to be willing to vote for this. So, Trump will be filibustered, and any truly horrific or idiotic proposals will have at least a few Republican Senators voting against him, and a couple is all it takes to fully defeat him. If we see childish ranting and spiteful vetoes in response, Trump will merely be a bad president or at worst a failed tyrant. If he starts finding ways to silence or replace opponents, then things will get very bad indeed.
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