this post was submitted on 09 Nov 2024
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If shit hits the fan, are there efforts to protect dissent in the US? (self.politicaldiscussion)
submitted 1 week ago by Lemminary to c/politicaldiscussion
7 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

I sincerely don't know to what degree Trump and his crew may change the US, and by the looks of other countries, it could be as extreme as silencing the opposition by force. Are there any efforts to protect dissent? Can this be planned for and successfully fought back before it becomes a problem? Do you have a different view entirely?

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

You better hope democratic led states resist his authoritarianism. If Democratic Governors orders state law enforcement to not help the federal agents, they only have limited manpower to do anything.

If trump does anything extreme like federalize the national guard to shoot dissidents, Democratic Governors might be able to delare those actions illegal and order the national guard to stand down. Hopefully the national guard would not listen to trump.

Red states are kinda fucked tho.

Edit: And I want to add that the US is not a unitary state, it has a federal system. States can still resist the autocrazation of the federal government, if they are willing to. Its not all doom and gloom.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

Well I've raised it in other threads that people who expect violent conflict should prepare by familiarizing themselves with firearms, buying them, and training survival skills. But people are afraid. The idea was argued into the ground.

People don't want to believe, or those that do, don't think they cant do anything. I'd like to believe that there's enough checks and balances to deal with any attempts of demolishing democracy. I have a hard time believing that generals, or even troops in general would turn their guns inward. They signed up to defend democracy and freedom on behalf of their countrymen. Not destroy it and kill them.

But at the same time, I just don't know. Most are too lazy and complacent to try and organize. When I've tried people shrug. The people think they want what Trump is selling.

Either way, I'd say prepare yourself. That way, if things do organize, you're ready. I've been ready just for fun, not for anti-fascism purposes. I like hunting and living off the land when I can. Turns out they're useful skills in situations that may unfold. We shall see.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago

I have a hard time believing that generals, or even troops in general would turn their guns inward

Agree, I see a military junta being way more likely than them just blindly following orders. So many high ranking officials openly despise him, and the Pentagon already operates with nigh impunity anyway.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

everything everyone's ever done online basically belongs to trump now. anything short of dropping off the grid and vanishing might just be playing pretend

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

Also people don't know how to eat out of mre's or less a day. It isn't normal and it takes practice

[–] peopleproblems 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

  1. There is no "protecting dissent." Dissent will be outlawed full stop. This will be done by crazy means to make it sound viable to the Constitution.

  2. There will be several levels of organized means of dissent. You could say a "resistance", an "underground", and a "rebellion."

  3. The resistance will be collective acts to prevent the admin from doing whatever they want. You may have seen governors come out and say they will not let federal troops into their cities - they have the authority over state national guard to do this.

  4. The underground: this will be quiet forms of dissent. Visiting family in other states to bring them birth control, or take them across state lines for "routine medical care." They will circumvent policies without attraction of the authorities.

  5. Rebellion. These will be insurgent actions risking life and limb to oppese enforcement efforts directly.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 days ago

Dissent cant be fully outlawed until trump manages to kill off entire state governments. Federalism will somewhat resist the authoritarianism of the federal government. Red states tho, they're fucked. Purple states becomes literal battle ground states with the republican elements in the state government covertly helping the federal government.