Disaster Plan Final: Republicans Win
Absolute Worst-Case Scenario Updated
Welcome, peaceables! Since hope is not a plan, let’s plan for what is likely to happen now that Donald Trump has been elected President of the United States on November 5, 2024, and both Houses of Congress have Republican majorities. This is the final version of our previously published Disaster Plan Scenario III.
Disaster prevention failed. This article contemplates the greater violence that will occur if Trump wins and has the full support of Congress and the Supreme Court.
In medias res
The battle lines have been drawn. There is real tension between the MAGA cultists and the rest of us. We anticipate that this tension will explode into violence in 2025. The MAGA cultists are already in the face of all who voted for Democrats.
Strategic goals to achieve nonviolent resolution of conflict
Prevention of violent confrontations.
Neutralization of the MAGA assemblies.
Protection of those specifically targeted by Trump, including those who did not vote for Trump.1
SMART Objectives, viz., Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound
Effect a peaceful transition to Trump’s second term from November 6, 2024, to January 20, 2025.
Forestall intimidating and violent assemblies by MAGA. We must prepare for the police to obey orders from Trump and his handpicked officials. This will be especially true of the military; many, if not most, will follow their new commander-in-chief without question.
Action steps to take next
Commit to nonviolent passive resistance to effect change. Counter the MAGA assemblies by holding peaceful assemblies, including civil disobedience. If arrested, contact friendly lawyers from organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF), and Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism (FAIR) for defense.
Plan for as much autonomy and independence from the government as possible. Though we favor democratic socialism, in this case, we can better protect ourselves by having as little to do with the government as possible. This may result in a more diffusive form of federalism. Democratic “blue” states have started to form alliances to resist the Federal government.
Resistance.
Protect yourself online.2
Start forming an off-grid communication network since, under Trump, the government will control the phone systems and the Internet. Radio communication, such as short-wave or ham radio, is the best option for long distances, though it can still be hacked. For short distances, aural communication in person is the safest from surveillance.3 Couriers could bridge the distance between long and short.
Plan for a general strike.4 A work stoppage across all industries would unite the common folk into a formidable foe to resist authoritarianism.
Prepare for life under fascism.
Start with this advice by
5Secure personal finances. The Republicans’ plans will likely increase inflation rapidly and lead to a financial crisis sooner rather than later.
Reduce or eliminate debt, especially any mortgages.
Keep more cash on hand. If the economy deteriorates, there may be runs on the banks, and besides, the banks will likely be controlled by the Republican Party, which may seize assets, including homes.
Prepare for death.
Make sure that wills, trusts, and advanced directives are in place.
Döstädning, death cleaning. Make plans for the disposition of your personal property before you die.
Evaluation consisting of regular progress reports
Results of inquiries to friends and other allies in subsequent posts.
Results of communications with government officials and elected representatives.
Reports from the widening circle of resistors.
Pathfinder
There Are Four Postelection Scenarios, and Not One Is Good
https://newrepublic.com/article/179966/four-2024-post-election-scenarios-trump
How the Proud Boys are prepping for a second Trump term
https://www.economist.com/1843/2024/07/22/how-the-proud-boys-are-prepping-for-a-second-trump-term
“Speak it, forget it; write it, regret it.”
This is the plan. There will always be external factors we couldn’t foresee, but one cannot hide awaiting every last possible piece of information.
As a comment above suggests, Thiel or Larry Ellison, or Zuckerberg or Musk may use their gathered data against us. But I somehow feel deep down that people still win. If we don’t, all has been lost for a long while. But computers and tech wonks don’t expect people to act irrationally, that is counter to their personal interests in the short term in favor of a greater good. These people are dulled when it comes to understanding people.
I suspect you are ignoring one very relevant fact, Theil's data and AI company, Palantir, and the scenario of what he and Trump's security and policing services can do with it.
Palantir collects, manages and analyses data for dozens of major American institutions, including the police, the military, government departments, mainstream banks, health providers, transport companies, internet searches (including those ones you thought were private), and the content of emails and messages. The company automatically profiles people's actions for marketing and behavioural analysis, and is a world leader in using AI for Predictive Policing.
Let me give you an imaginary scenario:
Your girlfriend says she's going to a protest, maybe anti-genocide or climate or something, and you say, "OK, I drive you up there". You exchange messages to make the arrangements, pick her up on the day and drive her there. You hang around for a couple of hours, look around the shops, then meet up for lunch and drive home. No hassles, all done.
The messages are analysed for content, cameras have picked up your car number plate and facial recognition has identified you on the road, as you walked around the shops, in the restaurant, and on the way home. Your purchases; fuel, food, etc. were recorded.
So the police decide the event was a terrorist event and known terrorists were present. They analyse the data and at three key points, your path touches the path of one of those people; you both bought fuel in the same fuel station, you ate in the same restaurant after the protest and are seen on camera using the toilets at the same time, and on investigation you were also close to each other a year ago at the same business conference. You are now under automatic surveillance.
So a month later your girlfriend wants to go to another protest. Same plan. Except this time you are driving there, stop for fuel and your bank card doesn't work. You go to the cash machine and it swallows your card, so you try another and it does the same. You can just make it there and back so carry on, and all goes ok, and you buy lunch with cash you have.
On the way home, you get pulled over by a police car. You show your papers and the policeman tells you your driving license has been cancelled and there is also a warrant from a case a couple of years back, so he'll have to take you in. You deny any knowledge and assume it'll be sorted quickly, and you pick up your phone to a friend to help you get a lawyer and pick you up from the police station, but your phone and internet says, "No signal" and no longer works.
You are bailed and go home, and the internet doesn't work there either. But on Monday you go to work as usual and get called into HR. They have been warned by the police that you have been associating with a terrorist organisation, perhaps with known terrorists and, as the company has State contracts, they cannot afford to risk those contracts and they'll have to suspend you until you clear your name, but they will keep your job open,. As long as it isn't too long, they say.
I could go on, but in this scenario, with no charges or court case, you have lost your phone and internet access, your right to drive, simple access to your money, you are suspended from your job and your reputation has potentially been trashed, all in a couple of days. Imagine the knock on effects - you could soon be homeless, lose medical care and be blocked from getting another job, etc. etc......
So your scenario is about violence and physical threats by MAGA crazies. My scenario is about an automated response by the machinery of the State to reduce the possibility of popular dissent, with no real avenue for resistance or appeal.
I'm sure you can imagine a thousand more scenarios, more applicable to your own life. Sometimes people need to know what the consequences of their choices might be before making a decision to act.