It's been a long-haul project to push the US towards a white, Christian nationalist theocracy. If you haven't read Nancy MacLean's __Democracy in Chains__ it gives a good overview of early Project 2025's progenitors. It's a good, eye-opening read which is much maligned by right-wing pundits.

I’d argue Trump is the best of the Republican Party. He’s a sociopathic piece of shit, but he’s simply a grifter at heart. After Trump, it will only get more racist, more fascist, more misogynistic, more xenophobic and much, much more politically competent.

And by best, you mean the worst of the Republican Party?

Honestly, I think he’s the best. Which is to say, it will only get worse from here. He’s an incompetent, clueless, ignorant, demented grifter. I expect we’ll see some truly evil, hateful, religious fanatically and politically effective people running that party at some point.

This is true, he doesn't give af about anything but money. What waits in the shadows is far worse.

"The banality of evil" personified?

I have my own problems with evangelicals, but the way Nixon worked with Billy Graham, William Branham, and other celebrity preachers of his day has really done lasting damage

They got played over and over until right wing politics have become central to their beliefs

I mean....It's a whole swamp! TD never planned to drain it. He just filled it with more polluted water. Actually to call it a swamp is an insult to actual swamps. Should call it a cesspool. A lake full of piss and sh*t. 💩🤬 High crimes against the people and our democracy.

Please do a thread about how you stay positive given the weight of your specialty area. If you can, we can. 🙏

He's the boil on top of a festering infection.

The ass-pimple in chief, as it were.

SCROTUS: So-Called Ruler Of The United States

Sadly, he is just their useful idiot.

Anyone who thinks getting rid of Trump is the way out of this has really missed the big picture.

Getting rid of Trump would be a good start, especially if it is accompanied by some kind of eye opening among his supporters. If they feel betrayed, they won't be much smarter than before but at least they won't make the same mistake right away. I say we should try it.

It will take years of deprivation and pain and suffering before his MAGAt base recognizes they were the target all this time.

Getting rid of Trump is ultimately up to Republican leadership though, no? And so many of them are compromised now along with him, why would they do anything?

But disappearing him would be a great start.

Yes he’s just the puppet being used….he loves the being the center of attention so he just keeps doing the shit he wants to while the rest of the Nazis work in the shadows giving him more right and taking ours away

Oh no, I didn't write it as "getting rid of Trump *alone*" and now I'm in trouble 😩

You're right though; getting rid of the orange felon is not a solution, but it is a step in the right direction.

Huge step.

Any intelligent person knew what you meant. This country is not exactly known for nuance thought peace

More fool them. Crystal clear what you meant. Trump is an umbrella term for American style Nazis. The bombastic, rage baiting, rally crying, entitled prick who has visions of turning the USAs working class into a factory processing minerals & goods while it's one big country club for the elites.

Sounds about right

Good catch. :)

It won’t completely solve the problem and there will be much more work for generations to come, but removing him from office would definitely make me feel better.

We can agree that he’s the malignant colon polyp, not the cancer. Definitely worth going under the knife tho.

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Oh I can say it! got rid of trump by any means.

This started long before Trump came into the picture! Republicans have been moving toward this for decades! The problem is they’re not religious, just using religion to get rich and control people!

It’s a start.

Quite true Trump is a symptom of this country based on colonialism slavery and a history of white supremacy, amazed we’ve lasted this long.

I feel like we could have gotten a handle on things had he not been elected, twice, and reshaped the court, but it doesn't really matter now.

The only way out is through to something new. I can dream the Dems get a motivated majority in both houses and they start fixing everything that let this happen, but I'm not optimistic.

Yeah, the Dems are never gonna do anything to fight fascism in a meaningful way. They helped this happen.

The current crop, that's mostly true, but I think we are going to see a lot of turnover in the next few elections.

It'll help tho.

I don’t think him being gone will magically fix things. I do want him to stop wasting the oxygen that I have to breathe. In other words, him croaking could have a number of different things or not. But he’d be gone and I wouldn’t my mind one bit,

But it will be a nice beginning…

So what is the way out?

Revolution.

*just

If there *is* a way out I cannot even begin to conceive of what it might be. And I'm a pretty imaginative guy.

Gotta be legal though, right? ;)

A general strike is what they fear most.

union power literally is one of our best tools rn: organized, angry, experienced, dedicated, disciplined, united activists exercising solidarity progressive public servants & policies: genuinely still a powerful option & real way forward

Indeed: the reason unions couldn't stop the 1930s rise of Nazism was because the Great Depression made it easy for German employers to find scabs, but the economic situation isn't like that now.

That’s why we won’t get out of it. We’ll schism into a minimum of two — more likely, three — nations. Red states will arrest people leaving their nation-state.

I don’t believe this. 🐈‍⬛

My fear…Trump is the great divider…he thrives on chaos…he loves to turn people against each other and sit back and gets a thrill seeing what he caused. Oh, wait! He did that at J6 insurrection, then pardoned them all and in gratitude, Proud Boys sued the government for $100 million

i think schism is inevitable at this point, but the human toll of it will be very, very high. the historical examples of partition should temper anyone's expectations of how it would play out.

Perhaps it will provide an opportunity to kick Amazon and Wal Mart out of at least one of them.

These will be the two countries.

It’s not that simple IMHO. The dividing line is Urban vs. Rural.

I’ve been begging blue states to come up with articles of secession. All empires throughout history collapsed, now it’s our turn.

Yah that's a best case scenario honestly. If I were yall I'd be looking to leave the whole country. America is an empire in decline and there's no coming back

I'm curious. Why do you think so many white Americans (my observation on social media) have such a pessimistic view about turning things around in/fate of this nation?

The system that has uplifted and provided privilege to white people all along is now weaponized against everyone. They’ve never experienced this kind of fear of institutions; never had to. 🫂 Compound that with the fact that 1/3 of the country plain can’t even see the very reality in front of them.

I appreciate your thoughtful answer, and I agree! Any thoughts on how to move the needle from paralyzing fear to collective action?

The pinned post on my profile. Centered Power With leadership style, which encourages temperance, empathy, and collaboration in a way that empowers the individual. You say it intuitively yourself; this will take mass collaboration. And that takes hearing each other in a way some never could before.

Good stuff!

Please let's this happen as fast as possible

Yeah this is fucked up. The reddest states aren't that way because of the majority, but because of who's kept disenfranchised.

You do know that there are huge blue dots in red states that are working like hell to turn things red to purple, purple to blue, right?? So just screw us?? Ex. = 42% of Texans voted for Harris/Walz. We would fight for you.

I am fighting too. But those states will never vote against Republicans. What is the solution? How will you win?

We’re working to change the Dem. party here in MO. We’re getting a Democrat on the ballot in races that have been uncontested. MO votes for progressive issues = we added abortion to our Constitution, added paid sick leave. Dems quit in our rural areas long ago. We’re changing that. How about you?

Didn't Republicans approve a referendum that will negate the abortion vote? I don't think voting or any normal channel of change exists anymore. We're in a full blown fascist dictatorship.

Elections are still happening all across the U.S. and Dems are winning. Yes, we have a Rep. supermajority in MO that screws us. All the more reason to run a Dem on every ballot and talk to every rural voter. We are trying all kinds of things. Stop giving up on elections. Fight for ALL of us.

Ill vote until some Republican kills me.

How inconsiderate of you.

Why is it in inconsiderate to want to break free from the tyranny of the right?

As stated in my bio, I live in Alabama. We would be consigned to "the tyranny of the right."

Isn't that what you have now? Isn't that what we all have now? The Right gets everything they want. They have their own army already. We either have to fight a war or move on.

Alabama and Mississippi are the models for what the Republicans are trying to create. I gather that you don't know our history. Federal court orders have made Alabama tolerable.

I don't know your history. Which court orders are helping? Is there risk they will be undone?

Umm…I’m in a red state?

if it doesn't happen. they will kill you if it happens, they will kill you, but you have a place to escape to. we can't stop them, only help people escape

Bullseye 🎯 We’re all in this together.

Unironically call on them to come to Jesus. As John Fugelsang writes about, ask them which of these policies come from Jesus? Are we treating people as we want to be treated? Are we good Samaritans? Feed hungry? Etc. Call them to accountability to their own lord if they aren’t respecting civil law.

Are they not aware of the blessings the atonement delivers, that we may live in peace among all sinners and only love will make us better? All we need is love - said all the prophets, musicians, psych-scientists, healers, ancestors, literature and friends. It’s time.

I tried that. Gave a young couple a lawnmower, air conditioner, countless gallons of milk, pedialyte, rides. They gave me a miscarriage by sexually harassing and assaulting me. I assure you, MAGA is irredeemably evil. It’s like they’re not human anymore.

It’s the most poor in spirit who feel the need to damage their neighbor. I’m so sorry for your anguish. Unparalleled. You can’t be it for everyone. Churches were supposed to be mutual aid networks, not elite clubs, but the con men hawking sacrifices have infested the temples ones again. Peace to you

Sorry to hear that. I don't know how you can live alongside those people. Wouldn't you rather get out?

You gonna pay my moving expenses and find me a job and housing?

I would if I could

Why can’t you? Please don’t bully people for where they’re trapped.

I really didn't mean to bully anyone. I just said I wanted to live in a country that values democracy. And from that I'm accused of bullying people.

Wow that’s easy to say

You live alongside 'those people' (people who voted for Trump) as well. There are Trump voters in every state.

Of course I do. But it's more about what the majority of the people in the area are will vote for and what their priorities are. I think any of my Maga neighbors would gladly move to redganistan if they had the chance.

Maybe you should put a bit more thought into what you're saying in public, to strangers.

I've also been seeing how people are easily telling others to go to Canada for covid vaccines if we don't have it here in the fall. That's only feasible for the super privileged. Most of us can't afford to take time off & pay for travels. Many more are immunocompromised/disabled.

I guess I do need to.

the smug condescension toward us by those in blue states is not exactly motivating to say the least.

No condescension meant

yeah no condescension since you don't see people in red states as human

That is ridiculous I never said anything like that and everyone is losing their minds. I just don't want to live with people who want to kill immigrants is that too much to ask? And I'm not saying people in red States want to do it I'm saying red people do

It’s a very common pattern I’ve observed over the years, so I guess it must just come naturally for y’all.

I have custody of my daughter and it would be a felony to leave. Please stop.

Yes, but it isn’t always as simple and straightforward as that. I have aging parents. I have roots here. There are many good friends here; we’ve rallied in the thousands against the injustices we see.

To be sure, there's no reason to make it easy for Rs

I guess my point is that it is so easy to distance ourselves from the “others”— who would live in a red state for God sake? Well, a lot of different people—people like me who often want the same things you do. Leaving isn’t always the best solution and sometimes it isn’t even an option.

I live in a pretty blue city in a red state. Things aren't so cut and dry

Blue for now. They are literally disappearing people today. And now with a budget larger than the Marines, they are going to start disappearing anyone who disagrees with them.

If it really ends up with separate nations though - then leaving would become an option because it would become untenable to stay. Protesting would no longer even be allowed.

That is where my head is. I don't see how we can beat the crazy Right. They are relentless and never stop. They fought abortion for 50 years (and won). They will kill us all before finding middle ground. There is no living with them.

Besides, we have the best fried chicken and blackberry cobbler in the land! 🙃😉

Yep. And they will still gleefully subjugate, abuse and kill you because that is how the Right Wing mind works. The only reason that they haven’t already is because they know that they are woefully outnumbered and can’t get away with… that’s because their mind is also inherently fearful

Leaving red states ignores the reality (that you pointed out) that we can’t just pull up all of our roots and carry them with us. My husband’s job has carried us to a blue state which is great for us but my aging parents are still in a red one and yeah, it’s not great to be that far away.

Bring that here. We could use better southern food options and niceties from the south in Washington. There’s a sun shadow on the northern peninsula where you’ll feel sorta at home.

so wow you don't fear fpr your life

Those seem pretty portable

I’m in a blue state but the small county I live in is red. Things aren’t divided by state but different areas. We don’t have to leave our roots. Stay live and fight those a-holes.

I would agree 100% if I thought there would be a fair fight and if we still had a democracy. I just don't believe that is the case anymore.

Sorry. I messed up.

It happens. These are tense times for all of us. The only time it’s hard to forgive is when it’s done purely out of malice (like maga and terfs).

Thank you! It’s ok, and I just hoped to raise awareness—wasn’t trying to pick on you.

Ok. I just don't see any way that the country is an overtaken by right wing lunatics. I mean they have their own Army now that doesn't report to anyone and it's larger than the Marines. There us no law. There will be no elections.

Why do people always think it's so easy to pull up roots and move? No offense, but this is NOT the answer.

Someone's never read about the Yugoslav wars and horrors that came out of it.

You see a future where we can live peaceably with crazy racist fascist nut jobs? They literally want to kill 65 million immigrants.

So your solution is to balkanize a nuclear power that has nuclear weapons scattered across its territory and possibly have a series of partitions that might result in mass death on par with that of the partition of India and Pakistan?

It’s not a solution. It’s just another problem we will be forced into if this goes on too long. The SCROTUS puts state rights above God and the states won’t watch this prick disappear their people forever.

I agree. Something's got to give and it's going to be explosive when it does.

I don't have any solutions. But if we no longer have a democracy what is your solution

I don't know man. I honestly don't know. I don't have any solutions either. I just think balkanization isn't the way.

For Germany it took other countries to come in and remove their fascist cancer. Maybe that will happen here I don't know. But one big difference is in Germany most of the people didn't really know what was going on. Here everyone knows what's going on and a good percentage is gleeful about it.

Destruction of free speech and other rights for corporations. Also revoke tax exempt status for church violators.

You just described Dem leadership for the past 40 years.

Yes. MAGA is a direct descendent of John Birchers. More like a 60/70 year movement. But, Trump is a pied piper for sociopath low frequency voters. MAGA won't go away, but I like the chances in national matchups vs JD Vance, DeSantis et al. It won't fix the damage short term, but it's a step back.

And the John Birch Society was how Daddy Koch used phony anti-communism to divert people's attention from how he'd made millions from Stalin's gulags.

"A good start."

Maybe, but as horrible as trump is, the guy next up isn't going to be as undisciplined as trump and will not make as many stupid mistakes as trump does.

Fascists are never in it to actually govern, they all make stupid mistakes. That's why they always need scapegoats. Like we're being distracted from the rising death toll in TX by the attack on the ICE facility and other increasingly (but justified) violent acts of resistance.

It IS, however, the most important step. Nobody should fool themselves otherwise. The battle against MAGA will go on after Trump, but it'll be *way* easier without him and the unique power he holds.

Yes - Trump is merely the pustule on the deep seated malignancy that has embedded itself (bit by steady bit) in the heart and soul of America over decades. It will take more than lancing the boil to destroy the infection and there is no guarantee that the patient will survive the needed procedure.

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We were founded on hate, racism, the patriarchy, ableism, misogyny, greed, and apathy. We've been pretty damn good at hiding parts of this list from time to time, but it was still always there, under the surface, waiting for the right moment to emerge. Well, they got it.

The only people we hid those things from are ourselves.

I agree. I'm doing the best I can to help my daughter educate her children about the accurate history of this country, ugliness and all. We need to change the narrative so our kids/grandkids know the truth.

That's the most terrifying thought to me.

He’s not even evangelical.

He's popular with evangelical voters because he validates their worldview of racism, cruelty, and greed.

Oh I know. Sorry, my point is that he’s not even intimately familiar with the evangelical agenda. It didn’t start with him and certainly won’t end.

Talibangelicals

This is really tastelessly stupid. You think the Taliban is the pinnacle of human depravity? If you hate Muslims so much, you probably ARE an Evangelical.

I dont hate Muslims and they are not the same as the taliban. However, both the taliban and the evangelicals are religious extremist groups that hate each other without realizing they are one in the same. Study it bruh. You might learn something and not say shit out of ignorance. Happy learning.

Happy learning? I did my Master’s Thesis on medieval Islamic philosophy. Under the Taliban, abortion was legal, and immigrants didn’t get put in concentration camps. There are much, much worse things about the Evangelical movement than a vague and passing similarity to the Taliban.

Ah yes, the classic ‘Taliban had one semi-progressive policy once, so they’re not that bad’ argument. Right before banning women from school and stoning folks. But sure, tell us more about how they're less problematic than evangelicals while we call the Ethics Department. Bold strategy!

Is this what you wanted? To argue about the Taliban? Maybe take a look around - there are more important things to argue about. I grew up with Evangelicals; they are destroying this country. And all anybody can seem to say is “they’re kinda like Afghani theocrats.” This is not a time for dumb puns.

I grew up Pentecostal. I know for a fact that they are destroying this country. I'm not arguing. I'm stating that religious extremism in any form is all the same and unacceptable. FULL STOP. It's harmful to the true piety of the religions they hijack and kamikaze into an unwitting populace.

Thank goodness we have a white savior like you to defend the honor of the taliban 🫡

Why do you claim expertise on the Taliban policies and views because of a relatively non-specialist diploma on a medieval theme, when the Taliban exist only since the 80s? Also when your subject of study was centered on an area what? 3000km away from it? In another cultural area?

That is all very akin to "I know all about the Franco dictatorship in Spain, obviously: I've studied the French Renaissance."

yep. honestly: sorry

like I was genuinely both obnoxiously persnickety in this thread AND ALSO haughty about my dEgReE (peak asshole behavior) in a frankly silly way, as you point out. genuinely, I apologize to all involved here, and hope your day improves

Cultural context. It’s easier to see when someone ELSE is batshit insane. You rarely understand your own batshittery as being batshit.

It's because of the sheer amount we've been lied to, from birth onward.

The root of our problems goes back to the early abandonment of Reconstruction.

Just wait until they finally convince Dems a Constitutional Convention is a good idea. It'll be over, they've game planned for 50+ years and already have what they need at the state level.

I’m GenX. I’ll be dead before the kids figure out how to reverse this shit, and that’s not even talking about if anything can reverse the damage to our global economic standing. Hahahaha, I’ll probably die a pauper, too! Thanks, Trump.

GenX here too and I feel the same way. Bloody hell!!!!

And that's why I've been anti religion for the vast majority of my adult life. Since the Bush era I realized they will stop at nothing to destroy the country and pretend it's a "Christian nation".

After Grok went Nazi my X timeline filled with Nazis. It’s not a small group of outsiders anymore. It helped me see we are some ways into the 4th Reich now, not because of DJT, but because of Project 2025. All the organizations & people working towards this over decades, that’s the Reich

Arguably, Reagan was the beginning. We haven't seen the end yet, although Orwell, Atwood and others have alluded to it.

Reagan was the beginning. Billy Graham warned him not to cozy up to the moral majority. Big mistake. Let them in, they’ll take a mile, which they have. Now turned into Christian Nationalists. Trump is the end. The movement dies with him. There’s no one who can take it on.

Reagan was a real POS. Under him everything went downhill, trickle down robbed the middle class, unions were busted, prison population exploded, guns, drugs, the rise of the oligarchs. And Graham thought he needed to warn Reagan about Falwell? Trump is the demon bastard child of Reagan.

100% Matt. I completely agree with you.

Nixon started courting evangelicals. His "law and order" policy was the precursor to the war on drugs, which was really just a war on black people and poor people. Really it goes back to the Civil War tho. Racists never got over losing.

I love how you can legitimately keep tracing the origins of American racism back and back ever further. How about this: I can argue that it came over on the Mayflower. And it's not hard to find the roots of religious and ethnographic bigotry a century before that ship sailed from Europe.

The entire Republican Party & conservative movement is the problem and always has been. It must be destroyed in order for this country to move forward.

There are so many brainwashed people out there (maga), losing brain cells with every new covid variant, and carrying guns. And then there’s ICE, too. We’re really in trouble now.

You speak a profound sad-but-truth.

Correct. White supremacy (and all the things connected to it) should've been the starting point for addressing America's "ailments." But too few are willing to acknowledge its existence, much less deal with it head-on. So here we are...

But since when do white people police white people?Therein lies the problem! Too many have always been ok benefiting the white supremacy infrastructure and thus are quiet! How long had we been told white supremacist groups were the greatest threat of terrorism, yet nothing was done!

This!!!

Yes! I think we're arguing the same point: the absence of accountability and the danger therein.

Oh that wasn’t argumentative.. it was amplification..

Lol! Got it!✊🏾