I can't say. It's true that lots of us have guns, but the people who've been itching to use them are largely happy with the government. On the other hand, I was just seeing that Black Panthers are chilling in Philadelphia, heavily armed with serious firepower.

The thing is, if we get into a shootout with the military or ice, that will certainly lead to invocation of the insurgency act and that will effectively end democracy here. Most of us understand Trump would love a shooting war because essentially any opposition to him or his stormtroopers would be sedition.

He's testing the waters even now. How much abuse and violence will protestors endure before they do fight back? We're hanging on by a thread here. Clinging to the faint hope that somehow we will make it to the elections, and that they will result in curbing his power.

Those are some big ifs. And if we fail in November, most of us will look to 2028. I always wondered why the Germans let Hitler continue to do what he did. But now I it see it. If they moved too fast there would be resistance. But as long as they move slowly, people think it's not much worse today than yesterday — that fighting against it would be terrible and we'd probably die because there aren't enough of us.

No, I don't think there will be a moment when we throw down Trump. His presidency will end in 2028 because Democrats win big this year, or he will be a wartime president and that will end only with his natural death and what happens next will be up to... I guess Vance.

But you should know, I'm not very good at predictions. I never thought Trump had a chance in either election. So take all of that with a huge grain of salt.

Bit more info on the linked podcast episode (July 10 2025):

"In an era that can feel like a tinderbox, Jon is joined by Tony Gilroy, creator of "Andor" and Oscar nominee, and Mike Duncan, bestselling author and creator of the "History of Rome" and "Revolutions" podcasts. Together, they examine what draws ordinary people into extraordinary historical moments, explore the catalysts that spark revolutions, and consider how both fictional narratives and historical analysis illuminate our present. Plus, Jon reacts to the latest Epstein file news or lack thereof."

I listened to it and enjoyed the episode.

Edit: For relevance to this week, they talk about ICE oppression and an expected incident will lead to an attempt at marshal law.

I'll listen because I like Jon Stewart, but I'm a former soldier and I've been around a while, and I don't think he nor his panel is going to say anything to change my mind. But I'll give it a listen. Who knows. He's a bright guy.