this post was submitted on 13 Aug 2026
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238
Be Prepared to Protect Our Democracy in November From a Trumpian Plot | Common Dreams (www.commondreams.org)
submitted 4 days ago by just_another_person@lemmy.world to c/politics@lemmy.world
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[–] FreshParsnip@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

As a Canadian, I don't think there's much I can do. I've been trying for years to "sound the alarm" for all the good that's going to do. I'm starting to think I need a safeplan in November for dealing with my anxiety and depression if and when really bad things happen.

I recommend: comfort food, comfort activities like watching movies, and being in touch with mental health resources

Godspeed America, I hope you find a way to turn this ship around

[–] hoppeduponcoffee@lemmy.zip 43 points 4 days ago (3 children)

So if you read the article, it gives you exact suggestions what to do.

Trying to preemptively react in ahem ways outside the law will just trigger mass violence against people trying to vote and give the administration more excuses to increase military presence and retaliation.

Mark these words though, the probability of him rigging the election is close to 100% certainty. That’s when we do something more.

Or, we do nothing and we live with decades of fascism.

[–] bunnybunny@lemmy.zip 36 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I foresee decades of American fascism

[–] hoppeduponcoffee@lemmy.zip 9 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (2 children)

In the process of obtaining my passports if needed. They won’t want my commie ass around, anyway.

If they do some lockdown bullshit, my family and I will find some way to escape.

[–] Malyca@lemmy.zip 5 points 4 days ago

Waiting that long will doom us all

[–] partofthevoice@lemmy.zip 3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

And what if, for some unforeseen reason, you just can’t leave? Not wishing that on anyone, but that’s how life works sometimes. In that case, it’ll be like comparing today to 10 years ago when Trump got started. A distant past where it seems like at least something more could have been done to stop this timeline from occurring. Just swap the dates to today and whenever fascism officially begins. You’ll have to wonder what could have been done sooner, wouldn’t you?

[–] hoppeduponcoffee@lemmy.zip 2 points 3 days ago

I’ve definitely considered that outcome. Uprooting and relocating ones family takes a lot of money. It is not realistic for most and a pretty far stretch for my family. I have a masters level education and could possibly end up as a taxi driver elsewhere.

[–] wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz 3 points 3 days ago

I think they want us to believe the chances of them rigging it are 100%, so that we despair and don't even bother to try. And I believe they are guaranteed to try rigging it. But if they were really so confident that they have it in the bag for certain, then they wouldn't be panicking the way they are.

So be on the lookout for funny business, but don't spread the cynicism about it being so rigged that we can't overcome it.

And yes, since the inauguration I've felt that the midterms will be the first potential redline. Any violence or unrest too soon would risk dooming what little chance we have to fix this at the polls. That's why they've been trying to stoke unrest, not because they want a pretext to beat people down (well not just that) but because they want to paint their opposition as crazy extremists before the election.

If we can take back the congressional majorities, then great. And if we lose fair and square (doubtful), well that sucks but that's how the system works. But if they cheat, or refuse to acknowledge the results, that's when democracy has officially ended and there are no more democratic options left on the table. Make of that what you will.

The second potential redline, and the more dangerous of the two, will be in the 2028 elections.

"The nature of the struggle is determined by the oppressor."

There's still hope for a peaceful resolution. We need to at least try, while that hope is still with us.

[–] twistypencil@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Remember, Elon said he rigged it for Trump? Electronic voting machines are probably how

[–] hoppeduponcoffee@lemmy.zip 2 points 3 days ago

Mail-in ballot, hand it in yourself.

[–] SarcasticMan@lemmy.world 7 points 3 days ago

If you live in Texas, you can vote early from October 19th to October 30th, 7 a.m. to 7pm. There is absolutely no reason you can't find the 20 minutes it will take to vote sometime between 7am and 7pm from October 19th to October 30th. If you live in one of these counties, you can vote at any polling station in the county you reside in.

Get off your ass, stop making excuses, and vote.

[–] sportsjorts@lemmy.zip 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Trump will attack the U.S. mark my words. Already did it once.

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 3 points 2 days ago

That's why he wants that slush fund. He's has his own little loyal army of soldiers that he knows will fight, and even go to prison for him. The next time, they'll get paid.

[–] WanderWisley@lemmy.world 6 points 3 days ago (2 children)

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, this was the plan since he was reelected. Don’t act surprised now or when there are armed guards at polling stations on Election Day.

[–] leadore@lemmy.world 6 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

He's been saying out loud that he'll declare a state of emergency, which lets him do whatever the hell he wants. But people will still be surprised because most people just can't conceive of it. I don't expect armed guards while voting is going on (though wouldn't be surprised) as much as I expect the state of emergency declaration, and armed teams of Fed agents will sweep into selected polling places (dem-heavy precincts) and confiscate the ballots and/or voting machines.

So unless states have taken measures to physically protect their ballots with force against Feds (exceedingly unlikely), this will be very easy for them to do. They'll allow ballots in repub-heavy precincts to be counted and/or let the election be declared invalid or whatever, it won't matter as long as they disrupted the ability to count all the votes.

[–] TipRing@lemmy.world 5 points 3 days ago (1 children)

A state of emergency still doesn't grant him any authority over state run elections. The states are fully aware of this and many are taking measures to prevent the involvement of unauthorized personnel through both legal challenge and physical security.

[–] leadore@lemmy.world 0 points 3 days ago (1 children)

We are so far past all the "but he can't do that!", "that would be illegal" bullshit now. This is a fascist regime. The rule of law no longer applies.

I hope we all realize by now that Dump doesn't give a shit whether something is legal or whether he has the legal authority to do it. He just does it. He doesn't care if one day in the future some court will say, "Oh you shouldn't have done that." By the time courts can do anything, it's far too late--the damage was already done. He has the support of the Congress which is controlled by repubs. The courts either go along with his corruption or he just ignores them. I read yesterday that they're going to carve his name directly into the marble facade of the Kennedy Center, ignoring the courts. ICE and his concentration camps violate all kinds of laws every day and nothing is done to stop it. He's put billions of our taxpayer dollars into his own and his cronies personal pockets.

So can we please stop with the "don't worry, he doesn't have the authority to do that" stuff?

[–] FreshParsnip@lemmy.ca 0 points 2 days ago (1 children)

The damn Trump coins are a symbol of blatantly breaking the law without consequence

[–] leadore@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

So many examples of getting away with crimes I can't begin to keep track of it all. I hope someone is keeping track of all the crimes, and all and broken things that will need to be fixed. Just in case we ever get a chance to.

[–] FreshParsnip@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 day ago

Someone really ought to compile a list. I tried to find one online. Sites like ballotpedia have lists of crimes he's been charged with but I don't know if anyone has a comprehensive list of everything he SHOULD be charged with

[–] Lushed_Lungfish@lemmy.ca 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I'd be surprised if there were any polling stations period.

[–] WanderWisley@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Agreed I do feel that the midterms will not even happen and IF they do it will be heavily favored for the GOP in a disgusting way.

[–] osanna@lemmy.vg 1 points 2 days ago

Well, they HAVE been gerrymandering

[–] TwinTitans@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Would love for this to become a real tagline

“Get off your ass, stop making excuses, and vote.”

[–] pigup@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

2 love crew already figure out the jingle: specifically the "So get up off of your ass and clean up all this shit"

[–] FreshParsnip@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

I remember one year in Canada, they had an ad campaign encouraging people to grab some friends and all go vote together as a group. They played the ads in theaters

[–] savvie@lemmy.zip 10 points 4 days ago (1 children)

we must persist & vote

[–] Abyssian@lemmy.world 7 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Being prepared means more than just voting.

Since Trump was allowed to turn ICE into an extremely well funded military that answers to him and doesn't swear to uphold the Constitution things could get very bad very quickly even if the Democrats sweep the midterms completely.

If the Trump admin wrote that last illegal executive order giving him imaginary power to revoke citizenship with forcing an R majority in congress or 'fixing' a total loss in the midterms... what happens if very quickly and quietly he writes that the members of Congress born in other countries or who have a parent from another country he terms an "enemy" are no longer US Citizens and before it's announced sends large numbers of ICE goons to apprehend them?

That wouldn't even be using ICE outside the reason it was created. It would be the President who fully controls ICE making an official sounding decree that these people are now effectively illegal immigrants and sending ICE to kidnap them.

[–] Hawanja@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Trump's executive orders to that effect are essentially meaningless, and are being challenged & knocked down in the courts. But to your scenario, if that were to actually happen that's when going beyond the law would be justified.

[–] Abyssian@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

What the courts say very clearly doesn't matter much to ICE.

If it was done quickly and quietly the best case scenario would probably be Congress failing to do anything about it. Worst case he declares the radical leftist terrorists "taking over" a national emergency and has enough of the Democrats black bagged into ICE concentration camps to give the Republicans a super majority, and then Congress votes to approve the president's actions and authorize US military to support and putting down any insurrection of those radical leftists followers that happened to take place in the country.

Deciding that's the point at which you feel it's justified to go "beyond the law" would likely be a bit late.

[–] Hawanja@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

I mean a court decision may not matter much to a victim of ICE, yes. Fighting in the courts is one avenue of attack.
But what I mean by this, is that every executive order that Trump has done so far to try and steal the election has been overturned. Executive oder 14248 (The one which attempted to force ID for voting) has been permanently blocked into taking effect. His other executive order 14399 (which tried to stop mail in voting) has also been blocked nationwide. Even if these somehow are fast-tracked to the Supreme court and the assholes rule in favor of Trump, the midterms are less than three months away, there's no way for them to be implemented in time. Essentially his attempt to take over the elections through executive order has been thwarted.

Now, will he do what you predict, and send his goons to sieze ballots, arrest democrats, and just do a full on coup d'état? Well possibly (hopefully not.) But seeing how Jan.6th went for him I somehow doubt it. But if this (unlikely event imo) were to happen, it wouldn't be "too late" to fight back, that's when the real fight begins.

I mean if you're just asking for violent revolution beforehand to overthrow the fascists and destroy the exploitative system, etc all, regardless of the election, well good luck with that. I don't think you'll get any normies on board with overthrowing the government "just because."
And I say "just because," as that's how normie John Q. Taxpayer looks at it. Those are the people you'll need on board to be successful, and they're not going to go along with it, even if it's justified. The crimes and corruption and exploitation this government engages is angers people like you and me, but to regular people all they care about is their job, and how much Gas is per gallon, and if they can pay rent next month. You'll have zero success motivating these people to approve of your revolution without some kind of an event, Like say Trump doing a coup.

[–] electric_nan@lemmy.ml 6 points 4 days ago (1 children)

What fucking democracy?

[–] ChonkyOwlbear@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

If elections didn't have a chance to change things, corporations wouldn't spend so much money trying to influence them.

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 1 points 2 days ago

I love it when they spend a fortune, and lose anyway.

[–] Nublets@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Democracy? This place was built for rich white landlords. Y'all keep acting like they didn't write this down in the founding documents...

[–] Wataba@sh.itjust.works 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Thats right, roll over and get tread on like the obedient dog you are

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