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If you think things are bad now, then, brace yourself: it is about to get a whole lot worse. If you are alarmed at the speed with which the Trump administration has set about dismantling every institution of American government and every pillar of the international order, you must understand that this is not just the initial burst of activity, the “shock and awe” phase after which things will settle down: if anything, the pace will continue to accelerate.

The world has never before been faced with such a threat. The United States has handed the nuclear codes to a madman, a criminal, a would-be dictator and a moron, all in the same person. Whatever the purpose to which he directs these powers – to impress his dictator friends, to further enrich himself and his cronies, to seize absolute power or just to watch the world burn – we must hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.

  • Freefall@lemmy.world
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    8 days ago

    Yeah, you can read about it in the project 2025 page online…we know what is coming…we have for a few years…

  • Queen HawlSera@lemm.ee
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    8 days ago

    Iowa passed a law changing their state’s interpretation of the Civil Rights Act to be one that excludes Gender Identity, they claimed they were doing it in order to protect women. This marks the first time that a group was removed from a protected status.

    Chaos and Anarchy will break out in the US soon, the bad kind though.

  • RufusFirefly@lemmy.world
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    8 days ago

    One thing that concerns me that not many people have talked about is what’s going to happen to the US dollar as the world’s reserve currency? More and more countries want nothing to do with us and while the US dollar has a huge edge over any other currency, the US becoming a pariah is probably going to impact that.

    • nova_ad_vitum@lemmy.ca
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      8 days ago

      It’s fine dude, Trump tweeted threats against any country that tried to get off the USD has the global reserve currency so therefore it definitely won’t happen. Or something.

  • aaron@infosec.pub
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    9 days ago

    The process of global de-dollarisation,much talked about, is being hastened far sooner than I think most people (at least those not privvy to whatever intelligence existed on Trump and others’ motivations and intentions) expected.

    The question as to whether the country with the largest military in the world can accept a much-reduced international role (and much reduced share of unearned global wealth to go with it), without kicking off a kinetic world war three will likely be answered shortly.

    Trump and Musk appear wide open to exploitation/manipulation, without anywhere near the required experience or intelligence to maintain the US’s international position.

    Unstable times ahead.

    • AA5B@lemmy.world
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      8 days ago

      global de-dollarisation

      This is the real problem for us in the US. Currently debt doesn’t matter: that’s stupid and short sighted but it doesn’t matter. I’m not entirely sure what global de-dollarisation means but US debt is going to matter a hell of a lot more when we’re treated like any other economy

      • aaron@infosec.pub
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        8 days ago

        De-dollarisation is the dismantling of the dollar’s role as global reserve currency, which is intimately tied to the petrodollar arrangement, which caused the world to buy oil in dollars for the last fifty years.

        I welcome any corrections/clarifications, but off the top of my head, the petrodollar arrangement was an agreement that Richard Nixon’s government made with the Saudis in the early seventies where the Saudis agreed to only sell oil in US dollars in return for military support. The agreement was a fifty year deal.

        In order for countries to buy oil they needed dollars. This was and currently still is via the selling of US government bonds, which has allowed the US to fund its deficits by printing more and more US dollars. Ultimately the world has paid for that US spending. This ends with the end of the US dollar as global reserve currency.

        Trump is showing in real time that the US cannot now be relied upon to provide security, so that half of the petrodollar arrangement is dead and gone. Would you fund the enemy’s military spending? Plenty have. And when you wanted to try and sell oil in a currency other than dollars you got a whole lot of freedom!

        This de-dollarisation very much suits the likes of Russia (for historical reasons) and China (for sound economic reasons) who do not want a world dominated by the US.

        Trump is playing into the likes of Putin’s hands fantastically. Not only is Putin getting what he wants from Trump in Ukraine, Trump is also voluntarily dismantling America’s position as global leader. I don’t know if he is a Russian asset, or if he is just so stupid, or believes the US should be an explicit oligarchy.

        Buckle up, the future is not looking good for the US. Countries that have relied on the US are facing a period of serious instability.

    • Tower@lemm.ee
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      9 days ago

      The chuds at the top (most of them, anyways) know that this will likely lead to ww3, and that’s been the plan. The US is the preeminent military power, so they feel safe, and there’s a shit load of money to be made in war and instability.

      The chuds at the bottom voting for US isolationism don’t understand just how much an interconnected world benefits them and how bad dedollarization is going to be for them. But then that goes along with a lot of people not understanding the benefits of concepts like soft power, humanitarian aid, foreign assistance, etc.

      • SkyeStarfall@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        8 days ago

        If the people at the top’s plan is actually WW3, then they’re stupider than they let on.

        Sure, in theory it’s profitable, in practice though? All you’re left with is a wrecked world that’s worse to live in in every possible way, and that’s assuming nukes won’t fly

        It’s literally the broken window fallacy, which to me has always been a dead obvious problem. Stability, cooperation, and peaceful progress and development has always, and always will be, much more beneficial to everyone in the long run

        These people are literally enemies of humanity

      • dhork@lemmy.world
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        9 days ago

        The chuds at the bottom are rooting for dedollarization, because they put all their life savings into $TRUMP

      • margaritox@lemmy.world
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        8 days ago

        God, I so wish that an average American was smart enough to realize this. I feel like all they care about are their gas prices.

      • clutchtwopointzero@lemmy.world
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        9 days ago

        Even worse, the chuds might be dead of malnourishment, preventable vírus diseases, violence, before the consequences of dedollarization hits them

    • futatorius@lemm.ee
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      8 days ago

      The process of global de-dollarisation,much talked about, is being hastened

      China has a thriving economy without the RMB being anyone’s reserve currency.

      • aaron@infosec.pub
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        8 days ago

        I’m not really sure what your point is. I assume you are saying the US can have a thriving economy and not be the global reserve currency? If so, a couple of points:

        1. The US’s debts will come due as it loses global reserve currency status. Do you think it can pay those debts?

        2. US and other capitalists outsourced production to China due to the lack of collectively bargained labour agreements and environmental protections. It was cheap. Are you saying the US could ‘Make America Great Again’ by making it a sweatshop!? Because I don’t think that is what Trump voters had in mind for themselves.

  • robbinhood@lemmy.world
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    8 days ago

    What’s really got me sweating is the fact that we’re living in sorta good times. A lot of people are struggling of course, and serious issues are unfolding, but imagine what the world could look like if we get hit by the next Great Recession or Great Depression. Things could quickly go from very bad to much, much worse.

    • vonbaronhans@midwest.social
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      8 days ago

      I’m no economist, but I hear the economists are not thrilled with what Trump is doing to the economy. We’re headed for a recession at minimum, if those folks are anything to go by.

  • helopigs@lemmy.world
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    8 days ago

    the extent that Trump has gone to remove barriers to committing atrocities likely corresponds to the extent he intends to commit them

  • Dr. Moose@lemmy.world
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    9 days ago

    And American still just going to whine on the internet and do nothing about it.

    If anything this has completely vaporized the “checks and balances” democratic system everyone was so obsessed about.

    Americans need to update the constitution where people have the power to dethrone a dictator as of right now theres nothing right?

        • masterofn001@lemmy.ca
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          9 days ago

          Just sayin’

          What Luigi did was just.

          However, the 2A is specifically, ahem, targeted at removing government.

          • futatorius@lemm.ee
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            8 days ago

            The 2A was about maintaining state militias to catch runaway slaves and to suppress slave rebellions. The south wanted it, the north didn’t care. At the time the amendments were being written, here was little to no discussion of the idea that an armed citizenry would be able to resist state tyranny. They had just fought a revolution and had a very clear idea of what it took to break away from England. It was a lot more than farmers with hunting rifles or posses of slave-catchers.

            I’m not saying that armed resistance is not necessary. I’m just saying the 2A was never really for that. But there are many examples of barely armed citizen’s movements overthrowing governments. Without compliance, without legitimacy, their power can be broken.

      • adm@lemm.ee
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        9 days ago

        Ah yeah, my semi automatic hunting rifle is really going to stop the armored military and the drones, and the mass data collection. Me and 1000 other people sure will make a difference right up until they shut off the internet and mow us down.

        • chiliedogg@lemmy.world
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          9 days ago

          Tanks, jets, and rocket launchers are good against other armies. They’re pretty shitty against anonymous civilians. It’s why the US lost in Iraq and Afghanistan.

          And in the US, the civilians would have 2 other advantages:

          1. A military that would be more reluctant to kill other Americans on American soil
          2. The enemy wouldn’t be the military, but poloticians.
          • adm@lemm.ee
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            8 days ago

            We live in a budding techno-fascist police state. Your argument depends on anonymity. That is almost completely lost on the modern America. Hong Kong is one if many examples over the last 15 years. They’ll find you. They’ll disappear you. Sure. Buy yourself a gun and load up on ammo. It will do you lots of good when they break your door down if you actually prove to be a credible threat.

          • JacksonLamb@lemmy.world
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            8 days ago

            The US has way better surveillance of irs own cotizens than it had of Afghanistan. They will send Homeland Security after any militia before it becomes a credible threat to them.

  • davepleasebehave@lemmy.world
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    8 days ago

    people were literally going back in time to try to assassinate him before the election. that should give us an indication of how bad it is going to get.

    • venotic@kbin.melroy.org
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      9 days ago

      Yeah but who’s? I have a bad feeling it won’t be theirs, it’ll probably be the vulnerable and the enemies of the MAGA.

      The opposition to the MAGA cult can’t just sleep for too long on letting them terrorize everyone’s livelihoods since they’ve gotten the backing and enabling of their ‘leader’. They won’t sleep to upset everyone’s lives.

      • rayyy@lemmy.world
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        8 days ago

        MAGAs are going to be hit hard with the cost cuttings and job eliminations. Sit back. They are the ones who are violent and they will take that violence to their source of problems when they wise up enough. It may take them awhile to work through the propaganda and bullshit though.

        • vonbaronhans@midwest.social
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          8 days ago

          Will they ever wise up though?

          Scoreboard shows these people, the most violent among them, are disconnected from reality and blindly trust Trump and his cronies.

          I can’t even get my MAGA mom to believe Musk did a Nazi salute. “Apparently he was throwing his heart to the crowd.” Granted, she’s not politically engaged, she just listens to my dad who stopped watching Fox News because it wasn’t conservative enough. So yeah.

          • in4apenny@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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            8 days ago

            MAGA are willing enough to storm the capitol, they’d be easier to convince to “rise up” than any liberal i’ve ever seen.

            • vonbaronhans@midwest.social
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              8 days ago

              Rise up against whom though? Their violence is not driven on principle. It’s out of trust and loyalty to a con man who told them to “fight like hell”. What makes you think they’ll turn on him? Other than a tiny handful of folks, when have the leapords eating their faces stopped them from offering their faces up on silver platters at the leopard’s feast?

        • futatorius@lemm.ee
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          8 days ago

          They are the ones who are violent and they will take that violence to their source of problems when they wise up enough.

          They’re as likely to direct that violence at us as against their leadership. They’re authoritarian enablers who want to be abused. Most of them will never wise up, let alone rise up.

        • masterofn001@lemmy.ca
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          9 days ago

          And more hateful and violent. More vengeful and racist. More armed and stockpiled. More members of the police. Etc.

          Are there any left wing militias?

          The idea they’re all dumb and y’allqaida rednecks is a joke that people have been playing on themselves.

          And the punchline is not funny.

      • BlemboTheThird@lemmy.ca
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        9 days ago

        it’ll probably be the vulnerable and the enemies of the MAGA.

        Well, it’s starting with ours. It’ll end with theirs.

        Tap for spoiler

        Damn this is the edgiest shit I’ve said since I was in high school, holy fuck

  • Sanctus@lemmy.world
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    9 days ago

    Not if we actually stand up and all march to DC. Just sayin’. Nothing has ever been won by shit posting and staying home.

  • unemployedclaquer@sopuli.xyz
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    9 days ago

    i guess i didn’t really need free information about the weather or how fucked is the climate. i know it’s fucked and seasons change. fuck science after all.

    • CH3DD4R_G0B-L1N@sh.itjust.works
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      8 days ago

      Never submit to the POV that the services they are dismantling are free. You pay for them. I pay for them. We deserve these services and they are being stolen from us just like when tax funded research is locked behind patents and pay walls.

  • tabarnaski@sh.itjust.works
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    9 days ago

    The only thing at this point that could prevent the USA from annexing Canada is a civil war to deal with. So yeah, it’s gonna get worse before it gets better.

    • OutlierBlue@lemmy.caOP
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      9 days ago

      And that doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen. For the most part Americans are complaining but not willing to actually do anything about the situation.

      I’ve heard people say the US couldn’t invade us because it would cause an uprising, but they aren’t willing to stand up and fight for their own democracy. They won’t stand up to fight for ours.

      • ricecake@sh.itjust.works
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        9 days ago

        We’ve never been in a situation even remotely like this before. A lot of people aren’t sure that doing a coup would be fighting for our democracy because removing them from office would be removing the, as far as any evidence can show, legally elected government. It’s about as bad as it’s been in nearly 200 years, but what if we “destroy the democracy to save it”?

        Invading a country that most Americans like more than their federal government is an entirely different question. This current bullshit is disgusting and heartbreaking.

  • McLarny@lemmy.world
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    9 days ago

    The american people will have to stand up for themselves and it‘s gonna be hard and brutal. Cause no one else can help you with this.

    I found the recent developments in Serbia quite interesting and it might help to get an idea what a widespread resistance from the people could look like. Video on Serbia

    • Skiluros@sh.itjust.works
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      9 days ago

      It’s going to require daily nationwide protests going on for months and months with national participation approaching 1-2% of the population (4-8 million) on weekends and clear and actionable demands (resignation of Trump and his goons and corrupt members of the judiciary).

      From my experience living in the US, I don’t think this is likely (I do hope I am wrong). Geographic size can actually be managed by having many thousands of protest sites by key admin buildings all throughout the country. The bigger issue is perhaps a lack of experience “operationalizing” beliefs and standing up to a thugs and oligarchs.

  • Ms. ArmoredThirteen@lemmy.zip
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    9 days ago

    I’m just hoping it can stay duct taped together long enough for me to get out of country. I don’t know if it will :/ I’ve been doing the protest thing, donating to resistance efforts, boycotts, building community, been doing all of this for years. I’ve never seen it tangibly help and I’m one of the first to get black bagged if/when this goes full genocide (am trans). I can’t do it anymore, my body is aging, my brain is a disaster. I wish I could keep fighting. At least I can bring my labor somewhere else and stop letting my taxes fund the madness that is the US government

      • tiredofsametab@fedia.io
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        8 days ago

        The shit thing, since I don’t make enough to actually pay taxes on my salary, is their PFIC and other rules. I can’t put money in my US retirement accounts. I also can’t use any of the ones here in Japan because, even if I just used them to put money pre-tax into cash savings, they all contain auto-investment rules that makes the target PFICs which are a nightmare.