General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsI know we're not aiming for it, but does anyone have contingency plans if the Magas take power?
It's too late for us to get passports, so that's off the table. My wife and I are gay-married witches, so we're kinda shakin in our boots on that front.
But the loss of healthcare and financial devastation is even more concerning.
Not to mention the violence that will be unleashed by regular Maga folks who now will thnk they have free reign to hurt, harass, etc the rest of us.
So, I'm just curious if anyone has considered the disaster-option...and what that means for you?
We're in a rural area, so less people might be a bonus. But there's also lots of crazys in the woods!
Edit: My wife just woke up and added that we've got enough "extra" meds to 'Thelma & Louise ourselves outta this bitch'... lol
bbernardini
(10,018 posts)I was able to get an Irish passport with no issues, and got our daughter citizenship as well. Just waiting on the passport. My wife just has to renew her US passport.
FirstLight
(15,771 posts)I wish I had relatives in other countries!
BlueTsunami2018
(4,988 posts)I never considered dying at the hands of fascists in my own country as a possibility for my end but its no longer out of the realm of possibility.
I dont know that theres anything we can do really. Our protests will fall on deaf ears, as they always do, until they stop us from protesting, which they will. Elections will become meaningless so theres no voting them out after that.
I guess just put your head down and grind it out is the only thing to do. If it gets really crazy you can fight and die or go along to save yourself.
There are no good options.
wnylib
(26,008 posts)if Harris doesn't win, but it would be very grim. I expect violence from MAGAs but don't know how widespread it will be. If specific individuals or groups are targeted, I think that there will be violent push back in self defense.
There are many who will not accept a dictatorship. I believe that they will not just protest, but will literally fight back when MAGAs try to impose their dictatorial rule.
For those of us who can't leave, there are choices to make - become part of the resistance openly, resist secretly behind the scenes, or keep a low profile and be apolitical.
People in deep red areas might be better off to relocate within the US to a blue area, if possible. I do not place much faith in going to Canada unless people have close ties with a Canadian relative or business. Canada will not want to accept a flood of fleeing Americans. I live very near the northeastern border with Canada, but do not expect to go there.
I think that those of us who can't leave should network with people that we know and trust. Have ID, proof of citizenship, any meds and other necessities on hand, and be ready to group together or leave an area if it becomes necessary. What would make it necessary? Any roundups or physical fighting going on near you.
Don't let fear paralyze you. Keep a cool head. Know the faces and names of dangerous individuals or groups in your area and avoid interactions with them as much as possible.
But none of those precautions will be necessary for very long if we work hard to get Harris and Walz elected. Count on a violent reaction from MAGAs if Trump loses and be prepared for it. It WILL happen. I have no doubt about that. I just don't know how bad it will be or how long it will last before Biden and the new Harris administration get it under control. In the meantime, be prepared with necessities on hand in case fighting breaks out near you. Stay clear of it if you are not able to fight back.
I never in my life thought that such events would occur in the US, but Trump and his fanatical followers have shown that they will go to any lengths to seize power. My fervent hope is that they fail completely and lose everything in the process.
samnsara
(18,767 posts)..two grand dtrs went with them..aged 22 and 20. Altho they spent 10 years in Tenn when the girls were young this seems different. I told her they need to move out of the country if trump wins as her husband is a Scottish immigrant however he got his citizenship last year just so he can vote against trump. She said they cant, money etc,jobs college blah...
Hubby and i are in our 70s with a recently remodeled house 2000 sq feet of junque that we could never clean out. We live on almost 5 acres of forest and most our neighbors are a political except the closet one put up a giant trump sign and i counteracted it with a giant jesus loves you sign.... and the trump sign came down. So we have the cash to flee and only 200 miles from Canada...BC which is expensive as hell. But we dont have the strength to flee.
We have a minimal cabin by Mt Rainier that has no power, internet or running water.
But anywhere i go i will feel trump in my head. I see no escape.
If anyone seriously colonizes in Canada we all need to know so we can join in. I met a woman whose family moved to canada in the 60s so the son ( her brother) could avoid the draft. They still live there
allegorical oracle
(6,479 posts)down on immigration. Anybody know if that's accurate? Don't think I could take the cold, 'tho.
TommyT139
(2,357 posts)...although certain job skills may get around that.
North Shore Chicago
(4,242 posts)Health care is our biggest concern if we relocate abroad, right now we both have kick-ass insurance.
We have been contemplating moving to Costa Rica, lower cost of living, great weather. We have visited several times and only have one thing to say.
SLOTHS
Think. Again.
(22,456 posts)Trueblue Texan
(4,461 posts)even if TSF wins, which he won't, he won't take office until January. That is enough time.
DeepWinter
(931 posts)We've survived 46 Presidents of varying quality. We survived Trump before. Democracy isn't dead just because someone you don't like is elected. The political pendulum always swings. Things go sideways, but we'll straighten them out.
newdayneeded
(2,493 posts)president. I promise you the very next day after his inauguration congress will deliver the work around using the Supreme Court to deem term limits on the president unconstitutional. by the end of his first year anybody making over 3 mill a year (and all corporations) will no longer pay taxes. Even folks making 20k and less a year will now pay taxes. The middle class and below will be taxed to cover the wealthy.
Shrek
(4,425 posts)You are promising that if Trump is elected, SCOTUS will declare on January 21 that the 22nd amendment is unconstitutional?
Bookmarking this post for review on January 22.
newdayneeded
(2,493 posts)because I was right, we both lose. it's 6-3 on the Supreme Court. Remember, there was a huge % of DUers saying Roe is the law of the land, no way that gets overturned.....until it did. It's an amendment, once deemed unconstitutional by the 6, it's no longer an amendment. Do you really think they don't have a 500 page (eliminate term limits) plan sitting with a dust on it for the last 3.75 years on a shelf somewhere?
Shrek
(4,425 posts)It was a judicial ruling by 7 of 9 justices, never ratified by Congress or any state, and was controversial every single day it was in effect.
The 22nd amendment was ratified by super-majorities of both Congress and state legislatures and has not been remotely controversial since its incorporation into the Constitution. No one disputes that its adoption was procedurally and legally sound.
The Supreme Court is not going to unilaterally remove it. The very notion is an absurd fantasy.
newdayneeded
(2,493 posts)I hope you're right and I'm wrong. But this is trump with a huge Supreme Court majority. Unlike you, I'm worried about our future.
Zeitghost
(4,557 posts)We've been there before and we will be there again. It sucks, but we will get through it.
Think. Again.
(22,456 posts)Chipper Chat
(10,868 posts)Maybe it would be time for California ,oregon, Washington and Hawaii to form "Pacifica."
FirstLight
(15,771 posts)...as long as the "State of Jefferson" people go somewhere else lmao
Mz Pip
(28,454 posts)We have a vacation cabin near Lassen Volcano National Park. Lots of State of Jefferson signs around. Total RW reactionary election denier millionaire rice farmer Congress critter Doug LaMalfa cleans up on Federal subsidies. I cant imagine how this area would survive without the Federal subsidies this district gets.
keep_left
(3,210 posts)...and measured way. The initial baby steps were things like cannabis legalization (ignoring Federal drug scheduling). The patchwork of states where abortion is still legal is another example. Trump is in trouble with the fanatical right-to-lifers over that, because they want a Federal abortion ban and there is no good way to do it short of a Constitutional amendment.
https://democraticunderground.com/100219019557#post2
TommyT139
(2,357 posts)"...they want a Federal abortion ban and there is no good way to do it short of a Constitutional amendment."
The law is already in place to enact a ban on abortion. The Comstock Act is very broad, prohibiting mailing anything that can be used for abortions (and a lot of other things). Definitions could likely be expanded to include not merely postal mail, but other forms of communication.
For medical abortions (pills), all Trump has to do is appoint a head of FDA who will retract approval for mifepristone.
That's even without the declaration in some form (court case? Legislation?) of fetal personhood.
keep_left
(3,210 posts)...was so broad. I always thought that it was used to outlaw contraception, which is bad enough. IANAL, so it's not obvious to me why the anti-contraception language of the law is no longer being enforced--except for the obvious answer, which is that it is the year 2024, and any sane politician would never dream of trying to outlaw contraception. (Of course, that doesn't stop extreme right-to-lifers from advocating that, but I did say "sane" politicians).
So Comstock is still 100% on the books as of today? That's actually quite horrifying.
TommyT139
(2,357 posts)It is. And as vague as some parts are, other parts are quite specific. Vague legal language - as we have seen in some red states already - is employed by rethugs to broaden reoressive laws, as in Texas's so-called exceptions, which are so vague that they threaten doctors into inaction. Yet the specific language - outlawing porn for instance - will get around contemporary mores. See Project 2025 about gay-content kids books for the punishments - imprisonment as pedophiles...for librarians.
Here is a good overview:
https://www.vox.com/abortion/351678/the-comstock-act-the-long-dead-law-trump-could-use-to-ban-abortion-explained
It's a zombie law... that's coming for us even if we hold the White House, Senate, and Congress. Because we'll have to fight it in each state where rethugs want to make use of it.
keep_left
(3,210 posts)...but it can't outlaw surgical abortions, correct? (However, as I mentioned, IANAL, so maybe that's "not correct"!).
TommyT139
(2,357 posts)...informed by people who are lawyers and/or PP leaders, is that anything used for medical abortions cannot be shipped. So that's basic surgical supplies, procedure-specific gear like speculi ("speculums"?), everything.
I suppose something would not violate the law if equipment was already in situ, but like you IANAL.
kansasobama
(1,750 posts)All these red states are living off California. Without California, nation will wither. To be frank, I see four separate countries or federations. Because of geography, it is hard for a nice clean break. I would love the Pacifica idea.
cynical_idealist
(540 posts)Midnight Writer
(25,404 posts)Last edited Tue Sep 10, 2024, 01:33 PM - Edit history (1)
I'm an old white guy and my rambling bullshit is second to none.
allegorical oracle
(6,479 posts)PoindexterOglethorpe
(28,493 posts)Are they no longer being issued?
It's been my experience, over more than 50 years and five different passports, it's never even taken as long as six weeks for one to arrive. Usually much sooner.
FirstLight
(15,771 posts)That's why I said it that way... and you can bet they will "close the borders" and prevent travel if he wins :/
Blues Heron
(8,834 posts)ga_girl
(208 posts)Go to reddit / passports. People are self reporting quick processing times, even with non-expedited processing.
MorbidButterflyTat
(4,507 posts)The airports, too? How about coastlines?
Do people really think if these ridiculously extreme predictions come true, the majority of Americans are just gonna sit on their asses and take it? Or run away? JFC.
I won't.
PoindexterOglethorpe
(28,493 posts)For some 50 plus years now, every other year or so there's a scare story about how passports are taking a long time to process. I'm not sure they've ever actually gone above six weeks. And as I said, I've applied for renewals more than once during supposed long wait times and always got the new passport in four weeks or less. Always.
So even if it takes six weeks to get a new passport, that's still just the end of October, before election day. So renew.
sarisataka
(22,694 posts)I will get up and go to work, regardless of election results. That is Plan 'A' going forward.
I believe the threats are 99+% bluster. I had no fear when the rioting swept our area in 2020, I will not succumb to fear in 2025, though a shotgun may be nearby. I lead a life of non-violence and support gun control, but I am neither a pacifist nor unprepared.
Alice Kramden
(2,951 posts)As you say, and that will not change
WhiskeyGrinder
(26,953 posts)FirstLight
(15,771 posts)I dont think he knew what he could get away with, and the supreme court wasn't in his pocket.
They are ALL emboldened, more so if the fucker wins...they gonna go out "shootin' libruls"
Zeitghost
(4,557 posts)Since Trump left office was the addition of Justice Brown-Jackson.
MorbidButterflyTat
(4,507 posts)nt
allegorical oracle
(6,479 posts)ProudMNDemocrat
(20,895 posts)While the percentage of voters for the orange one remains constant, there will be plenty more who will choose FREEDOM over TYRANNY. I have to assume that level headed voters are reading up on Project 2025, what is inside it, to vote in numbers to REJECT tRump once and for all.
onetexan
(13,913 posts)🇺🇸🇺🇸🌊Vote to make sure it NEVER happens 🌊🇺🇸🇺🇸
FirstLight
(15,771 posts)just thinking about the people who are crazy enough to go out "shootin them libruls"
leftyladyfrommo
(20,002 posts)FirstLight
(15,771 posts)same here!
OldBaldy1701E
(11,137 posts)Bev54
(13,431 posts)FirstLight
(15,771 posts)But new applicati88ons have been backed up for a while...6-9mos
doc03
(39,085 posts)Bev54
(13,431 posts)to two weeks depending where in the country and whether you are picking it up or receiving by mail. My son got his renewal in 5 days. So I was surprised to hear it is so long in the US.
totodeinhere
(13,688 posts)But if they do I will not leave the country or do anything drastic. I will stay and continue to fight.
RJ_MacReady
(448 posts)Blue states openly defy him and defer to Harris as president in exile.
Jirel
(2,369 posts)Im tired of hearing about escape plans. If we care about each other, we fight for each other. We are prepared to shoot back, legally, politically, and literally. Its super privileged to plan to fly off to some saner foreign nation, leaving behind elders, LGBTQ+ friends, neighbors of color, young and poor folks who have no such options, etc.
FirstLight
(15,771 posts)At this point, IDK what we'll do.
BUT I am also not going down without a fight at the ballot box...I am also volunteering locally etc for down ballot dem in my county/congressional district!
Easterncedar
(6,263 posts)Folks have died for this before. Why should we do less? The young folks have been called to sacrifice themselves for generations. Better if we old folks stand our ground. I never thought I would be called to it and like to think we can still win with votes. So lets try that first.
enid602
(9,684 posts)I procured a set of joke teeth and a pack of Eve 100s. . . To fit in.
Ohioboy
(3,891 posts)Hopefully this won't be necessary, but I am too old to leave my home. I will stay and peacefully defend the Constitution from enemies foreign and/or domestic to the best of my ability.
I will remain peaceful yet vocal.
If the fascists kill me, I will have lived a good life, and will not die young. I would rather go down with honor than to join in with those duped into destroying America.
MineralMan
(151,259 posts)Remember, the White House doesn't change tenants until mid January. Just get your application in soon.
However, do you have the funds to leave and move? Where would you go? Have you planned that out?
My guess is that your answer to all three questions is "no."
Any changes that happen are not going to happen instantly. I gather that you are in California. Things will change even more slowly there.
I don't think much of your final suggestion, either.
Plan. Don't panic. Assess your abilities and finances, and plan for something. Are you being persecuted where you are now? Probably you won't be anytime soon if the answer is no. There are almost 350 million people in the USA. Nobody's "coming for them.'
For now, go work on getting folks elected and to avoid the situation you fear. That would be the logical thing to do, if logic is your goal.
Bayard
(29,679 posts)trump is threatening to prosecute donors, so that puts all of us on his Go-To-Jail list. There will be a boom in prison guard jobs anyway.
I've looked at other countries. Not seeing anything suitable for our needs that wouldn't cost a fortune. Not giving up my animals.
lastlib
(28,258 posts)...and pick 'em off like cherries.......?
That may be extreme, but I will NOT bend a knee to those basturds.
Wuddles440
(2,094 posts)They're relying on apathy, acceptance, and compliance, I will not be doing so.
obnoxiousdrunk
(3,115 posts)to cut and run.
surfered
(13,455 posts)IrishAfricanAmerican
(4,469 posts)and I'm not kidding.
JustAnotherGen
(38,050 posts)Via marriage in Italy - and we have an ancestral home there. My family will just take a vacation and never come back. Plenty of room in that big old house.
yardwork
(69,360 posts)I'm too old to be much use, but I'd do what I can. I don't expect a lot of violence from MAGATs aimed at my gay married self. What I expect, if Trump is elected, is a rapid erosion of institutions and norms, and a dismantling of government departments and safety nets. This will plunge a lot of people into poverty and desperation. Domestic violence, burglaries, murders and assaults will rise.
By the time the morons figure out that Trump made them less safe, it will be too late. Maybe we can rebuild better.
kerry-is-my-prez
(10,281 posts)Or being persecuted .
onecaliberal
(36,594 posts)FirstLight
(15,771 posts)Unless Canada takes "Trump refugees"... supposedly it was a thing last time too... lol
But with our disabilities and chronic illnesses, we'd be screwed, no healthcare for us.
nikatnyte
(345 posts)My husband and I have discussed moving abroad should Cheato and his evil crew prevail, but where? We'd love to go to an English-speaking first world country like England, Ireland or Canada, but emigrating there is not easy.
Fortunately, we live in a very blue state--California. If worst comes to worst, and Cheato begins implementing a fascist dictatorship, I can't see Gavin Newsom and California just rolling over and letting it happen.
brewens
(15,359 posts)LearnedHand
(5,495 posts)In fact, do it now, just in case MAGAts shut them down if the take the White House. Like others I'm hoping that doesn't happen. But I'm not reassured that TSF doesn't have a SCOTUS in his pocket to get him the results he wants.
Trueblue Texan
(4,461 posts)Let them get a feel for what it means to seek asylum in another nation that is not their home. I'm not advocating that anyone's civil rights be violated, but their paranoia will convince them that's a legitimate fear.
kansasobama
(1,750 posts)Do not donate, volunteer hours, etc. Trump would love that so that he does not have to pay .
The only objective should be-resist.
Kaleva
(40,365 posts)FirstLight
(15,771 posts)living in a place where we see lots of extremes, and the fires have been the worst development. I dread summers now
FelineOverlord
(3,851 posts)Revolution.
Remember that Heritage lunatic swore that the coup would be "bloodless" if liberals let them continue their coup.
But we're not going to let them.
FirstLight
(15,771 posts)I'm sick at home with my wife with COVID and probably had nyquil nightmares , and I hadn't downed enough coffee yet.
I can't help fluxuating between hope and confidence and anger - to fear and despair.
At least it's more like 80-90% goodvibes these days.
So again, be nice and I'm sorry of I pissed off anyone. We're taking a nap so we're both up for the debate!
TommyT139
(2,357 posts)People getting pissed at a reasonable question are having an unreasonable reaction.
It is wise to prepare...with most of it not happening on the open web. But think about what we worried about before gay marriage: do you have signed documents if your partner was hospitalized in a Roman Catholic hospital and you needed to visit? (Just as one example of protections that will absolutely go away.) Are you in a job where being LGBTQ will get you fired and/or imprisoned? (See Project 2025 on queer teachers, social workers, etc.)
And as we know from earlier administrations, the president evidently has the ability to cut off the Internet -- as is common in other fascist countries. Could you get in contact with family and friends? Do you have paper maps if you need to hit the road? If you are not opposed, do you have a gun and ammo? (As a gay man of trans experience, I expect that the second amendment of a defunct document won't apply to guys like me, given the public statements from rethugs.)
Now is a time to take the social circles you depend on for other crises, and raise the topic. Worst case? You have a spare month of medications and cat food, and know in greater detail just who your kin are...while you await the less likely disasters like earthquakes, wildfires, or the next pandemic.
RainCaster
(13,702 posts)Not sure which
Brainfodder
(7,781 posts)Tariffs causing insane inflation, and whose gonna work low pay jobs when that happens?
Disaster.
Skittles
(171,697 posts)some people flee while others fight
Response to FirstLight (Original post)
RandySF This message was self-deleted by its author.
Clouds Passing
(7,928 posts)I applied for mine on July 31 and got it back in two weeks. My husband applied for his a week later and got his in three weeks.
Xolodno
(7,349 posts)In three different countries, two of which I have relatives living in. The third, given history would probably welcome me. Probably one of the few nice things about being from family that were exiles/refugees.
SilverDawg
(884 posts)to survive because thats the goal every damn day. BUT, will not be as comfortable, Im afraid, if the unthinkable happens.
jalan48
(14,914 posts)Like dealing with the mob or a biker gang we will be told not to interfere or else. We'll be fine as long as we stay in our place, but if we protest we will be brutalized. It's George Bush Sr's, "New World Order" come to fruition.
What can we do?
Marigold
(230 posts)I thought it was too soon before the debate. But I too wonder what the contingency plan would be. I actually don't care about myself that much anymore, my husband and I are both 67. But I have a 6 year old granddaughter who may have less rights than I had.
Crazy as it sounds, after the first Trump election, my husband and I bought a condo in Canada in case we ever needed to escape. It was a joke at the time, but we live within 2 hours of Quebec province, and pretend we are in France by car. We are too old for citizenship or permanent residency, but we can stay for 6 months as seasonal residents. Even a respite will be a relief if this goes south. Unless Trump declares war with Canada or some other bone headed maneuver to piss them off, and they won't let us across the border.
I plan to put the condo in a Canadian trust for my granddaughter. The rest is up to her once the time comes. I just want her to have an option. If she learns French and has a skill they value, she may be able to eventually become a citizen if need be.
bigtree
(94,261 posts)...
tritsofme
(19,899 posts)Torchlight
(6,820 posts)Most of the time, it just comes down to biting my own tongue more often than not. Not much ele I can do to change the taste of mustard.
She planted camellias and English primroses not too recently, and our only real plans are to watch them bloom over December. Promroses peeking up through a crust of frost on a crispy winter morning are pretty damned nice on the eyes.
jimfields33
(19,382 posts)WmChris
(740 posts)My wife and I discussed the remote ( we hope) possibility that this country could fall into the hands of the Christofacist oligarchy. We decided we better be ready to relocate somewhere where people were valued and treated as assets not liabilities. We are feeling more confident that the ship of state will right itself, but if not we have options.
Happy Hoosier
(9,533 posts)I'm privileged and I know it. I fear for my friends and loved ones that are more vulnerable.
Unwind Your Mind
(2,347 posts)My cousin told me recently that we qualify for Italian citizenship as great grandchildren of immigrants
Also we have a spot we like in Mexico. Our passports are current
But, were going to win
róisín_dubh
(12,335 posts)Didnt naturalise before your grandparents were born, I think.
Im applying for mine.
But I thankfully already live abroad.
ForgedCrank
(3,093 posts)is solid.
I'll live my life like I always have until he is finally gone.
I'll add to that though, I don't think he has a real shot at winning. Polls mean exactly jack, and most people are really really tired of the Trump thing.
WarGamer
(18,613 posts)The Resistance will rise and fight Trump in Court and Congress.
It'll be a stalemate and he won't get much done.
We WILL survive.
Javaman
(65,705 posts)And since were married, me too😀
EU baby
Diraven
(1,896 posts)I have a chronic medical condition so I expect my health insurance will find some way to kick me off when they repeal the ACA. That will pretty much be it for me.