#republican dystopia

[tomorrowusa]

Vote Republican or waste your vote on an impotent third-party candidate and the scenes in that Jen Sorensen cartoon will become a reality.

If you've moved since the last time you've registered to vote, you need to register again with your new address – even if you just moved next door. Voting is geographic, don't give Republicans an excuse to prevent you from voting.

Be A Voter - Vote Save America

[mysharona1987]

[beauty-funny-trippy]

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, along with the other two Democrat-appointed justices, powerfully said in the dissenting opinion: the Supreme Court has made “a mockery of the principle, foundational to our Constitution and system of Government, that no man is above the law.”

"When [a president] uses his official powers in any way, under the majority's reasoning, he now will be insulated from criminal prosecution. Orders the Navy's Seal Team 6 to assassinate a political rival? Immune. Organizes a military coup to hold onto power? Immune. Takes a bribe in exchange for a pardon? Immune. Immune, immune, immune,... In every use of official power, the president is now a king above the law," wrote Justice Sotomayor.

This corrupt, extreme far-right Supreme Court has just opened the gates and paved the road for a fascist America. It means politicians, judges, their families, etc., will be in fear if they speak out against the president, or don't do what he wants, they could be arrested or killed. If you protest, you and your family could be imprisoned or shot.

When the Executive branch of government has the power to threaten members of the Legislative and Judicial branches, all "checks and balances" preventing the abuse of power have been destroyed.

Why isn't anyone losing their minds that Biden could now become a dictator or order assassinations? Because everyone knows he is a decent man who would never do such a thing.

However, if Donald Trump wins this election, there is literally nothing to stop him from fulfilling his heart's desire and becoming America's first dictator. He, and any future president, can now, legally, stage a military coup and hold on to power for life and his vice president would be the next to reign for the rest of their life. No more real elections.

Now, more than ever, Donald Trump is a clear and present danger to America.

In this election, not voting, is a dangerous choice.

[halfwaybyaccident]

Who better to run against the first ever convicted felon president than a very successful former prosecutor?

[weredoingeverythingwrong]

Project 2025 is Terrifyingly Real

Project 2025 is Real!

Fear.

I have always had an undying love for the dystopian fiction novels that have long littered the YA genre and as I've gotten older, this has not changed. Books like Hunger Games, Divergent, The Uglies, Birthmarked, etc ruled the imagination of my adolescence as I pictured a world of such obvious dysfunction. The world in these books were always resolved by disruptive heroes working against the status quo. I stayed in suspense as I read the hero of my stories challenge their world order, fear made me grip my books as I read of the capture of my hero, and an uneasy relief as I finished the final chapter of the destruction of another morally bankrupt society so a new one could be built. This is what I lived for.

What I did not sign up for... is feeling the same fear and suspense and NONE of the relief, in my own reality. I have questioned the morals of society on several occasions, but never have I ever felt such an inescapable fear of the world as I do now. I know I am not the only one still carrying the anxiety that gripped the world in 2020 that never really went away, even when the masks and the social distance masks began to disappear.

**The lockdown changed the world. Here in the U.S, the change was obvious. Covid put the world on pause for really the first time in a long time, in a way society really hadn't endured in a long time, if ever. When the distractions of work, your social life, and the hustle and bustle of your existence are halted, you have no choice but to take an overview in a way it isn't practical to do when life is lifing. Many were fighting for their lives or watching family fight for their lives. What do I mean? I mean there were no distractions. There was nothing to do, but take stock of the life we live. It's no surprise that in the void of the well-placed distractions and propaganda, social justice issues and protests reached the level they did. This is also why I believe there was a need to return the American people back to their lives because they were paying too much attention. Black lives matter, the #metoo movement, and the rise of cancel culture began to become popular and movements that focused on action-based policies took ahold of Americans (I'll discuss this more thoroughly in another post.)

Four years later, we have learned so much. The misinformation age has reached fever pitch and the country has never been more divided. The division across race, gender, and class has never been stronger and internal biases reconfirmed by persuasive algorithms have brought us here. Here is the genocide of the Palestinian people, the attempted re-colonization of Ayiti, and the rise of the fascist regime of the United States. I am scared. Never has this life felt to unreal, and so much like the fictional worlds of my favorite books, but there is no chapter close or hero to await. It's just us.

Project 2025 is real. The rise of the white supremacist, christian regime and the crack down on democracy. If you have been paying attention, the agenda has been made clear.

The 1% will reap the rewards of their greed and the work force must oblige. There can be no dissent. Unions and protests are not acceptable and will be crushed with force. You will not be protected. You have no right to your body, your privacy, or your image. Your democratically-elected leader has no laws or consequences for their actions (If you haven't check out Sotomayer's dissent letter, here.)

We have long outgrown the needs of 17th century politics and the constitution has been exploited to fit the needs of the 21st century oligarchs.

The children of the future are being made illiterate, pushed away from formal education, and they are being taught even less. Laws are being repealed and allowing children more access to becoming part of the labor force. These are the future voters and citizens of this country will not be educated enough to organize, learn, or properly create community against a new status quo.

Come November even if we vote blue, we will just be pausing an inevitable coup of democracy.

This post may be a gasp of despair, but I still have hope for the people around me. I still believe we can prevail. I believe we can create a world that generations will learn about and can thrive.

We are doing everything wrong.

We can still make it right.

** Covid-19 is still very much a thing that was mishandled and was the very real plight of many. I have edited the post to reflect lock down instead of covid-19, for clarity and to not reduce covid-19 to a simple pause in life, when it was very real fatal pandemic for many.

[nando161mando]

I hope his ass goes bankrupt again

[ignorantsanonymous]

Happening in Florida right now

https://newrepublic.com/post/185704/florida-police-state-abortion-ballot-initiative

[intelligentchristianlady]

The following is a quote from Heather Cox Richardson's newsletter:

In the Washington Post yesterday, neoconservative scholar Robert Kagan warned that “a Trump dictatorship is increasingly inevitable,” and today in The Bulwark, Jonathan V. Last agreed. He pointed to a conversation neoconservative thinker William Kristol had this week with journalist Jonathan Karl, in which Karl described a dystopian future painted not by Democrats but by former Trump employees: a government full of Trump loyalists who understand “that they are free to break the law because they will be pardoned” as Trump seeks retribution against those he sees as his enemies. 

[alivehouse]

i think its funny bc when i was a kid ppl were like 'communism is evil bc they dont let you pick what job you do you just have to have whatever career Big government tells you to ://' and honestly. based. sick of this job hunting shit can we make this real please

[critical-skeptic]

Exploring the “Trump as a Hillary Plant” Conspiracy Theory: A Pragmatic Analysis

The notion that Donald Trump could be an intentional “plant” to disrupt the GOP, fracture American populism, and pave the way for establishment entrenchment sounds, on the surface, absurd. Yet, as with any significant political phenomenon, it's worth peeling back the layers with a pragmatic lens. We’ll examine whether Trump's actions, campaign trajectory, and increasingly desperate legal situation inadvertently, or perhaps even purposefully, serve the establishment interests that he initially claimed to oppose.

The Unlikely Puppet: Trump’s Unique Role in Destabilizing Populism

If Trump were a deliberate plant, his role would be to embody and lead a populist movement to self-destruction. This would involve drawing a wide, fervent base, inciting anti-establishment sentiment, and then failing to follow through in any meaningful way, discrediting populism from within. Interestingly, this is nearly a perfect description of Trump’s trajectory since 2015. From his “drain the swamp” rallying cry to his fixation on chaos over coherent policy, Trump has pulled large swaths of the disillusioned right-wing and independent voters into his orbit, only to offer a disorganized and scandal-ridden administration that ultimately delivered few of the systemic changes he promised.

Trump’s ability to build momentum around populist issues was unmatched, but his administration’s impact on these issues was limited or, in some cases, counterproductive. His appointments, far from shunning establishment figures, often included former lobbyists, Wall Street elites, and traditional GOP insiders, a contradiction of his anti-establishment rhetoric. This incoherence fractured the GOP into Trump loyalists and establishment conservatives, leaving a divided, weakened party that struggled to find a cohesive identity. As a consequence, many GOP voters were left feeling betrayed, and populism became tainted with the chaotic, scandal-laden reputation Trump cultivated.

Post-2020: Trump’s Role in Undermining Republican Cohesion

After the 2020 election loss, Trump’s fixation on election fraud claims took on a self-destructive quality. By encouraging his supporters to distrust the electoral process, he not only delegitimized the democratic process but also drove wedges between different factions within the GOP. Establishment Republicans, wary of his influence, found themselves alienated from his die-hard supporters, and potential new populist leaders were crowded out by Trump’s omnipresence in conservative media and his unwillingness to exit the spotlight.

From an analytical perspective, this strategy—if intentional—was almost perfectly designed to dismantle any serious right-wing populist challenge to the status quo. Instead of grooming successors or building lasting institutions, Trump’s post-presidency has focused on self-preservation, clinging to influence by pushing baseless conspiracy theories that repulse centrists and moderate conservatives. His ongoing legal troubles, which have led to desperate, even irrational public behavior, only serve to deepen these divides. Rather than building a populist legacy, Trump has eroded the foundation for one, effectively neutralizing any serious anti-establishment momentum on the right.

2024: The Ultimate Self-Sabotage

Looking at Trump’s 2024 campaign and recent legal catastrophes, the idea of him as a “plant” appears almost prophetic. Facing mounting legal battles that could result in criminal convictions, his desperation to win the presidency has escalated into borderline erratic behavior. Trump has alienated key voter demographics—women, younger voters, LGBT+ individuals, and minority communities—by doubling down on divisive rhetoric that no longer resonates in the same way it did in 2016. His apparent disdain for Puerto Rican and Latino communities, coupled with rhetoric that alienates the Black community, only hastens the decline in his support base, as his once-core demographic of Boomers shrinks.

In the context of 2024, Trump’s campaign appears as an exercise in self-sabotage. His repeated inflammatory statements, coupled with a legal strategy that borders on “fake insanity,” creates an image not of a leader, but of a desperate man clinging to power to avoid personal downfall. For many voters, this portrayal likely conjures an unsettling image of instability and unpredictability, driving them away from Trumpism and back toward establishment figures. This behavior could serve the establishment’s interest by reinforcing the narrative that populism is inherently unstable, dangerous, and incapable of effective governance—a perfect foil for the steady, predictable establishment power structure.

Coincidence, Intentionality, or Self-Fulfilling Prophecy?

The Trump-as-plant theory remains speculative and, on its face, improbable. There is no empirical evidence proving that Trump was placed by establishment forces to discredit the GOP or right-wing populism. However, the results of his actions—especially his behavior since 2020—align almost perfectly with the objectives one might expect if such a conspiracy were true. His approach has not only weakened the GOP’s internal cohesion but has also disillusioned many voters with the very idea of populist politics. Trump’s actions have inadvertently ensured that anti-establishment rhetoric on the right is synonymous with chaos and division, making it unlikely that any future populist figure could rally the same support without facing skepticism or outright dismissal.

In the end, whether Trump is an unwitting pawn or simply a victim of his own ego, the impact remains the same. The establishment benefits from a weakened populist movement, an alienated base, and a divided GOP that can’t pose a cohesive challenge. Trump may not have started as a plant, but his trajectory has served the establishment’s interests with a precision that’s either astonishingly coincidental or cynically intentional. For pragmatists and skeptics, this theory serves as a cautionary tale on how populist movements can be co-opted, dismantled, or rendered impotent—not necessarily by conspiracy, but by a lack of strategy, coherence, and self-awareness. In Trump’s case, he may well have been his own worst enemy, unwittingly paving the way for establishment dominance that will endure long after he’s faded from the political stage.

[cityonahillphotos]

This is how I feel

[mysharona1987]

The government own this women’s embryos now and can do whatever they what with them. She thinks of them as (kinda) her kids but they are not hers anymore.

What could they do with her eggs?

It’s like a bad sci fi film.

Sanctioned by the GOP.

[beauty-funny-trippy]

[halfwaybyaccident]

Listening to Biden's press secretary repeatedly say that Israel HAS to "defend itself" makes me wonder if I can bring myself to vote for president.

Not voting for president, or voting for a 3rd party candidate in this electoral college system, goes against everything I believe, but if you don't draw the line at actively funding and supporting genocide, where do you draw it?

My view on the "lesser of two evils" question has always been that, of course, you want less evil.

But this is genocide.

[tomorrowusa]

The medical brain drain out of red states continues.

In August we posted about how OGBYNs are leaving states like Florida whose Republican governments have enacted severe restrictions on reproductive healthcare.

Many of those same states have also passed laws targeting the LGBTQ+ community. In doing so they have made life difficult for LGBTQ+ healthcare professionals and their families.

Dr. Jake Kleinmahon, a pediatric cardiologist, has recently fled from Louisiana to New York with his family because of homophobic laws passed by the Republican-controlled Louisiana legislature.

[Jake] Kleinmahon, a pediatric cardiologist, earned his medical degree from Tulane University, and despite leaving the state to complete his fellowships, he said he felt drawn to Louisiana. “At the time there was only one heart transplant doctor in the state of Louisiana,” he said, adding some children who needed heart transplants had to be transferred out of state. “I believe the kids in Louisiana should have the same world class health care as any other part of the United States.” He accepted a job at a local children’s hospital as director of the pediatric heart transplant program. But this past spring the Republican-led state legislature passed a series of controversial bills that targeted the LGBTQ community.

Thanks to Republicans, Louisiana now has one fewer pediatric heart transplant surgeon.

The Kleinmahons join other LGBTQ families who are also facing the same choice. They say they no longer feel safe or welcomed in states that have passed laws targeting their community. Many have made the difficult decision to leave. In 2023, more than 525 anti-LGBTQ bills were passed in 41 states, according to the Human Rights Campaign, an organization that advocates for the LGBTQ community. Of those bills, more than 220 explicitly targeted transgender people. As of June, 77 anti-LGBTQ bills had been signed into law. Many of the laws enacted have been met with legal challenges from advocacy groups and LGBTQ families. Some have been blocked by judges while the legal battles play out in court. [ ... ] Kleinmahon said he was also receiving hate mail at his job from people condemning him for being gay and saying he needed to “find Jesus.” Louisiana Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards vetoed three bills, including one that banned gender-affirming care for most transgender minors, and HB 466, the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill that prohibited teachers from discussing sexual orientation or gender identity in class. The state legislature overturned Edwards’ veto of the gender-affirming care ban and the new law will go into effect in January.

Those homophobes urging Dr. Kleinmahon to "find Jesus" are going to have more difficulty finding qualified medical specialists in their state.

In August, Kleinmahon decided to move his family to Long Island, New York, where he took a job at another children’s hospital developing a heart transplant program. Kleinmahon said he worries his departure will leave a void in the Louisiana healthcare system. There are now only two pediatric cardiologists who manage heart transplants in the state, and they will be expected to serve the same number of patients, he said. “That is going to affect care,” Kleinmahon said, adding that “the absolute hardest part is me saying goodbye to my patients.”

State legislatures and state governments in general need to get more attention from moderate and liberal voters. When Republicans control a state they proceed to turn it into a MAGA dystopia like Florida and Texas. We can no longer afford to ignore what goes on in our state capitals.

It may take years to dislodge the mini-Trumps in some states, so the sooner we get started, the better. The first step is to find out who is representing you in your legislature. This site can help...

Find Your Legislators Look your legislators up by address or use your current location.

[nando161mando]

Dystopia