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We might be living the final moments of not being terrified what the US President is going to do
(lemmy.autism.place)
A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. A showerthought should offer a unique perspective on an ordinary part of life.
I agree that he probably won't last the four years but even if he does he is already too senile to set any policy. He was also already more than happy for others to do the actual work of creating policy because he's incredibly lazy last time.
So I think Vance (and Musk) will be the real rulers behind King Trump. I don't think either is really that much interested in religion and racism but both are incredibly sexist and/or transphobic. So sadly a lot of horror and pain will be delivered to women and transgender people. (Which doesn't mean immigrants are safe.)
Musk will also push for deregulation/privatization of technology so that he can become even richer. This will lead to more monopolization/enshittification and stifle innovation for years, maybe decades. Vance will go along with it due to the Thiel-connection.
Additionally, Putin has made sure that Musk will also champion his interests even if Trump is unable to due to senility. The US will become a de facto ally of Russia and a geopolitical enemy of Europe in a similar vein as China (meaning not openly).
The military-industrial complex will quickly warm to the new reality of an autocracy and the US will start a new war somewhere. Probably in the Middle East. Maybe not within the first four years though. It will be used to distract from a crashing economy and the very real climate catastrophe (mirroring Ruzzia).
I wish all of this were ideas for an alt-history book and not a possible scenario for our future.
As a German aware of my country's history I can only shake my head in sad recognition and try not to feel utterly hopeless not only about the future of a once-great country but the entire world.
We're in the endgame now.
I feel like the Germans are the only ones who understand this. Very few of the Americans in my life understand they just lost their “democracy”. I’m a dual German/US national, so it’s been hard to watch the US backslide. I’ll come to Germany next year, but I swear to god if you fuckers elect AfD I’m gonna lose my shit.
Our current government literally just collapsed today so... yeah.
Yes but the mechanisms behind your electoral process are still there, and it isn’t one party rule for optimistically the next four years. USA might not be having anymore elections. The German situation is serious but it’s more of a fender bender than the all out full head on collision without seat belts that is the USA.
Oh yeah, that's way worse! But it doesn't make me very optimistic about Germany's future either, even without the Trump tragedy.