With each one of Trump’s announced appointments, it looks like the situation in the Federal government is getting worse. Even before the gutting of our Federal agencies occurs, we’re still dealing with the court system stripping away sound policies both at the highest levels and in backward districts, often seeming to come down to a decision by a single judge in Texas.
So what can we do in states that actually want to make things better to either work on our own or even begin to pull away from the decision making of the backward parts of our country that keep making these decisions for us? How can we act without their input? How can we pull back the money that blue states that are doing well funnel into red states that could scarcely afford paved roads without our tax dollars? Is pulling out of the US or creating a smaller state-to-state coalition to consolidate our collective financial power reasonable or possible?
In Massachusetts we have a ballot initiative process, but it takes years to get it together to get a question on a ballot, and by then we’re likely to be much further down this road.
What can we do today? How do we petition our representatives to pull us out of this absolute mess as much as possible? How do we maintain the protections, freedoms, and quality of life that our own local and state governments and the voters that put them into power have signaled their desire to secure in the face of a Federal government where RFK decides the health care policy and Elon Musk literally gets his own meme department?
Because the United States was founded as a loosely confederated colonial slave empire, and it benefits the caste of people who founded the empire and still control it to continue this form of government, I don’t think “shifting to state’s rights” is going to bring us any closer to freedom. Fascist slave empires shouldn’t exist. You shouldn’t contribute to them. Individually, if you are trapped in a fascist slave empire, you should seek to distance yourself from it in whatever ways you can. You should slow and stop spending money where possible. You should leave the country if you can, and remove yourself from the direct power of petty lords if not by moving out of their jurisdictions. If you are adamant about staying where you are at, you can build and contribute to a local mutual aid network, but understand that makes you ‘the local mutual aid network within a Fascist captured zone.’
Governments are not immortal. Fascist governments have risen and died before. Unfortunately fascists steal their people’s futures. I liked my future a lot better before I heard about Trump but he isn’t the first and he won’t be the last American Fascist.
Seriously good read on what to do next: https://wagingnonviolence.org/2024/11/10-things-to-do-if-trump-wins/
The fascist power structure is unjust and so it is like an upsidedown pyramid being propped up by pillars: people who do the actual work are the pillars. This pyramid topples when those pillars are removed. This can be a workers’ strike in a certain sector (example given was the eastern shoremen refusing to load weapons for a war).
I’m also struck by how the article says to handle fear. We need to act as community and flip the script on their fear tactics.
The author of the article also has an interesting interview with Sam Seder where they talk about more historical examples: https://youtu.be/YLBM2SEL6Rc
Your state can make laws that are more protective than the federal regulations. California does this frequently. Occasionally, it even trickles to other states because many companies do not want the burden of meeting different state regulations, so they just work with the one that works everywhere (assuming the market is big enough).
So… What can you do? Well, a month ago, I would have reiterated how important down-ballot voting is, but it’s a little late for that now. The voting populace has spoken.
Now what you can do is donate to causes that you support. Put pressure on your representatives. Write letters, make calls, etc. It will be exhausting. You will feel like you’re getting nowhere, but you never know what will get through.
It’s why everyone I know is so upset by the election. Not because “we” lost. That’s sad, but (hopefully) not the end of the world. It’s because we just got signed up for at least four years of constant effort and perpetual vigilance, just to keep the country from falling apart.
Personally something that I would love to see is a lot of Temporary autonomous zones popping up at once and staying up for as long as possible and moving to another area if necessary. This way people are able to one learn/practice how to live together without the government so when those services start to fail or become hostile they will have alternatives. It will also be important for these spaces to be defend-able and movable.