Don't worry, nothing will happen. Let's take the kids, a picnic basket and go watch the SHOW.

[shockey80]

This is what people from a nearby town did at one of the first battles of the civil war. They did not have a clue how much danger they were in until shots rang out. They had no idea what the future would bring, 600,000 war dead.

Today in America we have roughly sixty-million Republican voters who are in a catatonic state, a complete mental stupor. They have no idea how much danger they have put themselves and our country in.

We have a so called president who by definition is a traitor. Trump has put our national security at risk. We have no idea how many secrets Trump may have given away to our enemies. There is a lack of urgency to remove a traitor from the White house, think about that.

Trumps foreign policy has been a complete disaster because he has none. He has destroyed our good name around the world. No country in their right mind would want to make deal with Trump. No ally of ours would want to share intelligence with Trump. Pulling out of the Iran deal may go down as one of the greatest foreign policy disasters in our history.

Trump has put our economy at risk with his tariff wars, his tax cuts and deregulation.

Trump has attacked the rule of law and constitution. He has damaged the fabric of our democracy and no one knows what price we will all pay for all the corruption.

There is a nation wide lack of urgency about the danger we are in. There is a lack of urgency on impeachment. We will simply vote him out in 2020 and everything will be fine.

We the people, in our great slumber have set ourselves up for a catastrophic event.

Don't worry, nothing will happen.

[bdamomma]

1. nothing will happen

unless we throw ourselves on the frontline, this is our country we did not sell it out. No

[Duppers]

2. +100

My paranoid hubby really fears bloodshed if tRump loses the election, as he most likely will.

I keep telling him we're not that close to a Civil War. Are we?

[hay rick]

3. Expect bloodshed if Trump "wins" the election. nt

[Cosmocat]

12. Yep

Either way it's going to be ugly.

[gordianot]

4. Why fear human capacity to be murderously stupid?

Every human alive has had to live with the potential of violence since we were conceived. At the very pinnacle of fools are people who think violent conflict in a civil war is winnable in the 21st century. On the other hand as far as I can tell in America you have a right to self defense if you have a home dwelling and authorities think you have that right. The one thing I have learned in 67 years is when you look for trouble you get it.

[Duppers]

9. ....

Well, my hubs is not an aggressive type in the least, quite the opposite. He fears being harmed by the surrounding wingers and he's neurotically wondering if we should move to NYC area where our son lives rather than stay in the South. I think he's a bit nuts.
Others' posts below says he's not.

[mnhtnbb]

11. I don't think your hubs is nuts

I told my husband in the spring of 2016 that if Trump won, I wanted out. We had a history of looking to find a way out of the country going back to the 90's when we actually went to New Zealand to take a look at moving there.

During the Bush years, we got involved with building a place in Panama. We both got through the process of successfully receiving permanent resident visas. Then Obama won and we gave up on Panama as it had gotten bogged down with issues and we no longer felt it was so important to have an out.

So, in 2016 I wasn't so sure we could take on moving to another country. I proposed we look at Hawaii. Blue state and as far away from the gun nuts and crazies as possible. Still the US.

After election night, I told my husband I was planning the go look at Hawaii trip for December. Did he agree that if we went he was prepared to move? He said no. So we didn't go look.

A year later we were separated and a year after that--2018--he killed himself.

Now I wonder whether I should be planning that look see trip to Hawaii for myself. Or somewhere else. Or whether I've aged (I'm 68) to the point it's nuts to think of such a move now.

I don't think your husband is nuts. There are now more guns than people in this country and a lot of people itching for a chance to use them.

[Duppers]

14. Oh my! You've been thru a lot.

I know we'll be safe living in even a dark red state as long as we put up a pretense and blend in as much as possible. But how can I keep my sanity doing that?

DU has helped me in that dept. I think I'm still sane. But poor hubby stays much quieter than I do. Staying in a political closet can take its toll.

Thanks for your supportive reply.

[mnhtnbb]

15. True.

The last few years have been challenging.

It is hard to stay sane surrounded by right wingers. We lived in a blue area--Chapel Hill--of NC, but I moved to Raleigh 18 months ago. Still close enough to visit my best friends, but need to make some new friends here of the same political persuasion. Not interested in a retirement community, so finding a way to meet some like minded people is yet another challenge.

Love the way you called it "staying in a political closet". You are right, it does take its toll. Hang in there.

[barbtries]

5. i've been chicken little since 08Nov2016.

it keeps getting worse. the stasis is real. who knows how far it goes? none of us. but it's a scary time indeed.

[dem in texas]

6. Wasn't that the First Battle of Bull Run

the Union troops thought they would beat the Confederates easily, but the Union troops were overcome and the picnickers had to run for their lives.

Yes, I 100% agree that Trump has damaged our country and what we stand for. We are no longer the leading country in the world. Trump is not respected or trusted by anyone. He is a grifter and has some serious mental problems.

I am worried that the Russians are planning an all out assault on our voting systems in 2020. Thanks to Moscow Mitch, we are not ready and Trump could win again.

[Saviolo]

7. I highly recommend Robert Evans' "It Could Happen Here" podcast.

Robert Evans is a crisis journalist, and he's covered civil wars in locations like Ukraine and Syria. He's spoken to a lot of people affected by civil conflicts, and has done a lot of research. He's put together a podcast series about what a New American Civil War would look like if it were to arrive.

https://www.itcouldhappenherepod.com/

It's my favourite podcast that I hate. Because, y'know, all the existential dread.

[Karadeniz]

8. We really need to expand what is taught at the high school level. American politics and govt

Were beyond me until I lived in England for 3 years. It's so much easier to understand there. That gave me a basis to build on with American politics. We can cut out the English middleman and get kids better educated...and bring current events into it!...and how to research to recognize fake news!

[soldierant]

10. We can if

we can get schools properly funded again, and if we can get textbooks into them that are accurate and don't sugarcoat the truth, and if we can train enough teachers who are competent and willing to teach the truth, and staff the schools with them, and get all of this done i every state. There are states about which I have reservations

[Cosmocat]

13. The kids arent the problem

A greater majority of young people understand how f****** stupid this is than the adults. The older people are the more likely they are to support this stupidity.

This isn't a quote education unquote problem. This is grown-ass adults allowing Decades of conservative propaganda 2 allow their Animus, hatred, bigotries, to override common sense and civility.

[The Liberal Lion]

16. Well written and well stated post

I think many here on DU and throughout the liberal/progressive community are beginning to acknowledge the possibility of a true and dangerous schism in not only our country but in the west in general. Myself, and this is in no way to raise hopelessness nor to discourage anyone from exercising their right to vote, no longer believes the system is functioning. I will vote, and I encourage others to do so, but honestly I don't believe my vote matters any longer. What matters now is what we do to protect ourselves, our values, and our community. America, as we believe it existed, has fallen. We are now in a world that is strange and alien to us.

We have entered an age of authoritarianism and fascism, honestly, these are the most positive terms to describe this era we are now in. I believe what we have seen thus far is only the tip of the iceberg for the horrors yet to come. Governments, in the western democracies, are no longer a matter of governing by consent of the people, the people now exist by consent of government. I am a verbose person, so I'll try to limit myself. Now is not the time for depression, misery or hopelessness. Now is the time for courage, resolve and resilience. Capitalism has failed, and as a result democracy has failed. It has been replaced with oligarchy, patronage, corruption and authoritarianism,

Each of us who are willing must resolve to remain free. Freedom from the need of government is the key. The first step is self sufficiency. I have written it elsewhere and I'll stress it here now. They can only hold you in check if you are in need of them. You must become free, or your knee shall truly bend. The individual must become mentally, physically, and financially self sufficient. You must free yourself from the grid. You must be able to feed yourself, clothe yourself, produce your own energy, collect your own water, etc. This is the first step.

I personally believe the only way that we defeat this evil that has risen is not to counter or resist, but rather to make the system obsolete. Capitalism and with it democracy has only fallen because they had become obsolete. Fascism and authoritarianism are old methods and those too can be made obsolete. I practice what I preach. As I have written in other threads I am in the process of creating a self sufficient community. I am a small person, a nobody, but this is the way my thoughts have led me. I started with myself. Everyday I did something to make myself less dependent, whether that was using less electricity or eating foods that I knew I could grow or raise, I started conditioning myself to be off the grid. I would encourage those who have not already started this to begin now.

You are welcome to continue to believe that this system still works. Fine, but prepare for the eventuality that it does not.

[Nitram]

17. Good analogy. The road back to Washington, DC from the Manassas battlefield was a traffic jam of

hysterical picnic-goers who expected the war to end the day with an easy Union defeat of the Confederacy. But many Trump supporters will probably never wake up to the travesty they ;launched upon our nation.

[lunatica]

18. More than we want to know has already happened

Those of us who ARE worried and fearful are in shock, unable to stop what’s happening.

This is no picnic.

[Hortensis]

19. Borrowing from JHBs' 'toons thread, just because:

Among our Democratic leadership, there is intense urgency to getting power away from the Republican leadership, and from those using them as their agents. This is a critical era for democracy.

Most anxious to do impeachment now actually seem to have no real idea of just how critical time is and especially of just what time factors are, but that doesn't mean those on the front lines aren't counting weeks, days, sometimes hours, for every tactic and strategy.

"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both." Nancy Pelosi to the nation at the opening of the 116th congress.

That's a huge clue to their goals, a war in which impeachment itself can be an important battle and important weapon -- for both us and the Republicans.

[Evolve Dammit]

20. Totally agree. It's just entertainment for most, and they could care less. No clue and no interest.

The scary part is, I don't think we're capable of coming together like WWII. We haven't the fall out shelters or any protections against chemical or nuclear. Probably not cyber either, which can dismantle power grids, etc. We have neglected our basic defenses for civilians. Christ we can't even help hurricane victims.