this post was submitted on 02 Oct 2025
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As America backslides into fascism and authoritarian consolidation, what do you think should be done to course correct?

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[–] klammeraffe@lemmy.cafe 65 points 6 days ago (7 children)

If I recall, killing Nazis worked in WWII.

[–] greasewizard@slrpnk.net 21 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Except we didn't kill any American Nazis, we just left them alone to fester

[–] Azal@pawb.social 10 points 6 days ago

Hell, we imported a few of them from Germany.

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[–] Typhoon@lemmy.ca 34 points 6 days ago (2 children)

They need to protest. REALLY protest. General strikes, obstruction, shut down everything. You can't walk around with a sign on a weekend once a month when it's nice outside and expect a wannabe dictator will back down. They are spendinrg every minute of every day stripping away your democracy and you have to fight back with the same intensity.

Look at Nepal. France. Italy. They didn't ask their government to listen. They MADE them. It's YOUR country! Fight for it!

[–] whiwake@lemmy.cafe 11 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Yeah but Netflix has some shows I need to watch and I can’t do that from jail, soooo… fascism I guess.

[–] zbyte64@awful.systems 19 points 6 days ago (11 children)

More like food is expensive as hell and so I can't really afford to loose my pay check. Which is why organizing often starts as mutual aide.

[–] OneOrTheOtherDontAskMe@lemmy.world 6 points 6 days ago (2 children)

And advocating for a general strike is ILLEGAL and a very easy charge in Trump's America at this point.

I've been rolling around forums and whatnot to see the interest for such topics, and they seem high, but no one is talking about what I'm supposed to do to pay for my pets and apartment when I have 0 support structures in a deeply red state. They don't treat the homeless very well here, and it's freezing half the year.

Not that you're saying it's easy, you rightly pointed out food too. I just wish there were more resources, or ways to get connected. My community does the No Kings protests, but most of them balked at the Kirk shooting so they're not quite radicalized enough for the other actions that a not-entirely-peaceful protest would bring.

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[–] timbuck2themoon@sh.itjust.works 7 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I think what needs to be said here is- yes it's so terrible but in general day to day life for everyday Americans hasn't really changed. That and the general ignorance of things means that people really are not ready to "go strike" or do anything at all.

The overall attitude is more "this is slightly annoying at most" and that is not the attitude that leads to general strikes (nor can most afford to do that here anyway.)

Everyone on the outside in is saying this and that- most Americans don't know or aren't affected enough from what they understand to make those steps.

That is reality here. Like I get the arguments but you also have to understand it isn't bad enough for most people. My thought is once it is it'll all be way too late.

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[–] orclev@lemmy.world 38 points 6 days ago (5 children)

The two key turning points are going to be the midterms and when it comes time for the next election. Depending on how those events go, and if Trump hasn't died at some point in the next couple years (either from natural causes or because someone learns how to aim), things will likely go one of two wildly different directions.

If we actually have elections, and if the gerrymandering isn't so horrendous that it's impossible to overcome we'll hopefully see a Democrat elected and we'll start the incredibly slow crawl back to normalcy, hopefully with some significant reforms to make sure this shit doesn't happen again. The process is going to take decades to unwind all the damage Trump has managed in just a few years, but in theory we'll get there eventually.

On the other hand, we could go the opposite direction. Republicans retain the majority in the midterms, and then when the next primary comes around either we just don't have an election or Trump "wins" a 3rd term despite that being unconstitutional. At that point we're likely looking at either a civil war, or the US being defeated in a 3rd world war like Germany was in order to undo all this crap. Neither option is good and if things get to that point the world is fucked, the US doubly so.

[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 25 points 6 days ago (2 children)

we'll start the incredibly slow crawl back to normalcy, hopefully with some significant reforms to make sure this shit doesn't happen again

And then the democrats will lose the midterm, which will lock up Congress and maybe get the president impeached, and we’ll be back to this shit again.

This has happened every decade for my entire fucking life.

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[–] Typhoon@lemmy.ca 10 points 6 days ago

I can't believe people still have faith in fair elections. He tried to cheat his first win. He refused to leave after his loss to Biden and tried to overthrow the government. Then he cheated again last year.

And for some reason you think the midterms will be open and fair?! That he'll even hold them at all? Or will allow them to be fair without cheating or intimidation? Or will actually obey the results? He doesn't listen to Congress now! Why would he start if the Dems won?!

And if by some miracle all of that worked out you think the Dems are going to start fighting back now? This isn't a political fight. It's a class fight and most of the Dems are in the owner class. That's why they go along with all this.

Stop relying on the next election. You don't vote your way out of fascism. Totalitarian leaders do not value elections. He will not leave or give up power.

[–] Rhaedas@fedia.io 6 points 6 days ago (1 children)

when the next primary comes around either we just don't have an election or Trump "wins" a 3rd term despite that being unconstitutional

And all the mainstream media will go about how this is an unusual turn with side panels of experts "debating" what Constitutional means...

The best of the worst cases is the US goes completely isolationist as the world turns from them and it all burns itself out into something different. I do not want this to spread out, and other countries need to pay attention once again and stop pretending it's fine. That's what really bothers me, even other leaders play the game instead of refusing to deal with him face to face. I guess they're doing that high road mess and using economic tactics to hit back.

Best case - mid terms have significant traction and shut him down, assuming he's still around. If he's not, Vance or whoever fails to keep what cultists there are still and there's something left to piece back together. But shit, it has to be better than what we had, otherwise it's just going to keep happening. In essence this is core Reconstruction failure and continued rot over more than a century. We really should have improved by now.

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[–] mrodri89@lemmy.zip 14 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

It’s going to take everyone starving for people to care. I talk to my family and they say “what can we do, let the people who are supposed to fix this do their job”

Everywhere I look people are trying their best to look deeply into their tv shows, streams, video games, porn, etc and just waiting for this to impact them personally before they care enough to do something.

My husband has always said immigrants fleeing their country should stay behind and fight and now he’s looking at countries that would accept us.

I’m kinda at the point where nothing feels right. I don’t feel right. I’m on two antidepressants and I still feel trapped in this hell hole. I’ve always tried to vote and do the right thing and now I’m here.

I signed the strike card at the general strike website but it’s taking too long before they call the strike. I fear that website will get raided and all the sign ups will be lost. 😞

Honestly I’m really pissed we all didn’t start rioting when the Supreme Court ruled it’s okay to racially profile us. That should have been the breaking point for us all.

[–] ILoveUnions@lemmy.world 7 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

My husband has always said immigrants fleeing their country should stay behind and fight and now he’s looking at countries that would accept us.

That's interesting. I've always agreed with that logic. But I've decided to stick it out no matter what happens.

I signed the strike card at the general strike website but it’s taking too long before they call the strike. I fear that website will get raided and all the sign ups will be lost. 😞

Unfortunately that's not how strikes work. They need critical mass or it will do nothing. It needs to have everyone on the list willing to risk their house, home, and livelihood to make it happen. And to you need to realize not even close to enough people are willing to do so.

If you haven't already, try getting a union involved in your workplace, as a unionized workplace will allow far more successful organization of such events. Align a union you create yourself with your coworkers with UAW's mass strike line, join their cause

[–] mrodri89@lemmy.zip 4 points 5 days ago

Unfortunately I’ve been laid off. So creating a union right now in this economy won’t do much good. I heard the jobs report was massively worse than they made it out to be.

So I guess I’ll have to wait until more people feel the impacts of the failing economy.

[–] shirro@aussie.zone 15 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

Discover socialism. Not commie tanky left authoritarian bullshit. Just the moderate basic human decency stuff.

Old fashioned people caring about each other. Workers supporting each other. Vets supporting each other. Women supporting each other. Families supporting each other. Neighborhoods supporting each other. Inclusivity. Opportunity. Holding out a hand to the less fortunate. Redistributing wealth so people can have dignity and hope.

Start with taking back schools as safe places from gun massacres. If you can't do that you can't do shit. It's a basic litmus test for a functional society. Take back streets for pedestrians. Take prisons and hospitals away from corporations. Get rid of tipping in favour of a fair living wage. Take a fucking holiday occasionally. It won't kill you.

The problem is Americans are kept ignorant about what is possible. In place of knowledge all they have is lies. What is the point of change if you don't even know what you want. You will just end up with more of the same.

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[–] wildncrazyguy138@fedia.io 20 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Consider Spain, Argentina, France, Italy, Libya, Panama, Syria, Germany

The only thing that works once these fools get entrenched into the political machine is a good old fashioned ass whoopin.

FWIW this is why I think it’s so important to keep the farmers and union workers on our side. They are the means by which everything else is built upon. If they’re on the other side, well then the machine can keep on grinding.

[–] orclev@lemmy.world 15 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Hey silver lining, Trump seems to be doing a really good job of pissing off the military leadership and the common soldiers as well. The only ones that are actually supporting him are nut jobs, the grifters who think they can use him, and executives who think they can squeeze more profit out by crawling up his ass.

As for farmers that's kind of a mixed bag. The problem isn't so much that they'll support him as it is that there might not be many of them left. Trumps policies are bankrupting farmers at a record rate and their farms are being snapped up by foreign holding companies. Most of them are going to end up working farms they no longer own.

[–] IndridCold@lemmy.ca 11 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Most of them are going to end up working farms they no longer own.

A lot of farmers are killing themselves. The US will have to give migrant workers a path in - which is kind of big picture funny.

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[–] Azal@pawb.social 7 points 6 days ago

FWIW this is why I think it’s so important to keep the farmers and union workers on our side.

WHELP

[–] HumanOnEarth@lemmy.ca 18 points 6 days ago (3 children)

General strikes should have happened months ago. You're actively letting Maga normalize miltary troops quelling protests.

There is nothing to be done if your head is stuck in the old world, which is where 98% of Americans still live.

All I've seen on social media are two distinct camps: someone help us, please we don't want this, and are you fucking crazy I have a family and a job I cannot do anything.

Enjoy the fascism, you've earned it. You'll just have to learn your lesson the hard way, a la climate change. This is only a sneak preview of what happens when you ignore the obvious for too long.

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[–] hanrahan@slrpnk.net 10 points 5 days ago

Nothing, look to pre War Germany

A significant percentage of people supoort this, many, many others think they're not going to be targeted and this will all blow over.

[–] wetbeardhairs@lemmy.dbzer0.com 18 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Even my dumb as shit family members who voted for trump are beginning to turn on him. I don't think Americans really have any tolerance for his turn to fascist dictatorship. Sure, a few deplorables out there do - but we outnumber them 100 to 1.

Personally I think MAGA is going to eat itself. Especially if Trump dies in his sleep.

The real problem is this cycle will happen again in if we don't have a reckoning where the fascists and their sympathizers are made to permanently renounce those leanings. I think we should take their trigger fingers.

[–] whiwake@lemmy.cafe 13 points 6 days ago

The problem is they are beginning to. They should have been against him way back in 2020 when he left

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[–] whiwake@lemmy.cafe 15 points 6 days ago (3 children)

Every time I say it I get banned. I say, we remove the people who silence us.

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[–] obsoleteacct@lemmy.zip 9 points 5 days ago (1 children)

The only real path out of this is economic collapse.

The administration has engineered a clever slow rolling authoritarian takeover. There is no single line in the sand that you can point to and say this is where authoritarianism starts or this is where fascism starts. And pointing out a dozen things sounds hyperbolic "oh you think everything's fascism".'

The American citizens are going to sit here like a slowly boiling frog as long as there's never one singular shock. And unless there's a tea party-esque movement on the left in 26 the Democrats are not coming to save us.

But if there's a crash like '08, and they're very well could be, they're not going to be able to sound bite their way out of that.

[–] aesthelete@lemmy.world 7 points 5 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

The American citizens are going to sit here like a slowly boiling frog as long as there’s never one singular shock.

I'm fine with the analogy but always want to point out: they ran the experiment, the frog jumps out. To take the analogy too far, we're worse than frogs.

[–] knightly@pawb.social 12 points 6 days ago

America won't course-correct until it is forced to do so.

The political establishment is so totally insulated in a media bubble that there's no way to reach them, internal pressures can be safely ignored. Only external pressure can change this country now.

[–] Triumph@fedia.io 12 points 6 days ago

People, on the whole, will choose the easiest path.

People are also really bad at estimating risk, usually overestimating short term risks and underestimating long term risks.

So what happens is that people choose what they estimate to be the easiest path, based on their faulty ideas about what the short and long term risks are.

Which means that in order for real change to happen - by whatever means - people have to perceive that the immediate risk of change is lower than the future risk of staying the same.

[–] blargh513@sh.itjust.works 8 points 6 days ago

I have been thinking about this for quite a while, and I think I have a pretty solid solution. Now, keep in mind, it is easy to dismiss it because it is simple, but once you dig into it you will see the benefits. I propose on-fire things.

I know, I know, but just consider it before you write it off. Yo dont have to go all-in, maybe dabble a little and see how it feels.

[–] DioramaOfShit@lemmy.world 5 points 5 days ago (2 children)
[–] boaratio@lemmy.world 5 points 5 days ago

Unfortunately, this.

[–] apenstaartje@lemmy.cafe 11 points 6 days ago
[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 9 points 6 days ago (1 children)

No idea. ICE is blatantly breaking the law and local police are not arresting them.

[–] FreshParsnip@lemmy.ca 5 points 6 days ago

There are no laws; we made the whole thing up

[–] easybre_bb@lemmy.zip 7 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

It’ll be like McCarthyism, it will be allowed to go way way too far, then in an instant it’ll be stopped, shunned and everyone will be repulsed by it. It‘s well on its way to the same fate.

[–] Formfiller@lemmy.world 7 points 6 days ago (1 children)

We never undid the damage of McCarthyism and he didn’t have the military terrorizing civilians and Gestapo kidnapping people

[–] easybre_bb@lemmy.zip 4 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Oh I’m not claiming it’s no big deal or that either this situation or McCarthyism aren’t terrible, and this is absolutely a worse situation. Right now a lot of people supporting all of this are in denial of how bad it is.

[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 4 points 5 days ago

Haven't you been paying attention? Lots of people are. What are you doing?

[–] WraithGear@lemmy.world 3 points 5 days ago

progressives buying in to 2A. Do what the black panthers did.

[–] BillyB0nes@lemmy.world 7 points 6 days ago (3 children)

Ensure the venture isn't profitable.

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[–] DaMummy@lemmy.world 6 points 6 days ago

I think what Germany did to get corporate money out of government is miniscule to what America will have to do.

[–] newthrowaway20@lemmy.world 7 points 6 days ago
[–] aesthelete@lemmy.world 4 points 5 days ago

We need wide public support and organizing against the regime.

[–] DarkAri@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Boycotting any business which encourages discrimination against people, government surveillance. Engage in community outreach, teaching your fellow community members about socialism and progressivism and nationalism. Also shaming and calling out people who support them. Dont be too much of a dick about it. Just simply tell them they are evil for supporting those people who victimize the innocent and steal all of our tax money, and try to brainwash everyone with algorithms and advertising backed influencers.

Also get out and vote blue no matter who until the Republicans stop supporting the state and then unify with them to get rid of the state so we can reform our system, kick out the rich, and take back control of our laws and state. You need to vote in every election, even if you have no chance of winning. We also need to do our own polling to ensure they are not tampering with the votes.

Do not date anyone who is maga, tell them why as well. Tell them they need to either support the common people or they need be happy being alone with their big paychecks as they support the state. Materialism or humanism. Until we can reinstate democracy and reform the state and our laws. We cannot compromise with those people in any type of way. We have to start from the ground and work our way up. Also make sure you show up to jury duty to support your fellow citizens against the hostile anti American judicial system. Do not allow religion in your home. If you see people wearing religious symbols in your business, that comes from the big 3, then ask them to leave, since these same maga businesses do the same to non Christians. Observe no anti discrimination laws which protect religious people but do not protect queer people. Don't get yourself sued or put in prison but there are many ways you can keep those people out of your community and make it hard for them. They don't belong here unless they support the people and democracy and human rights first. If they want to strip people of human rights then do not observe their human rights. Don't let them be hypocrites.

[–] devolution@lemmy.world 5 points 6 days ago

Probably having time off of work and not being too tired from living paycheck to paycheck unfortunately.

[–] figjam@midwest.social 4 points 6 days ago

Massive job losses.

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