In the past week or so, the courts have begun to try to set some boundaries on the Musk–Miller–Trump administration’s early blitz of recklessness.
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This judicial review provides at least a small reprieve, hope that some of the administration’s most destructive impulses will be stopped. Or at least pared back. But even with the courts stepping up, and even with the reality of the administration’s ineptitude sinking in, this early Musk–Miller–Trump blitz remains very—maybe irreparably—damaging. Of course, there are a lot of moles to whack: the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are being dismantled at an alarming rate, and the court system is not known for being nimble. The administration is betting, perhaps rightly, that at least some of its thoughtless, lawless efforts will slip through the cracks.
But even if the courts caught them all—and even if every court facing each lawless escapade said, “Nope, that’s not a thing”—still the entire process would be doing serious damage to our institutions. Think of it as someone spoofing your identity and going on a shopping spree with your credit cards. Even if the goon gets caught, you still have to go store by store to argue that the fraudulent purchase wasn’t legitimate and hope the debt is forgiven. And all the while, perhaps long after all the debts are dealt with, the torrent of uncertainty kills your credit score.
I’ve been sorting plans with family and friends as well. Unfortunately, most of my neighbors are idiots and bought it all hook line and sinker. When COVID started, the guy 2 doors down from me tried to say that the dew on our vehicles one morning was the AF dropping COVID from the tankers. I think I saw the moment the gerbil wheel in his head froze up when I told him I’ve seen them inside and out and that there was nowhere for some “bags of COVID” to be stored.
I have some firearms, but I’ve been making an effort to ready myself. I’ve been making sure I have short, mid and long range covered. Sights on and the sights adjusted properly. I hate, hate, hate how crazy that makes me sound, but I don’t trust these nut jobs at all when things get rough. I don’t have any option for leaving the country, and I don’t think I’d want to leave it to them anyway. I swore an oath many, many, years ago. I’m long out. My body is wrecked (mainly my nervous system), but I still take that seriously. Many others do as well. I can only hope that those of us who actually realize what it means are able to keep the corrupt from taking over.
If you expect being in a riot down the line, you might want to get some protective gear. I am thinking a forestry helmet - it has face plates, hardhat, plus earmuffs that you can raise or lower. Bonus points for not being fascist-tacticool style, and you can use it for practical work. While not good when compared to milspec gear, it should be enough to offer mild protection against nonlethal weaponry. I assume military gear would cost more and be tracked.