Barely functioning

This has been a fucking long 2 weeks, and he’s not even in office yet, Jesus Christ
- Not even the mercy of knowing most of the country is against him. Most of the country that gives a shit supports him.
  
  If it gives you any comfort, I think there were a ton of people who "gave a shit", but were (and in many encounters I've had: still are) just too stupid to realize that "morally withholding" a vote for Kamala was going to enable something incalculably worse.
  Those people aren't evil. Just unbelievably stupid. So much so that they're a danger to themselves and others. But not evil.
  
  Not a super impactful consolation, but updated vote totals put Trump under 50% so only a plurality of the country that gives a shit supports him
- On the plus side, now I know how I'll react to the news of an impending asteroid/meteor strike.

Want to know what’s fun? Watching your friends decide who’s fleeing, who’s arming up, and who’s lying to themselves. Welcome to queer communities in a red state in November 2024. Gods have mercy on us
- Stay safe. Leave if possible.
  
  Already in the process. My wife and I committed to leave on the 6th, and are currently packing. Our lease ends in the spring and at that point I quit my job and we move to a blue state (already have arrangements).
  Oh and I got a passport two years ago. I’m living by the understanding that if you wait to flee until you absolutely have to, you may not be able to. Better to take some risks for safety that may just be better choices regardless. I’ve always wanted to live in a coastal state, I’m a little excited when I let myself forget the devastation that’s coming.
- There's time to get a passport.
  
  Not much. If you don’t have one get it now
- #2 here. It would be nice to leave but I feel like I need to stay and fight.
  
  That’s ok. I’m proud of those of you who are doing that. I’m leaving, I’ve spent a long time working out of my martyr complex and my wife and I have decided to flee.
  I think the biggest thing we can do here as a community is respect each other’s choices and try to figure out what we can do to help most from the position we take.
  I want to make sure our history isn’t lost. I want to make sure that if we need voices advocating for us somewhere people will listen that I can be one. And I want to make clear that until I feel safe returning home that I am an Ohioan in exile, and that that means things aren’t ok over there.
  Fight well and know that some of those of us who are fleeing are setting up networks to get y’all out if you need it.
- That's... so few places to go to. Unless you have a spare 10k you don't need... or a remote high pay job.
  
  Yeah, that’s a contributor. I’m going to a blue state in the hopes it’s safer until things get bad enough for refugee status.
- Dibs on this guy for the post fascist apocalypse team https://www.reddit.com/r/fightporn/comments/181lu0h/this_gay_dude_what_not_having_it/?rdt=39158

Back in 2015, about 5 mo the after my youngest was born, I had the (at the time) most horrific day I ever had in my life. Long story short, I got fired from my job (for mistakenly thinking HR was on my side), my oldest son had a note sent home about a live breakout at his daycare, and it rained so hard in n 30 minutes that my house flooded (the top of the mailbox was almost under water).
I got home and was upset because of being fired (I was already beyond burned out from the job to begin with), and I was trying to patiently sift through my son’s hair to check for lice. I was not a very patient person at that point, said fuck it, and grabbed my hair clippers to shave my son’s head bald. I’ve never shaved anyone else’s head, but my own, so I probably was a little too aggressive, and the unit got hot and burned my son.
My 5mo was crying, so I took him and was trying to calm him down. Around this point the storm of the century began. It was so bad that lightning hit really close to the house (three times). Each time it hit, the lights would go off and back on, and then thunder struck. It was very disturbing to say the least.
Then the water began to rise. And it kept rising. And it wouldn’t stop. No matter how much I panicked and begged for it to stop. I was personally in tears. Then I noticed my neighbor trying to drive through the flooded waters, and her car got swept away by the water. I saw the water reaching her side view mirrors, and I handed my wife the baby and was about to bolt out the door to try to do “something” (it was straight instinct).
In short order, the rain started stopping, and all the water started receding. My panic slowly faded as I realized we weren’t going to drown. In no time my neighbors (most who we hadn’t met yet) all descended on my house with mops, buckets, and fans to help start cleaning up the mess. The carpet and bottom 6” of drywall were ruined. I spent my unscheduled vacation pulling up the carpet, replacing the soaked drywall, and even painting the office (it got flooded too).
Our office and living room was crammed into our dining room/kitchen (thank goodness for open concepts). We eventually replaced the carpet and painted everything. I wet vacuumed my car and removed 16 gallons of water, took out the seats, and put fans on it for a week straight.
Those neighbors became our best friends. We all still stay in touch and have multiple get togethers each year. A lot has changed since that day, myself included. I consider it for the better.
All that to say: this too shall pass.
- That's a nice story and all, but what happens when your wife is an immigrant and your neighbors all decide to "do something about it?" Or they just say nothing as the federal goons come to deport them.
  There are incalculable ways for this to NOT pass for millions of us. Saying this too shall pass is some privileged bullshit.
  
  First of all, I’m not going to apologize for attempting to comfort anybody. There is no privilege in that.
  Secondly, I get you’re mad and scared/worried (or whatever adjective you prefer for how you’re feeling right now), but let me assure you that I am not your enemy. Do not follow in your neighbor’s footsteps; focus your anger where it belongs: the establishment, and billionaires. They are the threat. Not you or me.
  
  Saying this too shall pass is some privileged bullshit.
  Or maybe people trying to give each other comfort and hope.
  You're still responsible for taking whatever measures you feel necessary but lets not attack people trying to help.
  You're not entitled to harm people on your side, we've done that for the last decade and all it's gotten us is a fractured ideology with a hundred different camps of people bitching about minor differences in what progressive things are good or not, and allowed a monster to get elected because nobody cares about trying to make leftists happy anymore. Lash out at someone else who actually deserves it.
  Fucking hell, this is why we'll never have nice things. Our side is just as emotional but not quite dumb enough to unify and focus on one target.

Turn that despair into anger!
- Anger is like fire. It burns hot, but it needs fuel, and leaves behind nothing but ash.
  I've been angry for a long, long time. Now I feel tired and broken. Nothing left but the occasional ember in the cinders.
  I'll recover, I'm sure. But not today. And probably not tomorrow. Probably not for a while.
  
  Maybe you could disconnect and focus on your irl circle for a while.
  
  In the words of my therapist, "that's just rage". Anger is the feeling that says "no" and motivates you to action, not the one that kicks and screams and does nothing.
  
  Lucky for you, I feel enough rage for the both of us. I am consumed by an unquenchable bloodlust of such magnitude that I genuinely do not feel like the words exist to properly describe it. All of these fascist fuckers think they are about to make us 'find out' but boy oh boy have they been doing a lot of fucking around.
  I will not go quietly when they come for me or my neighbors.
  
  Sounds like you need to sweep out the chimney. It's a dirty job, it sucks, and it'll only get worse if you put it off. But in time you'll be burning like new again.
  I don't know exactly how the metaphor applies in your situation, but I've struggled for a long time with burnout and that resonates with me. Hopefully you find some comfort
- Porque no los dos?
- Depression is anger without energy.
  
  More like anger that doesn't invalidate other responsibilities
- I'll just leave this here

Ready for the military to go through the county and ethnically cleanse you, or your family, or your neighbors and co-workers? Ready to find out what bread lines are like? Ready to experience population collapse?
- Okay, be real. Trump isn't going to let there be bread lines; he won't set any up, and any public direct action is going to be disrupted with the military and cops. People will starve.
  
  I’d expect bread lines to be harassed or attacked by conservatives that get riled up about such communism happening out in the open.
- Honestly, that would be one of the few ways I can see out of this mess. Because this... this would evoke resistance, this would evoke outrage and I think they're not going to give us that just yet. They're going to cook us slowly.
  Fascism isn't digging it's claws into the West "Beerhall Putsch"-style, it's going to be "Prussia contra Reich"-style.
  The ruling basically tolerated a breach of the constitution because the court shied away from accusing the President of a breach of the constitution. (Translated from german Wikipedia "Preußen contra Reich")
  It's not going to be ethnic cleansing right now, it's not going to be bread lines just now. But the fascist takeover is already happening and has been happening for quite some time and it looks like this: The quiet abolition of checks and balances through the courts and the continuous erosion of legal barriers to a party-dictatorship. It's about gerrymandering, right to vote, about free press, free speech and multiple media conglomerates worth of disinformation.
  The next four years will be one legal battle after another and one (relatively small) overstepping of a boundary after another. It's not gonna start with the military in inner cities, it's going to start with more immunities for police, with the eradication of resistance in the executive branch. New generals, new bureaucrats, new judges... if you want to know what Trumps takeover will look like... look to Hungary and Turkey, Trump and the entire GOP have already praised Orban and Erdogan as strong leaders and models for this new term.
  Honestly I think hyperbole could be dangerous! If we now tell everyone to expect the goose-stepping, they will say "see, the bad things you predict don't happen!" While completely ignoring the continuous erosion of the democratic ability to resist them through the system.
  
  Yeah, things are going to get bad, but it's going to happen slowly. So slowly that a lot of people panicking right now will calm down and go back to business as usual. We will be distracted and forget this is happening, until it's too late to do anything about it. I'd be shocked if Trump is even president/alive still when America goes full mask-off fascist.
  That's what's so insidious about it.
- Fuck.
- Lol your psychotic. Turn off the news, put down your phone and go touch grass. Jesus.
  
  I want to know if this ages well.
  Do we have !remindme on Lemmy?
  
  Let's play a game! Which of these quotes are Trump's, and which are Hitler's?
  "Jews and migrants are poisoning Aryan blood,"
  "They're poisoning the blood of our country. That's what they've done,"
  "I will get rid of the communist vermin"
  "They're coming into our country, from Africa, from Asia, over the world. They're pouring into our country."
  "I will take care of the enemy within"
  "We pledge to you that we will root out the Communists, Marxists, fascists, and the radical-left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country, that lie and steal and cheat on elections … The threat from outside forces is far less sinister, dangerous, and grave than the threat from within. Our threat is from within."
  "One people, one realm, one leader."
  Here is the answer key: Every other one is a Hitler quote, starting with the first one. And yet, these quotes are in significant overlap. We shouldn't have a president who is taking a page out of Hitler's book.
  
  @remindme@mstdn.social 4 months

Honest question: how bad do things have to get in the US for citizens to qualify for refugee status?
- Even then, it's a tossup. We've all seen how refugees are treated.
- Consider how bad things are in Central America right now and then remember that despite the abject violence currently happening in many countries there right now, the U.S. still harbors deep anti-immigrant sentiments and we regularly turn away people fleeing said violence and return them to the custody of their would-be killers.
  Yeah, you won't need an answer to this question when the times comes for us. You'll know, and you'll be willing to get on that boat or airplane leaving for anywhere else even if they aren't accepting refugees or the odds are slim that anywhere else will take you, because the alternative is certain death.
  You're probably better off trying to emigrate now rather than waiting for things to get worse, if you are in a position where you can make that choice. Some people make their livings preying upon those who are desperately seeking an escape, so it's a bargain right now to leave for the cost of a plane ticket and whatever elbow grease you need to put in to achieve citizenship abroad.
  
  My grandparents were holocaust survivors and what you just said is all I've been thinking about the last couple weeks, few months really. I keep imagining I went back in time to Berlin 1932 and have a chat with the family. They're gone now but I'm 100% convinced they would tell me to fucking run. I've got the opportunity and means right now the get the fuck out while the getting is good. It's something I've wanted to do for a while now anyway. People migrate all the time with nothing but the shirt on their backs, and I can do significantly better. Worst case, I come back in a few years with some more international experience. Best case...well...best case is still a pretty bad scenario, because it means I made the right decision, which means..bad stuff..

Hey, cheer up. We got front row seats to a new political thriller with a power struggle, potential autocoups, suppression of dissent, protests, mass arrests, maybe revolts, maybe a civil war (no spoilers 🤫).
Hey you even get to play a part, its not everyday you get this opportunity. Cheer up, man. 🫠
Just imagine yourself being the protagonist in your little spin off movie. Awesome aint it? If you're lucky, you might get a full tv series. Or, you know, just get a short 10 minute film. (Who needs a series, Quality > Quantity ya know 😉) Who knows what the future holds.
If you get a interesting enough story, you could end up writing the next Anne Frank's Diary. 💀
- I've lost 30 pounds since the start of this year. I should recommend stress as the hip new weight-loss diet.
  
  caution. I tried this diet. it works but has....
  ...ramifications.
  
  Nah, I tend to stress eat.
  
  I've lost 5 pounds and substantially reduced my appetite in the last checks notes 12 days?
  NGL, I am enjoying being full sooner. First week SUUUUCKED. I struggled to finish a 5 piece tender meal today, and I'm happy about it.
  I think I can start ordering smaller meals now (my wallet will thank me) and not be quite the ravenous fat bastard I was for several hours after.
  Holy shit i just now realized the only thing I've eaten since the tender meal for lunch (roughly 13 hours ago??) is an apple. And I'm not hungry.

I was raped last night. I can’t even think. It’s really clear that the world doesn’t want people like me to exist. Apparently they’re sending text messages to LGBT people about reeducation camps now, like they were sending messages about slavery to black folks a week ago.
- Well that went 100-20 real quick
  
  What do you think happens to AFABs who are “re-educated?” Lesbians and trans men have experienced correct rape for centuries. There’s an entire porn subreddit dedicated to “dyke breaking.”
- You deserve the right to exist as much as anybody else.
  Hope you can get the police involved, if possible. Not sure where you're from, but I know small town politics don't always make that a real possibility. Rapists too often get away with their crimes because people are too scared to come forward and that's just the sad reality of the country we live in now.
  I'll echo the other commenters - if you can get out of here, do it quickly. America is on a very dark trajectory. Don't let yourself continue to be victimized.
- I'm sorry that happened to you.

I never get tired of that follow up comic. It's just too real.
- In case anyone reading hasn't seen the full thing:
  https://thenib.com/this-is-not-fine/
  Just needs some of the text updated to current news.
  
  I hope we get to the point where the fire can be put out. We're currently in the stage where the accelerant is being poured out everywhere.

Comic is too optimistic because here the fire was extinguished. In reality the fire has only gotten larger and is surrounded by all sorts of volatile elements.
- Maybe if you give enough asspats to people who sat by and refused to help put out the fire, next time will be different.
  
  Maybe if you keep ignoring voters you'll get their votes someday.

I hate things being undecided so I've been a lot more relaxed since the election. Yeah, the asshole won, but at least I know what's going to happen. The anxiety of not knowing was worse than the anxiety of having a racist dipshit in charge, at least for me.
- I sympathize a bit. I remember my heart pounding in the lead-up to the election, to the point where I felt ill. Now it's just an endless pit of despair instead of a panic attack.
  
  I can identify with all of that. I'm seeing plenty of people and orgs so ready to "fight back" already, and I'm nowhere near ready for all that yet... this clusterfuck of nominations doesn't help anything.
- A racist "dipshit" who plans on declaring emergency so as to round up certain undesirables without any constitutional requirements on their internment conditions, health, or safety.
- "The Dude abides."

I did not make the connection and thought it's a seasonal thing or shit at work but you could be right

That's been me for the past several months, really.

Let me make a prediction: I'm not going to be able to make comments and posts after January 6, 2025.
I'll be shot dead, or I'll being detained into a work camp.
- It'll take time. Even Hitler didn't immediately manage to implement his genocidal plans once he came into power.
  
  We all have time, but not a lot.
  Buy a gun if you don't have one, only you can protect yourself in this country now.
- Nah, after Jan. 19th. Mango Mussolini takes power on the 20th (MLK Day!).
- Bet
  @remindme@mstdn.social 4 months
  
  @Shardikprime Ok, I will remind you on Wednesday Mar 19, 2025 at 7:26 PM PDT.
  
  We have a remind me bot now?!??

We put our faith in democrats and the democrats lost. It's time for a new plan.

My mood improved considerably after republican lawmakers started opposing his appointees, he clearly won't be able to accomplish as much harm as he wants to with a splintered faction.
Tbh my faith in humanity wasn't high enough to ignore the aggregate polls to start with. Can't be disappointed if you have no hopes.
Sucks for climate goals, poor people, and minorities but I'm hoping to ditch the USA soon if I find an opportunity.
- My mood improved considerably after republican lawmakers started opposing his appointees, he clearly won’t be able to accomplish as much harm as he wants to.
  They're furrowing their brows, Susan Collins style. It doesn't mean anything.
  
  Mitch McConnell already denied appointment during a Recess, that means the appointments require a senate majority or will face delays.
  Thats already something.

I already had a suicidal meltdown on wednesday morning. hearing about what that prick intends to do is only making it worse hahahaha

I mean the rise of European right-wing populism is also concerning, but it's still a lot less idiocratic here currently. So just leave the states? (it's honestly what I'd do anyway).
- The people who are most likely to suffer in the next 4 years are also the people with the fewest resources. If those of us with enough resources to leave do so, who will be left to fight for those who can't?
  
  That's noble, certainly, and I actually hope that a lot of reasonable people stay, in case the democracy is not yet bunked, and there is hope to at least turn it around.
  But honestly there's like roughly half of USA living as idiocrats, I wouldn't want to be part of that, and I value my mental health more than watching a real-live shit-show degrading a once respectful nation. The damage Trump will do to society this time (again) is probably already too high for me to just give up this lost country, and declare it as lost cause. I'm lucky I don't have to make that decision though, but just reading abroad about Trump basically everyday is already daunting (and has global effects, like climate-change).

Too close to home 😰

I feel huge joy and just love this song now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Co2FKZK3fhY
- Hell yeah!

Haha LMAO, bro you need to chill.