by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner
It’s finally gotten to the point where it definitely seems clear that my “terribly negative” speculation about the United States facing autocracy or civil war in late 2024 – early 2025 is just being realistic.
This is the point where I wish VOX would do an explainer as to how people like me can prepare for either becoming a domestic political refugee (civil war) or becoming a victim of a weaponized ICE (autocracy.) Now, my Traditionalists relatives — who I love dearly – think I’m being hysterical or that my fears on this matter are “bogus.”
But it’s becoming more and more clear that one way or another, my future Good German relatives are going to face an existential problem – ME — when they get everything they want and I simply will not, can not, shut up when we’re no longer a Western democracy.
They’re going to tell me to shut up “for the sake of the family” and I’m just not going to do it. They had their chance to prevent autocracy and they lulzed it because they wanted one, not thinking about the concrete implications for me. So, there you go. I’m on my own. Should we pick the autocratic route instead of civil war I suppose my only option will be to figure out how to get out of the country, or, I don’t know, join some sort of real-world underground Resistance movement and take my chances that way.
All of that is, obviously, very, very speculative on my part but my time in South Korea as an expat taught me never to grow too complacent — an expat in South Korea can lose everything in a heart beat, your time in the country is never 100% assured. That whole experience left me kind of paranoid.
Meanwhile, there is the civil war option. I’ve decided that if that very dark scenario happens instead of autocracy, that I’ll figure out some way to head north, out of my deeply Red portion of Virginia. My gut tells me two things. One, Virginia is going to be the site of coups and counter coups. Two, there’s probably going to be some sort of infrastructure built out for people like me to escape Trumplandia when the time comes.
But, at the moment, I’m of the opinion that we’re just going to slip peacefully into autocracy. It will be a “light touch” Very American Autocracy at first. Nothing will really change and my Traditionalist relatives will smugly tell me that I have nothing to worry about.
And, yet, form follows function and, soon enough at some point after 2025, I’m going to have A LOT to worry about — as will they.
