Category: The Resistance

The United States Is Unstable

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I don’t quite know what to make of the United States at the moment. All the Republicans do, it seems, is cheat and the two sides grow more and more radical. Though, to be fair, Republicans have gone full-blown fascist while the center-Left remains pretty limp wristed.

In, fact, I would go so far as to say whenever the center-Left is willing to mano-to-mano with the MAGA Right, that’s when the country will implode into civil war or revolution. I have a growing sense that whatever happens is going to be more like a revolution than a civil war in the sense that the war aims of the Blues will be to topple Trump’s regime rather than to leave the Union altogether.

And it definitely seems as though the tipping point will be either the 2026 midterms or the 2028 presidential election. If Trump fucks with either one of those elections to the point that it’s clear they’re not free-and-fair, then anything is possible.

I really don’t want a civil war or revolution. I would much rather try to get my scifi dramedy novel published while waiting for the technological Singularity than to find myself dodging bullets or bombs.

Man, Is The ‘Resistance Media’ Complex Clueless

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I run a lot of scenarios in my mind and right now it seems as though things are a lot more urgent in the United States than the “resistance” media complex might lead you to believe.

They’re so busy sucking their own cock about this or that dumb thing that they totally miss that we may have a revolution or civil war in 2026 or 2028 because Trump severely fucks with the Federal elections set for those years.

And that doesn’t even begin to address the issue of Trump potentially balking at leaving office altogether, or maybe running for a third term.

Things really are that dire.

As such, maybe Crooked Media and The Lincoln Project might stress to their audience that they need to gird their loins for the catastrophic disaster that might happen sooner rather than later.

I really hope I’m wrong. I would prefer not to dodge bullets or bombs and be a domestic political refugee.

My Hot Take On Trump & The Epstein Files

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I’m of the opinion that there is no there there when it comes to Trump being in the Epstein Files. I think Trump knew damn well what Epstein was doing and did nothing.

But he did not actively participate in the evils that Epstein was doing on his island or whatever. So, all this bruhaha over the files is kind of like how Saddam would not like WMD inspectors into the country to poke around, even though there were no WMD there to be begin with.

It’s all ego on Trump’s part. And a paranoia that whatever is in the Epstein Files will make him look bad in some way. But not in the way we all hope where the Epstein Files are some sort of silver bullet for fucking MAGA.

I really hate MAGA. I really do. Bunch of fucking cocksuckers.

Any Second American Revolution or Civil War Would Probably Make Our Lives Like The Movie ‘Threads’

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I just don’t think the human mind can comprehend how horrific a Second American Civil War or Revolution might be. If things got as bad as I fear, we would be living in a real world ‘Threads’ movie.

Society would collapse, there would be Killing Fields, camps, extensive use of WMD by both sides. It would just be horrible. And, yet, here we are, with some on both sides chomping at the bit to have at it.

I just hope we muddle through. I really do. Even though I write all the time about civil war or revolution, I don’t actually want such a thing to happen. I’m just trying to make my abstract fears concrete.

Anyway. I have my doubts about us making it through 2026 or 2028. In both instances, I fear Trump will severely fuck with the Federal elections to the point that the country collapses in on itself.

Ugh.

You Thought The Trans Movement Was Controversial, Just Wait Until We Have Real-Life Replicants

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I’ve talked about this before, but I have to talk about it again. The center-Left, especially the far Left is really all in a tizzy about the Trans rights — especially “protecting Trans kids.”

But just wait until we’re all arguing over AI rights, specifically Replicant rights. (Which makes me wonder what we’re going to call human-like synthetic androids when they finally arise.)

Anyway, there are two possible outcomes.

One is, the center-Left embraces android rights like it current does Trans rights. Or, the whole center-Left spectrum will be thrown up in the air and everything will change in ways we can expect.

I’m of the opinion that the Left is going to get really wrapped up in android rights while the far religious Right is going to think thinking androids are an offense against God. All the Pod Save America bros who are so squeamish about AI-human relationships and make so much fun about it will ultimately become ardent supporters of it.

It’s going to be really interesting to see how it all works out.

Interestingly, The Criticism of ‘One Battle After Another’ Is Mostly Coming From The Left

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

Just imagine how much money One Battle After Another could have made if it had been thrown into the maw of the culture wars as a cultural touchstone for both sides. Just one tweet on Trump’s part could have really made a difference in the movie’s box office income.

But that, for the most part, did not happen.

Yet what did happen was the Left has gotten angry over the film, in large part because they think 1) the movie portrays black women poorly 2) they are irate that white critics give it the praise they believe Sinners should get.

In fact, there was a Big Picture podcast in which the whole debate pretty much revolved around point number two. The Leftist criticizing OBAA didn’t really flat out say he thought the movie’s reception was racist, but he came pretty damn close.

Anyway. One Battle After Another is a good movie. Go see it.

Form Follows Function: ICE As America’s SS

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

Right now, ICE deals with undocumented people, but the infrastructure is quickly being put into place for ICE to be more like the Nazi SS. And, I think if there’s some sort of civil war or revolution in the near future ICE is probably going to commit it’s fair share of atrocities.

My biggest fear, of course, is that I might be amongst those that ICE…uhh…”hurts.”

But even if we don’t have a civil war or revolution, ICE is growing into a serious menace. Form follows function and our Hitler-wannabe POTUS is inevitably going to want an SS-like organization to implement some of his more evil ideas.

I still think Trump might simply declare martial law and while not directly order ICE to murder millions in cold blood, he might simply set up the conditions where that happens. There are a lot — a lot — of people in the USA.

Even if just a few percent of people are targeted for some sort of Final Solution, that’s a lot of people! Anyway, hopefully I’m overthinking things. Hopefully none of this is going to happen.

So, Chat, Are We Having A Second Civil War?

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

Editor’s Note: This is just me, a rando in the middle of nowhere musing about this possible event that seems to be on everyone’s mind. So, take it for what it’s worth.

Short answer: Maybe. I can’t predict the future.
Long Answer:

Ok, all the conditions, all the metrics are there for either a civil war or revolution in the United States. There are centrifugal political forces that seem to be spinning out of control and it seems like it would just take the right catalyst for the country to implode into civil war or revolution.

There are two things to take into consideration.

One is, since the first Civil War ended in 1865, the US is notorious for just muddling through, no matter how bad things get. So, lulz? Maybe somehow, even though Trump definitely wants to declare martial law and maybe call off the 2026 and or 2028 elections, we somehow will just…muddle through.

The second issue is I think Trump really is a Russian agent and he seems hell bent on destroy the country I love. He keep’s a line stepper. He’s a one man stress test of American political and public social life.

So, the case could be made that he will, on purpose, push us to the breaking point and there will be a civil war between now and, say, 2029. But it could happen a lot sooner.

One issue that we to address is if a Second Civil War does happen, it’s going to suck. WMD will be used by both sides. Of particular interest to Reds would be using tactical (I hope — no need for strategic nukes! ) nukes on Blue cities in Red States. So, I could see, say, Atlanta being bombed into rubble so all the fucking Nazi MAGA cocksuckers could overrun it.

So, in general I don’t want either a civil war or a revolution.

But are we going to have one? Maybe. It’s possible, not probable.

2026 Will Suck

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

For reasons personal and not so personal, I fear 2026 is going to suck and egg. For my part, my life is going to change in ways I just can’t control starting as early as late this month.

But I also think that 2026, because there’s a mid-term election, is a prime candidate for year we actually have a civil war or (Blue) revolution. I could totally see Trump doing something crazy in regards to the the 2026 midterms and, lulz, the country collapses into a civil war (or Blue Revolution.)

I say this in the context of Trump and MAGA clearly thinking they will never hav to either be held accountable or ever leave office. So, lulz. It could be that 2026 is kind of the very last fish or cut bait for Americans when it comes to what’s left of our democracy.

If Trump really does fuck with the 2026 mid-terms and…nothing happens, then, welp, it was fun while it lasted. We made it barely to 250 years of empire and then it all just faded away into tyranny.

I do hope, however, that I might as early as spring 2026 finish a novel worth querying. And, honestly, I just want to write a novel good enough that the people I send it to…finish it and give me an opinion.

That would be quite an accomplishment, given my history with such things!

I May Have Voted In My Last Free & Fair Election

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

So. I voted in the Virginia elections happening this fall and I paused to soak up the idea that this might be the last free-and-fair election I vote in for the rest of my life.

It’s kind of sorry I have to think about that, but, lulz, that’s what we got.

The USA is no longer free. That’s just a matter of fact.

I still worry about how bad things are going to get. I worry about ME. I mean, it’s just a matter of time before even randos like me catch the attention of our autocratic regime.