Jesus Christ, Are Things Dark

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I just don’t see us having free-and-fair elections again in my life time. I have a feeling the SAVE Act is going to pass and that will be that. We’ll become a zombie democracy like Hungary and, lulz, I’ll end up in some sort of camp.

I say this in the context of how ICE is slowly, but surely strangling our freedoms.

And Trump seems to be itching for an excuse to use the Insurrection Act (or martial law?) where ever he can.

AND, add to this, the very real possibility that Trump is going to run for an illegal third term. If he does that, man, am I going to pop a gasket. And, yet, I’m powerless. No one listens to me or takes me seriously.

So, all I got is just my usual blathering. But I will note that if Trump does attempt to run for a third term that there is a very good chance that he will literally destroy the United States.

The country will implode into chaos.

And, yet, lulz, like I said, there’s absolutely nothing I can do about it. I guess I can double down on the novel I’m working on, sell it, and get the hell out of the country.

Renee Good’s Murder At The Hands Of ICE As The First Shot Of A Second American Civil War / Revolution

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I don’t know what to tell you with this one. While it definitely seems as though things are coming to a head, every time in the past I started to rant about the possibility of a civil war and or revolution…meh. Nothing.

And I’ve done that a lot over the years. A whole lot.

So, I dunno. It could be that I fear — some sort of shooting war between the Minnesota National Guard and the U.S. Military won’t happen and there will be some sort of uneasy peace that just tapers away into nothing. That’s, at least, what I hope happens.

I have a novel I’m working on. I would prefer not to have to become a domestic political refugee because my politics don’t fit where I live — and they definitely don’t. But I’m a survivor and if that’s what I have to do to survive, that’s what I’ll do. I guess.

Anyway, while I do feel the country is a little…unstable…I’m not prepared to give up hope just yet. And, yet, it would make a lot of sense if things got out of hand and we had a fighting war in the middle of the country between the US Military and a state right about now.

This does bring up the question of if there is literally anything Trump could possibly do to be impeach and convicted at this point. I mean, starting a civil war or instigating a revolution is…bad, right? To someone?

But we live in surreal times. So, lulz.

America On Edge 2026

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

It definitely feels like the USA is…on edge at the moment. It’s as if we’re all waiting for the other shoe to drop, for something even BIGGER to happen.

I don’t know what that might be, but there is such turmoil in the American political system that it could just about anything. Whatever it is, it might be pretty big.

I could see Trump literally trying to arrest a governor — of Minnesota? — just out of his surreal, bonkers spite. I could see the some pretty surreal things happen before the year is over, especially because of the 2026 midterms.

But hopefully, none of that will happen. Hopefully, we’ll just muddle through like we always do and the Main Event will be sometime in the 2028-2029 timeframe when ASI and civil war / revolution happen at just about the same time.

Sigh.

Blues Are Radicalizing…Just A Tiny Bit

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

Blues, because of the surreal nature of modern American politics, are the keepers of the establishment. And, as such, it’s kind of difficult for them to get too radicalized. But we need “radical moderates” right now and it will be interesting to see if Blues start to get angry.

For my own part, I’ve not grown more radical, but I have begun to psyche myself up for the possibility of getting the shit beat out of me by ICE for just being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

I’m a man of peace, a man of ideas — I hate violence and guns — but I do have principles and as such, if I’m not doing anything wrong and ICE comes after me I’m going to stand my ground. I’d rather die on my feet a free man than live my life on my knees a slave, as the old saying goes.

But one thing I will acknowledge is the country is kind of on edge right now. And if there are more murders on the part of ICE…I don’t know what to tell you. Some unexpected and surreal things might happen.

It could be that Trump gets his way and there’s enough of an uprising in Blue states because of ICE thuggery that he declares not just the use of the Insurrection Act but actual martial law.

And then because he’s nuts, he may attempt — attempt — to cancel the 2026 midterms. Now THAT would be interesting.

A Greater Than Zero Chance Of A Civil War / Revolution In The USA By The End Of 2026…Exists…Maybe

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

We seem to be careening towards a dark and unknown shore. Trump grows more and more bonkers, seemingly by the moment. And, so, it definitely seems at least possible that — probably because of the 2026 elections — the USA has some sort of severe political disruption up to and including civil war / revolution.

Now, I have been talking such “hysterical doom shit” for years and years now and nothing has happened — in large part because Republicans have gotten what they wanted and so they have had no need to rebel (for the most part)

So, as such, if there is any sort of civil war / revolution, it will be because Blues have had enough and there’s a major uprising. I still have my doubts that such a thing will happen, but…I have to admit that I’m growing a little uneasy.

Trump keeps poking the bear, as it were, and there may come a point when Blues have had enough and they finally fight back. How exactly that “fighting back” might show itself is any’s one’s guess.

It will be interesting to see how things progress, going forward.

Not Even Lincoln During The American Civil War Canceled Elections

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

There is a lot of talk on the Left on Twitter about Trump potentially “cancelling” the 2026 midterms. I just don’t see that happening. I could totally see him fucking with the elections so they’re not free and fair — but canceling? Nah.

But I do believe that if Trump fucked with the elections in some big way that that, in itself, would cause a revolution / civil war. I think it’s possible that Trump might declare martial law in some Blue states and — gulp — even maybe start arresting political leaders in those states as well.

And THAT would DEFINITELY start a civil war / revolution.

And remember, it will be the Blues who start any civil war / revolution. Reds have no need to because they’re politically ascendent and all they have to do is be patient and let fascism fully take hold.

Martial Law In The USA Because Of The 2026 Midterms Seems Like A Real Possiblity

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

The only reason why I bring up the possibility of martial law because of the 2026 midterms is Trump keeps pushing the Overton Window farther and father down the road — moving the goal posts.

So, now, he’s talking about using the Insurrection Act in Minnesota, but by the time the 2026 midterms roll around, it could be he will want to invoke martial law so he can “cancel” the elections or something just as devious.

If he does that, then, of course, all bets are off.

We could have a massive popular uprising in the USA not seen since the American Civil War. Or something. Something really bad WILL happen if Trump fucks with the 2026 midterms.

All the conditions for Trump to do something untoward around the 2026 midterms are there. Trump doesn’t want to get impeached again and if it looked like there might be a “Blue Wave” that could take even the Senate to the point that Trump might be convicted if impeached, then, yeah, I could see Trump “canceling” elections.

Sick, Sad World: We Can’t Even Agree On Facts Anymore

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

Our political system has gotten so tightly wound that we can’t even agree on basic facts. Now, obviously, this is not new — we all saw what happened on January 6th, 2021 and yet, well, you know.

The latest incident is, of course, the cold blooded murder of Renee Good in Minnesota by a thug ICE agent. We all saw the same thing, and, yet, the MAGA interpretation of what happend — because of fucking Trump — is totally deranged relative to what I saw.

This is yet another example of something that if you told me we were going to have a civil war and or revolution soon in the USA, then, yeah, I would say that it was obvious it was going to happen in hindsight.

You just can’t have a functioning polity if the two sides are so divided that they can’t agree on what the fuck reality is. I still think that if there’s a civil war or revolution, it will be not from the Right, but from the Left. The Left will finally, finally get radicalized enough to the point that it finally does something about all the bullshit that the MAGA Right has been up to.

But the center-Left is such a bunch of wussies and there is so much slack in the system — at least in center-Left echo chamber — that….I think ultimately we become a fascist state and that it is that.

Vague Imagining of WW3 (And Second American Civil War or Revolution)

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

The skies are overcast where I live and that has gotten me thinking about WW3. Now, let me be clear that I’m not talking about a full exchange between the US and Russia, but rather a limited exchange between, say, India and Pakistan.

Now, even more context.

The only way I could see WW3 happening is if the US collapses into civil war and or revolution. I really don’t know if the US is going to have a civil war or revolution, it at the moment there’s a greater than zero chance that it happening.

In my imagination, what I think might happen is the US collapses into chaos, bombs itself into oblivion and then we come out the other side expecting the world to be the same.

That, of course, will not have happened.

But, of course, there is another way that WW3 could happen — it’s possible that the DPRK might grow unstable to the point that they start lobbing H-bombs at the USA. Now THAT would be dark. People don’t appreciate that the DPRK has the means, motive and opportunity to make life hell in the USA if something goes wrong there.

If the DPRK did blow up a major American city with a H-bomb, that would definitely set off WW3 one way or another because China would probably get involved.

Anyway, all of this is very vague, but the issue is I’m definitely thinking about WW3 at the moment.

Second American Civil War (or Revolution), 2026?

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I have pontificated so much on the possibility of a civil war or revolution to the point that it’s kind of silly for me to talk about it. But, let’s do it anyway.

I just don’t think there will be a civil war in the United States in 2026. Americans are not French and, as such, they are very, very docile. It takes a lot — A LOT — to rile them up.

The only possible way I could maybe, just maybe see a civil war (or revolution) in the USA this year is if Trump actively fucked with the 2026 midterms to the point that he invoked the Insurrection Act or even declared martial law. If he declared martial law and tried to actually cancel the 2026 midterms, then, yes, we will have a civil war in the second half of this year.

But, otherwise, I just don’t see it.

Now, while we’re on the subject, I do think that if Trump ran for an illegal third term in 2028, then, yeah, that would cause a civil war or revolution. Big time. But, at the same time, I think Trump’s personal historical reason to exist on a macro basis is to destroy the existing Constitutional order to the point that we may have to convene a Constitutional Convention to fix things once he finally, finally leaves the stage.

But all of that is very, very speculative.

I will note that I have long thought that if there’s a civil war, it will because Blues have had enough, not because of Reds — why would Reds want a civil war, they’re politically ascendant.

Anyway, I can’t predict the future.