(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . A Conversation between a straight white male and a trans person... [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2024-11-13 I want to tell you all about something that happened after the election. As with many, I was in shock, distraught, and horrified at the results. I then began to stress out about my friends and family. I fell into a dark place. A very dark place. I thought it was the end. I went to a local bar where a friend of mine, who’s trans, works and we had a conversation. I had commented this in another diary, but I thought I’d expand on it more. I told them at length that I was worried about people’s rights and the economy and pretty much everything people are worried about. The said they were too but told me that, because they was a part of a marginalized community, she had always had that worry whether or not trump was in office, about how her community and others had been persecuted throughout the centuries and yet they were still here. They told me that what I was worried about was theoretical and that, yes, things will suck in the next two years, but it most likely will not devolve into authoritarianism because there are more of us then there are of them and if they try to take away voting rights, even a little, people will find out and fight back. They said, for the time being, we have to think locally and be there for each other. They then told me that trump and MAGA is evil, but really stupid. Remember the wall they promised? Remember anything that they promised? Didn’t happen, and what did happen was hardly close to what was promised. Not only that, but there are some republicans that are evil but not stupid. I.E., they’re not going to bow to trump’s every will because that would potentially mean the end of their careers or at least lose power in the mid-terms. I was still scared for them and they said they are to, but had been through worse and made it out ok. They said we’ll survive another presidency because trump and his people were too egotistic and incompetent the first time around to achieve the worst case scenario (apart from covid), and it’s even less likely to happen this time because trump doesn’t have to deliver anything because its his last term. There will be chaos and infighting within, and as such it’s a high probability that not a while lot will get done. I finally asked if we were going to be ok, and they joked that white men like me will be, and we had a laugh about it. But they added that, yes, democracy will still survive, but only if we fight for it. And considering the backlash that’s happening so far, it’s safe to say that that’s a given. I left the bar feeling a little better. I live in a deep blue state and am confident that trump’s policies will not hurt us as much as the red states, at least ones with GOP governors. But I am an empath, and worry about others, naturally. I worry about freedoms and voting and climate change, etc. But there are silver linings to cling onto: 1. trump cannot order the military to do anything he wants them to. The pentagon and high ranking military officials are reported to deny any orders deemed illegal or immoral. 2. The supreme court, though tarnished, have rejected parts of trump’s radical plans before. 3. Some in the GOP are evil, but they’re not dumb and reckless. Those in congress and the senate are not going to jeopardize there careers by rubber-stamping every single appointee and agenda trump throws at them. 2026 will be coming for them if they do. 4. Yes, there will be elections in 2026 and 2028, and no, they’re not going to be like Russia’s. Elections are state level. 5. trump is not in good health. He is 79, in steep mental decline, and morbidly obese. I give him another year or so before he croaks or is removed. 6. The GOP can’t win without trump. You saw the primaries. It’s a cult. No one wants anyone other than him, and it wasn’t even close. When he’s gone, a good chunk of republicans won’t vote. Good news for Dems in the coming years. 7. There were many factors as to why Harris lost, but the biggest reason is misinformation. trump didn’t win because a majority of Americans want fascism or their rights taken away, they were either misled or didn’t care. I mean, have you seen voters going apeshit about tariffs and deportations and layoffs? Now, could I be wrong and find myself in front of a firing squad? Maybe. But I’m not gonna lay down and fucking take it, I’ll tell you that much. Here is a link to Hopium Chronicles, a substack that actually helped democrats like Gallego and Slotkin win their elections: www.hopiumchronicles.com Then listen to networks like Meidastouch and Adam Mockler on youtube: www.youtube.com/… www.youtube.com/… I also want to leave you with some advice that my friend gave me before I left: “Think locally. Work locally. Fight locally. Love internationally.” Do not give up. Get off your ass so we can kick theirs. Thanks. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/story/2024/11/13/2286128/-A-Conversation-between-a-straight-white-male-and-a-trans-person Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/