Prepare for an attack on America
At this moment, an attack on the homeland would benefit greatly the Trump administration.
His polls are plummeting and even his sycophants are struggling to explain away his treason, idiocy and delusions of grandeur.
As any authoritarian leader knows, an attack consolidates power, galvanizes the citizenry and distracts from evil, incompetence and corruption in leadership.
Just ask Hitler about the efficacy of the Reichstag fire.
Trump’s puppeteer Putin also well knows the advantages of being attacked and is likely advising as such.
An attack immediately boosts popularity.
An attack gives weak and cowardly men the veneer of strength — without actually having to do anything brave.
An attack keeps the populace in a state of fear — and the afraid are so much easier to control and manipulate.
An attack justifies treatment of the already maligned — whether that be black and brown people, immigrants, journalists, political opponents or protesters — as the enemy.
An attack allows for the dismantling of institutions (well underway).
An attack opens the door for martial law.
(Hegseth is already working on stacking the military deck.)
An attack justifies the removal of civil liberties of all citizens and increased surveillance and the oppression of (or worse) political rivals and dissenters.
An attack can present opportunities to pillage the natural resources of another country — and it doesn’t even have to be the country/ party responsible for the attack (Just ask George W).
An attack provides a financial boon to cronies in the military industrial complex — and potentially the failing economy as a whole.
So how can our own sniveling wannabe tyrant bring this dream to reality?
There’s the direct self-bombing strategy — a la Putin 1999.
Then there are more indirect ways to increase the odds — like spewing obscene nationalism, demonizing entire races and/or countries, and creating global destabilization by denouncing democracy, betraying allies, cozying up to dictators, and pulling billions in foreign aid critical to maintaining peace across unstable regions.
Or, simply ignore security warnings of an imminent attack, a la George W. or Netanyahu (which can bring an added bonus of opening up lucrative seaside real-estate).
So when an attack occurs, what do we do?
“Be calm when the unthinkable arrives,” writes Timothy Snyder in On Tyranny.
“When the terrorist attack comes, remember that authoritarians exploit such events in order to consolidate power.”
Do not be gaslit! Keep your wits about you.
Do not obey in advance (Snyder’s first lesson).
Do not think you are reliant on dear leader for your safety and security (quite the opposite).
Seek multiple independent news sources.
Think critically.
Protect yourself and your family and prepare appropriately for a sudden loss of freedoms.
Don’t believe the lies.
Do not fool yourself for one second into thinking that this administration cares about the taking of innocent American lives.
(Quite the opposite — they love any opportunity to cull the masses.)
Native lives lost are nothing to a good fascist compared to the personal gains.
Do not forget that Trump is and always has been a malignant narcissistic sociopath with zero capacity for empathy.
This will be no time to start trusting the billionaires.
An attack does not change the fact that the goal of this administration is to take away our rights and create a racist, misogynistic white Christian Nationalist theocracy and oligarchy.
An attack only serves to advance this goal.
Resist — in whatever way you can.
Work together.
The common resistance only becomes more critical.
At present — If you do not acknowledge elements of Hitler’s 1930’s playbook already unfolding in real time — then you are either a Fox News watcher, a Nazi (or both), profiting off the enterprise, or sadly uniformed and delusional.
“The sudden disaster that requires the end of checks and balances, the dissolution of opposition parties, the suspension of freedom of expression, the right to a fair trial, and so on — is the oldest trick in the Hitlerian book,” writes Snyder. “Do not fall for it.”
Hitler’s “State of Emergency” lasted more than a decade.
Study the playbook so you will not be surprised by the next play.
Finally, stay optimistic.
I, for one, believe the virtue, intelligence, compassion and courage of the American people outweighs the apathy, greed, ignorance and hate.
I believe the resisters will triumph — and out of a system broken to begin with — will emerge a better, more just, more resilient America.
History gives us reason for hope.
The fascists always lose in the end.
In the words of Woody Guthrie:
“I’m gonna tell you fascists
You may be surprised
The people in this world
Are getting organized
You’re bound to lose
You fascists bound to lose.”