Keep living life as normal, unless the Chicken-Little fear-mongering by the progressive class turns out to be valid. We already survived four years of the idiot, and we’ll survive four more. People tend to forget that we’re a republic of 50 states.
Pretty much the same thing as last time, I expect. Live my life, only with a lot more obsessing about politics (and more concrete action surrounding politics). It was nice to have some time off, because I don’t actually like thinking about politics constantly, but so it goes.
Y’all keep saying “four more years” like that’s all it is. But what if it’s not? I’m really afraid.
I’m female and an atheist, so although I’ll feel automatically delegated to a lesser citizen, I can’t just up and run away, much as I would like to. My children are here (and my daughter is gay). I’ll stay and fight the good fight, whatever that happens to look like.
I can’t leave the country because I have no job abroad and can’t get a work VISA. I have no friends in the other countries that I’d be willing to go to who can act as contacts in the search for a job abroad. My tech skills aren’t advanced enough to draw the attention of companies in other countries because many people right there have them. The only choice left, and a long shot, is to try to get a job teaching English in another country, but I cannot speak their native language. I doubt they would have much use for that. Because my English and knowledge of grammar is so strong, I could perhaps be an English teacher in an advanced class where the students are required to speak English in my classroom. The last choice, and the far more probable one, is to make sure that I stay in Illinois because it is a very liberal state.
IMHO planning to flee overseas is a bit of over-reaction. Trump could twist some screws on blue states but he’ll be hurting MAGA residents there as well, and he’s too dumb to figure out how to hurt the “right” people all on his own. If we start seeing politicians falling out of windows, reporters getting disappeared, and compulsory military draft reinstated then I’ll start considering options.
What can I possibly do?
I will just continue living my life.
Moving anywhere different is not an option.
Planning on retiring in 2025 and doing more travel.
Again it’s not only because of Trump, but I do have additional factors. Having the ability to gain citizenship and leave for some place I love is not a bad thing to have in my back pocket considering the history of when a dictator rises to power.
This, pretty much. Our main concerns are Social Security and Medicare, on which we depend. Republicans have for years been salivating at the idea of curtailing or eliminating both, should they gain absolute power.
Oh, totally agree! A friend of mine has a similar possibility and has made comments (jokingly) about fleeing should T2.0 happen, but she also has a ton of commitments and anchors here that would make such a move only an extreme action of escape, and only under extreme circumstances. Most people here are similarly tied to the USA and have no other options in the back pocket, so we’re going to live our lives, ride it out, and mitigate risks to ourselves and others we care about as best we can.
Probably not much. I work for the federal government. I’m eligible to retire, and plan on retiring at the end of 27. I might retire end of this year just to avoid having to hear (as directly) his attacks on federal employees. No big deal. Will slightly reduce my pension, but will relieve some stress.
We’ve already moved our investments into pretty secure areas.
Will likely turn even more inward, engaging less with news media, likely travel even less to red areas. Just enjoy my peasant home/yard in this purple county in a solidly blue state. Spend times with the limited circle of friends/family whom I enjoy.
We’ve discussed whether things would ever get so bad that we would consider emigrating, but I doubt that would ever come to pass.
We both love Sint Maarten/Saint Martin so much and have talked about moving there. We’ve met and discussed how to go about it with expats we’ve met.
If we did move, though, I’d never want to come back to the US, and I’d miss my kids. My gf would miss her brothers. For family reasons I can’t see us moving.
The two ends of plausible for a second term are 1) lazy repeat of term 1 but being more brazen about being corrupt and more aggressive crackdowns, both with police and the legal system, of his perceived enemies 2) Selling US foreign policy to the highest bidder, pardons to his violent supporters w/ support for further violence, shooting protestors, using the courts to rig elections, refusing to step down.
For 1 I probaly grumble and don’t do much. For 2 (have a new remote job) I spend much of my time outside the country and investigate a more permanent move.
Family connections are so crucial. It’s one of the things that prevents a lot of folks from moving I imagine.
I have family in Norway and if things get really dicey I imagine I could go stay there for awhile. But I am too old and too connected to my home to make any permanent moves.
Have not been to Saint Martin yet but I go to Aruba every year and wouldn’t mind staying there for a spell! The Caribbean would be a lush place to ride out a trump disaster in the US.
Yeah. My only 2 grandkids (4,9) live 10 minutes away. And I don’t see my other kids/sibs/nieces-nephews as often as I ought, but not sure I’d want to intentionally REDUCE that frequency.
I seem to have difficulty tolerating too terribly many people (and vice versa). It is tough to toss off the few friends/relatives I DO have, hoping I’ll meet more in a new location at my age.
We’ll see, tho. If the worst possible occurs, maybe retiring as an ex-pat will become more appealing.
I’ve posted this in another thread or two, but it seems relevant here: a “choose your own adventure” exercise on what to do if Trump is elected. Options range from hunkering down to various kinds of resistance. Home - What if Trump (or Harris) wins…
If it strikes you as “Chicken Little,” this WaPo story might be of interest https://wapo.st/3WtT8x6
I think we are right to be concerned, and it makes sense to consider options and ideas now. YMMV
I’m a retired federal employee living in a purple state. While I am concerned about how some of the 2025 Project things that I’ve heard about may effect and pension and health benefits, I’m not sure if any of them will actually happen. If worse comes to worse, I could theoretically relocate to Ireland. In addition to having ancestral family connections there, I could theoretically qualify for Irish citizenship. My late wife’s father was born in Ireland, which automatically makes her an Irish Citizen and by marriage myself. All I would need to do is obtain proof of her father’s birth, and then provide that and copies of the other relationship documents to the proper Irish authority along with (I presume) assorted processing fees.
Though born in the U.S.A. I don’t live there; and have reached an age where worry about my personal future is not an issue. Still I’ll make some guesses about the future.
Several posters worry about the economic outlook. The Dollar will lose its “safe haven” status sooner or later, but that may not depend on the White House. Indeed a Republican agenda is likely to fuel more stock market boom (at least short term). It is the turn from democracy to fascism, both in the U.S.A. and around the world, that gives me grief.
Of course Trumpist dominance will be bad for blacks, Muslims, and women seeking Choice – but those groups are already in trouble.
And if D’s do keep the White House, the R’s will have veto power via Congress or Scotus. And the backlash by angry Trump supporters will cause much grief and probably violence if Trump loses.
People overlook how much worse a 2nd Trump Administration will be than the 1st. Trump was surprised to win in 2016 – his candidacy was a publicity stunt – and mostly played golf, engaged in petty grifting and giving secrets to Putin. In a 2nd term, he will be out for revenge: He’s said as much. The Republicans already have much more power than they “should” by voter counts. Georgia has announced – and SCOTUS has approved – plans to steal the 2024 election. States with Red Legislature and Blue Governor have stripped the Gov of power. Texas is advancing plans to switch from one-person-one-vote to one-county-one-vote to ensure the Governor is always Red. The 2024 election is already rigged, but less rigged than any further elections if the Reds win control.
This thinking is much too optimistic. People overlook how much worse a 2nd Trump Administration will be than the 1st. Trump is semi-literate and doesn’t care about Project 2025. But he will be eager to please big donors; so expect much of that evil agenda to advance if Trump wins.
I’ve already mentioned Texas and Georgia as examples of states that may remain Red even if Blues are a majority. And if SCOTUS and Congress are dominated by the extreme right, abortion may become illegal even in Bright-Blue states like California.
More or less this. Though I’ll most likely be retiring about the time he would get inaugurated and since I have a defined benefit pension with a modest COLA in a loosely solvent fund, I will be a little more cushioned against economic downturn than many recent retirees. I’ve recently leveraged myself a bit, so there is a potential combo that could nip at my heels a little a few years down the line. But even then barring further catastrophic collapse they should be “first world problems” for me. Mostly I should be fine.
Unless the bottom truly falls out, then none of us will be fine. But I’m not in a position to plan for that, so hunkering down it is.
From the utterly unsafe no-distance of the other side of the Canadian border, I’ll be drinking heavily and petitioning the Prime Minister to close the border.
Your whole post is excellent and your observations are what I also see as true.
My closest friend here is a Canadian who has lived in the States for most of her life but has never obtained American citizenship. Since she’s no longer required to renounce her Canadian citizenship to become a dual American citizen, I’m not really sure why other than inertia. We were at lunch a few days ago and were discussing the very question posed in this thread.
Despite our fears, in the end, we agreed we’re all (she and her American husband and I) too old and settled to migrate elsewhere unless we’re being rounded up for camp placement. If Republicans prevail with their evil plans to steal the 2024 election – and they are absolutely going to try – then I’ll be no better or worse off if I’m in another country. I’m dependent on the American dollar. Unpredictable currency fluctuations could bite worse elsewhere than here.
I’m fortunate to live in an insulated way and probably only have to figure out another 20-ish years ahead. Hopefully that will be sufficient. But I will hate every minute of Republican rule and will fight it in every way I can if it comes to pass.