Here’s what I’ve been thinking: How can this get even worse? 

“Worse?” you say. “What do you mean, ‘worse?’”  Isn’t the phrase “President-Elect Trump” bad enough?

Here’s what I mean. Imagine this scenario:

1. A crisis occurs which the Trump administration claims is a terrorist attack, but we have no way of knowing because,
2. As soon as the crisis occurs, Trump starts to push through horrific, punitive legislative. Those who question the narrative of events or the new legislation are bullied into submission, with cries of “unpatriotic,” “terrorist sympathizers,” and worse.
3. Meanwhile, a Denial of Service Attack brings down most websites and puts a stranglehold on peer-to-peer communication.
4. People are afraid, cut off from real information, and disconnected from social media and alternate forms of information and connection. And so, in fear,
5. Acquiescence and capitulation happens…until we don’t recognize our country anymore.

Right now we have a terrible situation. Trump is insane, he’s adding Neo-Nazis to his staff, and we have no checks in Congress to provide forceful pushback. However, all of Congress is not insane.  There will be some pushback against xenophobia and racism. There will be some guidance given to the new administration. (How much is up to us, and how loudly we protest.)

But.

But with a real (or exaggerated) crisis, all hope for any moderation goes out the window. As Naomi Klein discusses in Shock Doctrine, any crisis in our country will be used as an opportunity to push through the most draconian measures we have ever seen in our lifetimes.

So what are we to do?

I think we’ve got to start with some assumptions, and build on these:

• Connecting with community is going to be very important. Use the internet for connection, but especially  use it as a tool to help create a real-life web of connection. Go to meetings, church services, concerts, whatever you can do to find and wherever you can go to serve and strengthen your tribe.
• Setting up redundant forms of communication is also going to very important. If the internet went down for 48 hours, or all cell phone coverage went dark, how would you stay connected? How would learn true, verifiable facts about what’s actually going on? Let’s figure out these backup systems now and organize to set them up and keep them strong.
• We need to have smart, well-equipped people on the ground with contingency plans, so when “Shock and Awe: Part II” starts, we’re ready.  Giving groups like the ACLU the funding they need will help them to start preparing now for legal worst-case scenarios.

Love to you all. Be careful out there.