Like the title says this isn’t a jab at anyone’s political stance or position. I am asking because I do not know what the desired response would be to the protests that would make things better. Correct me if im wrong but the only course of action to remove a president in the US is to have them impeached, right? Or is there a version of the no confidence vote that other country’s have been using?
Subsequently, if impeachment is the course, would it make anything better having Vance take over? I know that was the argument in Trump’s first term and from my understanding Vamce is no better than what’s his name vp from first term.
I’m hoping the discussion focuses on the logistics and options that are on the table for potential outcomes and ask that replies that are going to just hope for them all to get terminal cancer be kept to themselves. Not because I’m trying to censor anyone’s voice but rather because there are a ton of threads that already are chalk full of reasons why people hate the current administration and the ill will they wish upon them all.
I’m looking to discuss the direction forward not the mistakes that got us here.
Yeah, if anyone has a plan, please share it and give us hope!
Article 2: Impeachment from the House, conviction by 2/3 of the Senate and the Chief Justice.
14th Amendment: Removal for insurrection or rebellion against the Constitution. As it stands so far, would only prevent someone from running again. If someone has the means to have that tried now since he was convicted before the election, that’d be uncharted territory.
25th Amendment: VP and top 15 cabinet members declare the president unable to serve.
Other options of hand would be a coup by the military or citizens, a takeover from another country, censored from natural causes or otherwise, states could leave the union. I’m sure there’s other things I’m missing.
If any of those options are possible or better than what we have now, I can’t say. I feel things aren’t bad enough yet for any of the less civil options to come off as the morally right option. Until he starts getting some more cases brought against him to see what type of laws do or don’t apply to him, civil methods of resistance are still probably the best. If either side goes non-civil, it’s going to make things way worse for everyone long before it makes it better, should the side you fall on be victorious. Lose, and it will probably be much, much worse.
Not publicly advocating any of these things, but I’m a hypothetical scenario, these would be my thoughts. 😇
At this point the best argument for protests is that they serve to keep up the morale of the protestors. The danger of protests is that they get out of hand. Obviously that doesn’t look likely right now, but for people tempted to advocate mass action, you need to be aware of the hazards. A protest that gets out of hand or becomes violent is a godsend for any would-be dictator. If gives them the chance to crack down and say “I told you so, this exactly why you elected me”. Trump is dreaming of a protest that gets out of hand, just as he’s dreaming of more political assassinations (which people in this community have been ignorantly cheerleading).
As I understand the theory of authoritarian collapse, the ideal strategy for protests is to pick your moment very carefully, get out in large numbers, and stay peaceful and orderly at all costs. Everything is else will be useless or catastrophically counter-productive. There is now plenty of case study to back this up. Including very recent situations in Venezuela (so far futile but at least no bloodbath), South Korea (success), and right this minute in Georgia (teetering between violent crackdown and revolution).
In America, the moment for such action would perhaps be if Trump were to explicitly ignore a Supreme Court order.
What Trump and his lackeys are doing is illegal. The thing is, people get away with illegal things all the time. Being illegal is only a deterrent if there are consequences.
So it’s up to the people to show Congress that there will be electoral consequences in 2026 if they don’t do anything in 2025. The Presidential election is over, and it’s incredibly unlikely that enough representatives/senators would do their plain duty to convict the guy. The people have to let them know that if they don’t at least keep things happening within the rules, they won’t be back.
Protests are more visible to the media, so they keep up the morale of the resistance, but it’s every bit as important to write, call, and otherwise contact your representatives in DC to let them know this is NOT OK. Be polite, but firm.
https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htmThis is the right answer IMO. This is the way representative democracy is supposed to work. And contrary to what many people assume, politicians are in fact very sensitive to direct contact from their own voters.
Morale first and foremost. But we don’t live in a dictatorship. There are still two branches of government capable of checks and balances. And one of those two directly answers to the people.
The election can’t be un-done, I think the best anyone can hope for is for Trump and company to stop doing stupid shit, but that won’t happen as long as the number of protestors is lower than the number of people who voted for him in '24. 77,302,580.
I guarantee there won’t be anywhere near 77 million people protesting.
