It seems probable that, as the Trump administration rolls out its agenda - with the both houses of Congress and the Supreme Court as lockstep enablers - his initiatives will begin to resemble a steamroller.
In response, if the world is fortunate, a resistance movement will arise.
Civil Disobedience
There will be marches, demonstrations, street protests, and sit-ins reminiscent of the 1960s. Even if initially indulgent, the Trump administration will be unlikely to brook much overt dissent; past a certain point, they will not accept being challenged and in time can be expected to retaliate with force. Trump, who openly admires "strongman leaders," like Viktor Orban and Kim Jong Un, will abhor the idea of being seen as weak, especially by his MAGA followers.
DJT is a classic authoritarian - and proud of it. Embedded in the dominator's psychology - in addition to sadistic tendencies - is the belief that authority itself must be unchallengeable. A top-dog must remain on top and need not negotiate with peons. When persistently challenged, dyed-in-the-wool authoritarians usually resort to some form of violence, as the only response they have left.
Recall, that in the run-up to 4 June 1989, Chinese leaders - accustomed to being in rigid control for millennia - lacked the flexibility to acknowledge the legitimacy of the protestors' modest desires. The Chinese students were ablaze with the same democratic ideals as American students who clashed with authorities in the sixties. They used the same nonviolent tactics and favorite slogans of American antiwar protesters. However, they failed to appreciate that the degree to which authorities, when challenged, would assert their dominance with an iron fist. The Tiananmen massacre followed.
However, in the coming months and years in the U. S., similar responses need not come from institutional sources. Paramilitary militia groups loyal to Donald Trump have been rebuilding and regaining strength. It is not unlikely that they, sooner or later, will instigate violent clashes with nonviolent protesters. And without discipline, protesters' nonviolence can turn on a dime into violent responses.
It seems probable that provocateurs will be used to infiltrate nonviolent civil disobedience marches and rallies as a rationale for labeling protesters as terrorists - leading to unbridled police or national guard responses. I would guess that, sooner or later, we will witness events echoing the killings at Kent State and Tiananmen Square.
In response, a few people may follow the example of Aaron Bushnell: self-immolation.
It is predictable, given Donald's Trump's character structure that - along with the collusion that the media has already demonstrated - there will be ongoing attempts to deceive the American public... to present a positive facade that is the polar opposite of the truth. That is, the opposite of the following assessment by James Gilligan M.D. (in Bandy Lee's book, The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump):
"The Issue is Dangerousness, Not Mental Illness:
"If we are silent about the numerous ways in which Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened violence, incited violence, or boasted about his own violence, we are passively supporting and enabling the dangerous and na??ve mistake of treating him as if he were a 'normal' president or a 'normal' political leader. He is not, and it is our duty to say so, and to say it publicly. He is unprecedentedly and abnormally dangerous."
The Role of "Spiritual Elders and Mentors"
However, responding to domination with reciprocal attempts to over-power adversaries - particularly when the established powers have the police and military at their beck and call - clearly will not work. The challenge will be responding to abuse of power without an in-kind reaction.
If these predictions are at all accurate, those of us seeking a more equitable society will need all the wisdom and practical know-how we can find. In addition to relying on one another in the present, we need to remember that we can draw sustenance from the wisdom of elders and allies - beings who have already confronted oppression and evil. True elders have become deep repositories of wisdom and have a desire to serve and enhance all life. We can think of these beings as the advanced guard, as spiritual mentors. Or, as "species forerunners."
We will need to bring to the coming challenges...social creativity, innovation, and a spirit of experimentation. To realize that we are not in it alone and do not have to re-invent the wheel.
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