If I were sitting next to you, I’d want to ask you what you thought and saw from this experience. I’d be curious what scared you, what made you feel more prepared, and how you plan to handle your emotional journey no matter what happens. Likely you’d have other scenarios that would pop into your head and I’d be interested to hear what you think might happen.
No, this isn’t trying to be a crystal ball. Yes, you’re probably right some things would happen differently. Yes, it’s true the make-up of Congress would matter a lot. Sure, that part is unlikely to happen like that …
I would want to remind you that very little of Trump’s actions did I just make up. It largely comes from his committed words. (You can see footnotes attached many of his major moves.) His friends at Project 2025 have published 900-pages of their terrifying plans.
But the goal of this adventure is to pivot away from just what might Trump do — and towards the question: What will you do?
There are many, many roles in social resistance. If any version of these events comes to be, there will be an abundant number of needs. You will be needed. This adventure explores a couple major approaches. Two approaches I urge against are staying purely in a reactive mode and actions that only express opinions — posting on social media or marching in the street. These can grow our confidence, but alone they build no political power to change the course of things. Please don’t get me wrong — these can be helpful tactics in the mix. But a resistance movement that’s too reliant on these approaches will be quickly devastated.
If you replay the adventure, you’ll find four approaches that do help:
- Folks who defend existing institutions
- Folks who protect folks who are being targeted
- Folks who envision and create alternative institutions
- Folks who engage in strategic civil disobedience
Each group has gifts and challenges (and in reality may not be distinct at all). The first two — defend existing institutions and protecting folks who are targeted — are gifted helpers. They want to protect and defend. Thus they want to avoid conflict and keep people from being targeted. However, in an autocratic environment, that cannot be guaranteed. In fact, in order for the movement to win there will be moments where folks will have to do a difficult thing: cast aside their conflict aversion and actively step into risk.
At certain stages and big moments, they’ll have to join the strategic disobedience wings. That wing can be bold, dramatic, and to be effective it needs to understand the art of timing. Calling for civil disobedience too early exposes weaknesses. They have to stay in touch with moderate groups to assess for the right moment. They have to show that disobedience can, to a degree, gain ground and protect people. If other strategies don’t stop an autocrat (and once in office those approaches rarely do), this wing calls everyone to escalated action.
All the while there are folks who envision and create alternative institutions. They help the fight be more than just “preserving democracy.” Autocracy looks attractive because the old model of so-called democracy was deficient. This group holds vision, high-values, and a potent mix of wild idealism and practical demonstrations of a better system.
The reality is few of us think we can “stop Trump.” We may vote. Angst. And then what? Sadly, our teachers and media do us no favors in terms of teaching the strategies for resistance. Media might tell you things are bad — but rare is the article that helps you answer “what can I do?”
I hope this adventure supports you, even a little, to think that what. I want you to envision helping neighbors seeking political shelter — fundraising for your local election protection organizations — or, yes, joining and even leading wildcat strikes.
If any of these things come to pass, we will all have a role to play. Everyone will have a chance to risk for the movement. Hopefully you’re a little more prepared to play it.
If you want more, we have resources: articles about these different approaches, scenario tools you can lead with your local groups, and interviews with people who have fought autocracies. You also can replay to explore all 25+ endings, or buy the book for you and your friends.
We got this.
Daniel Hunter (May 2024)