Surviving Our Changed America

We can disagree and still love each other, unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression and denial of my humanity and right to exist.

James Baldwin

Today is Inauguration Day 2025. It is for a person, who I named Felon 47. He is a man who is loathed by slightly less than 50% of the American public, while cultishly followed — in my estimation — by about 40% of our population. I’ve already had my fill over the past years seeing his image everywhere. I now turn off the sound on my TV and radio when I hear him. I change the channel when I hear his disturbing voice. I read the headlines but skip over articles about him. I have even learned to skim right past articles on Felon 47 without even reading them. Yes, I’m one of those who loathe him.

Unbeknown to most, since the changes will start far away from Americans’ front doors, will be the installment of an authoritarian into the White House. He, who appears to want to create an oligarchy but is actually turning us into what is called a kakistocracy, that is, government by the least suitable or competent citizens of a nation. But, enough with the name-calling.

For the average woke person, for the average American, and even for our average MAGA-nuts, it will be horribly difficult at worst — just plain difficult at best — to navigate oneself through the next four years, if a nation of incompetence is in fact what Felon 47 is striving to achieve. Finances, friendships, family and communities will all be affected.

You may find yourself reeling from the excessive changes that will be taking place. What will be implemented is anybody’s guess, except for this: A type of economic survival of the fittest (and its concurrent underbelly of society) will become more visible to those who don’t believe that human beings can be forced into such ranks. The ranks will be extreme too. Uber-wealthy versus the destitute living side-by-side in the same country. A shrinking middle class. Increase in bold-faced racism. An increase in violence, not by immigrants but us against ourselves. But again, it’s anybody’s guess what will really happen to us.

I am a pessimist by nature. A realist by education. A watcher due to curiosity. I have been talking to optimists a lot about this election, and I don’t hear it. I don’t hear optimism from folks, not even MAGA folks. This time, I would agree with the worried MAGAs. Will the oppression directed at specific Americans be pointed right at us? All Americans? (With the exception of the uber-wealthy.)

Turn on your mass media sources to see unemployment numbers start going up again. Watch American hi-tech bros be replaced with H1B Visa types. Experience your taxes going up. Notice your neighbor getting evicted by the bank. See oppression of some type once again in our streets. (This time by “any means necessary.”) See the oligarchs do to us what they did to our Venezuelan brothers and sisters. See Russian oligarchs befriend the celebrities of Hollywood and the major media outlets. (It’s true. Felon 47 has already appointed ambassadors to Hollywood.) It may not be obvious at the beginning, but you’ll see it, and you’ll see it this year.

Some Questions on Surviving

Ask yourself some questions about the Felon 47 agenda before you begin. First and foremost, what of his opinions and views will end in my inevitable oppression, because, you know, that he’ll at least attempt to oppress the portion of the American public? If implemented, what will impact me, my family, and my friends?

Have you reviewed your finances for risk? Have you pulled out of riskier investments? Will you hold off on large or cash-heavy projects for the years it will take for the coast to be clear again? Will you need to practice frugality like you’ve never known before? How will the possibility of upcoming tariffs affect prices at local grocery, hardware, and furniture stores?

Will these next four years negatively impact relationships, or mental and physical health? Will your health insurance become more expensive? Or, will you even have health insurance anymore?

What will you do if your family or friends get swept up in the most massive deportation program in American history? What will happen if your children get involved in the Felon 47 fever, by military draft or otherwise? What will you do and feel when you see more law enforcement officials, maybe even military such as The Guard, on your streets? What will you do and feel when you see family separations start happening again? Will you see more homeless families in around and in your neighborhood? In the area in which you work?

What about the toxic people in life, draining and keeping you from your real priorities? How do you keep the MAGAs away from you on social media? In your family gatherings?

How about overseas?

Will what happens overseas affect you here in the United States? How will new policies affect international relationships? Will the final solution for the Gaza strip be a landscape of high-rise, high-end skyscrapers for the rich and wealthy? How much of Ukraine, a democracy, will Felon 47 give to Vladimir Putin?

Set Relationship Boundaries

Create healthy boundaries against toxic MAGAs, who I have found for the most part are not safe people. If you meet a MAGA, keep them at arms length until you are certain they are not one of the radical right-wing faction. (They all are not extremists, you know. Some are simply not educated in how politics affects average Americans.)

Block or Mute the MAGAs on your social media accounts. Do not engage with them. If you mistakenly do, bow out. Be nice but bow out, fast.

Choose to be a Post-Consumerist

Over the past few years and especially since November 2024, we’ve seen more references to what is known as post-consumerism. It is already happening.

To understand our incoming post-consumer economy, one has to understand consumerism itself, which at its root is a toxic addiction. It starts out as wanting the latest/greatest gadget or design, or wanting to be better than the Joneses, but it only gets worse over time, especially if there is no control structure early on in life.

Frugality doesn’t come easy for consumerists. At the grocery store, one feels a need to buy those six-packs of soda for the walk-in pantry. At home, one must have the latest BBQ gadget, fire pit, and outdoor furniture. At work, one must have the requisite style be that jewelry, accessories, suits, general dress, et cetera. A lot of this stuff is simply not necessary because most people already have enough of all of this stuff. To be a post-consumerist, one has to realize that fact, exactly like a hoarder must believe that there is a future after “stuff.”

Re-gain Your Power in Your Community

All politics is local and what could be more local than the government that runs your city or county. All to often, however, locals do not participate in local politics. Work and children gets most people out of politics completely, which is really not healthy at all, as it increases the likelihood of beliefs in conspiracy theories and outright lies, as well as getting conned by lying politicians of which there are many. What I’m talking about is something far more powerful than voting. It is called speaking up.

For me, it’s a past-time. It’s fun, especially when you see your ideas being implemented. It puts you at the same level as your local leaders. It helps to give you a sense of control over what happens to you locally. And, you can always say that you contributed to improving the planet.

The News

According to the New York Review, we need to assume that institutions will not save us. “The national press is likely to be among the first institutional victims of Trumpism.” Goodbye CNN and MSNBC as they are now.

The only remedy to this possibility is to engage with listener-supported radio and TV. National Public Radio, the Public Broadcasting Station, and Free Speech TV all provide avenues to get real, fact-based news. And, none of them have CEOs who are massively overpaid. Support them with your dollars.

Other Survival Stuff

If you follow even some of the ideas mentioned here, you’ll end up with less stuff, more cash, less debt, more financial stability during these upcoming turbulent times, and — most likely — more peace and happiness. You’ll be one of those who do fine over the next four years, but here are just a few more tips, gleaned from our still free Internet.

• Take breaks from the news when it feels overwhelming.
• If you’re a blogger, like me, don’t write about him. Don’t give him but one second in your brain. Dismiss him. For example, this is not my first post that references Felon 47, the world’s 21^st century Hitler, but it will be my last. (I will make reference to his policies and their effects on us, but to him? No.)
• Party plan! Don’t eat out as much while entertaining more at home.
• Rather than buy new, fix things that can be fixed.
• Spend time connecting regularly with supportive friends or community groups.
• Maintain your sense of morality and ethics. Maintain your decency towards others.
• Focus on actions within your control—like volunteering, setting personal goals, and life-long learning. Learn the difference between facts and opinions.
• Don’t forget the power of a simple walk, a good book, or a deep breath to reset.

Godspeed.