I sat down a few minutes ago and brainstormed the likely near-term consequences of the public’s inability to reverse the Trump/Musk administration’s virtual destruction of our government and the cessation of our constitutional rights.
I regret to say that none of this is hyperbole.
The catastrophic implications of our current situation are as follows:
• Without Social Security, tens of millions of our elderly and disabled citizens will end up on our streets. Our homeless situation will be many times worse than it is presently.
• Without Medicaid, tens of millions of our sick, elderly, and infirm citizens will end up in emergency care in our hospitals and the resulting lack of capacity will de facto bar emergency care access to most other Americans. Caregivers along with many former Medicaid recipients will turn up in the streets due to lack of income.
• Without freedom of speech and the right to privacy, millions of Americans will be discontinuing the use of the internet and/or the use of social media for fear that they will be deported or worse. Vigilantism will abound when neighbors report on neighbors “bad-mouthing” corruption and/or government dysfunction.
• Without freedom of speech and the right to privacy, very few Americans will dare to travel outside of our country for fear that they may not be allowed to return. Worse yet, they may, without the protection of habeas corpus, be incarcerated.
• Because of the massive layoffs within our federal government, thousands of scientists and medical doctors will either end up being unemployed (adding to our homeless population) or will be lured into taking job offers beyond our borders resulting in a national “brain drain” and the corresponding decline in economic competitiveness.
• Because of the massive layoffs within our federal government and the accompanying deregulation or lack of oversight of our industries, weather forecasting, food safety, air and water quality, air traffic control, preparation/assistance related to catastrophic weather events, and law-abiding police protection will all decline or come to an end.
• The current debunking of the climate and health sciences will lead to the increasing proliferation of freakish, life-threatening weather events and deadly worldwide pandemics.
• The current unbridled and chaotic results of an autocratic government (e.g., on-again, off-again tariffs) will result in an economic depression for our nation and for the world as a whole.
• Our government’s retreat from international affairs will lead to the proliferation of nuclear armaments and increasing militarization of countries around the world. Another world war will likely be the result.
• Freedom of the press will cease to exist, resulting in an increase in the passivity, gullibility, and ignorance of the American public.
• The imminent decline in public education will also result in an increase in the passivity, gullibility, and ignorance of the American public and a rapid decline in our quality of life.
• Economic isolationism resulting in stagflation will reduce our quality of life by limiting the goods and services available to us. A poor economy will lead to massive unemployment and, again, a steep rise in our homeless population
• Mass deportation of our front-line service professionals along with punishing tariffs will reduce our agricultural output and put farmers out of business, thereby increasing hunger both here and abroad. This will also result in an increase in the costs and slow down the rate of construction, thereby putting more housing out of reach to the general public.
• The wealth of our nation (or what’s left of it) will be usurped by oligarchs and, like Russia, our government will be transformed into a criminal organization equipped with its own military and supported by legions of espionage/surveillance “apparatchiks.”
The only positive spin on all of this is that, in spite of robust efforts by the Republican party to undermine voter participation as well as overturn election results, the Democrats might still win back the House and/or the Senate come November 2026. Δ
Allan Cooper writes to New Times from San Luis Obispo. Send a response for publication by emailing it to letters@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Apr 24 – May 4, 2025.
Democrats are just as guilty as Republicans in shoveling our tax money to the defense industry at the expense of social security.
Screw Medicaid, how about national health insurance for EVERYONE?
When have we ever really had a “right to privacy?” The feds will never stop spying on us. Read up on “Fusion centers” and the “5 Eyes” signals collection program.
For all the “freedom” you are concerned about being impinged on, in a “free market” scientists have a right to leave the country and work elsewhere, right?
It’s impossible to “debunk” climate science, math is math. Carbon emissions are quantifiable.
“On again, off again tariffs” will result in a Depression? I have bad news for you, for most of us, we have already been in one for decades. The dollar has collapsed.
“Another world war will likely be a result.” Good, considering the fact that China has millions of miles of high speed rail, free college, scientific breakthroughs on a daily basis, and they have lifted 400 million of their people out of poverty, perhaps we would be better off under their rule. Our government is sending everyone BACK to poverty.
“Ignorance of the American people.” Solution, robust, well funded, secular, public education with a balance between the humanities and science with an emphasis on literacy.
“A poor economy will lead to massive unemployment.” That’s obvious. Solution? Large scale public works projects with the public directly employed by the federal government. Let’s build state owned, collective factories just as our largest economic competitor has. This can all be funded by taking 80 PERCENT OF THE MILITARY BUDGET and using it for these projects. Close all overseas military bases. We can seize concentrated wealth and the equities of our oligarchic overlords. Return our tax rates back to the 1950s. Create capital controls and price controls. Jail all bankers.
“Putting housing out of reach of the public.” It’s already out of reach. Solution? LARGE SCALE PUBLIC HOUSING LIKE THE SCANDINAVIAN COUNTRIES. TAX THE RICH.
“Raise the wages of our front line service professionals” and actual citizens will take those jobs. This can be done by tightening the labor pool by returning the 40 million undocumented to their home countries. Reward those who followed the rules and deport those who haven’t. Restore the rule of law.
In many ways our government already is a “criminal organization.” Putting the opposition party in power won’t change that.
God help us if Democrats return to power. It’ll just be gridlock again with so much drama we might actually see more people light themselves on fire at the capitol steps. If you want real change, prosecute bankers, enact publicly financed elections, balance the budget, and TAX THE RICH.
Pro tip: Just give up all hope. It’s done wonders for me. It’s liberating abandoning the idea that hard work actually pays, you’ll no longer be disappointed, because it doesn’t pay. Scamming does, just as ask any banker, entertainer, tax dodger, rapper, politician, or preacher.
Fly, What a bunch of crap.
Which party the past 45 years has gutted taxes on the richest? Which one has cut social services to fund defense spending? Which one has grown Gov’t spending without giving a penny of new revenues the past 45 years? Hint it’s NOT the Democrats
Ronnie, Dubya and Diaper Don have all gutted taxes (mostly benefitting the richest) while they upped spending. Ronnie started the war on education, then Dubya and now Diaper Don
At least the Democrats, mostly, have funded their spending with tax increases, have pushed back, without super majorities (required in the Senate) to get things done.
Your premise that they are the same is BS.
Clinton created 4 budget surpluses, 3 after vetoing the GOP’s $792+ billion tax cut, by passing the ’93 omnibus bill not a single GOPer voted for. He streamlined Gov’t, within two monthsof taking office, by putting Gore in charge of getting rid of waste, fraud and abuse. Their plan, after 6 months saved billions, cut the federal workforce by 377,000 jobs and put us on a sustainable path.
Dubya/GOP had control for 6 years, ignored warnings on 9/11, went to two unfunded wars, gave us unfunded Medicare that ONLY Part D (drugs) cost $130 billion this year, without a penny of new revenues, not sure how much their Medicare “advantage” (privatize) costs us.
Obama inherited an economy in freefall, what did the American people do? They elected GOP House after 2 years, shrunk the Democrats to 51 in the Senate
Then you have Diaper Don and his dismantling EVERYTHING you say you support?
POLICY MATTERS, BUT ELECTING GOV’T THAT WORKS FOR US TAKES AN INFORMED ELECTORATE, WHICH YOU SHOW, WE DON’T HAVE!
Jon K:
During the 111th Congress, Obama has total control of Congress for 2 years, yet here we are: broke, no single payer health insurance/national health insurance, on the verge of WWII, sick, crumbling infrastructure, reviled, and with wealth so concentrated, Americans have to finance their groceries.
So yeah, your argument doesn’t hold water. Further, why is it when someone points these facts out, they’re considered “MAGA,” a hater, or a crackpot?
Obama and the Dems could have gone on the warpath with the majority the Dems had, but, like a Boomer’s Booner’s, were about as flaccid as it could get and wasted the same opportunity Republicans are now using to shove austerity and neoliberalism down our throats.
Debunking the Myth: Obama’s Two-Year Supermajority
President Obama was sworn in on January 20, 2009 with just 58 Senators to support his agenda.
He should have had 59, but Republicans contested Al Franken’s election in Minnesota and he didn’t get seated for seven months.
The President’s cause was helped in April when Pennsylvania’s Republican Senator Arlen Specter switched parties.
That gave the President 59 votes — still a vote shy of the super majority.
But one month later, Democratic Senator Byrd of West Virginia was hospitalized and was basically out of commission.
So while the President’s number on paper was 59 Senators — he was really working with just 58 Senators.
Then in July, Minnesota Senator Al Franken was finally sworn in, giving President Obama the magic 60 — but only in theory, because Senator Byrd was still out.
In August, Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts died and the number went back down to 59 again until Paul Kirk temporarily filled Kennedy’s seat in September.
Any pretense of a supermajority ended on February 4, 2010 when Republican Scott Brown was sworn into the seat Senator Kennedy once held.
Do you see a two-year supermajority?
TAKES SUPER MAJORITY TO GET THINGS DONE IN THE SENATE, EXCEPT BUDGET, HOW GOP GUTTED TAXES FOR THE RICHEST, PASSED MEDICARE EXPANSION
OBAMA WAS LUCKY OBAMACARES WAS PASSED BY A BUDGET BILL
Reconciliation Process:
This process allows Congress to pass certain budgetary laws with a simplified voting procedure that can bypass the filibuster.
KEEP UP THE CRAP, DON’T WORRY, DIAPER DON WILL FIX EVERYTHING THOUGH!!
“-” Raise the wages of our front line service professionals” and actual citizens will take those jobs. This can be done by tightening the labor pool by returning the 40 million undocumented to their home countries. Reward those who followed the rules and deport those who haven’t. Restore the rule of law.”
FORTY MILLION HUH? DIAPER DONNIE, IS THAT YOU? UNEMPLOYMENT RATES AT 4.2%, WHAT RATE DO YOU THINK WILL PUSH UP THE WAGES? MAYBE IF WE HAD EFFECTIVE RATES OF 60%-70% LIKE WE HAD PRE RONNIE REAGAN, ON THE RICHEST?
RULE OF LAW? LOL
YOU’VE DRANK THE KOOLAID
GOV’T POLICY MATTERS, GUTTING THE GOV’T LIKE DIAPER DON, TURNS US INTO MOST OTHER 3RD WORLD NATIONS WITH “LIMITED GOV’T” BS
Mr. Cooper,
Your commentary is well-received and appreciated. It’s been awhile since I’ve read such an accurate truthful Op-Ed in New Times. Trump did what Trump always does; get elected by any means necessary, avoid Federal prison convictions, pass tax-lowering legislation to benefit billionaires, and attempt to blow up Government-funded programs that provide financial assistance nationally or internationally. American democracy ended on January 20 when Trump gave blanket pardons to 1,600 J-6 rioters who had been convicted of variety of violent crimes.
Sorry, but after promising us that the piece was “not hyperbole”, the writer went on to predict the usual “death of democracy”, the destruction of our government, and cessation of our Constitutional rights, so I had difficulty taking it seriously. If we had a penny for every time the Democrats have pronounced the apocalyptic impact of Trump, we could easily pay off the deficit.
Both parties are complete garbage.
Yeah Fly, when pointed out your BS talking point was garbage, now both are garbage? lol
One party has gutted taxes on the richest (GOP) WHILE gutting revenues. US debt has increased by $30 trillion since Dubya/GOP policies, Diaper Donnie is just continuing them, promising “change” , like Dubya handed Obama a failed economy then Diaper Donnie handed Biden a mess, Diaper Donnie will do the same once again, then say it’s the “lefts” problems
Musk/Diaper Donnie don’t care about the bottom 90% of US. Most far right don’t either, pull yourself up by your bootstraps? LOL, Ever try it?
GOV’T POLICY MATTERS. Gutting functioning Gov’t because of “deep state” is just the rights latest way to gut FDR/PROGRESSIVE POLICIES!
Jon K:
What’s the point of going down the list of Democratic Party culpability in the destruction of our economy? You’re so wedded to your ideology you can’t see straight. Let’s assume for a minute you are right, the Dems hands are as clean as fresh snow. BFD. We are still ruined and in a Depression. Trump didn’t take office and then the so called strongest economy in the world suddenly collapse in three months. It’s been held up deficit spending. For those of us still employed, we will all probably lose our jobs and I’m glad. Standing on our own two feet isn’t easy. I’m willing to suffer through it if it eventually means my son won’t be speaking Mandarin or working in an American sweatshop. Can you say the same? All you care about is being right.
We are all camp followers and serfs, we just don’t know it yet. Instead of being an advanced economy, we’ve regressed to an emerging economy.
There is no hope. Jobs aren’t coming back. Both parties are rotten to the core. Our economy has collapsed and will never recover. Social Security and Medicaid will soon be shut down and the funds associated with both programs will be used to pay off our creditors or directed to defense contractors. American children are going hungry. People are living in their cars.
John Donegan: the dictionary definition of hyperbole is: “exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.”
When the author of this article states, “I regret to say that none of this is hyperbole,” regarding his statements, I’m pretty sure he means that his statements are not exaggerated and he means them literally. Do you disagree that without social security, elderly Americans who depend on social security to pay their living expenses, such as rent, will end up homeless? Do you disagree that without medicaid, Americans who depend on medicaid for their health care costs will end up being forced to use emergency rooms for their health care? That’s already happening. Do you disagree that without freedom of speech and the right to privacy, Americans will be leery of using the internet and social media for fear of being detained or deported? That’s already happening. Do you disagree that Americans will also by leery of traveling outside the US for fear of not being allowed back into the US or they may be incarcerated without due process? That’s already happening. What do you think the result of the massive layoffs of government employees, including scientists, researchers and medical doctors, will be? It’s not “hyperbole” to assume these people will leave the US in search of employment in other countries who embrace science and are willing to pay these highly-educated and qualified scientists for their expertise. Do you disagree that the chaotic actions of this unchecked administration, specifically tariffs, will result in an economic depression for our nation and for the world as a whole? We’re already halfway there in only the first 100 days. In addition, this administration’s arrogance and downright rudeness in dealing with the leaders of other countries has already led to the proliferation of nuclear armaments and increasing militarization of countries around the world. Do you doubt that could possibly result in another world war? It’s certainly not going to result in peace and harmony. The wealth of our nation is already being pillaged by the billionaires and in today’s news, Trump has now tasked both the DoJ and DoD to look at how our military can be used in domestic operations, which raises concerns of martial law. With everything currently happening, I’m not sure any statement in this article can be considered exaggerated or not meant to be taken literally.
Our epitaph: We sent a man to the moon and invented the lightbulb, ended up starving to death because Klarna wouldn’t approve our credit application so we could finance our groceries.