The Post-Rule-of-Law Society: Signs of Collapse and Paths to Resistance

 

Welcome to the beginning of the post-rule-of-law society. Since I posted that original prediction two months ago, America has seen the assassination of a Health Insurance CEO and a veteran bombing a Tesla outside Trump Tower. 

These events are not isolated. They are all symptoms of a system in collapse, where the foundations of law, order, and trust in institutions have eroded. Each act of violence, each instance of lawlessness, is a reflection of deeper fractures in the social contract that binds a society together. When citizens no longer believe that justice is impartial, that leaders are accountable, or that systems are fair, they begin to act outside the boundaries of those systems. These actions, whether driven by despair, anger, or a loss of faith in peaceful solutions, are not random—they are the inevitable outcome of a society failing to address its core inequities and uphold the principles that sustain it.

When a convicted criminal, who incited a violent attack on our Capitol four years ago, not only gets away with his crimes but is elevated to the highest office in the land, it undermines law and order overall. It can be argued that the post-rule-of-law society really began when the Supreme Court aided him in getting away with crimes by granting him unprecedented and unnecessary legal "immunity" (Trump v United States 2024). Legal immunity is unnecessary unless you intend to act outside the law. 

Government is only legitimate when it operates with the consent of the governed. Governmental systems only function when the people trust them and are not openly resisting them. When people stop trusting the government in general and specific government institutions like the courts, violence becomes inevitable. People will seek redress for their grievances, even if there is not a peaceful way to do so, even if the only redress available is vengeance.   

The damage is already done but things can get worse. For example, if Trump does pardon all the January 6th rioters, it will solidify the perception of arbitrary, partisan justice, accelerating the descent into chaos.

When the law is not applied equally and the wealthy are allowed to live above it, the law becomes nothing more than a tool to control the poor, stripping it of justice and making rebellion not only understandable but inevitable.

This is not even new information. All I am pointing out is that the destabilization is already visible. Historians have noted the phenomenon I am describing in an article titled, "History shows that societies collapse when leaders undermine social contracts" (Link) - 
"This pattern of amoral leaders destabilizing their societies goes way back—the paper uses the Roman Empire as an example. The Roman emperor Commodus inherited a state with economic and military instability, and he didn't rise to the occasion; instead, he was more interested in performing as a gladiator and identifying himself with Hercules. He was eventually assassinated, and the empire descended into a period of crisis and corruption. These patterns can be seen today, as corrupt or inept leaders threaten the core principles and, hence, the stability of the places they govern. Mounting inequality, concentration of political power, evasion of taxation, hollowing out of bureaucratic institutions, diminishment of infrastructure, and declining public services are all evidenced in democratic nations today."

Hope is not lost. Fascist regimes can be resisted, and nations can rebuild stronger. Start by organizing within your community—join advocacy groups or form your own. Study the successes and failures of resistance movements, from the French Resistance of World War II to the White Rose Society of 1930s Germany. Resist oppression with peaceful noncompliance whenever possible, but prepare for tougher measures if necessary. And above all, cultivate the ideas that will guide your community through rebuilding when the dictator is removed. Imagine a better world and then work toward that vision. That is how all progress is made. 

 

America Is Entering A Post-Rule-Of-Law Society

You had one job America. Don't vote for the proven crook. The convicted criminal. The adjudicated rapist. The twice impeached felon who already failed at the job once before, spectacularly. 

Do you want to repeat 2020? Because this is how you get a repeat of 2020! 

*sigh*

Well, you decided to touch the hot stove and now you are going to get burned, again. 

America entered a post-truth society in 2016, when half of America embraced "alternative facts", formerly known as lies. Because of this, we can no longer agree on basic truths, such as January 6th 2021 being a shameful attack on the Capitol or the planet Earth being round. This allowed the Big Lie about the 2020 election to not only survive, but flourish on cable news. Fear-driven social media algorithms drove millions of Americans into the clutches of conservative media for easy answers and a convenient enemy to blame, immigrants. 

Conservative media used to be confined to Fox News and Rush Limbaugh, but today it is an entire ecosystem of hyper-partisan biased media, including OAN, Newsmax, America First Network, Joe Rogan, Twitter, Truth social, Rumble, etc. These content creators then fill entire social media feeds with opinion posing as news. 

The fact is, people now live in bubbles of self-reinforcing opinions posing as information, through social media algorithms designed to create fear and anger to drive engagement. These are bubbles that we create ourselves through what we like and what we engage with on social media sites. We end up being shown only what we want to see and not shown information we don't want to see. By design. 

The abandonment of truth that happened in 2016 made the return of a convicted felon to the White House possible in 2024. Now, after the supreme court has handed the returning Felon a black check of legal immunity, we are going to see it abused in ways Joe Biden said were "unthinkable". 

America is now entering a post-rule-of-law society. 

In a climate where truth is disposable, democracy suffers. When citizens are fed a steady diet of disinformation tailored to their biases, trust in democratic institutions erodes. Faith in the judiciary, the electoral process, and even basic scientific facts has been warped, leaving the public vulnerable to manipulation. This cultivated mistrust isn’t just a byproduct of biased media; it’s a deliberate strategy. Powerful figures benefit when we can no longer distinguish between fact and fiction, and this erosion of a shared reality paves the way for authoritarian rule.

By elevating a figure whose transgressions are on public record, we risk normalizing corruption at the highest levels. We are no longer dealing with mere partisanship but a reshaping of the country's moral and legal boundaries. The implications of a leader who sees himself above the law extend far beyond his term, affecting generations to come. In this environment, with truth and justice as mere collateral damage, the real danger lies in our collective apathy, our willingness to look away as long as our personal realities feel undisturbed.

It is too late to save America or stop a Felon from taking office. Voldemort has seized the government. It is time to organize the Order of the Pheonix. The best we can do now is come together with our like minded neighbors and try to save our little pieces of America. Look out for one another. Try to create safe spaces. 

Ten Tips For DMs To Run A Better Session

If you are a DM, here are ten tips to help you run a successful session.

 1. Prepare ahead of time: Make sure you have a clear idea of the story you want to tell and the challenges you want to present to the players.

2. Set the scene: Describe the environment and the characters in the game to help the players get into the story. Use ambient sound when possible, apps like Syrinscape or Pocket Bard work well. 

3. Be flexible: Be prepared to adjust the story and the challenges based on the players’ decisions.

4. Keep the players engaged: Ask questions, provide choices, and give the players opportunities to make decisions that will affect the story.

5. Make sure everyone has a chance to shine: Give each player a chance to take the lead and show off their character’s skills.

6. Keep the game moving: Don’t let the game get bogged down in too much detail or too much discussion.

7. Reward the players: Give the players rewards for completing challenges and making good decisions.

8. Make sure everyone is having fun: If someone isn’t enjoying the game, take a break and talk to them to see what can be done to make it more enjoyable.

9. Be creative: Don’t be afraid to try new things and come up with creative solutions to challenges.

10. Have fun: Enjoy the game and the story you’re creating with the players.

Ways To Heal The Political Divide in America

I asked ChatGPT how we can heal the political divide in America and this is what it said:

In recent years, the political divide in America has grown to a level that many find alarming. With the upcoming presidential election on the horizon, it is more important than ever to find a way to bridge this gap. Here are a few ways that we can work to heal the political divide in America: 1. Embrace Open-Mindedness: One of the main reasons for the political divide is the tendency for people to become entrenched in their own beliefs. We need to be open to the idea that the other side may have valid points and be willing to listen to what they have to say. It is important to remember that we can disagree without being disagreeable. 2. Focus on Common Ground: Instead of dwelling on areas of disagreement, focus on finding common ground. This can be anything from shared values to mutual interests. Focusing on the things that we can agree on will help to build understanding and respect. 3. Find Compromise: Compromise is essential to bridge the political divide. We must be willing to give and take in order to reach a consensus that works for everyone. It is important to remember that compromise is not a sign of weakness but rather a sign of strength and a willingness to work together. 4. Respect the Process: Elections are an essential part of our democracy and should be respected. We must remember that the outcome of the election is the will of the people, and we should respect the process and accept the results. 5. Have Conversations: We need to be willing to have meaningful conversations about our differences. We must be willing to have open dialogue and be respectful of one another’s views. The more we talk, the more we can understand each other and the closer we can come to bridging the divide.

These are just a few ways that we can work to heal the political divide in America. We must remember that we are all Americans and that we all have a responsibility to work together to make our country a better place.

King Pussygrabber the first King of America

Hello again people of the Internets.

So here is a #truthbomb for you.
Political Parties are the REASON American politics are so fucked up. 
We are not supposed to have political parties.

Political parties are nowhere in our founding documents. They are not only not part of the framers design, they completely break the system. Their existence undermines the entire system of checks and balances based upon three branches of government competing for power. 

For example, In America, if a sitting President's party controls the Senate, that President is above the law.

Fact.

If the Senate won't vote to convict a sitting President who is clearly guilty because of party affiliation, that person is above the law. There is nothing they cannot do except jeopardize the party or its hold on power.

Did you know? George Washington spent his retirement railing against political parties. He went on tour giving speeches railing against parties because he could see, even back then at the very beginning, that they were a fatal flaw.

Instead of the three branches of government competing against each other for power and thus checking each other, the three branches openly cooperate with and cover for each other, but only along party lines.

We all just watched a Republican Senate admit that the President is guilty but vote to allow him to get away with high crimes because he happens to belong to their party.

Because of the GOP's betrayal of the Constitution, we are now witnessing the functional destruction of democracy and the rise of the first functional King of America, King Pussygrabber of the bone spurs. Legend in his own mind. Hero in his own stories. Extortionist of political "favors". Useful idiot to dictators.

Political parties are like cults. Mandatory cults that you have to join to participate in politics in America. Some parties are more literally cults than others.

King Pussygrabber has already begun to flex his new powers and has started to retaliate against the witnesses who testified against his crimes. He even fired Ambassador Sondland, who bribed King Pussygrabber fair and square to get that posting with a million dollars of his own money.

So much for honor among thieves, eh? Did I mention that King Pussygrabber's cult followers believe he is a paragon of virtue?

Conservatives have always wanted a king. Hamilton offered the monarchy to General Washington, but he turned it down.

 It took them 243 years but conservatives finally found someone willing to try and take that position.

I will leave you with a disturbing question. If Trump decided to try and avoid prosecution by staying in office the rest of his life, who is going to stop him? If he declared a national emergency and canceled the elections, do you think the Republicans would turn down permanent power and control?

Reminder For Americans Who Don't Think Unions Are Necessary

I had a conversation yesterday where someone told me that unions are no longer necessary because "high tech jobs" make them unnecessary and that our benevolent corporate bosses no longer abuse their employees.
Then this morning, I saw an ironic combination of headlines in Linkedin that spoke to that topic. In China, which has no real labor unions, tech billionaires have been forcing their employees to work 12 hour days 6 days a week, which they refer to as the "996 schedule". One of those oligarchs, Jack Ma, says that the concept of work-life balance is "pie in the sky". This quote was, of course, probably given while be lounged on a yacht somewhere.
Next to it was a headline about how young workers are increasingly miserable. Gee, I wonder why that is?

Rick Snyder's job-killing agenda

Rick Snyder's senseless partisan attacks on the film industry have already cost Michigan thousands of jobs. The network officially announced they canceled the successful TV show Detroit 1-8-7 because of Rick Snyder. Marvel studios also announced they will no longer be filming the Avengers movie here in Michigan because Snyder removed the tax incentives. What is most frustrating is that tax incentives always used to be championed by Republicans but now that a Democrat successfully implemented them, Repblicans are suddenly against it. Its the worst, most harmful kind of partisan politics. The kind that does not care about the people at all. Thanks a lot Rick Snyder. May your term in office be very brief for all our sakes.