Well, Trump’s got elected, I’m deeply peeved about the future, and I need to feel like I can see the future coming.
Fuck it. Here’s some off-the-cuff predictions, because I need to
- There’s a Spike in Infanticides
Under normal circumstances, anyone who doesn’t want to deal with raising crotch goblins has two major options: use contraception to keep the pregnancy from happening at all, or shitcan the unborn fetus by getting an abortion.
Abortion’s been on the way out since Roe v. Wade got double-tapped, and contraception’s probably gonna get nuked as well, so giving the baby to an early grave is probably gonna be the only option for most unwanted births.
Chance: Low/Moderate. This is more-or-less pure gut feeling I’m going on, and chances there’s gonna be a lot of abortions getting recorded as infanticides and skewing the numbers
- America’s Reputation Nosedives
Gonna just copy-paste istewart’s comment for this, because bro said it better than I could:
I am left thinking that many people here in the US are going to have a hard time accepting that having this person, at this stage in his life, as the national figurehead will do permanent damage to the US’ prestige and global standing. Doesn’t matter if Reagan was sundowning, media was more controlled then and his handlers were there to support the institution of the presidency at least as much as they were there to support a narcissist. In 2016, other countries could look at Trump as a temporary aberration and wait him out. This time, it’s clear that the US is no longer a reliable partner.
Chance: Near-Guaranteed. With 2016, the US could point to Hillary winning the popular vote to blunt the damage. 2024 gives no real way to spin it - a majority of Americans explicitly wanted Trump as president. Whatever he does, its in their name.
- Violence Against Silicon Valley
I’ve already predicted this before, but I’m gonna predict it again. Whether its because Trump scapegoats the Valley as someone else predicted, labor comes to believe peace is no longer an option, someone decides “fuck it, time to make Uncle Ted proud”, or God-knows-what-else, I fully expect there’s gonna be direct and violent attacks on tech at some point.
No clue on the exact form either - could be someone getting punched for wearing Ray-Ban Autodoxxers, could be rank-and-file employees getting bombed, could be Trumpies pulling a Pumped Up Kicks, fuck if I know.
Chance: Moderate. The tech industry’s managed to piss off both political wings for one reason or another, though the left’s done a good job not resorting to pipe bombs during my lifetime.
- Another Assassination Attempt
With Trump having successfully evaded justice on his criminal convictions (which LegalEagle’s discussed in depth), any hope that he’s going to see the inside of a jail cell is virtually zero. This leaves vigilante justice as the only option for anyone who wants this man to face anything approaching consequences for his actions.
Chance: Low. Presidents are very well-protected these days, though Trump’s own ego and stupidity may end up opening him up to an attempt.
- A Total Porn Ban
Project 2025 may be defining everything even remotely queer as “pornography”, but nothing’s stopping a Trump presidency from putting regular porn on the chopping block as well. With the existing spate of anti-porn laws in the US, there’s already some minor precedent.
Chance: Moderate/High. Porn doesn’t enjoy much political support from either the Dems or the Reps, though the porn industry could probably get the Dems’ support if it knows what its doing.
crotch goblins
Can we not? Even if you’re a hardcore make-schopenhauer-look-like-quiverfull depresso-antinatalist it’s not the baby’s fault and dehumanization is dehumanization, even if the human doesn’t have object permanence yet. Kinda wild to have a slur for something everyone has been at some point.
RE point 2: Don’t worry, most of the world doesn’t really have any respect for the US Government left to lose. Important note, that doesn’t mean we aren’t sympathetic to the citizens, y’all are just holding onto that longsunken shitship as well as you can
Mine: Vigilante groups will rise as a means of stochastic terrorism. Been saying this for years and begging y’all libs to get armed, learn and train.
The redshirts now have a mandate, and local police will be of little help and will likely make things worse. How long until they’re going door-to-door searching for illegals? How long until they show up at my door, “Look man, we love you, but in the interest of your family’s safety we need your guns until this blows over.” Committee of Public Safety anyone? Still think it can’t happen here?
Women, LGBT, blacks and other minorities have been the top first-time gun purchases for a few years now. Maybe some of you suburban white boys need to take a clue?
Disagree on the porn thing. Politicians can’t be out front in supporting porn, but people will be flipping burning cars if there’s a total porn ban.
My expectation is that the overton window lurches rightwards in Europe again. We might pretend to be oh so above the boorish Americans and their two right-wing parties, but you will see our very online right wingers from libertarians to fashies emboldened act as if normal boring moderate social democracy is unhinged turbo communism. As the US Dems continue to bury their heads in the sand and act as if Harris lost because she didn’t cozy up to the right enough, the European left will be forced more and more on the rhetorical defensive. At least we still have openly pro-immigration, pro-queer, pro public spending politicians, but just like last time Trump won, the media is already scrambling to bring in the ultraliberal (economically) think tank shills to Magasplain why Trump is actually normal and fine and that world politics is not incredibly fucked to let him even near the possibly most powerful position in the world.
