I am someone born in the USA and white and male, so I am less at risk of harassment and brutality than others.
My take on things is that Trump is probably a Russian asset and Russian leadership probably wants a US civil war (but I don’t have proof).
Midterms are still many months away. I am pretty sure Democrats realize that Trump wants conflict and they are trying to just wait for Midterms.
I am scared and feel like civil war could still happen. I have no children, few ties to any area, and only work remotely. I live in a very liberal area. I am mostly a poor person and have less than $25,000 saved.
I also have been arrested and held in terrible conditions in a notorious jail, experienced physical and emotional abuse there, and fear being arrested again and experiencing more abuse. Some of the things I experienced meet definitions of torture although not egregious physical torture (iron maiden type stuff). I am also gay and effeminate and worry I could receive worse treatment if involuntarily held for mental health reasons or for poverty because of homophobia by religious people.
Should I be trying to flee the USA now? If so, would Canada be safe? Is there anywhere else I could go to? I could claim asylum in a Northern European country but am concerned about the Russian War of Aggression.
I do not know if I am over-reacting. Will I still have time to flee if I wait and the situation gets worse?
I was already out of the country during… the last time bad event happened… and I decided to stick it out and build a new life and get a permanent residence in case things did not improve. And then they didn’t. I just managed to get my permanent residence right before… the current time bad event happened (2024).
The simplest thing I can say is, I don’t regret the decision. I gave up a lot on the journey to my new life, but what I gained is knowledge and understanding of just how much crap you don’t actually have to put up with… how much you SHOULDN’T have to put up with. Some things are worse, sure, but so much has been better for me as well… but one of the big problems I didn’t think about is, the survivor’s guilt is real. For what it’s worth, I don’t think in absolute terms there’s any shame in fleeing. A nation is a societal construct in the first place, and I don’t think you particularly owe anything to the nation you happen to be born in, especially one that shows such utter contempt for its citizens on a daily basis. But the people you know and care about… and the innocent people that don’t have the opportunity you do to do the same… leaving them there leaves a wound, even when you KNOW deep down there is very little you can do personally by virtue of suffering through it with them. I know ultimately, my being here means I no longer pay taxes to support a US government that does heinous things… I no longer work for a company that actively makes the world worse… and I still vote from here, still support those that I believe in to help see change in the system… and I use that as a salve, but the simple reality is I don’t get to be here with a clear conscience. It’s a weakness, and I feel selfish for the choice I made. I don’t know anything about you - perhaps none of this is an issue for you, and I’m not saying it should be, but if you know your own conscience to be prone to this kind of thinking, it is something you should also consider.