The Courts are, as you noted, already in line with or an ineffective hedge against the administration. I think there are other opposition groups. I suspect there are more than a few in the military who are willing to resist. Discounting military leaders has been the downfall of many rebellions.
Replacing personelle isn’t as easy as just putting someone loyal into the position. Execution requires competency and the counter elites don’t have experience to run things effectively save a few notable exceptions. They seem best suited to posturing, making grand proclamations, and breaking things. This is fine when you’re trying to destroy the old order, but building one is a lot harder.
By arresting and murdering protesters.
I’m skeptical they can do this en mass without emboldening resistance at first. Your need a well staffed group of people to deal with this in hundreds of sites and willing to kill people. For everything the MAGA movement has done, they’ve never given a positivist vision for the future. Which is to say, what future are we creating that makes it worth killing people.
None of my critiques should be read as they can’t do it. Rather, these are strategic points at which interference could undermine their efforts.
As for blue states, I think most will gesture towards being offended greatly, but fail to create an effective opposition. I do think a couple will attempt a hot resistance. And if, say, a Pacific front opens, this could be difficult to deal with. Furthermore, pockets of resistence within red states will be very, very difficult to stamp out. Our large geography makes it very difficult to command and control.
I don’t think ICE, even as well funded as they are, have the trained pedosnelle or institutions to replicate anything like a military force. Hell, out military isn’t even well designed to be an effective occupation force.
The Courts are, as you noted, already in line with or an ineffective hedge against the administration. I think there are other opposition groups. I suspect there are more than a few in the military who are willing to resist. Discounting military leaders has been the downfall of many rebellions.
Replacing personelle isn’t as easy as just putting someone loyal into the position. Execution requires competency and the counter elites don’t have experience to run things effectively save a few notable exceptions. They seem best suited to posturing, making grand proclamations, and breaking things. This is fine when you’re trying to destroy the old order, but building one is a lot harder.
I’m skeptical they can do this en mass without emboldening resistance at first. Your need a well staffed group of people to deal with this in hundreds of sites and willing to kill people. For everything the MAGA movement has done, they’ve never given a positivist vision for the future. Which is to say, what future are we creating that makes it worth killing people.
None of my critiques should be read as they can’t do it. Rather, these are strategic points at which interference could undermine their efforts.
As for blue states, I think most will gesture towards being offended greatly, but fail to create an effective opposition. I do think a couple will attempt a hot resistance. And if, say, a Pacific front opens, this could be difficult to deal with. Furthermore, pockets of resistence within red states will be very, very difficult to stamp out. Our large geography makes it very difficult to command and control.
I don’t think ICE, even as well funded as they are, have the trained pedosnelle or institutions to replicate anything like a military force. Hell, out military isn’t even well designed to be an effective occupation force.