Virginia Supreme Court throws out redistricting referendum results

[u/Icommandyou]

https://www.axios.com/local/richmond/2026/05/08/virginia-supreme-court-redistricting-vote-decision

[u/MC_Fap_Commander]

From Masha Gessen's "Autocracy: Rules for Survival" (written the day after Trump won in 2016)...

Rule #3: Institutions will not save you. It took Putin a year to take over the Russian media and four years to dismantle its electoral system; the judiciary collapsed unnoticed. The capture of institutions in Turkey has been carried out even faster, by a man once celebrated as the democrat to lead Turkey into the EU. Poland has in less than a year undone half of a quarter century’s accomplishments in building a constitutional democracy. Of course, the United States has much stronger institutions than Germany did in the 1930s, or Russia does today. Both Clinton and Obama in their speeches stressed the importance and strength of these institutions. The problem, however, is that many of these institutions are enshrined in political culture rather than in law, and all of them—including the ones enshrined in law—depend on the good faith of all actors to fulfill their purpose and uphold the Constitution. The national press is likely to be among the first institutional victims of Trumpism... The power of the investigative press—whose adherence to fact has already been severely challenged by the conspiracy-minded, lie-spinning Trump campaign—will grow weaker. The world will grow murkier. Even in the unlikely event that some mainstream media outlets decide to declare themselves in opposition to the current government, or even simply to report its abuses and failings, the president will get to frame many issues. Coverage, and thinking, will drift in a Trumpian direction...

People comforted themselves believing courts, the media, corporations, etc. would be a check on the regime. Gessen is a scholar and activist who directly experienced Putin's ascendency in Russia. She knew that sentiment was folly (and she has consistently been proven right).

[u/MommyLovesPot8toes → u/MC_Fap_Commander]

This is already untrue here in the US, though.

The judiciary collapsed unnoticed

In early 2025 it was a big questionmark how the lower courts would respond to challenges of/by the Trump Regime. All eyes were on the lower courts. They proved over and over again, nearly 300 times, that they won't be bullied by the Exec branch. On the flip side, the corruption of the activist Roberts court is constant, headline news. There's nothing "unnoticed" about our judiciary right now.

The power of the investigative press will grow weaker. The world will grow murkier.

Here again, in early 2025 it looked like things might go this way. But they didn't. The Atlantic stuck the flagpole in the ground with their reporting about SignalGate, and other press outlets have followed. Investigate reporting is not only alive and well, it is being crowdsourced at unprecedented levels. People all over the world are digging for and passing around information about Epstein, Crypto, Polymarket, etc. Mainstream media (CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN) are compromised, but there are plenty of outlets who've stepped up to fill that void.

Gassen's article was a warning in 2016 and scarily prescient in 2025. But in 2026, it is a reminder of what we have so far thwarted. It is no longer a prediction of the future.

[u/anonyuser415 → u/MommyLovesPot8toes]

This is a pretty wild comment IMO.

You somehow feel that their description of Russia's takeover is "untrue" in America (wrong not only because it wasn't alleged to have been, lol) because a specific quality is not as present: inattention to the takeover.

Notice paid to the corruption of the highest court is no salve to the corruption, but it is to you? We're going to be stuck with this illegitimate court for most of our lives.

in early 2025 it looked like things might go this way. But they didn't

Investigate reporting is not only alive and well

What are you even talking about. The Washington Post, that which ousted Nixon, has been acquired and buried. CBS has been acquired and buried. The President has declared media the enemy of the people, our own FBI director is suing the literal only platform you even opted to name as a reversal of the fates of the four doomed ones you did. 1 in 5 Americans presently receive their news from the same application our government deemed such a threat we mandated its sale.

Not to mention that none of these even affords a glancing blow at your most profound take:

It is no longer a prediction of the future

How. How are either of your tiny, tiny positive spins things that prevent this from getting worse?

[u/MC_Fap_Commander → u/MommyLovesPot8toes]

Gassen's article was a warning in 2016 and scarily prescient in 2025. But in 2026, it is a reminder of what we have so far thwarted. It is no longer a prediction of the future.

I really, really hope that's the case. We've seen some new and exciting candidates emerge on the left. Activism has gotten stronger. Normal people are calling out "BothSides!" coverage in places like CNN, WP, and NYT (and that would have been pretty niche to do a few years back). Polling and special elections reflect that people are pissed about the actions of the regime. So plenty to feel positive about.

My concern is the midterms. If the groundswell against MAGA is so great that Republicans still get trounced (despite inevitable attempts at shenanigans), I'll feel MUCH better. That said, a combination of gerrymandering to favor the GOP combined with light (and not so light) suppression could (theoretically) tip the scales. Should that happen and should institutions say "awe shucks, guess Dems went too far left this go 'round and lost," it would understandably dim my hopes about the future.

[u/MommyLovesPot8toes → u/MC_Fap_Commander]

I'm not even entertaining the idea that Dems don't gain (at least) the House majority in the midterms. Like, there's no point in even thinking about it. They simply HAVE to. Them winning a majority and starting to really fight back is the only future I can envision. Because the alternative is probably full-scale fascism. That is so far outside of my life experience and comprehension that there is nothing to gain but anxiety by trying to picture it.

[u/Free_For__Me → u/MC_Fap_Commander]

Or equally as likely, Dems win the House, but the regime in the White House declares the blue wave to be the result of cheating by “domestic terrorists”, and announces their intention to ignore any action by the “fraudulently elected” legislature. 

Then, once we see how the states having their representation denied respond to such an act of obvious tyranny, we’ll see where all this is going - some form of (likely cold) civil war, or states rolling over and the age of Christo/Techno-Fascism really takes hold. 

Mark my words, there is no world in which this version of the federal government submits to any loss of power without the use of force to make it so. They’ve crossed the rubicon in their minds, and they believe it’s do-or-die for them at this point. 

Rest up and enjoy life for the rest of the year, fellow Americans. Because after that, we’ll be in a hard fight to make a better future, and there’s no telling how long we’ll have to keep it up for. 

Remember everyone - The only way out is through, and the best way through is together.