In terms of practical prep for the future given the current political trajectory in the US, the most useful precedent for us residents of this country is probably Brexit. Though Trump/Musk are bringing distinctly non-Anglo sensibilities to what they’re doing, the US is still primarily an Anglo-heritage country.

German, Russian, or South African patterns of descent into shittiness are unlikely, despite that kind of sensibility at the top. This is going to be Amerexit. At the other end of this, there is no efficiency-centric German style dystopia, “life is pain, only potato” type drunken Slavic doomerism, or South African style truth-and-reconciliation theater. Just chagrined bewilderment and embarrassment and private-equity-owned rump state services shambolic-debacling along (ht Bruce Sterling for that turn of phrase). Whimpers over bangs. All those other script-unravellings require some inward-looking elements, for which Anglo culture has a cultivated incapacity. When it’s all done, we’ll look back and have no idea wtf happened.

So, looking to take cues from people who managed to navigate Brexit with some degree of aplomb.