Subscribe only to niche/fan multimedia based subs (plus /r/creepypasta), never read the comments, and limit my usage to the minimum the person forcing me to use it requires.

Good. I enjoy network security as a hobby and at one time a profession but even still I don’t envy your threat model. A state level actor as your adversary is next to impossible to foil. Tech-wise if it exists, they can crack it or recover it. Even a (software) shredded drive can be restored, it would just be very costly and time consuming for them. Heck it’s even possible to recover a physically smashed drive. On physical security, no amount of guns or prep can evade them. You’d basically need to hit the road in a car made before 2010 registered to someone else and use only cash to pay for things for the rest of your life. And even that’s not a sure thing thanks to the growing surveillance state.

Honestly there is little that could be done to protect one’s self in your situation. If going to prison isn’t an option for you, Hunter S Thompson always carried a revolver on his person in case he needed a way out, which he eventually felt he did.

My ex-wife. I have never loved anyone as much as I loved her. Unfortunately for me she couldn’t handle my transition and stopped loving me about the time I started to have a modicum of passing privilege. Being cooped up together during lockdown didn’t help either. It’s now been longer since we’ve been apart than we were together, but I still miss her and wish we were still together. But she’s remarried, has some kids, and lives halfway across the country so that door is solidly closed.

If you’re tech savvy, use an anonymous crypto wallet to setup a server outside the 5 eyes countries and their allies and put all of your info there. Then destroy (with fire) any hard copies of the data you have. Be sure to ‘shred’ the local files with at least 50 passes once they’re uploaded, or better yet shred the entire drive and reinstall your OS. Then configure a dead man’s switch so that if you don’t log into the server as root every seven days the server will automatically send a full copy of the data to the press (the more places the better).

But you’d need to use tor plus a VPN from a car parked outside the range of any security cameras that has access to a public wifi network. A burner laptop with a hardened linux distro would be advised, and your server should be hardened as well.

Even with hyper paranoid levels of security that still doesn’t guarantee anonymity.

If you’re not already fluent with security tech, it would be highly advised that you don’t attempt the above. My advice would be to ditch tech entirely and get the data out of your possession. Put it all in a freezer bag and bury it somewhere. Give the coordinates to at least three people you would trust with your life with instructions to retrieve and distribute it if you get arrested, go missing, or die. That way if the feds do raid you there is nothing for them to find. Also don’t write anything down, memorize it and burn anything physical.

I wouldn’t say we’re past the point of reform, we lack the political will in our elected representatives and the numbers to force the issue. It is possible, but very unlikely, that we could flip the house and senate with enough progressive politicians that reform would be possible. However the establishment democratic party is unwilling to take the necessary steps or support the needed candidates. Their aim seems to be to become more centrist than they already were and maintain the status quo.

Unfortunately though the reality of the situation is very complex, ambiguous, and inundated with misinformation. Most reforms in the federal government won’t change the policies in red states, which are by far more egregious than what’s happening in Washington. While it’s likely true that there are no true red states, just gerrymandered purple states, there are still a sizable portion of the US population that want some or all of what’s going on in red states and the federal government.

There doesn’t seem to be enough political will among the left to carry out a revolution. Even if there was, there are almost as many right wingers (who are better armed, equipped, and trained) who would stand in opposition and turn the revolution into the second civil war.

Realistically while there are things that could be done to mitigate or stop the far right, not enough people seem to have the bravery, resources, and will to do what needs to be done.

To be fair it was the strongest aryan army at the time. Unfortunately for them, the other armies weren’t so concerned about everyone looking the same and had the advantage perspectives from many people from many walks of life gives to find novel ways to rain death on their enemies.

Shame Hitler had to be an asshat. Could you imagine what a charismatic man like him could do if he used his gift for good? We could live in a world where Germany led a global movement of empathy and understanding that brought on the longest period of lasting peace in earth’s history? Instead he was so butt hurt that jewish people existed he did the opposite. I could be writing this post on the lunar settlement instead of the fourth Reich.