Harry the Human: 2026

Monday, February 9, 2026

Artificial Intelligence on Trump's "point of no return"

This piece is from my blog, "Conversations with AI" (https://smartypantsgemini.blogspot.com/) which explores current AI's ability to "think" like a human. I repost it here because of its many faceted relevance. D.L.

In recent weeks, Google’s AI, Gemini, has given me critical assistance in repairing my dishwasher, the charge level on my EV, the TV remote control and treatment of an inguinal rash, so it occurred to me that a machine this knowledgeable might be able to produce political thinking, or at least its appearance, of a quality that would make it useful to creators of human policy. Or maybe not. To find out, I asked Gemini this question:

"Based on historical perspective, has President Trump's developing dictatorship reached the point where it is too late to organize effective resistance?"

To my horror, Gemini confirmed my worst fears, garnished with a highly speculative optimism. Read it and maybe weep.

Gemini's response:

"In political science, the 'point of no return' for a democracy is usually defined as the moment when a regime can successfully ignore the law, the courts, and the public without consequence.

As of early 2026, the United States is in a period of significant democratic backsliding, with international observers like Human Rights Watch and academic experts from Harvard noting a rapid move toward 'competitive authoritarianism.' However, historical and current data suggest that it is not too late for non-government organization—though the window of opportunity has narrowed and the risks have increased.

The Current State of Resistance (2025–2026): The U.S. is seeing a shift from traditional politics (lobbying and voting) to a more confrontational model of civic resistance.

Non-Government Mobilization: Groups like Indivisible (which focusses on local government) and various labor unions are coordinating efforts to 'delay, distract, and limit' federal actions, such as the widespread protests that erupted this year and last across major cities like Minneapolis, Chicago, and Los Angeles following fatal shootings involving federal immigration agents.

Tactical Shift: Because many federal guardrails (like the Department of Justice and certain courts) have been neutralized or staffed with loyalists, resistance has moved to non-violent civil disobedience.

State-Level Pushback: "Sanctuary" states and cities (such as California and Chicago) are acting as the primary institutional holdouts, refusing to cooperate with federal mandates and filing lawsuits to block executive orders. Political scientists like Steven Levitsky and Erica Chenoweth point to several factors that suggest the situation is still fluid:

The 3.5% Rule: Historical data suggests that if a non-violent movement can mobilize just 3.5% of the population in sustained protest, they have never failed to achieve political change.

Internal Fragmentation: No administration is a monolith. Resistance is often successful when it forces splits in the ruling coalition. We are seeing early signs of this as some state-level Republicans and civil servants begin to resist specific federal directives (e.g., the Indiana State Senate’s recent refusal to redistrict on federal request).

The 2026 Midterms: While there are deep concerns about federal interference in elections, the 2026 midterm elections remain a critical focal point for organized resistance. If the opposition can flip the House, it would create a massive legislative and oversight speed bump for the administration.

The New Risks: Unlike 2017, the 2026 landscape is much more dangerous for non-government actors:

Violence and Enforcement: Federal agents are being deployed domestically with more frequency and less restraint.

Corporate and Academic Silence: Many 'pillars of society'—big law firms, tech companies, and universities—have begun to self-censor or strike deals with the administration to avoid losing funding or facing retribution.

Conclusion: It is not too late, but the battleground has shifted. Resistance is no longer just about whom you vote for; it has moved into the realm of organized civic refusal—the same kind of 'parallel society' tactics used by movements like Solidarity in Poland, which, at least initially, was effective against totalitarianism.”

As insightful as it is, there are some omissions in Gemini’s overview, such as the likelihood that the Trump administration, with international collaboration, will incite wars to distract their populations from causes of discontent. Consider how the ICE protests, for instance, would lose most or all of their hold on public attention in the wake of a major terrorist attack. There is no current protest movement that could overcome such an end-run around its protest.

Another omission in the Gemini account is lack of mention of the most distinctive difference between today’s protests and those of the past: In addition to our current grievances, we are, without knowing it, protesting the imminent disappearance of all human jobs and, for that matter, all humans. We will be thrown into the obscure past, known only as an ancient species that lived in cut-down forests, replaced by AI-bots programmed to follow the instructions of their Master-Bot.

Just kidding(?).

Back to “reality,” it’s hard to see how “The People” will be able to influence much of anything. Plutocrats always have expert advisors and inside information, so if they can stay focussed they usually win. In response, I would advise protest groups to include some plutocrats.

Regarding the proper attitude, many pessimists have discovered that there is no point to total pessimism, regarding public resistance or indeed any effort. For this reason (the need for things to have a point) I continue to dream of a significant political movement against our takeover that could survive and be effective even if a Trump induced World War III arrives. Such a movement would need to have more than public support; it would need forces from within government, and a few enlightened billionaires.

What will actually happen? Maybe a little of both, maybe not. Either way, optimism by itself is not sufficient to influence the Clone-Bot revolution. It couldn’t hurt in terms of maintaining the effort, but without insiders and major money, forget it.