This seems strangely familiar I studied a bit of history in college, and it affected me forever. In particular, one semester, we studied Hitler’s rise to power. I actually did the required reading (believe it or not 🤣), so I see the disturbing parallels between what happened then and what is happening now in the U.S. My goal with this article and episode isn’t to scare you or create a sense of panic. But I’m also not going to stick my head in the sand or expect you to do the same. Of course, we can’t spend our days doomscrolling. We can’t skip work or school. We have to live our lives! However, we shouldn’t ignore what history has taught us, either. The actions being taken in our country are alarming. I’m not a distant spectator. The continuing layoffs and firings within various agencies are impacting people I love dearly. Mind you, these are not well-informed decisions. You may have already read about the firing mistakes they are trying to desperately reverse. This administration’s actions are brutal, politically targeted, personally motivated, and careless. * Trump officials fired nuclear staff not realizing they oversee the country’s weapons stockpile * Trump Administration Accidentally Fired Bird Flu Response Workers, Report Says—Here’s Where Layoffs Are Being Walked Back * 'DOGE in practice': Outrage follows 'boilerplate' MAGA firing of disabled veteran * USAID Worker Sues Trump After 'Pregnant Wife is Denied Medevac' * Musk's DOGE cuts based more on political ideology than real cost savings so far * How Elon Musk boosted false USAID conspiracy theories to shut down global aid * USAID staffers describe colleagues abandoned in violence in Congo as DOGE ends help programs * One Agency Tried to Regulate SpaceX. Now Its Fate Could Be in Elon Musk’s Hands * Elon Musk’s DOGE Sparks Outrage by Leaking Secret Data Good people are pushing back and fighting the good fight. Federal judges are blocking the federal freezes, the birthright citizenship order, and DOGE accessing the Treasury data. Citizens are marching to protest Trump. And many Americans are pledging to stop making any purchases for a full 24 hours on February 28th and go on a nationwide shutdown on March 15th. This is all great, but we know things will get worse. And when things go south, they go south quickly. Remember: Hitler dismantled Germany’s democracy in 53 days. “In one of the most astonishing political transformations in the history of democracy, Hitler set about destroying a constitutional republic through constitutional means. What follows is a step-by-step account of how Hitler systematically disabled and then dismantled his country’s democratic structures and processes in less than two months’ time—specifically, one month, three weeks, two days, eight hours, and 40 minutes. The minutes, as we will see, mattered.” (source) So, if things go from bad to worse, you won’t have much time to prepare if you wait too long to create a backup plan to take care of yourself and your loved ones. I recently read an excellent post on LinkedIn about how to protect yourself and be prepared. It inspired me to create this preparation list for you. Some actions to consider * Freeze your credit report with the three major reporting agencies. Contrary to Musk’s initial lies, it was revealed that Treasury data was left vulnerable when they mistakenly and briefly gave a member of the DOGE team the power to alter a sensitive federal payments database. DOGE is now seeking access to IRS systems. * Place a security freeze with Equifax * Freeze your Experian credit file * Place a credit freeze with TransUnion * Secure your communications. Ask the people in Ukraine how daily life changes when you lose the internet. One of the first moves Russia made was to cut access to the internet and mobile networks, which left Ukrainians living in a world only fed by Russian propaganda. Luckily, Elon Musk saved the day with Starlink, right? Well, Russian operatives claimed to have access to Starlink despite Musk's assurances that only Ukraine was using the service. Also, in September last year, Ukrainian forces downed a Russian drone that had a Starlink terminal integrated with its systems. So, I recommend establishing secure ways to communicate with your family and loved ones now. For example, Signal uses end-to-end encryption to keep your conversations safe. However, if we lose all means of communication, I hope you have prepared a backup plan to reconnect with your family. I wrote an article about that a few weeks ago. * Protect your finances. Given DOGE’s unhealthy interest in accessing the data of the Treasury and IRS systems, we should be careful about protecting our assets. For example, if all your money is tied up in a single U.S. bank and assets are frozen, what will you do? There are a few steps you can take to protect yourself and ensure you have access to some funds to get by until things get sorted. * Diversify by placing money in different banks and even a safe international account. Always do your homework to ensure you are using reputable, trustworthy financial services. * Have some spending cash on hand if electronic systems are locked or shut down. You may need enough to cover gas, groceries, travel expenses, etc. * Have payment systems funded that you could use if necessary (e.g., Apple Pay, Venmo). NerdWallet has a good article on peer-to-peer payment apps. It is probably best to avoid payment apps or services under the control of Musk or Zuckerberg. They’ve proven that they aren’t on our side. * Diversify your income streams. I discuss this topic often with my solopreneur audience. Your income is fragile if you rely on one primary source. For example, as the U.S. economy and job market struggle, I’m glad I have coaching clients worldwide. Thanks to the internet, working remotely for clients and employers in other countries has never been easier. But, if you’re busy with an existing job, I know it’s challenging to find the time to spin up additional income streams, especially internationally. However, do your research and be prepared to move quickly later if necessary (e.g., your employer conducts a mass layoff). * Be prepared to barter. If the dollar collapses, we can always revert to the good ol’ barter system. Consider what physical goods and services you could offer in your local community in exchange for things you might need (e.g., food). For example, I know someone who cuts and splits firewood for an older neighbor in exchange for some of the wood to use in his own woodstove. * Be prepared for an emergency. We all experienced this during the COVID lockdowns. Many have also experienced serious emergencies after earthquakes, tornadoes, wildfires, blizzards, and hurricanes. Living in regions where this is possible teaches you to be prepared. As Americans, we can’t imagine martial law being declared. Still, it has happened before in the U.S. (e.g., after the Pearl Harbor attack and the San Francisco earthquake of 1906) and has definitely happened in other countries. It makes sense to have enough food, water, medical supplies, etc., to care for yourself and your family if we experience another lockdown with limited access to local shopping. Where I live, we’ve dealt with forest fires and earthquakes, so we have food and water stores, plus a backup generator for power and heating our home. * Maintain your health and fitness. We’re in for a long, unpleasant, stressful experience. It’s hard enough to deal with the stress of this every day. It's even harder if you’re ill and breaking down mentally and emotionally. Work out, take walks, do yoga and meditate, talk with friends, get enough sleep, and keep yourself as fit and healthy as possible to fight the good fight. * Strengthen local relationships. When we faced local emergencies, our neighborhood was great at helping each other out (e.g., gas for generators, shoveling snow, cutting trees). Humanity has built small, local communities since the dawn of civilization. We turn to each other when in need, support each other, protect each other, etc. Building stronger local relationships and getting to know your neighbors is never a bad idea. * Secure your vital documents. Some weird stuff has already happened with some people’s birth certificates and passports (e.g., transgender and nonbinary folks). Make sure your online documents are stored safely and encrypted. Keep your paper documents stored in a fire-resistant document safe and ready to go if you need to leave your home (e.g., passports, birth certificates, social security cards, financial statements, family photos). * Be ready to travel. Speaking of passports, check how many years you have left on yours. I would be nervous if my passport would soon expire. Lots of people are updating their passports and travel documents, so the wait could be considerable if you need yours later. Some folks are renewing their passports even if they have a few years left on them. I’m not trying to be dramatic, but no one believes they will ever have to leave their home. However, I have a friend who had to flee Iran with their family during the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Lives changed forever there. Just like being prepared for an emergency, you should have a plan if things go from bad to worse (e.g., before travel restrictions are enforced). Know where you will go. For example, one of my friends has an apartment in Mexico and is ready to travel there in a heartbeat. * What is your line in the sand? I’ve been discussing this with my family and friends. When do things cross the point of no return? What event would trigger your warning bells and signal you no longer feel safe here? I know some people feel pretty privileged and secure. They can’t image anything bad ever happening to them. Well, that must be nice! However, some of my friends are already nervous and very worried about
