We have seen this show before

[stilltrucking]

The recent election of Donald Trump to a second term has left many Americans, particularly those who fought so hard against the forces of authoritarianism and hate, feeling drained and disillusioned. There’s a sense that we have seen this show before, that we know how it ends, and that we’re powerless to stop it.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/24/opin ... -grey.html

[stilltrucking]

He was the first politician to master the new dynamics of the post-Babel era, in which outrage is the key to virality, stage performance crushes competence, Twitter can overpower all the newspapers in the country, and stories cannot be shared (or at least trusted) across more than a few adjacent fragments—so truth cannot achieve widespread adherence.”

Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid

[saw]

chris hedges subtitled on of his books

The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle

[mnaz]

The more time passes, the more I appreciate "Spirits in the Material World" by that long-defunct, ironically-named band, the Police...
"There is no political solution. To our troubled evolution..."

The first nine words of the lyrics continue to pack a punch.

[Steve Plonk]

We can hope and pray that the checks and balances in the constitution will keep Trump and those of his ilk in check.
At least we see republicans have a smaller majority in the House. In two years things may change and we could win back the House of Representatives.
These things have happened before as you said.