Martial Law Won’t Stop With “Them.”

Stacey Ruth
Apr 2
3 min read

This is extreme. And it is predictable.

On January 20, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed a formal proclamation declaring a national emergency at the southern border of the United States. The full text is on the official White House website.

The proclamation:

Authorizes full military control of the southern border.
Invokes emergency powers under the National Emergencies Act and Title 10 of U.S. Code.
Requires a report by April 20, 2025, to determine whether to invoke the Insurrection Act—which would grant the president unprecedented domestic military power.

What Does Martial Law Actually Mean?

It’s not just about troops on the street. Martial law is the legal and physical suspension of civilian government. If enacted, it could:

Delay or cancel free elections, including midterms
Bypass all legal guardrails and checks on executive power
Suspend due process of law—arrest without charge, silence dissent, censor speech

Religious

And if you think this would only be used on “those people,” think again.

Fascist regimes always start by targeting someone else—but the circle expands. You may be vulnerable if you:

Attend a recovery group or are in mental health support
Practice Catholicism, Buddhism, or any faith not aligned with the regime
Subscribe to liberal or independent media
Support vaccinations, climate action, or public education
Advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, racial equity, or women’s autonomy

Fascism isn’t interested in “freedom”—it’s interested in control. And no one is immune.

And Then There’s the Economy: What Happens When Martial Law Hits?

Martial law destroys economic health—for everyone but the most powerful. Here's what history and economists tell us:

1. Market Panic & Capital Flight

Investors pull out, markets tumble, credit ratings sink.
Foreign and domestic capital flees the country due to uncertainty.

2. Banking Crisis

People rush to withdraw money, fearing account freezes.
Banks may limit access to funds, worsening fear and hoarding.

3. Business Collapse & Job Loss

Curfews and checkpoints disrupt commerce.
Small businesses suffer, especially service industries.
Unemployment surges as supply chains break and cities slow to a crawl.

4. Inflation & Scarcity

Basic goods may become scarce or unaffordable.
Panic-buying and hoarding spike prices.
If the regime controls supply chains, corruption often follows.

5. Military Spending > Social Spending

Budgets shift toward military enforcement.
Education, healthcare, and social services get defunded.

6. Economic Injustice Deepens

Elites protect assets; everyone else suffers.
Black markets thrive, while the poor face food and fuel insecurity.

Sound extreme? It is.

But it’s also predictable—this is what happens when democracies die.

How We Fight Back (and Win)

We’ve seen this before—and history shows us how people resist fascism and reclaim democracy:

Nonviolent Resistance

Strikes, marches, walkouts, peaceful disobedience—people power disrupts authoritarian momentum.

Mutual Aid

Care networks—food, housing, childcare, legal defense—sustain communities when the state abandons them.

Coalition Building

Resistance is stronger when it’s diverse. We need Black, white, brown, queer, straight, religious, secular—united in shared purpose.

Art & Truth-Telling

Culture saves memory and keeps people awake when propaganda tries to lull them to sleep.

Local Action

School boards, city councils, statehouses—these are frontline defenses. Get involved. They matter.

Global Solidarity

International eyes and voices apply pressure. The louder the resistance, the harder it is to ignore.

What You Can Do Now

Talk about it—call it fascism when it fits.
Organize locally—resistance grows in small rooms.
Support truth-tellers—journalists, librarians, artists, scientists.
Defend the marginalized—they’re the canaries in the coal mine.
Create the world we want even as we fight the one we fear.

This is not just about one policy. Or one community. It’s about whether the American experiment continues—or collapses.

And make no mistake: we undo fascism together.

Start where you are. Start now.