Stephen King - "It will be at least 40 years"

[orangecrush]

🎯

— Mark Hamill (@markhamillofficial.bsky.social) 2026-06-30T17:14:40.353Z

[Easterncedar]

1. Maybe the scars will remind us to be on guard

We took democracy and the checks and balances of 3 branches of government for granted.

[PatSeg]

18. Yes, I think the scars are necessary

Otherwise it would be too easy to sweep it all under the rug and move forward probably to repeat the same mistakes in the future.

Also there are generational issues. After World War II, "Never Again" stuck for decades, but now that the generations that lived it have mostly died off, the same old players are back, ready to wreak havoc on the world again.

We see the same old cycles repeated throughout history. We have to find a better way.

[OldBaldy1701E]

24. "Otherwise it would be too easy to sweep it all under the rug and move forward probably to repeat the same mistakes..."

Unless we address the corrupted, broken system that created this mess, we are destined to repeat the entire thing... over and over again.

However, it does not seem as if anyone is interested in fixing the corrupted, broken system, so it will be happening again.

[PatSeg]

34. Agreed

Dealing with the bad players is not enough as they will just be replaced with more of the same down the road. It certainly is the system that needs addressing.

That is pretty much what the founding fathers did, but now it is time for some major changes, ones that will make many "comfortable" people very uncomfortable. People over profit would be an essential start.

[mucholderthandirt]

42. I read somewhere that history repeats about every 80 years, just in time for people to die...

and the younger generations to not remember how bad things where. Here we are, about 80 years later, reliving the Nazi crap.

I think we're looking more at 60 years or more before we have anything close to America back. My guess is it won't ever be like it was, because no one will be held accountable for what's been done. Decades of them working to this point, and no one will try or convict them, much less execute them for any of it. People in the Epstein files remain uncharged, despite enough evidence to have trials.

But, I offer once again to be the "bad guy" and prosecute these evil bastards. Freeze their assets, use that money to fix things. Ask the UN to help with the trials, and punishment will be swift and severe. And I promise I won't stay in any kind of power, because I love what this country could have been, and should be.

[PatSeg]

48. Yes, 80 years would be the right number

We now have younger generations who knew about World War II from history classes and movies, but it tends to have less impact.

Though I didn't live through that time, I lived through the aftermath and we were bombarded with stories, movies, and documentaries throughout my youth. Plus our parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles lived through it, so it was very real to us.

Meanwhile, I don't see us "going back" because there were too many flaws that need to be fixed. After all we've been through in the past 250 years, how is there still so much racism and misogyny alive and well? No going back, but there certainly must be more accountability strictly enforced.

[Easterncedar]

47. Right right right

Those who forget history...etc

[PatSeg]

49. Yes and somehow

most do forget.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

70. Control narcissism. Actually

Find what causes it and eradicate it. Be it inborn or not. Then stopping child abuse is #1 ,next in line is to eliminate bullying. Third arrest child abusers give them long sentences and execute pedophiles. Or remove certain parts. Lastly identify narcissists in work places especially in helping fields for vulnerable people like mental health

[PatSeg]

71. Good points

We need to address and treat the causes not the symptoms.

[walkingman]

2. We are well on our way of becoming a "has been" - the next election cycle will probably tell. ☮

[Vogon_Glory]

3. He's right. It will take at least 40 years, but the scars will linger for ages.

Furthermore, the wounding will continue even after he’s gone. Donald John got elected, then re-elected again in 2024 thanks to cabals of greedy billionaires, religious fanatics, career politicians, and click-seeking media chieftains more than willing to break our republic for sitting up traffic and increasing ratings.

[31j20b3]

4. What's up with this guess? why not 50 or 30? Come on why F'n 40????????

with all respect to Mark Hamill and Stephen King, there is nothing in this post that suggests the evolution of probability over the intervening years to end at 40.

As far as I can tell, it's no better a guess than something I'd fart out after baked beans and ham

[ret5hd]

7. you're fun...i can tell.

[Wifes husband]

10. Totally missed the point

Well done

[Intractable]

11. It's more a figure of speech than an exact prognostication.

One cannot interpret Stephen King so literally. It's for entertainment purposes only.

[Dave says]

14. 40 years equals 2 generations

[yardwork]

21. Welcome to DU.

[dave99]

25. usually takes a passing time of a generation (40 years os so) to remove the stink of Republican Selfishness

[paleotn]

29. Yeah, whatever. Point totally missed. Enjoy your stay.

It may be short.

[stopdiggin]

36. you were thinking this was some kind of scientific numbers crunch .. ?

Here's another 'Wowzaa" for ya.
"Woooosh"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[Cirsium]

64. Two generations

40 years is two generations, more or less. That is a common pattern in politics and social changes.

[Skittles]

69. JFC

at the very LEAST it will take a couple of generations, is that easier for you?

[WarGamer]

77. Because he's an author of FICTION... lol

[Torchlight]

78. Sounds serious

Good luck! (Gas-X may be of some help if that's a concern of yours)

[vapor2]

5. The scars run deep and will remind us of the corruption by this entire party

Their lies, their greed and destruction will be a constant reminder that we need to add laws to prevent this crap ever again. Wonder if we will reclaim the money they are stealing??

[highplainsdem]

6. Posted June 24 on X. Not posted on Bluesky, though he has a Bluesky account.

Link to tweet

[orangecrush]

55. I'm glad someone posted it on Bluesky

I don't go to the Nazi site

[highplainsdem]

59. I checked to.make sure it was something he'd said, and when, since we've seen too many memes

with fake quotes here. And we recently had an OP with a real Stephen King quote presented as new, when it was from January of last year, before Trump was back in the White House (and that particular quote was posted here in a tweet from what I'd guess is a bot account on X posting lots of clickbait every day from both sides of the political spectrum; King's actual tweet would have been better).

I had logged in to X, which I rarely do any more, to check out that other X account posting the old quote from King, which is how I found out that account was also smearing Democratic First Ladies and other Democrats. I didn't have to log in to X today to find this recent quote. I just googled it.

[orangecrush]

63. Thank you

[SergeStorms]

9. As long as the Heritage Foundation exists...

this country will remain in peril.
Donald Trump is merely the vessel. The Heritage Foundation is steering the ship.

[dave99]

26. a few placed things would alleivate the atmosphere of their stink

[KPN]

37. Bingo! We will have to hold them all accountable ... or else.

[orangecrush]

56. Agree

[I_UndergroundPanther]

87. Arrest all white nationalists

In a normal world hatred of what Nazis did and do kept them in the shadows where they steadily eroded this country into rich peoples pet project.

[Justice matters.]

12. Not true, or at least until special interests money is thrown out of politics.

The "trust" in the system on the international stage will not come back for as long as special interests money will be allowed to buy elections and the un-democratic Electoral College scam will remain not banned and public money will not be the only financing of elections by Law.

For short: As long as the lying gangsters in the Republicrooks party will have a chance to get elected every four years, that "trust" will not come back.

[QueerDuck]

13. Statistically... my actuarial table give me about 12 years... if that... (and that's based on hope, luck and optimism).

Sadly, I'll never see this country recover from this shit-show.

[yankee87]

33. Same

I am scared for my children and grandchildren

[young_at_heart]

74. Same for me!

After his first term I felt my depression evaporate, only to rise again (big time) in four years. I know I will be "leaving" with much unhappiness and plenty of fear for those I love.

[Intractable]

15. After Trump, this country will continue to recover until the next Republican president is elected.

[Moostache]

16. Our society is too sick and apathetic to survive this onslaught entact.

Bottom line is that too many people have normalized and accepted this level of wanton dishonesty, flagrant stupidity and constant gas-lighting without pushing back or refusing to let it happen. This will not get fixed in my lifetime and that is heart breaking.

[Karasu]

17. Most all political analysts I've been reading have been saying "decades" for a while now. This shouldn't be news to

Last edited Tue Jun 30, 2026, 05:19 PM - Edit history (1)

anyone.

Frankly I'm not sure I want to spend 40+ more years (assuming I have that long) waiting for this country to get its back act together, especially as long as the GQP and the Heritage Foundation are around.

[Joinfortmill]

19. I'm with him.

[oasis]

20. Could be King is channeling Moses' Exodus.

[Wounded Bear]

27. Yeah, "40 years" is a very biblical term...nt

[Dr. T]

38. Like Dimwit Donnie's "two weeks" proclamations.

[Ars Longa]

22. The system we have now is largely from the colonial 1790's... Which envisioned NOTHING

of the modern complexities of the technological world we live in now.
Ultimately, We need to go to some kind of best-of world model- Parliamentary
style system!
I don't know how we get there-from here ? I'll be dead!!

[dave99]

23. Scar One: the expiration of the Republican party to the depts of history

[J_William_Ryan]

28. Until the next Republican president.

Who, empowered by presidential immunity and unitary executive dogma codified by the Trump Court, will force us to go through it all again.

[paleotn]

31. Right now, there's no one in their stable that's electable nationally.

None. Other than Donnie and his evil magic, they're all a bunch of stiffs and clowns. And not even entertaining clowns who catch the fancy of the Repuke rubes. For a while now, it's ours to lose. But then again, we're good at that.

[Karasu]

53. That's all they had back in 2016, too. Been that way for a while now.

[Aussie105]

60. Too many people believe the BS politicians feed them.

While that continues, we are stuck in a loop.

Other countries are often more cynical - don't tell me Mr Politician, show me!

We currently have a party on the rise here in Australia, led by a Trump clone.
Unrealistic, biased and racially motivated rhetoric is her game.
Pauline Hanson, if you want to Google what she stands for.

Hopefully criticism and cynicism will prevail.
Otherwise Australia will experience a US style death cycle.

[Karasu]

62. Yep. I have relatives in Australia, and they've told me much the same thing.

[Celerity]

66. One Nation POS

[calimary]

46. So how can we undo, or get around, or otherwise defeat that?

Realistically, AND seriously, we can’t be forced to fight this all over again, every time a Republican wins the White House.

[Karasu]

50. This country is indeed going to be forced to deal with this shit again every time a Republican wins. They have no

desire to go back to a functioning democracy after this, and all the shit this regime has codified only enables them. This period of time has them asking why they should settle for having cake when they can eat it too.

Fascism is all they have left.

Ideally, the GQP would've (and should've) been politically irrelevant by this point--certainly after January 2021--but that hasn't happened.

[dave99]

67. "all the shit this regime has codified enables them" All of this will be uncodified when DEMs are in

[Karasu]

85. Unfortunately, not all of it can be due to how the system works, especially when so much of it has been inflicted by

the Supreme Court. Even if party leadership actually does manage to get behind court expansion (and I hope that happens, though they seem to have very little appetite for it), it isn't feasible for all of the old decisions to be overturned overnight if ever. Individual cases would need to be ruled on, and it would be an extremely time-consuming process.

[dave99]

86. Just need DEM House & Senate to pass laws that will bypass the USSC bullshit

[Magoo48]

30. If we don't rehab our nation to heal stronger at the point of every wound,

we will have missed the greatest silver lining emerging from this catastrophe.

[paleotn]

32. Exactly !!

[KPN]

39. Hear hear!

[spanone]

35. Thank you Stephen King.

[murielm99]

45. Bill Clinton says "Decades."

He has served in government all his life. I believe him.

[spanone]

82. Well, 40 years is four decades.

[B.See]

40. There are sometimes lessons inherent

in scars derived from poor decisions, I think. Schools of hard knocks being as they are.

Hardcore MAGAS and 'christian' posers like to hold that God had saved Trump for a reason. If so, perhaps the 'reason' is not what they think.

Perhaps the reason is in the LESSON...

to teach America the COST: of losing sight of the prize - of abandoning our nobler principles.

Of embracing and abiding by hate, intolerance, selfishness, deliberate ignorance and venom.

Of idolizing a vicious, menial, malevolent minded man who, in every way, is anti everything Christ had preached.

The cost of endorsing, ignoring, normalizing ... even rationalizing evil incarnate.

Some lessons must be learned the hard way.

[Mysterian]

41. But it's not just Trump

It's every single republican in the USA who is responsible for this disaster.

[FakeNoose]

43. Yes every crook is out to steal from Uncle Sam and the taxpayers now

Chump is showing them how easy it is to become a billionaire.

Once the Dems are back in control, we have to remove these loopholes and work-arounds they've created. We need to make everything airtight or all of this will happen again. Start by taking back EVERY TAX BREAK the one-per-centers ever got since Ronald Reagan and make it retroactive to 1980.

They stole from the people, and we're taking it all back again.

[Mysterian]

51. And do something to bust the mass media monopoly

and prohibit liars posing as "news."

[calimary]

65. THIS!!!

[FakeNoose]

72. Totally agree ... the "news" media have been complicit enablers

[Martin Eden]

44. To recover at all, Trump and everything he represents must be thoroughly rejected by a large majority of Americans

For that rejection to happen, more people will have to be hurt -- with his supporters realizing he and his Republican enablers are to blame.

Will young people coming of age over the next forty years understand the truth of what is happening today, and not fall for the the kind of lies and manipulation that will no doubt persist from the same malefactors of great wealth who are controlling more and more of the media landscape?

How will the growing power of AI be used by the multi-billionaires who will almost certainly own and direct it?

For most of my life (born 1957) I was optimistic about the future. My faith in the American people suffered a blow when GW Bush got a 2nd term, and it was pretty much destroyed by the 2024 election.

I have long placed hope in youth, counting on new generations to do build a better America and world for everyone.

That is my greatest wish, even if I don't live to see it.

[orleans]

52. thank you to mark hamill for reposting this.

thank you stephen king for putting this out there.

oh, and thanks orangecrush for showing this to us here.

[orangecrush]

58. You are most welcome

[Martin68]

54. I hope he's wrong. One factor in our favor is that a Democratic president will have enormous power to undo what Trump

has done, thanks to his SCOTUS. The next Democratic president has to enlarge the SCOTUS to reverse corrupt decisions they have made.

[Jeebo]

57. We've been shown where the guard rails need to be strengthened.

And also where new guard rails need to be created. I could come up with dozens of examples. For example, tax returns: Candidates for president should be REQUIRED by the FEC to fully release their tax returns when they first declare their candidacy. Money in politics: I would love for there to be a constitutional amendment that declares: Article 1: Corporations and all other artificial entities are not persons. Article 2: Money is not speech. Gerrymandering: Let's have a constitutional amendment that states: Article 1: All political districts shall be drawn using straight north-south or east-west lines, or already-existing city, county or state borders. Article 2: The purpose of this amendment is to prevent the practice known as gerrymandering, or drawing district lines in such a way as to give an advantage to one political party or faction over another. Pardons: There needs to be a three-member presidential pardons board. One of the three members of that board is the current president. The other two members are appointees of the past two presidential administrations, with at least one of them being a member of the current president's opposition party. I could come up with (as Stephanie Miller might say) eleventy-million new guard rails like these. The next time the Democrats get in control, we need to start working vigorously and determinedly on them.

-- Ron

[orleans]

61. i've been reading thru the replies to this on bluesky -- here are some i found interesting

The ultimate party pooper.

— Christian Petersen (@iwantyoustudio.bsky.social) 2026-06-30T17:23:05.046Z

After being married to a narcissist for 20 years...yes.. that's what they do. They Ruin EVERYTHING because they can't stand Anything not being about THEM.

— (@nasfuratu.bsky.social) 2026-06-30T17:33:21.730Z

He’s a narcissistic sociopath. He wasn’t rich he would have spent the majority of his life in prison.

— 🦋 (@northernbean.bsky.social) 2026-06-30T18:37:51.490Z

If he wasn't rich, he'd have died decades ago.

— Be_three (@be-three.bsky.social) 2026-06-30T18:48:34.775Z

— Newshound411 (@newshound411.bsky.social) 2026-06-30T17:38:14.429Z

Agreed!!!

— Irish-Seanchai (@irish-seanchai.bsky.social) 2026-06-30T19:14:28.443Z

— SteveH (@sghendricks.bsky.social) 2026-06-30T19:09:05.789Z

[BigmanPigman]

68. I knew what King would say before I even read the post just from the OP alone...

Earlier tonight that is exactly what I was saying to myself. I was born on July 3rd in Phila and I was always such a proud patriot. 1976 was an enormous celebration (especially in Philly). My 14th birthday cake was decorated by me and it was a huge American flag.

Now I hate my country and it is basically due to my fellow citizens and that pisses me off more than anything in the world. American voters are the dumbest of the dumb. Ever since Raygun they have become more and more purposely ignorant. The popular vote and electoral college has fucked this country over royally and IT WILL NOT CHANGE IN MY LIFE TIME!!! That is why I knew what King said before I even read it.

I voted when I was 18 for Carter (1980) and voted Dem down ballot in every single local, state and fed election. When I became a 1st grade teacher I taught my class how to vote, the entire process and it was their 6 year old agenda. They passed out the blank ballots, collected them and tallied the votes all with my guidance. I have the ownership of the election process from 1997- 2013. I was proud of this (it was NOT in the curriculum and if I were caught by the admin I'd have to justify my lesson).

Now I am so depressed that my birthday and America's birthday has been ripped away from me and I know I will not live long enough to see what happens to my beloved country. I am grateful I chose not to have kids since I wouldn't want that on my conscience when I die.

I am so sad for our country.

[Bengus81]

73. It will take time but 40 years?? LOL!! Nixon wasn't at Trumps level

of criminality, but what he did was just as shocking to the Nation. It didn't take 40 years to get over his criminal ass. Many,many laws were passed during his last year and after. When Carter took office in Jan 1977 I felt like Watergate was behind me and my one year+ old business was booming.

But...none of it matters unless you have a Congress that is willing to say fucking NO like the Republicans finally did with Nixon. Those POS in Congress will never do that to their Fuhrer,they have to be voted out.

[samsingh]

75. Recovery will only happen if there is accountability for republican crimes

If Democrats again say 'look to the future, not the past', it will be worse when a republican criminal wins another election.

[WarGamer]

76. IMHO... the country/planet will have much greater problems in 40 years

Trump will seem like a footnote.

[Bluetus]

79. I hope King is right. The Joe McCarthy period ended is a blowback lasting 40 years

Last edited Wed Jul 1, 2026, 04:09 PM - Edit history (1)

But it won't just happen. We have to be out there every day fight this. And the fight has moved beyond Trump. It includes the billionaires, oligarchs, Nazis, AI, corrupt politicians, "centrist" enablers, the SCOTUS, dark money, massive foreign influence, and everything else that allowed this dark period to happen.

We must fight all of these as the single, connected problem they are. Everybody who has been on the wrong side, or just silent while this happened must be pushed out.

[orangecrush]

80. Well said, thank you

[DemocracyForever]

81. The tragedy of not punishing the Bush 2000 election theft!

[Upthevibe]

83. Kick. N/T

[orangecrush]

84. Thanks