What follows is what I hope and believe. I have not taken the time or trouble to recheck all my sources regarding, for example, the composition and mind-sets of the electorate and I am well aware that I live in a bubble. But I will say that do spend time in the Fox world, both with Trump voters and their sources – and have learned that they are almost always unaware of where I get my facts and opinions, simply asserting that it must be the liberal media. We are all in bubbles, but some are in bubbles surrounded by mirrors and echo chambers orchestrated by skilled psycho techs who know how to manipulate with hate and fear for profit or political advantage.
My understanding is that one-third of the electorate voted for Trump, a third for Harris, and a third did not vote. Let’s hope it’s true that you can fool all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but not all of the people all of the time.
And it is also important to remember the truths in the bromides:
It’s easier to break things than to make things.
There is no honor among thieves.
Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Follow the money
My hope is that of that many of those who support Trump are doing so because they believe the lies and disinformation directed at them by very sophisticated propagandists. My fear is that there are also many who know Trump is a racist, sexist, greedy crook and don’t care because they share those traits and/or forgive them because they want to be rich like him.. It is not worth time or money trying to educate or enlighten these folks. Our focus should be on the group of apathetic and undecided voters and on the very few in Congress and their constituents who have shown some reluctance to grant Trump absolute power and those Trump supporters who are going to be hurt by his policies.
So, more specifically, what can we do?
- Prepare for the next elections. Locate potential Democratic flip races and support the candidates. Act Blue and Common Cause are good resources for this. Find those who did not vote or may be having second thoughts about their support for Republicans and educate them on the very very real dangers developing. Find ways to amplify the objections/positions of the few Republicans in Congress who have shown a reluctance to support some of Trump’s policies, e.g., Murkowski, Collins and McConnel.
- Anticipate and have a plan to counter Trumps’s known strategy when he fails which is to lie, blame his enemies and accuse them of committing the same crimes and inanities he has committed. Kipling has his shortcomings but he nails this with: If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you/ If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you/ But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired of waiting/ Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies/ Or being hated, don’t give way to hating/ And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise. And here it is important to abandon the Democratic parties reluctance to call out the Republican in a Class Conscious framework. It is clear that the wealthy have taken control and don’t give a shit about the poor or the middle class. Promote the attacks coming from Bernie, Warren, AOC, et.al.
- Support the ACLU. Eventually the Supreme Court will hear cases arising from Trumps power grabs. My guess is that Marbury vs. Madison will be revisited and that while Thomas and Alito are full blown prostitutes, the other justices may either vote to keep their power or simply do the right (Constitutional) thing. Again, use your local news outlets (if there are any left), social media, community clubs and organizations to educate. We know that Musk and his tech bros are expert at cyber targeting individuals who are hooked into their platforms and will try to shift the blame for the pain Trumps actions are going to cause, but keep stressing the fact that Trump has all the power and so the F@$k stops there.
- Support you local public schools and the college and university students who are, as always, ahead of their parents when it comes to doing something about the unjust and immoral actions of their government.
- Demonstrate non-violently and protest in the streets, the corridors of power and anywhere else where your voiced can join with others to speak truth to corrupt power. Not only can this encourage others, but when you join with others and march and chant together, it lifts your spirits and gives you strength to carry on.
And finally:
This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it, or their revolutionary right to dismember or overthrow it.
-Abe Lincoln
But also remember that should revolution be necessary, it must be non-violent.
Countries in which there were nonviolent campaigns were about 10 times likelier to transition to democracies within a five-year period compared to countries in which there were violent campaigns — whether the campaigns succeeded or failed.
–Erica Chenoweth
ONWARD!