Trump becomes President tomorrow.
What can one person do to fight against his administration and its allies in the media and in the American Oligarchy?
First, do not accommodate yourself to his actions. Do not back away even one step from the corruption and depravity of his policies. Do not be intimidated. Do not lose yourself in twisting this way and that to find something good in what he does. A few prominent Democrats have already begun doing so. If something good comes out of his plans, it will be purely by chance, not intention. As Timothy Snyder reminds us, “Do not obey in advance.”
Second, set yourself against amnesia, that peculiar American trait. Memory is context. Never forget that he is a liar, a convicted criminal and an adjudicated rapist. He came to power on a message of racial hatred and vengeance. He attempted to overthrow our democracy. He set a mob on the Capitol. One hundred and forty police were assaulted by that mob. He remains a dishonorable man. He remains void of all decency. An election does not wash him clean. He is not a new man. He does not deserve a second chance.
Finally, do not be overcome by the lies his MAGA machine will spew out every day. Their propaganda machinery is formidable. Think of the last glacier that covered New England and lasted for 75,000 years. The ice in some places was over 2 miles thick and compressed the earth beneath its weight. That is what these next 4 years will be like. His lies will grow deeper and deeper. They will grind forward day after day.
The only way to not be overwhelmed is to hold fast to the very basics of what you know is right and good and to do the research necessary to see what is true. There are plenty of good journalists and news organizations out there who will do their jobs diligently and with integrity. Find them. Think for yourself.
Keep true to standards of conduct that have a universal application. These are mine:
No to cruelty, especially cruelty inflicted by the State. No to the persecution of the weak by the strong, especially the persecution of children. No to concentration camps. No to the law used as a weapon by Trump against his enemies. No to rule by oligarchs like the repellent Musk and the coterie of billionaires aligned with Trump.
No to cynicism. No to unregulated fury which only leads to exhaustion and resignation.
Yes to the preservation of nature, especially wilderness. Yes to the ideal of justice for all, not just for those who are “connected.”
Yes to self-reliance. Yes to working with others to accomplish the daily work of democracy – the election of school board directors, local office holders, members of the State Legislature, members of the House, etc. Yes to doing whatever you can to ease the suffering of those who will be hurt by his policies.
Hopelessness is simply defeat. Put your head down and go to work. That is what I am going to do.
