The response to Trump’s election — with anti-inaugural gatherings of smug hypocrisy and angry denials of reality — is playing exactly into the oligarchs’ hands. The neo-fascist .1% want us unhinged, Divided and Conquered! And that’s where we’re being incomprehensibly stupid, giving them just what they want. We would be much better off touting our common ground with the anti-establishment, grassroots right (and, ironically, the PEOTUS) and demonstrating our reasonable willingness to work with our counterparts where we agree (like Bernie has said) — rather than leading with obstinate, deranged, red-baiting fury that discredits us and loses us the sympathies of mainstream Americans.
If we continue in this vein, the left will be truly DEAD — for many, many years to come. The establishment will have gotten its new Cold War (or worse) and “No Fly” zone in Syria, and it will be, in part, because we pushed for it, unhappy about the election result — beside ourselves that a dark money-fueled, primary-rigging neocon wasn’t able to acquire the White House! Meanwhile, the infrastructure, economy, and rule of law will continue to crater because we never pushed President Obama to do anything not in the tradition of Bush/Cheney.
In that environment, how will we fare under the dictatorial powers that have been seized by the last few presidents? THIS IS OUR LAST CHANCE TO SEIZE THE MOMENT, MY LEFTY FRIENDS: All we have to do is stop bullying and hating and calling millions of Americans “deplorables,” just because it feels good. We also need to stop refusing to recognize the opportunities presented in a new, establishment-loathed president who apparently wants detente with Russia — and infrastructure investment, Wall Street regulation (the reinstatement of Glass-Steagall) and drug reimportation from Canada (and a few other genuinely positive policies). Who also, by the way, hates the slavery-overlooking/regulation-nullifying Trans-Pacific Partnership (and NAFTA, TTIP, CAFTA, etc.) and is harshly critical –and even a little informed — when it comes to al Qaeda-supporting regime-change wars: the neocon agenda.
Goddammit, there is opportunity in this moment, and we are fucking blowing it!
The truth is that most Trump voters are just like most lefties: more scared and ignorant than anything else. Only the hysterical left (in this uniquely disorienting and traumatic moment) have been doing nothing but preaching hate and behaving like infantile, badly-spoiled children — and when it comes to the Clinton-Obama fans, outrageously hypocritical ones.
But it’s time to reach out and work together, if we care one whit about the future — either that, or stop pretending we’re superior. LOVE trumps hate. Either we understand that elementary concept, or we don’t. Mockery and loathing — and a desperation to delegitimize Trump so potent that we’re willing to embrace the radical right — adds up to a surefire formula for catastrophe.
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So, as we prepare for demonstrations marking President Trump’s inauguration, here’s the kind of REASONABLE, PRINCIPLED, CONSTRUCTIVE MESSAGING necessary for the left to get back on our feet and ultimately win (unless we’re bound and determined to go the way of those who “battle monsters”):
BERNIE IS RIGHT: Work WITH Pres. Trump
to end “trade pacts” and permanent war!
Work with Russia to defeat ISIS?
Good idea, Pres. Trump!
Trump wants to negotiate lower drug prices — DEMOCRATS, take note, and take on PhRMA!
We will GLADLY work w/the PEOTUS and grassroots-right to:
– Repeal NAFTA and other “trade” pacts
– Restore Glass-Steagall and protect taxpayers
– Protect entitlements from cuts/privatization
– Demand clean water for all Americans
– End legalized bribery in U.S. campaign finance
– Restore auditable, transparent elections in the U.S.
– Modernize America’s infrastructure (w/open bidding, transparency)
– Free the U.S. military from “regime-change” wars in the Middle East
– End U.S. support for Salafi-extremist militias and their GCC sponsors
– Restore transparency and accountability to Washington, DC
To the so-called “Deplorables” —
Thank you for knocking off not one but TWO
Appallingly awful Political Dynasties!
To the so-called “Deplorables” — THANK YOU
for voting AGAINST the NEOCON AGENDA!
Modernize U.S. infrastructure
and put Americans to work!
STOP CRIMINALIZING WHISTLEBLOWING —
Make the CRIMINALS exposed pay for their crimes!
To the so-called “Deplorables” — WE RESPECT
your principled vote against the deeply corrupt establishment.
To the so-called “Deplorables” — THANK YOU
for voting against Wall Street tyranny and the MIC!
To the so-called “Deplorables” — WE SHARE
your contempt for the Corporate Media!
(which, btw, is anything BUT “liberal”)
Gen. Mattis is RIGHT:
Torture does NOT work!
No more voting for the “Lesser” Evil —
IRV/RANKED VOTING NOW!
TRANSPARENCY NOW:
END DARK MONEY IN U.S. ELECTIONS!
Restore habeas corpus!
Repeal the 2012 and 2017 NDAAs!
Pres. Trump: Keep your (sane) promises to
the American People or… YOU’RE FIRED!
Keep your word, Pres. Trump: ADVANCE DETENTE WITH RUSSIA!
MSM hacks: Quit peddling Neo-McCarthyite “WMD/Hacking” BS!
Release the Senate Torture Report!
End the “War on Drugs” and the New Jim Crow TODAY.
Either Black Lives Matter or America is a LIE.
Dems: Embrace the GOP’s best idea in years:
Restore Glass-Steagall in Trump’s first 100 days!
Pardon the truthtellers:
– Pvt. Chelsea Manning
– Edward Snowden
– Thomas Drake
– John Kiriakou
– Jeffrey Sterling
Dear MSM hacks: Principled, anti-establishment conservatives
KO’d both the Bush and Clinton dynasties — THANK THEM.
RESTORE AMERICAN DEMOCRACY:
Thoroughly AUDIT the 2016 Primaries & General Election!
No more UNELECTED “City Managers”
Restore democracy in Detroit and Flint!
Save the U.S. $350 billion/year:
Medicare-for-all-NOW!
Note to the MSM and Establishment “Left:”
PEOTUS Obama ALSO chose to surround himself with
bankers, privatizers, self-dealers, and neocons…
And YOU SAID NOTHING.
Keep President Trump to his word:
NO CUTS to Social Security or Medicare!
Help Pres. Trump repeal NAFTA!
Help Pres. Trump restore Glass-Steagall!
RESTORE AMERICAN DEMOCRACY:
Bring back Habeas Corpus and Posse Comitatus!
Don’t use the Espionage Act like Obama did:
Protect honest whistleblowers & journalists!
We hope/pray Trump does well, whatever our fears.
Or we can continue with our Trump-immolating effigies and hypocritical mobs of hate, because the “wrong” race-baiting, sexist, deeply corrupt, warmongering right-wing demagogue came out on top of the 2016 presidential election… even though doing so will make it easier for the neo-fascist establishment to co-opt Trump and utterly crush us, long after we’ve exhausted the sympathies of mainstream Americans.
SECOND PRONG: Include a bunch of “#DemEXIT” signs to pressure the establishment-Left (if interviewed, talk about how “#DemEnter” is a fine strategy, but not viable if the Democratic Party leadership remains the same and continues to rig primaries and pursue the corporate — neoliberal and neoconservative — agenda).