5 Reasons Why Resisting Trump Is Not Enough Here's How We Might Be Able to Save Our Democracy

[think]

5 Reasons Why Resisting Trump Is Not Enough—Here's How We Might Be Able to Save Our Democracy

By Les Leopold / AlterNet January 1, 2017

If we don't build an alternative movement, attacks on Trump could enhance his popularity rather than to diminish it.

Many progressives are in a major defensive crouch. We're all about resisting everything Trump does, no matter what. We should stop his appointments, decry his PR efforts on jobs, chide him for his love affair with Putin and atomic weapons, defend the social programs he threatens to destroy, ridicule him for his climate change denials, advocate for groups he threatens to deport or discriminate against, and most importantly, impeach him as soon as possible for his disregard for the constitution. (See here)

While resistance is critically important, we will fail unless resistance is contained within a long term strategy to reverse runaway inequality and upend neoliberalism (defined as systematic tax breaks for the rich, cuts in social programs, anti-union legislation, financial deregulation and corporate-managed trade.) If we don't build an alternative movement, our defensive struggles could enhance Trump's popularity rather than to diminish it.

Here are risks of a "resistance only" response.

1. It makes our politics Trump-centric or even Trump-dependent.

Trump thrives on being the center of attention. Attacks feed his ego, propel him into action and energize his base. The more he is attacked personally, the more he can command center stage in every discussion, on every news show and in every forum. A resist-only strategy, without a broader movement-building effort, allows Trump to set the terms of debate -- he is for X, then we are against X....he is against Y, then we must be for Y.

Of course, resistance is badly needed. But it also must be part of, and lead to, the promotion of a pro-active positive agenda along the lines field-tested by the Sanders campaign. The key items include a financial transaction tax on Wall Street, free higher education, single-payer health care, massive infrastructure spending, a halt to the off-shoring of jobs, criminal justice reform, taking money out of politics, and reducing global warming. That's our agenda, not Trump's...


Read more:
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/challenge-our-hands-save-democracy-lot-bigger-trump

[vi5]

1. Good points, all....

Many of the people I know who didn't vote felt the Clinton campaign messaging was too dependent on what was bad about Trump. We can sit here and argue all day about whether that was a correct assessment or not, but by the same token as all the points in this piece, doing that doesn't get us any closer to doing what needs to be done.

And the other piece is, we can't sit around and argue about whether or not any of the things we are proposing are actually possible, just that we WANT them to be possible. Pragmatism doesn't inspire people. Hopes, dreams, and aspirations of what we CAN be inspires people.

[think]

3. Yes. We need to be inspired and work to actively pursue positive change. I look forward to strong

Democratic leadership that pursues progressive policies and works to engage the American people in the process.

Trump may be president and Congress controlled by the GOP but good ideas and policies still can move forward if the voters are inspired enough to get behind them...

All across the country now we see cities and states raising the minimum wage and fighting for $15. This happens because the people are inspired.

Here's hoping for greater inspiration under these treacherous times...

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. Karl Rove's strategy is to find out what accomplishments his opponents were good at and

proud of, and belittle them for that.

Piloted a swift boat in VN? Belittle that.

Awarded Purple Hearts? Belittle that.

[get the red out]

4. Great points

I agree with this.