These are tough days for democrats. And Democrats.
There’s no shame in admitting it.
This week I watched a lot more sports on TV. I immersed myself in colonial era fiction and non-fiction. I took long e-bike rides.
It’s not easy, since I’m a journalist. I was assigned a story on Trump Media today and warned to stick to facts. I did my work and promptly forgot about it.
But there are very important points all freedom loving people need to remember right now.
Americans have never thrown out a successful President for an unsuccessful predecessor. Americans reject extremism in all its forms. We always have.
The American economy today is the envy of the world. Inflation was negative last month. A lot of boomers are suddenly millionaires. Crime is way down. We’re taking back the “green” industries that were lost to China in the last decade. Ukraine is going to win if we just stay the course.
I’d much rather be us than them.
Another point. Countries around the world have been voting this year, and in almost every case liberty has won. The pro-freedom vote has been radically underestimated by every poll, everywhere. India refused Modi a majority, despite a tighter control over the media than Trump has. France rejected the Far Right. Europeans voted for a pro-European parliament. Iran made the moderate choice. Mexico will now be run by a Jewess Socialist. Every American by-election this year has seen Democrats beating poll estimates by 8-10 points, often by more.
Here’s The Deal
We know now Trumpism didn’t happen all at once. The rejection of the 20th century by oligarchs and religious zealots has been an ongoing project for two generations. The infiltration of the courts has been underway for 50 years. (Fun fact. I once erected a TV antenna on the home of the man who got it all started, in 1974. Angelo Roncallo proposed what became the Hyde Amendment, the first post-Roe abortion restriction.)
Another point should be obvious today. The judicial coup succeeded. As a result, rights guaranteed over the course of the last half-century are being rolled back, the constitution redefined to suit 18th century slaveholders rather than 21st century Americans. Controls over business imposed starting in the 1930s have been ruled unconstitutional. Trump has promised to remove the civil service protections of Chester A. Arthur and reinstitute the spoils system imposed by Andrew Jackson in the 1830s.
It’s happening that fast.
What can be done about it?
We know what can be done about it. Fight to maintain voters’ registrations. Explain the President’s record to our neighbors and the dangers of Trump’s Project 2025. Our task is much easier than that faced by our parents or grandparents. We just act like free men and women, using the tools their sacrifices created for us.
The other thing we must do is trust the process. This is something a lot of Democrats aren’t doing right now. I’m more upset about this than anything.
The constant barrage of tweets and threads and articles from supposed liberals predicting the end of democracy in November must stop now. Shut your pie holes. Either get in the game, get fighting for democracy, or get out of the way for people who will.
End of rant.
