Welcome to the Resistance

A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to speak to a “Women’s Rally for Change,” along with the Executive Director of Planned Parenthood and the Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor. The purpose was to discuss how to resist the coming assault on women and minorities, and to answer the increasingly common–and increasingly urgent– question: what can I do? What specific actions can I take?

The Rally was promoted only by Facebook posts; organizers hoped a hundred women might attend. We were stunned when five hundred women crammed into a space meant for far fewer, and another four hundred had to be turned away. (Future events, in larger venues, will be posted to a Facebook page established in the wake of the event: Women4ChangeIndiana.)

Several people who could not attend have asked me for copies of my remarks, so I’m posting them here. (Regular readers of this blog will find much of what follows repetitive….sorry about that!)

_________________________

We are facing divisions in this country unlike anything we’ve seen since the 60s, or maybe the Civil War. If America is to emerge reasonably intact, we need to look honestly at what just happened.

The ugly truth is that most of his voters saw Trump’s bigotry, misogyny and authoritarianism as features, not bugs. They didn’t overlook his appalling behaviors—those were what attracted them. They applauded his repeated attacks on “political correctness” and routinely told reporters that what they liked about him was that he “tells it like it is.”

The attitudes most predictive of support for Trump were racial resentment and misogyny—not economic distress.

Clinton won the popular vote, but because the Electoral College gives greater weight to votes from rural areas, she lost the Presidency. This is the 2d time in 16 years that the person who won the most votes was not elected.

The next few years are going to be very painful. Americans will lose many of the protections we have come to expect from the federal courts, probably for the foreseeable future. Economic policies will hurt the poor, especially women and children, and exacerbate divisions between the rich and the rest of us. A Trump Administration will abandon efforts to address climate change, and will roll back most of Obamacare. There will be no immigration reform, and God only knows what our foreign policy will look like. Worst of all, Trump’s normalization of bigotry will play out in a variety of ways, none good.

Sandy asked us to focus our comments on issues affecting women—but when you think about it, all of these issues will disproportionately affect women and children. And by far the worst for women is something we can’t reverse through legislation at some future time—a return to cultural attitudes that objectify and demean us.

So – what can we do, sitting here in overwhelmingly Red Indiana?

As individuals, beginning right now, we can support organizations that work to protect women’s rights, civil and reproductive liberties and public education, among others. A friend of mine and her husband, who stand to benefit from Trump’s proposed tax cuts, have decided to donate every dollar they save by reason of those cuts to organizations like Planned Parenthood and the ACLU. We might start a local “pledge my tax cut” campaign.

Perhaps the most important thing we can do is focus on local efforts to ameliorate the effects of likely federal actions. Most of the innovation and action on climate change, for example, is happening in cities, and it is much easier to influence local policy than state or national legislation. Those of us worried about the environment can make sure our cities are at the forefront of urban environmental efforts. There are other policy areas where—depending upon relevant state law—cities can mitigate the effects of federal action or inaction. Since the election, for example, several cities have decided to become Sanctuary cities, protecting undocumented people.

We can and must work to create inclusive and supportive local civic cultures that work against misogyny, bigotry and intolerance. We are already seeing a substantial increase in racist, homophobic, anti-Muslim and anti-Semitic incidents, and we need to create a civic environment that strongly discourages bigoted attitudes and behaviors. Cities have ready-made partners in those efforts, in arts organizations, civic and religious associations and the business community. I hereby volunteer to help mount a campaign focused on encouraging a welcoming, inclusive, respectful civic environment.

And if  the new Administration really does establish a Muslim registry, we all need to register as Muslims.

In the longer term, we have to reform America’s election system. The first order of business is to get rid of the Electoral College, which favors rural voters over urban ones and generally distorts the democratic process. The person who gets the most votes should win the election. We should work with groups like the League of Women Voters to get Indiana to sign on to the National Popular Vote Project, to oppose gerrymandering and to make voting easier, not harder.

We also have to defend our public schools and improve civic education. “We the People” or a similar curriculum should be required for High School graduation. Trump made all kinds of promises that he could not constitutionally carry out. Perhaps recognizing that wouldn’t have mattered to the kind of people willing to vote for him—but it might have.

Sandy asked each of us to identify issues of particular significance to women that we might win at the Statehouse. Given the composition of our legislature, we face an uphill battle, but here are some suggestions:

  • Work with local business and civil rights groups to expand Indiana’s civil rights law to include LGBTQ Hoosiers.
  • Work with Planned Parenthood, the ACLU and other organizations to prevent passage of added restrictions on abortion that more conservative courts would uphold. We’re already seeing that effort in Indiana.
  • Work with advocates for public education to scale back Indiana’s voucher program, the largest in the country, that benefits parochial schools at the expense of public ones.
  • Require effective civic education for graduation from H.S.

If there has ever been a time to be an activist, this is it.

49 Comments

  1. Sheila:

    “The attitudes most predictive of support for Trump were racial resentment and misogyny—not economic distress.”

    This is the overriding issue. There are others of much importance, but this must be effectively dealt with or dealing with the others will be a pure waste of time.

  2. Many of you may have heard about the Anti-Trump Women’s March on January 21st, 2017 and although many wanted to go to DC, several cities decided to hold their own marches in their own towns. Just google it and find your local event and join. I was shocked and happy to see they are having one in Zurich that I can attend! It’s gone world wide folks. Let’s get involved and hope for sunny warmest weather on that day! Cheers.

  3. Thank you all who were able to attend and those who organized the event. Strong women who are willing to resist the very real dangers we face can make a difference. Please keep us informed of any future events.
    As an aside, the incidences of harassment being reported and documented of Trump supporters verbally and physically assaulting a specific person or group while others stood by silently and did nothing to intervene is shameful and frightening. Now we have some idea what happened in NAZI Germany, really all over Europe and Asia in the mid-twentieth century. If we do not understand that we may be next, we all will suffer the consequences.

  4. Somehow, I believe that word “resistance” will be used more and more in the coming years. It already fits.

  5. As women, our first responsibility should be to stop treating women as second class citizens. I say that because a majority of white women who voted cast their ballots for Trump. That is disgraceful.

  6. JD,

    “Now we have some idea what happened in NAZI Germany, really all over Europe and Asia in the mid-twentieth century. If we do not understand that we may be next, we all will suffer the consequences.”

    Going all the way back to the late 60’s, the strategy for the Trump/Pence led forces has been to cover up the fact that they were using a Nazi Playbook.

    The radio and TV commentator Walter Cronkite for many years as the voice of the Inter-Faith Alliance tried to warn us about this fact, but to no avail, with his continuing statement, “This is white supremacy masked by Christianity.”

    Like in the land where the “one-eyed man was king,” no one listened. Not idiots, just FOOLS.

  7. Very amusing. I think hysteria might have been mentioned as a good reason for not extending the franchise to women. It sure gains support from this screed.

  8. My older daughter emailed me this morning that Trump is tweeting putdowns of Alec Baldwin on Saturday Night Live even before Balwin has completed his routine. I responded that we are dealing with a thin-skinned narcissistic and impulsive nut to whom we have given enormous power to do great damage to the world. I also told her I hoped he did leave the governing to Pence and go about the world making America again (as he has suggested) since I wanted him as far away from that atomic button as possible.
    I mildly disagree with Marv that we have an either-or situation as between racism and economics in trying to explain our recent vote for the Orange One. It is both; their relative degrees I leave to the wonks. Sheila is right in stating that all of the upcoming bad things we are destined to endure with Trump will affect women and children most adversely, though of course it will affect all of us adversely irrespective of race and gender other than those in the rich and corporate class, whose gain will be our loss as their slice of the economic pie increases and our sliver becomes a narrower one. Look for a 20,000 Dow before the crash.

  9. The Prez-elect should stop with the tweets, put down his iPhone, read those daily Intelligence Reports, and a stack of books of history and philosophy and governing.

  10. Gerald,

    “I mildly disagree with Marv that we have an either-or situation as between racism and economics in trying to explain our recent vote for the Orange One.”

    Maybe I wasn’t clear enough, I didn’t say either-or. Racism, especially anti-Semitism, is a much more potent weapon for mobilization by the Religious Right/Far Right than economic issues. Problems with the economy affect us all. That’s not the case for racism or misogyny. If that becomes completely out of control then the only viable option will be civil warfare.

    Trump/Pence will use anti-Semitism as their principal means to establish support once he has been inaugurated. He used both at the beginning and the end of his successful campaign.

    What else would have to offer other than pure “bullshit”?

  11. How do we possibly reach Trump supporters, campaign workers and appointees who have stated more than once in recent days; “The media shouldn’t take Trump’s comments literally.”

    To me this translates to; “You shouldn’t have believed his lies.” and comes from his own supporters. His appointees are backing the words of his campaign promises/threats literally with their white nationalist leanings and lack of experience and qualifications to perform their assigned positions – IF supported by the Republican Congress…leaving little doubt.

    Trump’s people have circled their wagons; enclosing us in the center so we must fight on all sides. Sheila’s suggestions are all excellent but for one factor; the Republicans are in full control of all three branches of government at the federal level and in many states. How do we prevent Indiana Republicans from passing more discriminating laws or get those currently in place repealed? We are David without a slingshot fighting Goliath using tanks and military level weapons. Think Tiananmen Square in China – who may now become a full-fledged enemy thanks to more of Trump’s international level stupidity.

    I cannot get a response from Planned Parenthood to renew my membership; I let it and my NAACP memberships lapse when I began donating to Bernie. I can only do my fighting from the desk chair at my computer due to disabilities and my financial level of help is limited but will do what I can.

    I have not yet received my 2017 Social Security and Medicare information; can’t even plan my personal budget for the new year beginning in three weeks. Who do I contact to get this information? I need this information to know which and how many organizations I can join or donate to as well as pay my current monthly bills.

  12. “The Prez-elect should stop with the tweets, put down his iPhone, read those daily Intelligence Reports, and a stack of books of history and philosophy and governing.”

    Wayne Moss; your entire comment is foolish…do you have anyone in mind with the authority and/or ability to accomplish this? Trump cannot control Trump and he isn’t seeking outside help.

  13. JoAnn,

    “We are David without a slingshot fighting Goliath using tanks and military level weapons. Think Tiananmen Square in China – who may now become a full-fledged enemy thanks to more of Trump’s international level stupidity.”

    Who said we didn’t have a slingshot that couldn’t hit Goliath right between his eyes? Was it the Southern Poverty Law Center and their partner, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL)?

  14. My take home pay is $1100/ mo., but the day after the election I joined the ACLU as a member and donated to Planned Parenthood in Mike Pence’s name.
    I am trying to figure out which environmental group has the most impact in order to make a donation.
    It is more important than ever to speak out to the elected representatives we have to let them know what we think and value.

  15. Thank you, Sheila, for sharing. Along with a friend I was among the number above 400 who were unable to squeeze inside the building. However, that said, there were many of us locals outside who had a chance to connect and reconnect, and sooth each others battered and fearful psyches.

    JoAnn, think Planned Parenthood is overwhelmed with the outpouring of current support, please have patience and bate with those volunteers and limited staff who are doing the best they can. Perhaps you could send them a check and note, along with some compassion for their courage and dedication.

  16. While I will stipulate that the Electoral College is imperfect and inadequate, and that a substantial portion of Republican machinations are aimed at women, the aforementioned are but a small part of the problem.

    For decades the Republicans have systematically marched toward their goal of controlling the government they so love to hate while Democrats have sat idly by twiddling their thumbs. The Electoral College has been a mess for years, but rather than work to eliminate it while in power Dems have ignored the problem because they could still win despite its failings. Now, somehow, the EC faults are worth a look–long after the horse is out of the barn.

    The Republicans, knowing that they lacked the majority of votes wisely (if nefariously) set their sights on controlling state legislatures and dominated in the elections leading up to the redistricting in 2010 when they were able to lock in a majority of congressional and state seats by gerrymandering the districts. Democrats, rather than coalesce around a plan to combat all this were sucked into single issue politics and completely missed the big picture. They had no plan and perfectly executed their “no plan” strategy.

    The battle for a Democrat recovery will take YEARS if it can happen at all. The late Steve Yokich, whom I counted as a friend and mentor, railed for years that our mission wasn’t to promote a labor movement, but instead engage in a social movement was right on. Meanwhile Dems fragmented into pro and anti choice, pro and anti gun, et. al., etc., all the while condemning Republicans for (and falling into) their “single issue” politics.

    Sadly, while saving a few trees, we gave the Republicans a chance to log the remainder of the forest. “All politics is/are local” was Tip O’Neil’s mantra. He was right, and the Democrat debacle is not so much Republican evils (although the are very real) but Democrat laziness and unpreparedness. Another old saw is, “Democrats fall in love; Republicans fall in line.” That scenario has played out perfectly in the Republicans favor for 40 or 50 years now. It is time we were honest and wake up.

    We need to forget our love affairs and get down to the dirty and thankless work of rebuilding the party from the base. There are no such things as (name the) issues. There is but one issue. We are all in this together and we had better realize it and act on it. Otherwise Marv’s fear of a Facist Amerika are right around the corner.

  17. JoAnn,

    I suggest there is the possibility of an effective sling-shot. The following is an excerpt from the Blog at Larry-Hancock.com

    Marv Kramer says:
    November 21, 2016 at 10:11 pm

    We’re facing a dilemma similar to what the Allies were facing with the Wolfpacks of Nazi submarines…..We were losing the sub-surface war. Not until the perfection of sonar did the balance of power take a significant shift in favor of the allies.

    Those manipulating the “tools of political conditioning” are operating at the sub-surface level. Any group with the knowledge of the deepest levels of the sub-surface systems of control and with adequate technology along with the proper input of data would have a similar power to that of sonar.

    The “body politic” in many ways is similar to the human body. The human body became more observable with the perfection of MRI. I suggest it is possible to have a similar technology for observing the “body politic”……it would be Political Sonar.

    Larry Hancock says:
    November 21, 2016 at 11:06 pm

    That’s a very important idea and I think it would be possible – however you would need a mix of advanced data mining, intelligent pattern matching and social media post tracing applications. Its the sort of thing the NSA could certainly develop, something very possibly a handful of major universities could attempt but otherwise it would be a major task for either a foundation or a high tech business mogul. The problem is whose mission it falls under, for NSA to tackle such a thing the the political conditioning programs would have to be designated as a threat and tasked by the NSC. That would only happen if indeed Russia were felt to be using such tactics for external political influence.

    Other than Russia, the potential suspects seem to me to be domestic organizations or wealthy individuals with political agendas. The Koch brothers could launch such manipulative efforts – certainly the history of ALEC shows that such subtlety exists in terms of low profile, almost covert, political manipulation. But who would carry the mission to detect and deal with them?

    I heartily endorse the concept, I think is doable – but I can’t see how it actually comes about? Nor do I see any particular political group or power complex acknowledging such influence programs, much less willingly giving them up.

    Marv Kramer says:
    November 22, 2016 at 12:48 am

    I would suggest that Political Sonar has already been developed and has been successfully employed against strategic “nodes” since the mid-80’s.

  18. “Kirkus Reviews” on the author Larry Hancock’s latest book, “Nexus.”

    A specialist in national security issues and intelligence, Hancock (Someone Would Have Talked: The Assassination of John F. Kennedy, 2010, etc.) tackles the slippery and continuously vexing subject of surprise attacks against the U.S. Was the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor really a “surprise” since there were numerous warnings, or was it rather a breakdown of the crucial C3, command, control, and communications? As the Soviet Union became the new threat after World War II, intelligence-gathering methods had to be beefed up to combat the growing “fear factors” introduced by the availability of atomic weapons. In the 1950s, the proliferation of alleged UFO sightings became a problem, from New Mexico to Washington, D.C., which underscored the sense of vulnerability of American national security. The Cuban missile crisis was a horrific moment in modern nuclear feasibility, yet Hancock points out the failure of U.S. intelligence in “several potentially disastrous areas” in getting the Soviets to back down. The author follows the evolution of the National Command Authority, culminating in the creation of the new “watch center,” called the Situation Room, to meet new threats, including the shooting of Ronald Reagan in 1982. The emergence “out of the shadows” of stateless terrorists at war with the U.S. occupies the last chapters of this thoroughly researched work, from the PLO seizures of aircraft and ocean liners to terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in 1993 and 2001. Considering the attention given by the Clinton administration to combating terrorism, Hancock notes his surprise at the breakdown in heeding warnings, and he moves step by step in delineating “points of failure.” The 2012 attack on the U.S. Embassy in Benghazi underscores the current fragility of diplomatic missions and flimsiness of security.

    A timely, pertinent study emphasizing the fact that when it comes to military or terrorist attacks, “there are always warnings.”

  19. Marv; I know basically nothing about the ADL, what little I have read did not inspire me to support their issues.

    I maintain my memberships with the Southern Poverty Law Center (no, I do NOT agree with all of their policies or issues), the National Democratic Committee, Indiana Democratic Party (do not agree with all of their policies or issues either) and the Indiana Coalition for Public Education. I am a former member of the Brownies, Girl Scouts of America and the 4 H Clubs of America.

    I reached the conclusion that we are David without a slingshot against Goliath with tanks and military level weapons solely on my own. Your comments on the blog didn’t exactly instill warm and fuzzy feelings regarding the current Democratic party or the anti-Trump movement which needs stronger organization.

    My daughter-in-law Anne just arrived to take me Christmas shopping so we will have to continue this discussion later; unless I have answered your questions regarding my stand on these issues.

  20. Wray,

    If Democrats are to rebuild around a unified strategy that is not based on a few emotionally charged issues, then we are off to a poor start with putting old and worn Pelosi back at the Congressional helm.

  21. I refuse to sit idly by for one more day! No longer will I be silent and wish someone would do something! I am that someone and so are you! Sisters – we need to save ourselves and thereby humanity! I am sick of men running and ruining everything. They are running the world into the ground. We have just elected Patriarchy in its worst form. How did that happen? The ERA hasn’t been brought up since its bitter defeat in 1974! 1974! Sisters, WHY? Elizabeth Cady Stanton is rolling in her grave!!! Sheila Kennedy is right. Let’s band together for once and stop apologizing for being shrill or ‘nasty’. Do it for posterity before we don’t have one because the greed and power-lust of men drove us into extinction! Thank you!

  22. JoAnn,

    I don’t disagree with everything the Southern Poverty Law Center and its partner the Anti-Defamation League have done. The one thing I know for sure is that the Anti-Defamation League will do absolutely nothing to prevent the rising and potentially CASCADING ANTI-SEMITISM and its corresponding MUTATING RACISM onto the African-American community and neither will the SPLC. They both know if they attempt to do so, the aid to Israel will be jeopardized as will,accordingly, the contributions to the Southern Poverty Law Center. That’s been the situation since the early 90’s when the ADL furnished the SPLC with their donor list.

    I understand very well the dilemma of the Zionist supporters of Israel who have been a minority within the Jewish community in the U.S. But the unleashing of the “Hitler Virus” into the U.S. is not only a threat to the American Jews but also the majority of Americans as shown for the support of Hillary Clinton.

    How can anyone compete with the DEFEATIST POSITION of the SPLC and their partner the ADL when the SPLC has something close to 200 million dollars in the bank? No one can until this mess is out in the open and cleared up as soon as possible before the POLITICAL TSUNAMI finally hits us.

  23. Theresa Bowers, your mention of Pelosi’s being re-elected to her leadership position illustrates the Democrat party, as a whole, has not grasped the mood of populism that contributed to the Nov 8 election outcome. Other than Pelosi’s being a powerhouse fund-raiser among the coastal elites, I can think of no reason for her being re-elected.

  24. A lot of comments to be digested here. I would point out that there are individual actions, one-on-one, that give some hope that each of us can act as the proverbial drop of water on stone. In the Pantsuit Nation group on FB, people are citing individual acts that, in the cumulative can help counter some of the hateful acts being perpetrated on vulnerable populations. Much more is needed, of course, but it’s cheering to see some resistance.

  25. I am, fortunately for our marriage, not a woman but I do live on this earth with many of them all in the same atmosphere. From that atmosphere, powered by our primary (nearly exclusive) source of energy, comes weather on, for and to all of us regardless of gender, sexual preference, religion, race or nationality. We built our civilization in accord with it and now our actions are changing it in some ways hostile to that civilization.

    That’s could cost us plenty. Fortunately we have choices thanks to one of Republicanism’s other enemies, science.

    Of course Republicans say let those who die and lose everything or go out of business or suffer in any way pay the price while we shovel out the treasury into our friends, the fuel company’s, coffers.

    I say let’s take the least expensive path for everyone. science says here’s the plan to go down that path. Republicans say science? How could science know more than Donald Trump?

    So we the people are left without effective government but we don’t need their useless form of government to solve problems. There are plenty of Capitalists chomping at the bit to make more money by solving more problems. Like Elon Musk.

    When people say what can I as an individual do, one answer is to support capitalism. Make your next new car a hybrid, extended range electric, or all electric. You will be supporting the visionary capitalists and starving the obsolete ones as free markets ought.

  26. BSH; Indiana does have Andre Carson to stand up for us in the House but in the Senate we have only Donnelly, a weak link and, ” A chain is only as strong as it’s weakest link.”

  27. I am a child of the 60’s…..my high school and undergraduate years. And all that we have gained through my almost 70 years on earth is at risk. It is not an exaggeration to say that all is at peril. And if we take huge steps backyard, yes, it will be a very hard thing indeed to correct the course…..once again. I heard about the ‘rally’ after the fact, and somehow the Women 4 Change FB page escaped me. A friend just alerted me to this, and I have asked to be included. And inclusion right now is critical. I have to admit to being somewhat annoyed when I heard that the rally was an ‘invited’ event, and felt that this is not the time to be ‘inclusive’ when inviting women to participate. How will we meet each other, and learn of our incredible abilities and skills? And who will be missed? We cannot afford this Since, I have been hearing different reads on his event. If it was ‘hoped’ that 100 women would attend, was it a good idea to keep it so under wraps? So many of us are still numb, angry, in disbelief and with energy yet unchanneled. Indeed, many of us have already taken small steps while we wait for much bigger opportunities to emerge: wearing safety pins, donating to Planned Parenthood honoring Mike Pence, donating to the Anti Defamation League honoring Steve Bannon……and yes, we will all register as Muslims if it comes to that. And yes, much bigger action steps are needed. Nothing should be in our way as incredibly massive numbers of women are fed up and ready for action. For all the obstacles in our way, I can only say……Get out of our way! I am sick of hearing that Hillary was not the ‘perfect candidate’; she ‘had issues’; she ‘could not be trusted’; those ’emails’ as though that hiccup was more crucial than the Donald’s misogyny, bigotry and corrupt business practices. Hillary’s problem was that she did not walk on water. We are done trying to be the ‘perfect woman’ in order to get elected as POTUS, let alone scores of other offices that continue to fall short of the appropriate representation we should have given we are half the population, half the wealth and have had the vote for 1/3 the history of our country. Indeed, get out of the way. We are coming.

  28. Betty T,

    “…….we are half the population, half the wealth and have had the vote for 1/3 the history of our country. Indeed, get out of the way. We are coming.”

    Women can win, but not without men. I would have thought women would have already learned this lesson. I guess I’m wrong again.

  29. Betty,

    I went to the women’s rally. Got a post about it on FB and spread it through my page. I never thought it was by invite only… more of a spread the word thing arranged in just a few days time.

  30. How can anyone who paid attention during the 60′ s and 70’s in this country not be terrified of going back there. You can believe that for any of the next elections coming up in my local I will be at the polls doing whatever it takes to get the balance back. I live in a small red community, and am almost always “on the wrong side”, (according to the other voters) but I will not back down.

  31. There are many living autopsy’s being performed on the Democratic Party as a result of Trump’s victory and the continued dominance of the Republican Party . An article I read recently (where I forget now) laid the seeds of Clinton’s defeat in 2016, to Hope and Change in 2008. Yes, Barack Obama exposed the country’s yearning for a vast change.

    After years of Raygunism, Bush 1, Clinton and Bush 2, it was obvious to many people large swaths of our population were laid waste by the policies of Neo-Liberalism. The Savings and Loan scandals, Junk Bonds, NAFTA, the Dot Com and later Mortgage boom and busts and the drastic recession of Bush 2, left many people as economic road kill. The toothpicks I have in my kitchen cabinet are made in China.

    There was still a rage against business as usual and the seeming immunity of the Wall Street Vampires to any judicial justice. The Occupy Movement was a visible and loud protest of this. Hillary Clinton and what she represented, establishment politics had been defeated in 2008 by Hope and Change. Obama actually received roughly 4,260,000 more votes in 2008 than Clinton in 2016.

    The Republican electorate like it or not rejected the establishment Republicans and went with the Trumpet. Trump made no secret of his desire to be a wrecking ball against the Republican establishment. As expected he will not bring any reform to the political – economic system in favor of main street – He never intended to. Trump’s followers may not ever realize the full extent of how much they will be betrayed – Pence is there to keep the Bible Thumpers in the fold.

    I find it funny the Democratic Establishment now wants Bernie Sanders back in the fold to help them with out reach. The selection of Pelosi and Schumer as leaders in the House and Senate are proof the Democratic Party is still committed to the Corporate Establishment.

    If there is going to be resistance to Trump-Pence, and I hope there is, it will have to be what is called now asymmetrical warfare. We cannot depend upon the political system to lead the way against Trump-Pence. Resistance must be loud and strong, educate, organize and agitate is the old Union tactic.

  32. Betty T,

    Maybe what’s bothering you is that the woman’s movement you were denied access to was assuming “the shape of ANACHRONISMS: schemes of social imagination , and thus of patterns of meaning-making, perhaps valid in an earlier stage of development, but not adjusted to RECENT CHANGES and thus inadequate to do justice to the phenomenology of present cases. And at the same time, these obsolete schemata are strongly believed to have an unshakeable, persistent relevance as a rationality of administrative information-organization, and are enforced from within that rationality. Thus, an important part of contemporary institutional power is based on anachronisms.”

    “Anachronism as Power” by Jan Blommaert (published on 16 November 2016) at https://alternative-democracy-research.org/2016/11/16/power-as-anachronism/

    a-nach-ro-nism (e nak’re niz’em) n. [<Gr ana-, against+chronos, time] 1. anything out of its proper historical time 2. the representation of this–a-nach'ro-nis'tic adj.

  33. Marv – I agree with you about Trumpzillaʻs anti-Semitic stance. He and the Pence of Darkness also use the term “Media” as an euphemism for “Jews,” stoking the belief that all media are rubbish and lead the opposition/resistance to their white supremacist movement. We must expose his dog-whistle and help mainstream media to stop normalizing his tweet rants.

  34. Louie,

    “If there is going to be resistance to Trump-Pence, and I hope there is, it will have to be what is called now ASYMMETRICAL WARFARE. We cannot depend upon the political system to lead the way against Trump-Pence.”

    Thanks. That’s the main point I’ve been trying to make since the presidential election.

  35. I looked in vain for coverage of this event. Did the Star or evening news shows cover it? If not, that says something!

  36. Thank you Susan Burke for your timely reminder that as individuals, we CAN do something which will have a cumulative effect. I will also send more donations to Sierra Club and Planned Parenthood, and research more organizations that are already established to fight on other fronts. They/we will need all the help we can muster. PS: Sheila, your speech was great summarization of your previous posts!

  37. I may have expended my allocated word count above. I find it grossly distressing to read on face book and else where the Trumpets want us to give a Trump a chance. As Boomer I remember the Give Peace a chance song. So every time I read Let’s Give Trump a Chance, the music of Give Peace a Chance rings in my ears.

    Sorry Trumpters, no chance of giving the Trumpet any slack. Now that Pence is on Broadway so to speak, his intellectual vacancy will be on display. I look forward to seeing Pence skewered as he is forced to actually think without some canned script or cue cards in his head. Dan Quayle # 2.

  38. Nancy,

    “I looked in vain for coverage of this event. Did the Star or evening news shows cover it? If not, that says something!”

    At this stage, no one person or organization will have any recognition in the U.S. (the BBC doesn’t count) unless they can demonstrate from past performances and present planning that they can match up with the Trump/Pence forces. That’s called political reality. Who wants to participate in a ROUT.

    rout (rout) n. [<L. rupta, broken] 1. a disorderly flight 2. an overwhelmingly defeat–vt. 1. to put to flight 2. to defeat overwhelmingly.

  39. Louie; Trump blaming the media (which has carried nothing but Trump’s every move for 18 months) for showing his rants and rallies. His campaign people and supporters are telling the media they “should not take Trump’s words literally”, in other words; do not believe his lies.

    The world is watching America which today reminds me of that old movie, “It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World”! Without the laughs.

  40. Marv; I just saw, for the first time, a Facebook post from the ADL asking people to report anti-Semitic or hate crimes to them. The post featured a tattered American flag.

    I don’t believe I mentioned in my earlier post that I am also a dues paying member of the ACLU. Have signed their petitions and surveys the past few years but just became a dues paying member. They have sent me several small copies of the Constitution in book-form; I keep one on my coffee table to compare with news reports, one next to my computer for posts and E-mails. Have shared with my grandchildren and have one in my purse (after Mr. Khan proudly showed his copy) which I hope to have the opportunity to hand it to my granddaughter’s wealthy, Catholic, Republican, Trump-voting fiance;-)

  41. What the resistance really needs is a website, blog, or e-mail reminders at the appropriate times for us to contact our lawmakers with talking points so that we can put several hundred e-mails in their inboxes and several hundred phone calls to their aides so that they know what we think at a time they can act.

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