The Internet seems to be abuzz lately with news stories and opinion pieces about Donald Trump's efforts and intentions to make himself President for life. Some of these pieces cite Trump's attacks on Black Lives Matter organizers as his attempt to construct a "Reichstag moment." (Note to BLM: If Trump succeeds in doing so, it won't be because he is very smart and very powerful. Rather, it will be because of your repeated failures of strategic thinking, as I have repeatedly pointed out to you. Read some books on strategic nonviolent resistance and effective community organizing!)
The tone of these stories and essays began to bother me this afternoon - first, because when people get hysterical, their hysteria can become contagious. Hysteria prevents people from getting necessary work done and turns them into zombies glued to their screens - a good thing for advertisers and media companies, but a bad thing for the zombies. Second, the tone of these pieces seems to subtly convey the message that Trump is such an overwhelming threat that resistance is useless. Thus, if you can't turn yourself into a successful refugee to another country, you may as well kiss life goodbye.
I have a problem with that point of view. I have chosen not to try to become a refugee. I know moreover that there is an entire suite of things an oppressed people can do to shatter the power of a dictator who rises up over them, and that this suite of things is effective because it does not depend on violence to succeed. Doing these things involves hard work and sometimes significant suffering and risk, and there is always the possibility of failure. However, it must be realized that there is always also the possibility of success.
I am thinking just now of several YouTube videos and news stories about cat owners or members of families who own cats in which one of the family members was threatened or attacked by a dog and the cat in the house righteously thrashed the dog. (See this also.) If cats could talk, the cats who choose to throw down on dogs might explain themselves thus: "If I just give up and do nothing, horrible things will happen. If I choose to resist, horrible things might still happen. But there is also the possibility - however slim - that I might win. So let's throw some blows!"
If a cat can be that brave, then maybe some of the humans in our midst should take a deep breath and get a grip. In the face of the threat posed by Trump, the following questions should be asked:
- Are we who are among his targets willing to resist?
- Are we who are willing to resist also willing to study the most effective methods of resistance?
If you answered Yes to both of these questions, then watch this blog for my comments on Chapter 2 of "From D to D."
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