Good question and I don't pretend to have the answer. But I think it probably needs to be a lot more than the capitulation we are seeing from some quarters which includes our apalling government to some extent.
It means understanding the structural, sociological and social-psychological factors that drive his support. It means engaging with those factors as real issues, not to give people what they say they want but in order to consider how there can be win-win rather than a zero-sum competition. It means not just writing off 50% of the population as deplorable and fit for nothing but contempt. It means trying to win hearts and minds rather than just win. It means recognising the way that structural inequalities and the project of capitalism creates particular cultural syndromes around aggressive individualism and pushing for policies that diffuse those rather than exacerbate them. It means acting at the grass roots level to support communities rather than leaving them to rot.
I have never suggested that, and would agree with a lot of what you suggest. I've long called for the left to engage with the disenfranchised to show how our politics can change their lives for the better. It's one of the problems with many on the left when they are more interested in discussions on finer points of Marxist theory than dealing with why people who live in the local society don't have jobs that pay enough to feed them and their families. Likewise, I always argued that you can't just shout at those people either when you do start talking about those finer points f Marxist theory (I'm obviously using the royal 'you' here, not accusing you of doing so).
The sentencing is more or less a farce anyway, as he is not going to jail, where he absolutely should be going.
Then the solution is the same regardless of whether or not your concern is whether Trump seeks to become a dictator four years hence. There’s nothing to be gained from scaring yourself. Deal with the cause, not the symptom.
It might make you feel good but it achieves nothing. To that end, it is not a “need”.
So we shoud just shrug our shoulders and say "nowt we can do"? Hmm, not sure that approach has worked too well throughout history tbh.
Perhaos the core of the problem consists in your observation that the left is separate from the disenfranchised
What about that massive list of things I said we should do makes you think I’m saying there is nowt we can do?
We're talking about two very different groups of people here. Your list seems to concern his voter base, and like I said, I agree with much of what you said. Yes, if their concerns are adressed this may (hopefully) lead to the rejecting Trump and his politics/populism. That doesn't stop Trump from exercising the considerable amount of power he will have on the 20th in which ever way he sees fit. If he does, he may or may not succeed but I would suggest there needs to be a more direct approach to countering him if he does, and being prepared for that eventuality.
You’re still framing it in terms of electoral politics. But that’s not my framing. I’m saying, in very simplified terms, take care of people and the rest will take care of itself. Approaching it from the other end, as an electoral game that you win or lose, is ultimately self-defeating.
There’s nothing you can do to stop Trump’s power on the 20 January. He’s already won that round of the game you want to play. You have to build for the future. If you’re worried about what he might do in four years, work on building the structure that will stop him.
Again, I don't disagree with either of the approaches you've laid out and haven't said either are wrong. Indeed I think that both are very important.
But criticising those who do not believe in the electoral route to a just society for not engaging with the electoral process is rather tilting at windmills.
you cannot have a free and fair election while people work for corporations
As it ever was.
I don’t think he cares about enabling an act to Congress. He has the GOP in the palm of his hands. Any GOP member who criticises him is named and shamed and his base cheers him on. The GOP are afraid of his base and losing their own seat.
i am not sure from your post you know what an enabling act is - it is a piece of legislation which allows the bypass of the legislature, for example in hitler's case the executive, ie hitler, could issue laws. but there is already a mechanism which allows this, since the president can issue executive orders, or diktats, on a range of areas already. Executive order - Wikipedia
As I said the first 5 points are ticked off and the extent to which consolidation of power and suppression of dissent are key here...its not at full dictatorship levels yet, but they've clearly signalled they plan to go for that consolidation and suppression.You do that by stacking the courts and other high level appointments. They claim they will drastically change the FBI for example. The mechanism is called being President and not giving a fuck
There's a book someone linked to elsewhere called "Democracy Doesn't Exist But We'll Miss It When It's Gone."
You’re talking about the norms, as I said he doesn’t care.
why are you holding up the likes of richard nixon, both bushes and ronald reagan - among others - as paragons of liberal democracy? your post rests on what jello biafra called nostalgia for an age that never existed
for me rimbaud was constrasting the period from the civil rights movement to now. that pre-trump there was a period of liberal democracy that they're contrasting with trump. i don't think that really stands up to examination. take obama's use of drones in assassinations for example, including at least one of an american citizen. and going further back, the use an executive order by fdr to intern japanese americans. trump has not yet been an actual dictator, and should he become one then he will be building on foundations laid by previous presidents in the same way that hitler's regime built on the previous government by decrees of chancellors such as bruning.
But why should he not be treated like any other criminal? Yes, he was found guilty on all counts but what was the point of all of that lengthy and costly process if he receives no form of punishment for his crimes?
You’re welcome, same to you.
Id add we are clearly not there yet.
