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Europe
Hungary
11 November 2024 „Exclusive: The Pope has shown backing for Hungary’s so-called "peace deal" between Kyiv and Moscow – while Trump’s election 'puts US aid at risk'. ’Surprising’ alliance of Trump, Hungary’s right-wing prime minister Viktor Orbán and Pope Francis. Hungary’s ambassador to the Vatican has spoken about how Pope Francis has played an important role in supporting a deal that will probably see Mr Trump push for president Zelensky to cede territory to Russia. The Pope, along with Hungary, has called for a ceasefire and talks “to break the cycle” of war and achieve peace. During Trump’s first presidency, Hungarian-American political relations were at their peak, with dialogue and negotiations taking centre stage in resolving conflicts that threaten world security, Mr Habsburg-Lothringen, Hungary’s ambassador to the Vatican said, speaking to The Independent. “Following the decision of the American electorate a few days ago, we really have good hope that Hungarian-American political cooperation will return to its peak: we share similar views on peace, illegal immigration and the protection of families. I believe there is a better chance than ever that peace will finally return to Ukraine after almost a thousand days of war.” “For the last years, Hungary has been fighting a lonely fight for immediate ceasefire and peace in Ukraine. Being a direct neighbour and having a Hungarian minority inside Ukraine gives us a very clear vision. The only ally was the Holy Father Pope Francis, who spoke in the same direction and engaged in peace diplomacy. “With the new President Trump, we have an ally who has clearly stated, even in his speech during election night, that he wanted to end the wars, which also means the one in Ukraine. This fills me with hope.” The Pope recently made a visit to Hungary and has told Mr Habsburg-Lothringen that his affinity to the country came from a group of Hungarian nuns who lived in Argentina after fleeing following the Russian invasion in 1956. The ambassador outlined what Hungary and the Vatican’s position has been on talks. “As long as nobody talks with Russia, a real dialogue doesn’t happen. The Vatican strongly encourages a climate of talking everybody to everybody, and I believe that this would be the step forward. That’s as I said, before Pope Francis and Viktor Orbán both asked for immediate ceasefire and immediate peace negotiations.” You can say a lot of things about Trump, you may even dislike him, but there is one thing that nobody questions: that he will not start a war, Mr Habsburg-Lothringen added. “I see him as a man who hates war, and as a real businessman who thinks that everything will be better if there is no war.” Victor Orbán and Trump are allies. Mr Orbán is seen as being the closest EU leader to Mr Putin, even visiting Moscow over the summer, while he has also been against providing Kyiv with weapons and funds. Having made several trips to visit Mr Trump at his home in Mar-a-Lago, Mr Orbán has gone from being mostly internationally isolated on the war to now being the closest ally to the president-elect in Europe. Now, with their shared view of bringing an early end to the war, he believes the Pope will support a peace deal. Last week at the European Political Community summit, Mr Orbán boasted of how “the world is changing” with Mr Trump re-elected, while renewing his demands for a Ukrainian ceasefire. Mr Zelensky, who was at the summit, noted that the Hungarian prime minister is the one Nato member state leader to oppose Ukraine’s membership of the defence alliance. Since his election less than a week ago, Mr Trump is already reported to have had a telephone conversation with Mr Putin warning him “not to escalate the war” before his inauguration. (Source: The Independent - United Kingdom)
by Maddox, Political editor
Germany
(Monday), 11 November 2024 German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke with Trump yesterday about working together towards a "return of peace" to Europe, according to Scholz's spokesman Hebestreit. Scholz said he will work with US President-elect Trump. In their first telephone call since Trump won the US election, Scholz offered Trump the opportunity to ’continue the decades of successful cooperation between the governments of both countries’. During the call, Scholz emphasized the importance of continuing to provide Ukraine with support. During his first term as US president, Trump criticized Berlin for ’insufficient military spending’, the country's trade surplus, and ’the German-Russian gas pipeline Nord Stream 2’. On Sunday evening, Scholz appeared on a talk show on public broadcaster ARD. Scholz pointed out that Germany is now spending 2% of its gross national product on defense. This falls in line with NATO guidelines. The chancellor also made it clear that he expects Trump to adhere to the commitment made by outgoing President Biden ’to station US intermediate-range missiles in Germany’. ’This is an agreement we have made with the US. It is in our mutual interest. So I want to accept it,’ Scholz said. Scholz seemed unfazed about the prospect of future cooperation with Trump, saying you have to take political situations as they come. "My principle is always, if I may say so casually: You dance with those who are in the room. And that also applies to the future president of the US," Scholz said. "I'm never naive, but I'm also a bit unflustered," he added. Scholz is set to face a confidence vote before the end of the year in the Bundestag ahead of a likely snap election in early 2025. Scholz also dismissed recent criticism from Trump supporter and tech billionaire Musk, who mocked the chancellor over the collapse of the ruling coalition in Germany. Musk had written in German on the social media platform X, which he owns: 'Olaf is a fool." ’I don't comment on tech billionaires,’ the chancellor said. "He is not a head of state, even if one sometimes gets the impression that some tech corporations are more powerful than states. When asked if this bothered him, Scholz replied, ’It honors me.’ (Source: DW – Germany / „(AFP, dpa, Reuters)”
11.11.2024 German foreign minister calls on European countries to boost military budget. 'We must recognize that NATO's two percent target will no longer be sufficient in our current situation,' Baerbock said. European allies should increase their military budgets, enhance cooperation among defense industries, and develop joint projects, she said. (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)
Russia
November 11, 2024 The Ukrainian military faces a critical morale crisis at the front lines, with as many as 20% of soldiers reportedly deserting their posts amid Russian advances, according to The Economist. The article, citing a source within Kyiv’s general staff, depicts the dire situation unfolding as Ukrainian forces struggle to maintain defence lines against a steady Russian push. Russian troops have reportedly reclaiming nearly 1,146 square kilometres since August, according to Bloomberg Intelligence data derived from DeepState sources. Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi, in a rare admission of the gravity of the conflict, called the latest Russian offensive “one of the most powerful” since the invasion’s outset. In response to mounting casualties and depleted forces, Kyiv has increased recruitment efforts. The Ukrainian government overhauled its conscription system earlier this year, introducing stricter penalties for draft evasion. Since the escalation of conflict in February 2022, over 1million Ukrainians have been conscripted, ’with a further 160,000 expected in the coming months’, according to MP Goncharenko. However, Ukrainian MP Skorokhod stated last week that the number of deserters has now surpassed 100,000. Russian forces have made significant advances in eastern Donetsk region in recent weeks. In a key battleground, the capture of Vuhledar in early October has allowed Russian forces to press ahead into strategically important areas, securing the town of Selydove last week and now reportedly threatening the critical cities of Pokrovsk and Kurakhove which serve as logistical strongholds for Ukrainian operations in the region. Both cities are now under threat of encirclement, Their loss would represent tactical blow. On Ukraine’s southeastern front Russian forces have intensified their offensive, making slow but steady gains in the cities of Toretsk and Niu York. In mid-October, Russian forces breached the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas Canal barrier, gaining access to key routes toward Bakhmut and Chasiv Yar. These advances bring Russian forces closer to the critical defence hubs of Sloviansk, Kramatorsk and Druzhkivka. The southern part of the Donetsk Region has become the most critical sector of the front line. Russian advances are now threatening the town of Velyka Novosilka to the west, and, if they continue, they could eventually reach the eastern borders of the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts. Meanwhile, President Zelenskiy has expressed concern over the lagging delivery of Western support, noting that ’only” 10% of the $61bn in US aid pledged in April has arrived. Zelenskiy stressed Kyiv’s urgent need ’for long-range weapons to combat’ Russian forces, adding that if these delays are not resolved, Ukraine could face the choice of accepting peace under unfavourable terms or continuing the fight with reduced support, especially as the prospect of a Trump presidency on the horizon. Kyiv has repeatedly requested long-range weapons from the US to target Russian military assets deeper inside Russian territory. Russia’s human resources advantage has become evident. Russian President Putin, in a speech in July, noted Ukraine’s challenge in maintaining frontline troops. “Despite the raids, the unending waves of total mobilisation in Ukrainian villages and cities, the current regime finds it increasingly hard to send reinforcements to the frontline,” Putin said, adding that “the country’s manpower is exhausting.” United Kingdom generals are reporting that Russia is intensifying its troops’ assaults as the possibility of ceasefire talks start to manifest themselves. As Russian forces consolidate their position, Moscow continues to call for a settlement that addresses core security issues, including Nato’s Eastern expansion, a key factor in its 2021 security proposal to the West. Nato, however, rejected these terms, reiterating that alliance membership remains outside Moscow’s purview. (Source: bne IntelliNews - Germany)
Asia
Iraq
07:08-(Monday) 11 November 2024 Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hussein warned on Sunday from Riyadh ahead of the extraordinary Arab-Islamic summit today, that the risk of the regional conflict expanding remains high because Israel’s war on Gaza and Lebanon is ongoing. The persistence of the situation means other wars could erupt in the region, which could threaten regional and international peace, he told today. “Indeed, the war on Gaza led to the war on Lebanon, and now, the continuation of these wars, will lead to others,” he stated. The conflict is obviously a clash between Iran and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Iraq’s location puts it within the radius of this conflict and the more attacks and counterattacks between Iran and Israel risk dragging Iraq into the war, he said. A ministerial meeting was held on Sunday ahead of the extraordinary summit. Hussein said officials expressed their solidarity with the Palestinian and Lebanese people. They condemned the ongoing Israeli war against them, adding that Monday’s summit will address several issues, including continuing support to the Palestinian and Lebanese people and searching for options to end the war. The FM underscored the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, the recognition of their own independent state and its full membership at the United Nations. Hussein stressed that the summit is necessary given the dangers the region is experiencing, thanking Saudi Arabia for hosting it. The Iraqi government has prioritized protecting the country from any attack and keeping it out of the war, Hussein added. Iraq is in contact with various countries to that end. Furthermore, he said contacts were ongoing with Iran over the conflict. “Iran was very clear when it was confronted with claims that it was trying to exploit Iraqi territories to attack Israel. It categorically rejected the allegations and said Iraqi territory was not used for any attack,” Hussein revealed, adding that this message was conveyed by Tehran to Iraqi Prime Minister al-Sudani. Iran has vowed that Iraqi territory will not be used to attack Israel, he remarked. Iraq, along with several Arab and Islamic countries, has focused on contacting various other countries, especially those with strong ties with Netanyahu to pressure him to agree to a ceasefire. Baghdad is working tirelessly to prepare for the Arab League summit in May. (Source: Asharq Al-Awsat - headquartered in London, U.K.)
Israel
11.11.24, 11:30 AM Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the first time admitted that Israel was behind the pager and walkie-talkie attacks on Hezbollah in September that left at least 39 people dead and more than 3,000 injured across Lebanon and parts of Syria on September 16 - 17. The pager operation and the elimination of (Hezbollah leader) Nasrallah were carried out despite the opposition of senior officials in the defence establishment and those responsible for them in the political echelon,’ The Times of Israel newspaper quoted Netanyahu as saying. Netanyahu's remarks came during Sunday’s weekly Cabinet meeting, according to Hebrew media reports. Netanyahu's statement is being interpreted in the context of his firing of Defence Minister Gallant on November 5 and efforts to shore up personal popularity by taking credit for war successes. Netanyahu and Gallant have clashed repeatedly over the course of their time in government together. Netanyahu also tried to get rid of him in March 2023 as well, but had to reinstate him due to massive public protests. He was the defence minister when Hamas committed its deadly terror assault in southern Israel on October 7 last year and had so far carried out his duties in the subsequent war in the Gaza Strip, the fighting on the northern border, and the ground operation in southern Lebanon. In a press conference on Tuesday, Nov. 5, Gallant said that he was fired because of differences on the issue of the need to draft ultra-orthodox men in the Israel Defence Forces, the imperative to bring back the hostages from Gaza, and the need for establishing a state commission of inquiry to look into the October 7 Hamas terror attack and the ensuing war. Netanyahu has resisted taking responsibility for the country’s security oversights, blaming Israel’s security forces for the failure to foresee Hamas’ October 7 massacre. He has also ducked calls for a public commission of inquiry to be constituted into events leading up to it. (Source: The Telegraph – India)
Taiwan
Nov 11, 2024 The 'unofficial” partnership under Trump launched an economic partnership dialogue while also lifting decadeslong restrictions on contact between U.S. and Taiwanese officials. He also substantially boosted the provision of weapons to the island, with military sales increasing from $14 billion during the eight years of Obama’s presidency to more than $18 billion under Trump’s first four years. Yet Trump’s recent remarks suggest he has cooled on Taiwan. The president-elect's skepticism over defending the island, accusations of chip giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) 'stealing” American jobs and calls on Taipei to further hike military spending suggest U.S. support may likely come at a higher price this time around and be decided on a case-by-case basis. Trump is likely to focus more on bilateral relationships than multilateral groupings. The 78-year-old Republican is widely expected to focus on policies that serve U.S. economic interests, rather than providing support based on more enduring considerations. One of the more likely implications of his return, experts say, is U.S. President-elect Trump’s call for Taiwan to spend more on its own defense. The president-elect has called on the democratic island to raise expenditures from around 2.5% to 10% of its gross domestic product. Reports have emerged about informal discussions being held with the Trump team about Taiwan buying several big-ticket military items, including Aegis naval combat systems and potentially even advanced F-35 fighters. But this will require first that Taiwan reaches internal clarity over what an optimal defense strategy looks like. Some Taiwanese military experts argue that the island should rely less on large, expensive platforms and focus more on the growing asymmetric capabilities offered by cheaper drones and autonomous systems. President Lai will have a difficult time substantially boosting military spending after his Democratic Progressive Party - which nearly doubled outlays over the past decade - lost its parliamentary majority in January. The opposition Kuomintang and the Taiwan People's Party have since been blocking passage of even minor increases in the defense budget. Another way Trump could exert pressure on Taiwan would be to slow down or halt military aid, which some estimate has amounted to $900 million under Biden since 2022, forcing Taipei to pay more for U.S. military hardware. The question is whether Trump could get away with such a move, given that the U.S. is legally bound to provide the island with defensive weapons. His complaints about its semiconductor dominance, may herald a tenser relationship. There are too many variables to predict with any accuracy how things will play out, but there is plenty of uncertainty and risk. Trump could try to pressure TSMC by potentially rolling back some of the benefits offered by Biden’s CHIPS Act, which has sought to bring semiconductor manufacturing back to the U.S. North America is TSMC's biggest market, but experts say the company should be able to minimize the potential impact of tariffs by diversifying production, including through its majority-owned subsidiary in Kumamoto Prefecture. Is Trump’s real intent to leverage the security partnership with Taiwan to draw in more semiconductor investment to the U.S? TMSC's first fab in Arizona is set to begin mass production in the first quarter of 2025, but Trump has already threatened to renegotiate the terms and impose tariffs on foreign chipmakers. Washington could still demand that Taipei expand imports of American good and services, particularly given the latter's trade surplus with the U.S. Much will hinge on who he decides to surround himself with, as he begins to pick Cabinet members and top advisers. The Pentagon or Congress could modify or even alter things, bringing in a degree of continuity. Congress remains aligned on the need to deter China and increase long-term support for Taiwan. There are key geopolitical factors behind this alignment, including the island’s critical role in the global semiconductor supply chain and its strategic and geographic importance in Washington’s rivalry with China. While no other country is willing or capable of supplanting the U.S. as Taiwan’s security guarantor, experts say the mere possibility of Washington turning inward or growing more unpredictable should be seen in Taipei as an opportunity to hedge by further deepening ties with other countries - to try and continue to develop Taiwan’s ties with like-minded nations, such as Japan and the European bloc, for instance through parliamentary diplomacy ties. (Source: The Japan Times)
North America
United States
November 11, 2024 AT 1:00AM 'President Biden should resign'- Harris becomes the 47th president. ’The benefits are many’. The U.S. will finally get a female president, breaking a Boston Red Sox-style curse that more than superstition would truly make it easier for the next woman who pursues the office. It would inspire the countless little girls, especially those of color, who were told they could reach for those heights, only to be heartbreakingly told never mind.' For Democrats looking for even a small opportunity to yank Trump’s chain', they could chortle at his having to revise his next presidential number to 48, as well as sharing the Jan. 20 ride to the Capitol with a President Harris. Author and podcast host Krakauer proffered the same idea back in August, just after Biden dropped out of the race, in The Hill. The Democrats missed that opportunity, but it’s not too late to change. It’s a small way of giving all voters the candidate they chose. It does have one complication. Congressional never-Trumpers looking to serve him a taste of his own Jan. 6 tactics could thwart 'Trump’s certification in the Electoral College by delaying or neglecting to confirm a new vice president’. One would be quickly appointed and confirmed. The obvious choice is Cheney. You’d have all-female leadership of ’the most powerful nation on Earth’. That’s what Trump would face on the Capitol steps when he comes for his swearing-in: a dais that would include a Black current and former president, and one of them South Asian, a Jewish First Gentleman, a Black former First Lady, a South Asian incoming Second Lady, and the first father and daughter vice presidential duo. A reflection of America if there ever was one. 'President Harris of equal stature as her successor would offer a glimpse of Biden’s Rose Garden vision, where “we see each other not as adversaries but as fellow Americans.” Understandably, Democrats aren’t looking forward to Jan. 20, and even that spectacle wouldn’t prevent whatever’s in store afterward. (Source: The Minnesota Star Tribune - U.S.)
by Washington, a producer-host for Wisconsin Public Radio and a former editor-in-chief of the Duluth News Tribune.
(Monday), 11 November 2024 Yesterday the Washington Post reported that US President-elect Trump has spoken with Russian President Putin about ending the war in Ukraine in a phone call. and that Trump had reminded Putin of the sizable US military presence in Europe. It also reported that Trump was keen to have further conversations to talk about "the resolution" of the war soon. The call was reported to have taken place from Trump's Mar-a-lago estate on Thursday. Moscow spokesman Peskov said yesterday that "the signals are positive... At least he's talking about peace, and not about confrontation." The Biden administration, which will remain in charge until Trump's inauguration on January 20, has said it will send Ukraine as much aid as possible before Biden leaves office. On Sunday, Biden's National Security Advisor, Sullivan, said the White House aims ’to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position on the battlefield so that it is ultimately in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table." Sullivan also confirmed Biden has invited Trump to come to the White House for talks on Wednesday. /+Video */ (Source: DW – Germany / „(AFP, dpa, Reuters")
* Trump's win, German government crisis threaten Ukraine aid'.
November 11, 2024 Trump was trying to fuse economic concerns with cultural biases, Harris was focused on allowing women access to abortion and gay rights/trans rights. Trump’s campaign took advantage of that orientation. They spent over $17 million on 30,000 TV ads replaying Harris’ past talks supporting access to gender-affirming healthcare for transgender individuals. Audiences of NFL and college football broadcasts were targeted to reach a predominantly male audience in the swing states. Harris did not emphasize running as a woman. Instead, she reached out to women through the abortion issue. The Trump campaign officials created a “boys vs. girls election.” Their campaign reinforced the values of adhering to traditional gender roles. Trump appeared alongside former Fox News host Carlson, who popularized the notion that the country needed Trump to be a “dad” who would deliver a 'spanking.” The Republicans’ appeal to men was far more successful than the Democrats’ appeal to women. white women (52%) voted for Trump. Men turned out for Trump by 16 points more than for Harris. Hispanic men backed Trump over Harris 54% to 44%. Harris won 53% of female voters this year, while Biden won 55% in 2020. The Republican Party, despite Trump declaring that he loves women, will now have to deliver a better economic future for women and their daughters. (Source: CounterPunch - a left-wing magazine based in the United States)
by Licata, author of Becoming A Citizen Activist has served 5 terms on the Seattle City Council, named progressive municipal official of the year by The Nation, founding board chair of Local Progress, a national network of 1,000 progressive municipal officials.
November 11, 2024 ’A new wave of movements against Trumpism is coming’. In 2016, Trump’s election itself’ served as a trigger event’. Trump being able to take office ’in spite of his overt misogyny’ led women to mobilize in record-breaking numbers. A call to action went out immediately after the election, and on January 21, 2017, the day after Trump’s inauguration, upwards of four million people rallied in Women’s March events, spread across every state in the nation. A wide range of groups, from the liberal ACLU to the more radical Democratic Socialists of America, saw membership and donations surge as concerned progressives braced for what was expected to come from Trump’s administration. New groups emerged, such as Indivisible, which began as a viral Google Doc about how to confront elected officials and compel them to resist the Trump administration. It then quickly grew into an organization with more than 4,000 affiliated local groups by 2021. Following his inauguration, Trump faced record-low approval ratings. Movements not only rallied large numbers of people, but also carried forward popular energy by organizing around a positive vision for change. The model offered by Sanders was very important. In 2016, the senator was nevertheless vital in pointing to a model of how Trumpism could be combated with a ’progressive’ populist vision, rather than a retreat to the center and the adoption of “Republican-lite” versions of policy. ’Groups motivated to build active support for such a vision - which included progressive unions, community organizations investing in electoral work in a more concerted way than ever before, and new or re-energized formations such as the Democratic Socialists of America, Justice Democrats, Our Revolution, the Working Families Party and the Poor People’s Campaign - entered into contests that gave rise to the Squad at the federal level, as well as an unprecedented number of movement champions taking office locally. Activism during Trump’s first term was able to create a sense of an administration that was embattled and mired in controversy, rather than one carrying out a popular mandate. The Sunrise Movement, another group that contributed to this push, exploded onto the scene in 2018, playing a key role in putting the Green New Deal at the center of policy debate and, along with Fridays for Future, revitalizing climate activism. Trigger events around police violence ignited a new round of Black Lives Matter protests’. While conservatives passed a major tax law that favored the rich, they were unable to realize other top goals such as the repeal of Obamacare. With the 2018 midterms, movements played a significant role in creating one of the most dramatic swings in recent electoral history, propelling a wave that both swept Democrats into power in many states and deprived Republicans of control of the U.S. Congress, closing their window of maximum legislative power. This time around, the mood is different. As the New York Times described it, there is a "stunned, quiet and somber feeling," sometimes accompanied by resignation, rather than an immediate impulse to rise up in resistance. That said, established progressive groups that have created space for members to gather to make sense of the electoral outcome and plan a response, organized a mass call two days after the election by a coalition of 200 groups - including the Working Families Party, MoveOn, United We Dream and Movement for Black Lives Action. It drew well in excess of 100,000 people, with thousands signing up for follow-up community gatherings. ’There will be more opportunities to come’ as Trump begins implementing his agenda. Although he won a commanding electoral victory, a significant portion of his gains can be attributed to rejection of the status quo and a desire on the part of voters to sweep out a broken political establishment. On a policy level, Trump is often incoherent. Although he presents himself as a champion of those left behind, 'he cannot deliver' for working people. Instead, many of the things that he will attempt may prove to be deeply unpopular, from tax cuts for the wealthy and ’attacks on women’s rights’, to unconstitutional power grabs and cuts to social services or public benefits. Should Trump begin to carry out the program of mass deportations that he has promised, resulting in separated families and shattered communities, conservatives could quickly find that their overreach has sparked backlash and defiance - not only from defenders of human rights but even from business people alarmed at the economic disruption. In late 2005, when the Republican majority in the House pushed through a piece of anti-immigrant legislation known as the Sensenbrenner Bill - a measure which, among other impacts, would have created penalties for providing humanitarian services to undocumented immigrants - it gave rise to a series of massive immigrant rights protests in the months that followed. Hundreds of thousands marched in 2006, filling the downtowns of major cities, flooding public squares. These actions galvanized the Latino vote and had lasting impacts in multiple election cycles that followed. Likewise, in the early days of Trump’s first term, his administration’s “Muslim ban” prompted rallies and civil disobedience at airports around the country. While the ban was being challenged in court, the actions served as major public flashpoints, both bolstering local groups and giving rise to national formations such as #NeverAgainAction, while also prompting cities to make vows to protect migrants. Looking forward, Trump will trigger outrage. We can expect a new wave of movements to arise which must be ready to capitalize on and extend the opportunities that Trump’s policies create. When mass protests erupted in Trump’s first term, there were a plethora of voices condemning them as pointless and even counterproductive, „mass therapy” for participants. In fact, people newly activated by the march became part of many subsequent efforts, and the following year the mobilization fed directly into the #MeToo movement, which erupted after another trigger event - namely, publicity that shed light on the sexual abuses perpetrated by Hollywood mogul Weinstein. MeToo have far-reaching implications for policy, in the legal system, and significantly affected voting patterns in 2018 and 2020. Social movements alone have the potential to produce ’a response to Trump’ that both invites mass participation and that is connected to a broader vision for change. „The alternative - relying on legal cases or other insider challenges to the administration’s policies, hoping that politicians will save us, or relying on Democrats, by themselves, to not cave or conciliate themselves to Trumpism — is a recipe for defeat and demobilization". This time around, ’our goal is to win over a majority of Americans’. Movements should not be afraid to engage in polarizing protest, but they should be mindful of the challenge of producing positive polarization that reaches out to include more people in the fight for justice, while minimizing negative polarization that pushes away potential supporters. Crucial to this is always seeking to expand the coalition of allies, engage in political education to bring in newcomers, and ’not accept the myth’ of the righteous few, or the idea that "the path to victory is through demanding ever-greater levels of moral purity among those we associate with", even if that means ever-greater insularity. The day after the election, Sunrise tweeted: 'Trump loves corporations even more than Democrats do, but he ran an anti-establishment campaign that gave an answer to people’s desire for change.” As social movements respond to outrage over Trump’s policies and tie their actions to a real agenda for transformative change, 'they puncture the pretense that he offers any sort of real alternative to a democracy ruled by elites and an economy designed to serve the wealthy'. 'We can stop him, and we must. But it’s going to take many thousands of people taking to the streets and preparing to strike. And it’s going to take mass movements putting out a better vision for our country than Trumpism and proving that we can make it happen,’ Sunrise added. There is no better antidote to hopelessness than action in community. Social movements provide a unique mechanism for responding, creating common identity and purpose between strangers and allowing genuine, collective participation in building a better democracy. If we are to make it together through Trump’s second presidency and emerge in its aftermath to create ’the world we need’, this may be our greatest hope. ’Indeed, it may be our only one".
(Source: CounterPunch - a left-wing magazine based in the United States)
by the Englers
.4 11 11 20:23
