nk.
06–14–25
no kings.
the american people will not be ruled.
I feel naive and embarrassed. Trump has devolved beyond what I expected.
Even though I’ve always opposed him, after the election I retreared into the warm blanket of complacent rhetoric cycling around me. Maybe he wouldn’t be as bad as before - maybe he wouldn’t be able to make good on the radicalism of his campaign when bound by the contrainsts of the office.
But I was wrong. I was cognitively and morally lazy in allowing myself to be anything except diametrically oppossed to a Trump Presidency at any point, in any capacity.
It’s important for me to admit this because I know I’m not alone.
And if you were once a MAGA voter who felt alienated by the democrats, but are now beginning to encounter a sinking feeling that you have been lied to, I encourage you to embrace that feeling.
Because at its core, this is about class - and power. While many working, middle-class Americans supported Trump out of frustration with a political system that ignored their struggles, the irony is that his policies have largely favored the wealthy elite - the only world he’s ever been a part of and arguably sees as the true America.
Trump is now more than ever encroaching on full-out authoritarianism as his rhetoric actively divides the middle and working class through outrage, propaganda, and performative cultural warfare.
If Americans can unify to collectively accept that Trump’s administration does not represent any of us, only then can we can begin to dream again:
These goals are not radical. They are common-sense ideals for a functioning democracy. But they are impossible under a leader who rejects accountability, inflames division, and consistently undermines the institutions meant to protect the people.
Trump doesn’t want to serve - he wants to rule. His rhetoric and behavior make that clear. Whether our democracy can recover and move forward depends on our willingness to confront this moment.
To resist with clarity and conviction, with an eye towrds unification.
Resist by expressing support and concern for your friends and neighbors. Resist by speaking your mind without fear. Resist by retaining your joy, working hard, and believing in the possibility of your dreams. Resist by creating art and continuing to value the beauty and complexity of a diverse society.
Among the non-stop flood of political media, these are the two pieces that stood out most for me. I think they both have a strong warning of the cost of forgetting our history. There’s infinitely more to say, but I leave you with this for now:
Even though I’ve always opposed him, after the election I retreared into the warm blanket of complacent rhetoric cycling around me. Maybe he wouldn’t be as bad as before - maybe he wouldn’t be able to make good on the radicalism of his campaign when bound by the contrainsts of the office.
But I was wrong. I was cognitively and morally lazy in allowing myself to be anything except diametrically oppossed to a Trump Presidency at any point, in any capacity.
It’s important for me to admit this because I know I’m not alone.
And if you were once a MAGA voter who felt alienated by the democrats, but are now beginning to encounter a sinking feeling that you have been lied to, I encourage you to embrace that feeling.
Because at its core, this is about class - and power. While many working, middle-class Americans supported Trump out of frustration with a political system that ignored their struggles, the irony is that his policies have largely favored the wealthy elite - the only world he’s ever been a part of and arguably sees as the true America.
Trump is now more than ever encroaching on full-out authoritarianism as his rhetoric actively divides the middle and working class through outrage, propaganda, and performative cultural warfare.
If Americans can unify to collectively accept that Trump’s administration does not represent any of us, only then can we can begin to dream again:
Dream of an America where owning a home is possible for the middle class.
An America where a cancer diagnosis isn’t synonymous with bankruptcy.
Where immigrants are celebrated & assisted on their path to citizenship.
An America that doesn’t use overpowered military to intimidate foreign cultures.
Where human dignity and rights are universally recognized and respected.
An America where a cancer diagnosis isn’t synonymous with bankruptcy.
Where immigrants are celebrated & assisted on their path to citizenship.
An America that doesn’t use overpowered military to intimidate foreign cultures.
Where human dignity and rights are universally recognized and respected.
These goals are not radical. They are common-sense ideals for a functioning democracy. But they are impossible under a leader who rejects accountability, inflames division, and consistently undermines the institutions meant to protect the people.
Trump doesn’t want to serve - he wants to rule. His rhetoric and behavior make that clear. Whether our democracy can recover and move forward depends on our willingness to confront this moment.
To resist with clarity and conviction, with an eye towrds unification.
Resist by expressing support and concern for your friends and neighbors. Resist by speaking your mind without fear. Resist by retaining your joy, working hard, and believing in the possibility of your dreams. Resist by creating art and continuing to value the beauty and complexity of a diverse society.
Among the non-stop flood of political media, these are the two pieces that stood out most for me. I think they both have a strong warning of the cost of forgetting our history. There’s infinitely more to say, but I leave you with this for now:
A poster, which was sold in the gift shop for the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. Read it one by one and consider the news you’ve heard lately.