You need the mental break
To start this essay, I will give two anecdotes of my life.
First, in Shake Hands with the Devil, General Roméo Dallaire tells about being the leader of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Rwanda during the Tutsi genocide. He warned the United Nations that political rhetoric was increasing against the Tutsis. He asked for more forces to help keep peace; he was ignored. The lesson here is that political rhetoric can turn into political action.
My second anecdote is Harry and Gertrude M., who were neighbors in my farming community in southern Alberta. Harry and Gertrude immigrated to Canada from Germany in the 1950s. They were upstanding citizens, socially active and volunteering in the community. They managed their small farm and raised four children. Very nice people. But coming from Germany in those times, there were questions. Harry and Gertrude belonged to the Hitler Youth movement. Harry was conscripted into the German army as the Allies were pushing the Germans out of France. One night after a little alcohol, my parents asked them why they had bought into the Nazi rhetoric. Gertrude could only offer: “We really didn’t know what was happening.” The lesson here is that good people can be co-opted into bad social movements.
Sam Young
Sam Young is a thinker. I like his approach of “Why would they do this?” to analyze the headlines in the news. He is often bringing up positive social movements that are not getting any attention from the mainstream media.
One of Sam’s recent essays goes in all sorts of interesting directions, which could spawn other Sam essays.
CNN Jokes and Laughs About “Acquiring” Canada and Greenland
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I’ll bring up a couple of Sam’s points from this thoughtful work:
First, Sam points out an important difference between Trump’s inauguration in 2017 and 2025. In 2017, there were many protests in the USA against the Trump presidency. Americans peacefully took to the streets to tell the new president that there were lines he should not cross. But in 2024, there have been no such protests.
Sam suggests that the protests today will do little to change his mind on whatever he is going to do. There is a degree of truth to this statement. Mr. Trump just might double-down if a protest happens. So protesting might be counterproductive.
Another motive for little protesting is that I think the MAGA movement is looking for a reason to crack down on the rest of Americans. And protesting just might give them the reason. So maybe the political left is more interested in their self preservation, to live to fight the battle another day.
This self-preservation leads to a second point Sam brought up. He said, “I think there are some people who see Trump as a sort of storm to be weathered.” In shorter words, it seems the second Trump presidency is something we have to endure. This is suggesting that we should sit on our hands until 2028. So maybe the better strategy is to let the Republicans govern and later fall on their own sword. Many of us expect an inept governance. And the best way to prove that is to let them govern.
Ron Miller
Ron is another thinker. He too understands that our current political mess is a complicated affair, not because there are good guys and bad guys. I enjoy his insights on Medium. Ron recently posted this article on Medium:
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In this article, Ron seems to be giving up on democracy. While there might be other reasons for his funky state, I believe the article expresses the mood of too many Americans. In other words, they have already caved in. They won’t be protesting any of the anticipated moves of the second Trump presidency.
There are more than a few writers on Medium who believe that Trump rhetoric is mostly rhetoric. Not much is going to happen. I disagree: there was rhetoric in Rwanda in 1994. There was rhetoric in 1930s Germany. The Trump list of political objectives is long. The Project 2025 list is long. Some of these things are likely to be tried, if for no other reason that the MAGA base needs to be appeased.
As these solutions are being tried and if there is no protesting in the street, would this not be a signal for this new administration to continue with more items on its lists?
Can you see what has happened? The Trump presidency has already psychologically put aside an important tool of Western democracy: the peaceful protest. Damned if the anti-Trump forces protest. Damned if they don’t. In essence, the peaceful protest has been effectively taken away — not by any legal means, for the wording is still there in the Constitution — but by fear and futility.
Maybe the keys to the White House are already permanently in Mr. Trump’s hands.
Cory Doctorow
Mr. Doctorow is full-time political writer, an occupation many of us aspire to. He sells books; he goes on tour; he is all over the internet; he is an influencer. He recently posted this article on Medium:
Occupy the Democratic National Committee
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I will just summarize this article. Mr. Doctorow is giving the Democratic Party advice on how to win the next election. In essence, it seems Mr. Doctorow is also “enduring the next four years” waiting for this party to assume power in 2028.
Let’s assume that there are fair elections in 2028. The actions of the second Trump presidency are likely to be inept. The economy will not be as robust as it is today. Voters get annoyed with fewer economic opportunities. Some of the MAGA base are likely to become non-voters. Some of the 86 million Americans who did not vote in 2024 are likely to vote Democrat. In other words, the 2028 election is already lining up for a Democrat victory (if there is a fair election).
And this certain win means the Democratic Party need not take any of Mr. Doctorow’s advice. They can continue to operate as they have in the past three or more election cycles. They have no incentive to change the conditions that gave rise to MAGA.
Maybe the keys to the White House are already permanently in Mr. Trump’s hands.
So unpredictable
So many things are in the air. Which of the many Trump and Project 2025 solutions will be tried first? Which will be saved for a later time? Which will quickly fail? Which will become a sustained implementation? Which will bring on an economic downturn? Will martial law be required? Will the 2028 elections be a charade of democracy?
And Mr. Trump is an old man, not in the best of mental and physical health. If nature takes a plausible course in near future, what is the course of the Republican Party without its leader?
What will be the state of the Democratic Party by 2028? As the only viable solution to the Republican Party, should this saner party be trusted to fix itself?
I will predict a lot of uncertainty. And maybe that has been the master plan since the election denial of 2020.
Tiered Democratic Governance (TDG)
In these times of enduring the second Trump presidency, I have a solution that goes beyond hoping AND wishing AND praying AND enduring.
We can build a new democracy. Building this democracy will be a low-key affair. It will likely not get the attention of the mainstream media.
I have the plan all laid out. I call it Chapter 6. Given that no one else has come up with any solution that goes beyond feeding the status quo, or the 1970s, or minor tinkering with the current political structure, maybe my solution is the one we should follow.
Will it be dangerous to build this democracy?
Building the TDG will be less dangerous than being a high-ranking Democrat. It will be less dangerous than being a journalist reporting on the new administration. It will be less dangerous than organizing and participating in a protest. It will be less dangerous than being an internet agitator. In essence, these people will be providing the smoke and mirrors so the early TDG builders can build this new democracy mostly under cover.
It will be difficult for the authorities to spot and arrest the TDG leaders, most of whom will be leading unassuming lives, putting in only 10 hours a month into this social movement. These leaders have no power to threaten the authorities. And the authorities will have their hands full with more immediate external and internal enemies.
So should we endure? And hope? And wish? And pray?
Or should we investigate? And take action? And build a new way?
Conclusion
Sometimes I’m right in my political predictions. Sometimes I am wrong. But I will make one prediction that will be 100% certain. If 1% of us do not start building this new way, this new way won’t be built.
If we don’t build, let’s just give the White House keys to Mr. Trump. He can pass them down to his successor. Then we can finally put our mind to ease that we truly have no power. The Republicans will be happy to decide our future for us.
Someone said: “Good people can be co-opted into bad social movements.”
Have we been already co-opted? To step aside?
Published on Medium & Substack 2025
