Ruth Ben-Ghiat on RESISTANCE [View all]
The campaign may be over, but a new phase of resistance to authoritarianism begins now. My thoughts in Lucid here: lucid.substack.com/p/the…
https://lucid.substack.com/p/the-aftermath-fighting-fascism-by
The Aftermath. Fighting Fascism by Building On All That We Achieved During the Campaign
*Of course, in classic strongman fashion, as soon as Trump takes office, he will take credit for the roaring economy, which will be used as proof that he and he alone can “make America great again.” The period of Democratic rule between his presidencies will be depicted as a dark time of hardship and depravity, and his return to power as a heroic journey. .That sets up the new master narrative of the “rebirth” of America, with Trump hailed as an instrument of God’s will by a rotating cast of sycophantic religious charlatans.
This glimpse of a coming American Fascism may be frightening, but being prepared is key to staying resilient and continuing your work in the face of setbacks. Dissidents who endure long authoritarian regimes know all about that.
Resilience seems a good frame to think about this campaign, which failed as an effort to elect Harris but can continue as a pro-democracy movement. As I wrote a few days ago, the campaign has laid the foundation for such a movement, and our organizing, messaging, fund-raising, canvassing, conversing, and strategizing was not in vain.
The new networks, circuits of communication, memes, slogans, and images that came out of this period will not disappear just because we did not prevail. The experiences and knowledge and connections we gained in this process will help us in the years to come as we organize to win back whatever freedoms we lose and remain vocal and visible in the face of attempts to silence us.
In that spirit, I was pleased to see this passage from the resistance chapter of Strongmen quoted by media critic Margaret Sullivan in her newsletter American Crisis:
“Individual actions designed to be seen by the public break through the screen of official media and offer models of resistance that can be transformative…For millions, acts of resistance have been a path to the recovery of the self and the reaffirmation of dignity, empathy and solidarity — all qualities the strongman seeks to destroy in his people.”
We may feel injured and dispirited today, but we will recover and return to the work of protecting our democracy, including by promoting and embodying the values of solidarity, unity, care, decency, and justice. “While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign,” Harris said in today’s speech at Howard University. The campaign may be over, but a new phase of resistance to authoritarianism begins now.'
https://lucid.substack.com/p/the-aftermath-fighting-fascism-by