We’re in a far more dangerous and violent stage of Trump’s regime. What should we do to stop it?
EDITOR'S NOTE: Dr. Reich wrote this piece prior to the ICE murder of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
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| Five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, a student at Valley View Elementary, in Minneapolis, whom school officials and a lawyer for the Ramos family say was detained with his parent by federal agents on Tuesday |
ICE agents have kidnapped
a 5-year-old child to use him as “bait” to arrest his parents. The
child and his father are now in a detention center in Texas, although no one
knows their exact whereabouts. They were in America legally.
This is only the latest cruel outrage I’ve heard about. All
this is being done in our name — the United States of America
— with our authority, our tax dollars, and, seemingly, our acquiescence.
Recently I asked many of you what you believe to be the most
important strategy for stopping Trump’s reign of terror. I offered several
alternatives based on what I’ve heard from prominent people and organizations
in the resistance, along with some skeptical responses to each.
So many of you responded and want to discuss these further
that today I’m posting a revised version of my query — including the top three
alternatives, as edited to reflect many of the responses sent to me.
1. Target a few Republican senators and House members to switch parties and thereby give Democrats a congressional majority in at least one chamber.
Several of the people I contacted said the single most
important thing we can do now is target a few Republican senators and
representatives to switch sides or become independents who caucus with the
Democrats — giving Democrats a majority in at least one chamber. That will be
stop or at least slow Trump.
Republican majorities are razor-thin in both chambers, but
as long as they’re in the majority, it’s extremely difficult to stop Trump. Yet
some Republicans represent purple districts and states and are struggling to
keep their Republican supporters behind them. They’re also struggling with
their own consciences in continuing to support Trump’s authoritarian fascism.
They’re “gettable,” I’m told.
I recall in 2001 when Vermont Republican Senator Jim
Jeffords became an independent and caucused with the Democrats — thereby giving
Democrats control of the Senate. Jeffords was a principled man who thought
George W. Bush and Dick Cheney were destroying the GOP. Trump is far worse than
Bush and Cheney.
Skeptics tell me this won’t work because the forces holding
Republican senators and representatives in place are way stronger than they
were in 2001.
2. Undertake the largest demonstration against Trump in American history, aiming for at least 10 million marching in the streets, along with a national strike.
They also recommend that such a demonstration be coupled
with a general strike, lasting perhaps several days or a week, during which no
one goes to work (if necessary, they call in sick) and no one purchases
anything (stocking up in advance).
The demonstration and general strike would be designed to
reveal the depth and breadth of the opposition to Trump. (Several people and
groups in the resistance are aiming for May 1.)
Skeptics say a giant demonstration will only cause Trump to
dig in and send even more ICE and Border Patrol agents into places where the
largest demonstrations are occurring in hopes of provoking violence, which he’d
use to justify even more repression. And a general strike would mostly hurt
workers who take part in it, who’d be docked sick days or potentially lose
their jobs.
3. Let Trump overreach to the point where Americans are
so disgusted they overwhelmingly repudiate him in the midterms — resulting in a
Democratic takeover of both chambers of Congress by wide margins, which
severely limits what he’s able to do after January 2027.
Others I contacted tell me nothing more can or should be
done over the next year, beyond organizing and mobilizing for November’s
midterms. They say we should aim for an overwhelming vote against Trump’s
Republicans — so large as to constrain Trump’s every move from then on.
Skeptics tell me that if Trump senses a huge midterm wave
election against congressional Republicans, he won’t allow a free and fair
election in November. They also say that unless action is taken between now and
then to stop Trump, irrevocable damage will be done to America, so by January
2027 our democracy will be in tatters.
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What do you think?
