Resist Now

 

Sheila Kennedy, a highly intelligent blogger, spoke words in her writing today (note: this writing has been completed some time after when it was begun) which seems totally incomplete and really (inadvertently) not helpful for me, and I believe many others.  See:  https://sheilakennedy.net/2025/06/the-roots-of-maga/

A good example of a counter-narrative (who ironically was mentioned in the column) is Arlie Russell Hochschild, a peer of Sheila at age 85 – See: https://www.georgemarx.org/2019/07/arlie-russell-hochschild-anger-and.html

Hochschild studied white women in Louisiana well over a decade ago.   She was listening to female Tea Party supporters.

The modern day Tea Party enthusiasts I met sought a different separation – one between rich and poor.  In their ideal world, government would not take from the rich to give to the poor.  It would fund the military, and the national guard, build interstate freeways, dredge harbors, and otherwise pretty much disappear. (p.220)

In the deep story, as felt by those I profile in this book, the weary worker waiting in line for the American Dream sees the federal government giving special help to people he perceives as line cutters.  Some who benefit are citizens (blacks, women, public sector workers), and others are not (immigrants, refugees, recipients of American foreign aid.   We can well understand the worn patience of the one waiting in line, because in truth for most middle- and lower income Americans, the line has indeed stalled or moved back. (p.260)

Our blindness to the “Maga Crowd” has lead, and will continue to lead us to fail in seeking to take them on, absent a deeper understanding of “the problem”.

Historically, we didn’t see what was happening!   Kevin Kruse’s 2005 book - https://www.workingtowardsendingracism.org/2021/03/white-flight-atlanta-and-making-of.html - WHITE FLIGHT: Atlanta and the Making of Modern Conservatism describes clearly a reality which the Democratic Party and most of us didn’t see beginning in 1968.   Black Power advocates in the mid-1960’s spoke of the need for we white people to work with white people to end racism and we nearly totally failed them.  

Roe vs. Wade told middle-class white women that they could “let up” on the abortion issue, and they did (men have never been there more than in tiny token numbers).    Jessica Valenti - https://www.georgemarx.org/2025/03/abortion-their-lies-valenti-great-book.html and/or: https://jessica.substack.com/ - ably shows how women, girls (and of course gender non-binary people) (and indirectly men and boys) are increasingly threatened by dangerous treatment by medical providers, as well as being threatened with the potential outlawing of oral contraceptives and other means of birth control.

Christian Zionists and significant numbers of Evangelical Christians seriously can and do positively view Israel attacking Iran with nuclear weapons to hasten the return of Jesus in what I see as their dangerous “fantasy world”.

As Sheila Kennedy accurately talks of, going to her source:

It was about fear. About losing status. About the aching dread that the world no longer bends to you. And when power begins to slip, the mind scrambles to make sense of its new fragility. That’s when people reach not for reason, but for revenge (Kelly, 2020; Golec de Zavala & Keenan, 2021).

https://therationalleague.substack.com/p/they-warned-us-in-1945-fascism-in

(Predominantly) white people are afraid of losing power, as the United States moves towards being majority BIPOC.

The right organizing goes back (at least) to the late 1960’s.   In 2016 we reacted slowly to Donald Trump.   Even today plenty of people deride Trump by speaking of him in terms often using “Orange” and/or refer to his obesity.  

If such words were to motivate us towards resistance and looking at systemically at oppression, it would be great.   Instead such tactics primarily bring on false senses of superiority as well as letting us off the hook for doing anything substantive in working towards stopping the current growth of Fascism in the U.S. and beyond.

There is no question that Donald Trump is dangerous!   If he were to be impeached, incarcerated, hospitalized indefinitely or to pass away, things would still be very dangerous .  The Heritage Institute, Elon Musk and his early 20’s staff, “mainstream” (sic) Republican Politicians and far, far more have key financial and “power” related interests in continuing our growth into fascism.

Besides opposing wealthy interests, we face the opposition of people who are influenced by the think tanks and paid publicists of the Right.   Related to abortion, for example, there are (basically) fake studies conducted by credentialed or not-credentialed individuals working for groups with a clear agenda.

Behind the push of the right we have the mainstream media.   CNN, MSNBC, and even PBS rely upon the funding for their profits and staying afloat.   Controversy and relying upon their regular “spokespersons” or “experts” provides often narrow windows for diverse perspectives.   For every media personality who speaks up on individual issues, there are far more who push forth false dichotomies and realities, far from in our best interests.  

Related to abortion, there are clear interests pushing for strict limits on birth control, as well as pressures now upon the  medical profession.   Women and girls who may be undergoing dangerous medical conditions are increasingly not getting necessary care.  Oft times this has nothing to do with abortion at all!

The  Middle East is another area where media and the politicians ignore reality, international law, and justice.   The Iranian People are now under literal siege from the U.S. and Israel.     We ignore the history of what the U.S. leadership has done to Iran and demonize Iran, as so many others have been demonized.  

While there are poorly educated people supporting MAGA, there are also significant numbers of well-educated people who currently support The Right.    Some of them are bigoted, quite racist people.   Others are “grabbed” by a single issue, such as immigration, where they fixate on false dangers, gross exaggerations of reality, and complete lies.

In reading writing of people like Ms. Kennedy, it seems obvious to me that they both “get it” and “don’t get it”.   Pieces of the growth of Fascism are put forth both by well-known people, as well as lesser known people.   The “bigger picture” sometimes is lost in the doubts that many of us have.  

In some cases we see some of the problems, but don’t get the Middle East for example.   We may not realize the depths of the “War on Women”.

In other cases we immobilize ourselves, saying: “What can I do?” in these tough times, rather than, “I’m trying to do more and starting with ….”.   When we are older, this may limit some the possibilities, but we need to recognize our strengths, and connections, rather than dwelling upon our limitations.

Sticking to the “safe” opposition, the “respected columnists/ bloggers”, we miss many more radical messages that can be helpful.  Some “radical things” aren’t radical at all.

Historically, The Balfour Declaration of 1917, promising a Jewish State in historic Palestine was issued by the British Government then.  1917 was in the midst of the First World War.   Palestine was a part of the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire then, not connected in any way to Great Britain.

There is often a lot of great leadership that we consistently ignore!    For all the Paul Krugman’s and similar, there are others “known” like Loretta Ross – MacArthur Genius Grant recipient and professor, whose voices aren’t heard.   Rarely is Rashid Khalidi heard, an academic now retiring from Columbia University.

There are also the “invisible voices”, we have to seek out to find.  They are Queer Black People, for example.   Leaders around us often don’t have the PhD, or if they do, we ignore it.

We do need to organize – NOW!  

Locally is best!  

Don’t ridicule or feel superior to those – in Indiana – in Texas – in Florida and elsewhere who voted for Trump in 2024, or who are still speaking words that trouble most, if not all of us.

We need to reach those who can become our allies!   We need to listen to their concerns, and not Call Them Out – driving them away.   We need to build upon our strengths, and have potlucks with our neighbors, who are already on our side.   We need to risk mistakes, by becoming more active however we can.

The risks of our silence and/or our waiting until we know “the right thing to do” are immense!   We need radical and liberal resistance in many, many ways!   We need to not wait for another MLK – to “lead us”.   We need to resist however we can!

POTENTIAL HELPFUL SOURCES – GOOGLE THEM – PODCASTS AND/OR YOUTUBE VIDEOS  AND SIMILAR CAN HELP

Common Dreams – Great Media Source

Democracy Now – Amy Goodman

The Electronic Intifada

Jessica Valenti

Chris Hedges

Peter Beinart

Rashid Khalidi

Sabeel – Jonathan Kuttab

Loretta Ross

Angela Davis

Marc Lamont-Hill

Noura Erakat

Jewish Voice for Peace

Sister Song