LISTEN UP, DEMOCRATS

Liberal democracy, as we have known it in our lifetimes, is under attack, and Donald Trump is a symptom, not the cause. There are too many signs that Trump can win again in 2020 for us liberals/Democrats to ignore, and we need to be concerned, and active. 

For starters, read the column in the Sunday NY Times by Roger Cohen about Steve Bannon (yes, that Steve Bannon) in Italy specifically, and the European Union in general. Leaders like Trump are being buoyed by populist, nativist movements very similar to that in the USA. I won't mince words, fascism is on the rise around the globe, including in the U.S., Britain, Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Hungary....and more. To be clear, fascism is: a political philosophy, movement, or regime ... that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition (Merriam-Webster). Sound familiar? 

I don't think the United States has a fascist government at this point; however, the trend is unmistakable. As Cohen points out, fascism today is not the same as fascism was in the 1930'3-40's in Europe. It has some differences, but the brand is the same. 

I want to believe that Donald Trump will be overthrown - voted out - by a huge margin in 2020, but the facts make that less than certain. Listen to interviews on the news of people who voted for Trump, are being negatively affected by his actions and policies - neither liking things he has done nor believing that those actions are OK - and yet say that overall he is doing a great job and, yes, they will vote for him again. 

People who have felt left out and ignored by government, have seen their wages stagnate while the wealthy class have become much wealthier, who have lost jobs to China or some other low-wage, non-union work force, who are caught in dying communities riddled with opium addiction and crime, and who see a flood of immigrants and refugees threatening them even more, are part of the Trump base. And unless Democrats can clearly explain that the booming economy and record low unemployment are not really signs that Trump and his Republican enablers are doing things right for the common people, we are doomed.

But remember, I said that Trump is a symptom, not the problem. The Republican members of Congress have supported Trump, no matter what horrible things he says and does. Democrats taking control of the Senate is a long shot in 2020, and even beyond, due to the way Senate seats are apportioned 2 per state, not based on state population size. And the GOP under Trump continues to pack the federal courts, including the Supreme Court, with judges who lean to the right on critical issues, and continues to wreak havoc on federal agencies and regulations. 

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party has 24 announced candidates for President, and counting. To say that the party is fractionalized is an understatement. Will voters loyal to a specific primary candidate not vote for the nominated candidate, as many did not in 2016? That was politically stupid then, it will be more politically stupid in 2020. 

We liberals need to understand that things are very different now. In spite of the progress made over the past few decades, we are once again in a climate of hate in which women, non-whites, immigrants, Jews and Muslims, LGBT people and others are under open attack, not just by young men carrying tiki torches, but by local, state and federal GOP legislators. We are in a climate in which our leaders are building de-facto walls around our country, isolating us from our allies, allying us with the worst authoritarian regimes, building up our military and provoking our adversaries with words, tariffs, and dropping out of important international agreements. The endpoint of these trends is not a pretty picture. 

Electing a Democrat in 2020 to be the POTUS is a very important step. But I fear that the fight we are in, the fight for the heart of the American promise, will be long and difficult. We need to steel ourselves for a future in which things aren't the way we want them, in which the other side has won and we have lost and the future of democracy in the world is at stake. Yes, it is that serious.

Let's be smart. Let's be active. Let's pull together under one banner. 

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