Stand Up, Fight Back!
by Tom Sullivan
Dressed and ready for school.
It has been 73 years since the world overthrew fascism in Europe, Madeleine Albright reminds New York Times readers. Long enough for the zombie to reassert itself slowly and on the periphery of our collective vision, until lurching into view hungry for brains. (I’m paraphrasing.) The forces of freedom and democracy, once triumphant and ascendant, must reassert themselves now if they are to keep the zombie plague from spreading. “We did it before and we can do it again,” went the song recorded days after Pearl Harbor.
Amid “terrorism, sectarian conflicts, vulnerable borders, rogue social media and the cynical schemes of ambitious men,” democracy is once again tested, writes the former U.S. Secretary of State. The threat is global. Her recommendations are general: defend truth, reinforce the rule of law, re-energize the democratic process. More specificity in the details might have been helpful.
Yet Albright delivers a bill of particulars against the sitting U.S. president that echo those in the Declaration against George III:
Instead of mobilizing international coalitions to take on world problems, he touts the doctrine of “every nation for itself” and has led America into isolated positions on trade, climate change and Middle East peace. Instead of engaging in creative diplomacy, he has insulted United States neighbors and allies, walked away from key international agreements, mocked multilateral organizations and stripped the State Department of its resources and role. Instead of standing up for the values of a free society, Mr. Trump, with his oft-vented scorn for democracy’s building blocks, has strengthened the hands of dictators. No longer need they fear United States criticism regarding human rights or civil liberties. On the contrary, they can and do point to Mr. Trump’s own words to justify their repressive actions.
Greatness is more than marble hotel lobbies and Soviet-style military parades, Albright offers. And she is inspired by students marching for “the right to study without having to wear a flak jacket.” But her op-ed comes as there is marching already underway elected that leaders have been too slow to join.
The Washington Post looks at “Rallying Nation.” For millions, November 8, 2016 was a kind of Pearl Harbor:
One in five Americans have protested in the streets or participated in political rallies since the beginning of 2016. Of those, 19 percent said they had never before joined a march or a political gathering.
Overwhelmingly, recently motivated activists are critical of Trump. Thirty percent approve of the president, and 70 percent disapprove, according to the poll. And many said they plan to be more involved politically this year, with about one-third saying they intend to volunteer or work for a 2018 congressional campaign.
The Post-Kaiser poll examines who they are and why they march. Rallygoers are more likely to be Democrats, college graduates and to disapprove of Trump, findings show:
Nearly 4 in 10 said they plan to become more involved in political causes in 2018. Among the one-third who planned to work or volunteer for congressional races, 64 percent say they will do so for Democrats, and 26 percent plan to work for Republicans.
“I will vote. I will give money. I will go to marches,” said David Orelowitz, 59, a software engineer from New York City.
To fix problems, he said, people need to be heard beyond “arguing at dinner parties.”
Or on Facebook or Twitter, I might add.
Everywhere I hear the sound of marching, charging feet, boy
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