Mustering effective resistance

With over a month left in the first 100 days of this administration many on the sideline are rapidly morphing from casual observer to indignant victim. Over half the citizenry and even several who endorsed this president with their vote last November are getting their gut full of MAGA Act II. The intentional blundering of him and his minions whose only qualifications is the fact they are either filthy-rich or look good crowing his praises on TV is quickly losing its charm. Watching agape and reacting to the chaos in apoplectic horror as an unelected and unvetted “appointed” chainsaw-wielding billionaire and wannabe bureaucrat dismantles our government at will, they are witness to something never seen before in America. Those who have been terminated from government-associated employment or who have had their income or funding source threatened, reduced or straight up eliminated are pensively awaiting the arise of an advocate of any type to intervene on their behalf. Many more are seriously asking where the minority pushback is on so much of the outrageous executive overreach. With a handful of exceptions, the Congressional Democratic Caucus appears to have gone silent. It has taken constituents of all political stripes to rise up and speak out at Congressional Town Hall meetings, especially those of Republicans, to convey the message that what is going on is not popular with a growing number of citizens. The current president, whose brand of MAGA populism he rode to a sound electoral victory despite all odds, may be forcing a hard choice on his base supporters. Do they remain faithful to the authority of his strong man veneer, or do they move beyond the culture war sideshows and forget their fundamental desire to “own the Libs” in favor of something more practical that may offer them a brighter future and better quality of life? What’s more, if this trend continues, Republican Congresspersons may be forced to choose between loyalty to their president and doing the right thing for their constituents. That could present the ultimate “all-or-nothing” proposition and could easily become yet another contrasting binary choice. Having seen all they need to see, enough of prior non-voters may be pissed off to the point of not only registering to vote but doing so just to vote the MAGA incumbents out of office. This president’s approval ratings may match their all-time high, but will he be able to sustain them? Whether or not his policies are solid as a rock or a mere house of cards may be borne out sooner rather than later. His popularity may end up resting on the numbers of who is served the least and who is harmed the most. We will ultimately see who has hitched their wagon to a falling star. In the meantime, the rise of growing dissatisfaction has yet to reach the critical mass needed for action. Supporting the natural impulse of the average working American to resist direct harm be it physical, economic, social or legal is an absolute imperative.

The nucleus of an effective resistance must be organic. Previously uninvolved persons voicing their concerns at town hall functions, call-in talk shows or carrying signs at impromptu protests in numbers never before seen lend greatly to its authenticity. It has been suggested by certain seasoned media pundits that the aforementioned Democratic silence is an intentional tactic to allow the new administration to collapse under the weight of its own incompetence. Perhaps, but regardless of the Dem’s low approval rating, it has been noted that more vocal and caustic complaints have been coming from other than the usual suspects. Given that 36% of eligible voters did not participate in last November’s general election for whatever reason, some may be having a change of heart about staying away from the polls. Hopefully enough of those non-voters who take no interest in politics are finally getting the message that their disinterest won’t dissuade politics from asserting itself in their affairs in up close and personal fashion. The strength in numbers and the more of the disaffected who emerge and step up to push back, the better it bodes for an effective bulwark against abusive leadership. If nothing else, it will hopefully provide a message from middle America packed with an unignorable bite.

It does not require commitment to any political ideology or social movement to be outraged by what is playing out before us and the entire World. In the nine-weeks since Inauguration Day, America First has become America Alone. Intentionally alienating our traditional allies and cozying up to corrupt and undemocratic totalitarian heads of state is an extreme departure from the America in which many of us grew up. This goes along with proposing the annexing of places that never posed a threat to the USA or our interests and certainly never so much as thought of harming us. The appointment of unqualified and impaired MAGA hacks to key Cabinet and Administration positions is fueling a widespread loss of confidence. The danger posed by firing essential career professionals at government agencies like the Federal Aviation Administration and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission threaten the safety of all Americans regardless of politics. It is more than a national insult to terminate eighty thousand employees of the Veterans Administration reducing staffing to the point where combat veterans suffering with PTSD and a litany of other maladies related to their service cannot get the care they need. The vast majority of citizens have a family member receiving Social Security benefits of some type or at very least know somebody whose life would be greatly impacted in a negative way if their SS income were to go away. It is difficult to imagine that any chief executive or anyone appointed by them would even think of cutting Social Security entitlements. That still remains the fastest way to draw the ire of anyone who ever worked as a W-2 employee in the USA and has paid into a pension program guaranteed to them all their working life. That one is still all but impossible to spin as being part of any sort of populist and winning strategy. Also, one doesn’t have to be a registered member of any party or be interested in politics to become infuriated with having a sizable chunk of their retirement portfolio lost in the stock market due to volatility created by reckless tariff policies. When actions cause real, demonstrable and lasting harm, partisan opinions shrink to insignificance and become overshadowed by more pressing concerns of daily living. The question is at what point does MAGA extremism become intolerable and what aside from screaming at the top of one’s lungs can be done about it?

The most effective resistance will be spearheaded by irate Americans who look, speak, dress, work, play and behave like MAGA voters. They will live where MAGA voters live and worry about the same day-to-day issues MAGA voters worry about. One thing that hasn’t gone unnoticed is the degree of harm a MAGA member has to endure to make them change their mind about this president. His “revenge and get even” tour may lose its appeal when enough of those to whom he proclaimed, “I am your retribution” find themselves in six months still paying more for housing, groceries, gasoline and basic health care, assuming of course they still have a job. Restricting First Amendment rights and deporting undocumented immigrants without due process will cease being funny when they are confronted with the prospect that such abuses can just as easily happen to them should they find themselves in the wrong circumstance. When they finally realize he really meant what he said on the campaign trail about only wanting their vote, they hopefully will become sober enough to alter their outlook accordingly. It may indeed take MAGA to defeat MAGA. That is the necessary organic resistance with no outside additives.

The history and progress of the past hundred years will not be forgotten regardless how hard this administration attempts to scrub, suppress or revise it. Given what we have seen since January 20th, the policies which have been and are being implemented look to benefit few, harm many, and ultimately be unsustainable. Being as deeply invested in my community, state and nation as anyone of any political brand, I do not typically root for America to fail. At the end of the day, it is my nation too and I refuse to abandon it. MAGA Act II and its enablers are doomed to fail and will fail epically. The last time they claimed to have all the answers it took a mismanaged pandemic response, 100K dead, double-digit unemployment and a stock market completely in the tank in order to prompt change. I shudder to imagine the amount of damage that will be left in their wake this time. Despite everything though I still embrace the core conviction of “My country, right or wrong. When right, to be kept right. When wrong, to be put right.” It is entirely okay with me for the end to justify the means in order to save the United States from the corruption, both foreign and domestic, consuming it. Step One is to effectively resist and push back on the overreaching edicts undermining national civility and emasculating the institutions and rule of law which made America the bright shining city on the hill. Turning the anger and grievance of MAGA back onto itself provides a sharp tip of the spear for the rest of the aggrieved to follow. Failure to do so simply is not an option. The continuation of our grand Republic depends on the voices and actions of the great silent majority.

Thank you for reading.