This Moment Demands We Fight Harder Than Ever Before

November 10, 2016

I’ve seen a lot since the fall of 1972, when as a 16-year-old I first got involved in politics driving the back roads of Missouri stuffing mailboxes for George McGovern—but today I am as much in shock as everyone at the turn our country took on Tuesday.

President-elect Donald Trump is a demagogue who has demeaned women, ridiculed the disabled, and fanned the flames of racial and ethnic hatred. He is a threat not only to values you and I hold dear, but also to the cherished institutions of our country and our democracy. Don’t underestimate for a minute the enormity of the challenge we now face.

In the days and months ahead, In These Times will stand in solidarity with and unequivocally defend all who have reason to fear for their future, whether that’s undocumented immigrants Trump plans deport, Muslims who he vows to ban, workers whose rights he’s threatened, women whose right to health care he plans to assault, or our planet itself. And we will be reporting from the front lines of the resistance to Trump’s presidency, which we are already seeing play out in protests across the country.

As devastating as Trump’s victory is, to call this “Trump’s America” would be to overlook the fact that a clear majority of voters cast their ballot against him.

But what happened on Election Day was not simply a result of too many voters turning toward Trumpism—it was the predictable outcome of the Democratic Party’s decades-long turn away from working people in favor of corporate interests. With the Democratic Party’s neoliberal establishment now discredited, the wing of the party led by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren is ascending. Let’s embrace that opportunity.

Over the past 12 months, more and more people have come to see that another, better world is possible. We have already witnessed a true “political revolution,” not just in the form of the Bernie Sanders campaign, but also in the new and revived movements for economic, racial and environmental justice, and for workers’ rights. We can’t lose sight of that.

Young people voted overwhelmingly for this vision of a progressive America, and the future belongs to them. But it’s up to all of us to do our part to help build that better world.

With the election over, our challenge is twofold. First, stand up to the worst excesses of the Trump presidency. Second, begin the hard work of creating a new political base that truly speaks to the needs of working people.

That’s the task we rededicate ourselves to today.

In the weeks ahead, we’ll be kicking off one of the most important end of year fundraising drives in the 40-year history of the magazine -- but if you’re ready to join us in this work now, you can make a tax-deductible donation today, or subscribe to In These Times magazine here.

Remember that you are not alone, there are millions on our side who believe in creating a more just and equal society. We still have the opportunity to write the future of this country that we want to see. Let’s seize it, together.