Renewing Democracy in the 21st Century

I see lots of people out protesting that Donald Trump has been elected president. Don’t just march, get organized.

I have worked in politics for a long time, mostly doing communications and policy — (in Canada, so that may not count).

Plenty of people are freaking out, not just about a Donald Trump win, but by all the people who will be working with him — the fear he has stoked, attacks on minorities, the consequences of GOP policies.

One of the best pieces i have read here is on Cracked, of all things, which is to say not to panic. “You never have reason to panic. You have reason to act.”

This was a campaign with lots of fear, and lots of disgust. So many people may wonder how it can possibly be that someone could vote for someone who they find frightening or disgusting.

People do not always vote their values. As David Wong said, many people voted for Donald Trump despite the things he has said and believed, not because of them.

Plenty of people voted for Trump because they thought he would “shake things up”.

You may be fearful or worried at the ways that will happen — but still agree with the need to shake things up.

Others voted for him because he was the Republican nominee and they don’t see him as the threat you do: as Peter Thiel put it, “his supporters take him seriously, but not literally, and his opponents take him literally but not seriously.”

So, at times like this, there is no limit to your imagination, and to what terrible things may happen — and they may. You may feel filled with dread: maybe you are, or know someone who feels they may be hurt. At this point, we don’t know what Trump will actually do, or be able to do. You can expect the worst, and work for the best, but being paralyzed with fear is not going to help.

So, though it will be difficult, you will have to uncurl yourself from fetal position, and start getting organized. Because that is the only thing that will ensure change.

But remember this, and this is as important as anything: nearly half of eligible voters did not vote at all. More people did not vote at all than voted for either Clinton or Trump. There are even people who voted for Obama who switched to Trump. When they are disappointed with him — and they will be—they will need someone else to vote for.

Why did this happen?

There is lots of blame going around, but this is bigger than the U.S. This is “Global Trumpism”. We need to understand why this has happened, and: the U.S. and most of the rest of the world (except, significantly, China) adopted “neoliberalism” — a free market, smaller- or no- government ideology. Deregulation, free trade.

The idea was that if you let the market do its job, it would make everyone rich, but that’s not what happens, because the theories are wrong. It made a few people enormously rich as the incomes for just about everyone in developed countries have plummeted or stagnated. Every rich country, without exception, became rich through a mixture of protectionism and government involvement in the economy — including the US.

The problem for “centrist” political parties as well as “technocrats” in charge of economies is that while the economics and theories have failed, they are still trying to implement them, after a global financial crisis that proved them wrong.

The GOPs ideas on tax reform, climate change, repealing the Affordable Care Act, and deregulating banks (again) are going to backfire. They are going to make things worse, not better. The one exception might be Trump’s effort to spend $1-trillion on infrastructure.

Are these policies going to hurt people, whether they mean to or not? Yes. Their ideology tells them that this is the way things have to be.

What about the people being hurt? Reach out to them and tell them you will help, because you are not alone, and they are not alone.

The current-day GOP is now on the far right of the political spectrum, especially on economic issues. In the last 50 years, the political spectrum has shifted so far to the right that many democrats and even people considered “left” are actually centre -right. “Centre-left” ideas — like single payer medicare, proposed under Truman — are considered radical and unworkable.

Moreover, it is assumed that anything done by government rather than the private sector will cost money instead of making it, and be more efficient rather than less. This is wrong: there are plenty of things government can do perfectly well (including innovation and job creation, including private sector jobs) in ways the private sector can’t, and while taxes may be higher, it actually makes everyone richer. It’s not a choice between communism and libertarianism: it’s a mixed economy.

Why does it matter that these ideas are dying, already dead, and wrong?

It matters because the GOP policies are likely to take all the problems that currently exist in the U.S., And make them worse: inequality, poverty, joblessness, lack of health care, debt.

And doing something different means we can make them better — but it will take political action to do so.

It matters because many of the ideas that smart, mainstream liberals may take for granted just don’t work anymore. In 2008, the market failed, and was bailed out by the people.

There is a place for the market but there are things the market cannot do that only the government can.

Policies that create jobs for the jobless and lift incomes will strengthen, not weaken the economy. People with jobs and money buy things and pay taxes.

This is not about “big government,” because too often when politicians say they want ‘smaller government” they mean “smaller democracy”.

It is your job to usher in a new era for democracy in the United States, and hopefully around the world.

This is not just about rights. It is not just about the climate. This is about the fact that democracy itself is under threat, because for decades, governments have been giving up sovereignty. The right of people to have some say and some control over their lives.

While the market has a role, it is not the solution to everything, and this is about reforming the government to make it work for the people.

It is about citizens being empowered by government and the democratic process, and running a government by the people and for the people: a government that acts in the interests of the majority, not just a few.

It is about empowering and uplifting every human being.

It was self-evident to the American founding fathers that all men were “created equal” — they listed equality first, even before “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

It’s also about understanding freedom, independence and control.

You need to understand why people reject the government — and it can be for good reason. Sometimes — especially for people living in rural areas — government’s not there much, or enough, in their lives anyway.

Being financially independent and having control over your own affairs matters to everyone. You don’t want to be reliant or dependent on someone else. And having your own money to make your own choices matters in that. Being able to work and make a decent living matters.

That’s why people are angry. Government doesn’t have to provide everyone with jobs, but governments can certainly have policies that can help the private sector create them, directly and indirectly. For a long time, they haven’t.

That’s why work matters, even though some people may shrug and say it’s all of our jobs will be taken by robots, or that as long as we can import cheap goods, it doesn’t matter if your job goes overseas.

If people have jobs and they’re spending money, that’s what drives the economy. This is not about new costs for business: it’s about creating opportunities.

Does the gap between the rich and the poor matter? Hell yes. But people care less about inequality, and more about fairness. We’re all good at some things at bad at others.

People accept that individuals have different abilities, talents, and that some people will be richer than others: they want that, because they want people to get what they deserve.

But they don’t like unfairness. They want people to pay their fair share in taxes, and in wages.

So what you need to do is create a movement that is committed to creating good jobs. Putting people to work. Because there is work that needs to be done, and there are people to do it.

There are all sorts of policies and ways to do this. But the only way you will ever get this done is if you can get enough people elected to make it happen.

Part of the question is how you bring people on board.

So how to do this? Let’s talk about tactics. Because one of the reasons people hate politics and hate politicians is that it so nasty.

1. Don’t fight fire with fire.

Who fights fire with fire? You fight fire with water. Stop being a warrior. It isn’t about your ego or “showing the other side who’s boss”. It is about persuading people to join your cause. You’ll be more effective if you’re not a bastard.

2. Be constructive, not destructive.

Have creative ideas and a plan for making people’s lives better.

Protect your people and defend them against attacks, and say you’ll stay away from the personal.

Don’t dump on people who may disagree with you: “Owning” “destroying” or dressing someone down may give you short term satisfaction but you may make an enemy for life. There’s going to be another election.

3. Don’t attack followers: split followers away from their leader

If you want to beat someone, you don’t do it by attacking their followers. That makes them dig their heels in and feel justified in hating you, because you attacked them.

The most effective attacks on a politician is something that the politician’s own supporters know is true and that they don’t like about them. It is not about what you don’t like about your opponent: it’s about what your politician’s own supporters might not like about them.

4. Make people feel good about changing their mind.

You can’t convince someone to change their mind by telling them they were wrong, stupid, or making them angry, humiliated or embarrassed.

Tell them “you were right all along: it’s your leader, or your leadership, or your party that has changed.”

5. You’re not going to convince everyone

But there is no harm in having someone see you as a human being.

6. Go out and meet people who aren’t like you to show them you are not a monster

They may return the favour

7. Fight the politics of division with the politics of unity: seek allies

Here’s a shocker: people don’t like conflict. That’s why they don’t like politics.

There are a jaded core who like the conflict, but the average voter does not like the screaming, the insults, the disgusting stuff on TV they can’t bring up in front of their kids.

This is why, even in today’s horrible (online) environment, you can be positive and thoughtful and it will go a long way and stand out — see: Bernie Sanders.

The other is that politics, especially market-driven politics and “wedge issues” are designed to separate people: look for what you have in common with someone and build on that, instead of right away seeing what’s different.

8. The politics of disgust make people more conservative, even liberals.

There is an incredible Ted Talk about the politics of disgust. Disgust is the easiest emotion to invoke, but it also dangerous. It is a major motivator for a lot of voters who may be disgusted by corruption, sex acts, and so on.

9. Look for and appeal to the best in people.

Argue and convince people based on their views, not your own. Use their own values to make your argument. Explain how you think your idea fits in to their value system — family, faith, children.

You engage with people, sign them up to your cause, and get them to participate or vote when you need them to. Get their names, e-mails, phone numbers and addresses.

There are other people who are MUCH BETTER at this than me. But check out Axioms for Organizers. http://www.fredrosssr.com/axiomsfororganizers/

A couple of tough ones.

10. If you are a liberal who says you are “fiscally conservative but socially liberal,” you may want to rethink that.

This reality is this means “I don’t care about poor people,” probably because you don’t know any. You probably know gay people, and you probably know women who want the choice to have an abortion. But the reality of being “fiscally conservative” ignores the fact that if you actually want to do something about poverty or health care or jobs, the market won’t do it on its own. That’s one of the reasons government exists.

“If you’re socially progressive,” you should care about economic issues. They are social issues.

11. Racism is real. Sexism is real. Other kinds of hate and discrimination are real. But we could get rid of all of them tomorrow and there would still be poverty and misery, because the 0.1% Would still own 40% of everything, and most people would still own nothing. The economic and political system system needs changing.

Talking about and labelling things as “privilege” is an explanation, but it is not a solution.

It may not easy to get someone a job or health care, but that is something that insurance, money, and government can do. It is not easy to legislate a change in people’s hearts and minds. That is something you have to do yourself.

It is easier to get someone health care or a job than it is to try to change their mind on prejudices. Fix what you can fix first.

Why this matters: we should not just focus on obvious differences with race and gender (though we do and it has real effects): poverty is the greatest censor and there are too many people who are out of sight or invisible.

But while categories are an aspect of identity they can also dehumanizing: remember that everyone is a flawed human being, an individual and more than any label they embrace or that we put on them.

When someone says “you don’t understand how I feel” that is true, and fine. It doesn’t have to be about empathy: you don’t have to know how someone feels to have compassion for your fellow human beings.

But it is easy, cheap, and destructive to dismiss people. Doing the right thing is always harder.

11. Go knock doors

Go door to door and meet people. One of the worst aspects of the campaign has been media treating human beings who support another candidate as if they are residents in a human zoo, or an anthropological project. Twitter and everything else means people are summed up by a sound bite.

Tell their stories, and ask if there is anything you can do to help.

Get out to rural areas and talk to the people who live there about their lives and what they would like to do to see change.

Talk to small business people because you want them to have customers with money.

12. Get out. Get organized. You can win this thing.

You can win this thing. You can reinvigorate democracy with a mass movement and the time to do it is now. It is two years until midterms. It is 1460 days until the next presidential election. You can make a lot of phone calls, knock on a lot of doors, and meet a lot of people in that time.

The fear and anger and anxiety you feel is energy you should and can use for good.

This is the thing we have to understand about the last 40 years. Too much of the growth has gone to the 1%. But that means they are way outnumbered.

You can win. All their money doesn’t matter. If Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders showed anything, it is that you don’t need to spend money to win.

The sheer genius of democracy is that everyone gets a vote, but people need something to vote for, and we need to build up the bonds of trust to make it happen.

The divisions in the U.S. don’t have to stay that way, and they only benefit a few: the majority of Americans have been getting shafted.

What’s most important is that these solutions are not new, and it is profoundly American: it has all been done before. The current situation is not just an accident, it is the way specific taxes and policies have created markets that benefit the few instead of the many.

It is possible for Anti-trust to break up monopolies so there is more competition and more jobs. Central banks could return to support full employment. Taxes have been collected to pay for the military, social services, and to pay down debt.

One of the major premises of the free market is that business is supposed to be aligned with the interests of the community where they reside. There are plenty of U.S. corporations that haven’t been living up to this: they should be paying their taxes and hiring in their communities.

There are other things, too — getting money back from tax havens or an amendment to make voting a constitutional right.

The other thing is to consider working expanding the labour movement into areas where it is needed where it hasn’t been before. White-collar workers, like the banking industry, silicon valley. Reach out to all those part-timers and precarious workers and get them organized.

None of this is easy, and in the past it was often extremely difficult. But it is an essential part of democracy. When it comes to huge tasks, it is like eating an elephant:

But the hard-won gains of the 20th century in rights, democracy and prosperity were often accompanied by violence. But the U.S. is still a democracy. but they also delivered greater prosperity. In the end, it wasn’t bad for business, because businesses had customers with money in their pockets, instead of maxed out credit cards.

The idea that everything is inevitable — we’ll all be replaced by robots, that change or progress is impossible — is wrong. The election of Donald Trump and Brexit suggest this is a revolutionary moment: this means more possibilities, not fewer.