Last night’s Montana special election marked the Phase II of the American democracy movement in the Trump Era. Why? Because results of this special election indicate how well the Democrats are able to make the real change in the deep red states, and how much impact they are able to deliver.
Although there is a positive shift from 20 points to 6 points led by the Republicans in the Montana race, we must also keep in mind that despite all the destructions and outlandish backslashes Trump people have brought, there are still more than 50% of the voters who are supporting him. We would think this number should drop to 1% at most! But it appears that no matter how ridiculous he is getting, his supporters are still cheering for him. They are not here to change their opinion by whatever damages he is bringing to them. They are not “fact seekers” but “DJT believers”.
We are now shifting into a new phase of time that we must think, reflect, and act accordingly. Why? These past six months have proven to be a real marathon test for many progressives. How many petitions have we signed? How many rallies have we attended? How many phone calls have we made to the legislators? How many times have we donated to different campaigns and organizations? How much news can we keep up with from the daily drama center of DJT? And how much can we go further for another 3.5 years hopefully not any longer?
The question we are facing now is, how can we make real progress, become more organized, and sustain ourselves in the long haul?
Let’s face the reality. The hard-core DJT believers would rather die than change their own mind, because it is their ideology that they are holding on. It is not about DJT, it is about their own identity they are defending. Over the last six months, they are becoming even more defensive and protective, because this is the natural consequences of what happens upon facing a threat. The Republicans are living in a more intensified fear of being taken away by the liberal left-winged atheists who are here to support the muslins and the “lost souls” who are against conservative Christian values. The left-winged, interestingly, are feeling the exact same. They see their right is being taken away and they are being raped by the rich and the superpower behind DJT. Both sides become more united and clustered within themselves while the distance between the two sides is becoming even more – a greater polarization effect.
It is one of the most significant historical moment that we are living in: the rift of the nation, the “continental divide” between the left and right. How is the nation going to function under such a division? And worse, even if the Democrats can regain the control in 2018 or 2020, are the Republicans going to fight back with more vicious attacks? Here is the long-term picture we have to think about. Where is this country heading to in 5 years, in 10 years, and in 50 years?
Let’s think progressively!
But what is progress overall? Is attacking each other and escalating the conflicts and violence a progress? Is winning the election and the White House a real progress and an ultimate goal? If that’s the case, then we can invent all kinds of gimmicks to bring down our “enemies”. We can try to push for campaign and donations as aggressively as salesmen, without giving consideration to ethical standards and how our opponents may feel. This is where the politics can get real nasty and ugly. And this is one of the reasons why many Americans have been turned off by politics. They are disinterested and disengaged because in politics nobody comes out clean.
To me, progress means to make the whole society move forward and to help everyone grow in the society. It is not about “I live, you die”. It is not about “I am right, you are wrong”. It is not about “I am better, you are worse”. It is more about perhaps, “How can we make the society move out of this chaos, mutual destruction and hatred toward each other”. This concept may sound to be too naïve and unrealistic. However, it is something we must strive to achieve if we call ourselves truly progressives. When we look back on history, this is where the real progress has been made in the past during the violent time and how the society has truly moved forward – transcending conflicts and war, reaching progress and peace. To put into a simple way, by brutally attacking one other, we cannot make the opponents feel they shall give up, but rather make them become more defensive and hold on their ideology stronger. Overall, this civil war is a clash of ideology and identity. Take a look at the conflicts between the radical Muslins and extreme Christians, take a look at the wars in middle east and terrorist attacks in Europe. Everywhere you look, you will see that violence only escalates violence, and the vicious cycles go on and on.
So how can we make our opponents grow out of themselves and expand their mind? And how can we bring the country back together to move towards progress? Some will say it is impossible to change someone’s mind. But the truth is every life form adapts and everything changes. To help propel the change, we must “be the change we want to see!” So let’s learn from what has happened in the last six months, what works and what didn’t, and come up with a new Action Plan - Phase II in the Trump era. Here are some tips for your considerations.
1.Organize, organize, organize: simply react angrily and hectically to the daily news of DJT did not really help. If we want to make long-term progress, we have to learn to focus our energy and avoid being reactive, which can be a waste of energy and only gets ourselves overwhelmed. Rather, get organized, come up with plans, become efficient and deliver the intended impact. Look at DJT as a child throwing tantrums here and there. His interest is to get your attention and becomes the center of attraction. Don’t let him. Rather, focus on making progress. In your daily work, put making progress as your top priority, no matter what you do and what jobs you have. Define your own progress and stick to it.
2.Make it sustainable: any societal movement takes times with a lot of patience and courage. It is not a one-time deal or as simple as clicking buttons on the phone. It is not easy to move a mountain, let alone changing people’s strong mind. So pace yourself and aim with a long-term perspective. Make sure your energy is sustained, recharged, and renewable (yes, renewable energy). We are all here in the game for the long haul. Take a break once a while, make yourself anchored and centered. Make yourself move forward steadfastly, being grounded, and in a calm way.
3. Make an effort to see the opponents’ views and needs: there are fundamental human needs such as security, safety, being loved and supported that we all share in common. No matter if you label yourself liberals or conservatives, everyone has a left side and right side. We are all mixed with different colors of hues. Here is your opportunity to practice acceptance and empathy towards people who are different from you. Look deep and talk to people about their views and needs. You will soon find out people share more in common than differences. Our mental division of left and right, progressive and conservatives are just as vague and shifting as the gaps of the clouds in the sky. We breathe the same air and eat the same food. Being considerate and respectful of each other’s needs is the first step towards progress.
4. Help more people become activated and engaged: many Americans prefer to be “apolitical” and deliberately stay away from politics. They either resent politics or are fearful of speaking out. However, ignorance and silence are the worst enemies of democracy. Non-informed and non-engaged citizens are the ones who need to come out of their shelter and become activated in the political process. They are the ones who have helped to shift the red state towards the blue like in Montana. We can make an effort to knock on doors and have conversations with these people. Getting to know your neighbors and talking to co-workers can be great ways to help them remove their fears or oblivion to vote. The more people participate in civic duties, the more they will be informed, and the more likely they will contribute to the progress.
5. Accept and help them grow: in case your friends and parents do have a completely different set of views and beliefs, please understand that everyone’s view also changes over time. Once upon a time, you were perhaps just one of them. What has helped yourself to change? It is the acceptance, perhaps by your patient teachers or people who did not agree with you. Ironically, once you acknowledge your opponents, and they have just as a valid view as yourself, it will help them soften their boundaries and expedite their growth. Rather than attacking and accusing them of being wrong and inferior, which will make them become even more defensive and hardened in their views, you can help them grow and expand. When you help others grow, you grow as well.
6. Let’s progress together: overall, the society needs to move on as a whole. Polarization as a result of mutual attacks and destruction only push people apart, makes everyone stuck and suffer. It really sucks! We are not about proving who are righter and who are more superior. It is about helping everyone in the society to grow and make a progress together. Gratefulness can be a tremendous gift in this case. When you see it is your “enemy” that can truly expand you and break away the barriers of who you believe you are, you will start to sense the meaning why Jesus has said, “Love Your Enemy”. Whoever can “love your enemy” most will grow and expand most. Let’s make progress towards peace and understanding.