Should We Resist Trump?

[abaris]

Ireland is western europe. Far more western than the Mitteleuropa of Austria anyways.

If this is a geographical issue I concede.

[Rhondazvous]

With all due respect, and if you are willing to accept an outside perspective - you should focus on getting shot of that two party system of yours. I know that's taking a lot of work, effort and banging your heads against walls. But it's abundandtly clear that these parties aren't willing to move.

That's not going to happen. It's a non-starter. 

Getting rid of Trump and his ilk will have to happen within our two party system. It's also worth noting that if Greens would have all cast their votes for Hillary, and half of Gary Johnson's voters would have done the same, we wouldn't be looking at President Trump right now. If anything, at least for the next decade, third parties need to be completely eschewed. 

If Hillary would have won, and if the Senate would have flipped Democratic (and we easily had the numbers for it), the Republican party may have very well disintegrated from such a blow. But as it stands, they've been re-solidified because Democrats didn't show up and vote. Third party voters only exacerbated the situation.

When you think about the reality, the DNC is the only party hurt by third parties. I doubt if any republicans decided to vote Green or Independent.

[Chad32]

What we should focus on is the DNC.

With all due respect, and if you are willing to accept an outside perspective - you should focus on getting shot of that two party system of yours. I know that's taking a lot of work, effort and banging your heads against walls. But it's abundandtly clear that these parties aren't willing to move.

This is very true. Made all the more clear by Bernie not even really being a democrat in the first place. He was third party running for democrat. Hell, trump wasn't an establishment republican either, though not for lack of trying. It would be great if we could build up a third party, even though both major parties would fight it tooth and nail.

I really don't like this circular logic of "I don't vote third party because they can't win, and they can't win because nobody votes for them". If the dems don't give us a candidate that true progressives want, then why should they be surprised when people don't show up to vote.

I watched a video about someone in the media complaining that Hillary lost because too many people voted third party. Ignoring the fact that apparently 9% of voting democrats went to Trump. You really shouldn't complain about people not voting for your candidate, when she can't motivate the voters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXnK29AKS7k

[ScienceAf]

There are a lot of groups out there gearing up to resist Trumps policies that they're sure he will try to enact as president.  But I wonder if this is the right strategy.  People mostly fear he will curtail abortion and gay rights. Remember gay marriage was first legalized Hawaii under Bush's administration. And as for abortion, the man doesn't know whether he's coming or going. He went from being pro-choice to being pro-ofe in a matter of day because he believed that's where the votes would come from.   Instead of fighting the man, I think we'd do well to establish ourselves as a blocking block that he can ignore only at his peril.

Things Trump can do to those who resist him.
1. Use eminent domain to take all their property and give it to the big industries that support him.
2. Dry up their money in court fighting bogus criminal charges just like they did the Black Panther Party
3. Use the press to  discredit them in the eyes of their supporters
4. Eliminate funding of scientific projects

Think strategically. Resistance is a defensive strategy and no war is ever won defensively. They can hold to what they stand for and keep their missions in mind, yet set themselves up as a formidable voting block and see how fast he'll climb Mount Improbable.

Well he's our president and we gotta stick with him, checks and balances should keep him ,well, incheck and yeah.
So lets tell him what we want and how he should do it.

[Rhondazvous]

Please forgive my ill-manners. Welcome new member Opoponax!

[abaris]

I watched a video about someone in the media complaining that Hillary lost because too many people voted third party. Ignoring the fact that apparently 9% of voting democrats went to Trump. You really shouldn't complain about people not voting for your candidate, when she can't motivate the voters.

I watched that on Secular talk also.

[abaris]

On a more humoroues side note, I'm a big fan of the German "Heute show". A format similar to the british "Mock the week".

What finally made me laugh again after the disaster was this part. Presenting a mock Playmobile spot, called Trumpforce 1. The slogan was: For pathetic assholes with grand plans.

[Arkilogue]

Trump is obliviously influence-able, Look at how Hillary triggered him into defense. So trigger him in a good direction. If you obstruct him just because you don't like him, your just f#cking up the country by proxy.

Trump is much more likely to listen and change than Hillary ever would be.

[Opoponax]

With all due respect, and if you are willing to accept an outside perspective - you should focus on getting shot of that two party system of yours. I know that's taking a lot of work, effort and banging your heads against walls. But it's abundandtly clear that these parties aren't willing to move.

This is very true. Made all the more clear by Bernie not even really being a democrat in the first place. He was third party running for democrat. Hell, trump wasn't an establishment republican either, though not for lack of trying. It would be great if we could build up a third party, even though both major parties would fight it tooth and nail.

I really don't like this circular logic of "I don't vote third party because they can't win, and they can't win because nobody votes for them". If the dems don't give us a candidate that true progressives want, then why should they be surprised when people don't show up to vote.

I watched a video about someone in the media complaining that Hillary lost because too many people voted third party. Ignoring the fact that apparently 9% of voting democrats went to Trump. You really shouldn't complain about people not voting for your candidate, when she can't motivate the voters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXnK29AKS7k

This was not the time to go purist. No candidate is going to be perfect--it's never happened. No third party hack was going to win this thing--not a hope in hell. You don't go to the track and bet on the three-legged horse in a three horse race because you happen to like the jockey riding it. You know it's a waste of money. 

The choice in this election was not-Trump. It was either that or predictability, stability, and a Supreme Court that would guarantee everyone's equal, fundamental rights. We have none of that now. 

But hey, I'm not going to be hurt by Trump. I'm a white, hetero, middle-aged male with three white kids, none of whom are or will be in the military. And if things work out the way I hope, his tax cuts are really going to put some significant money in my bank account. I'm not going to lose my health insurance and no one in my family is going to get deported. 

And maybe that's the way I should vote from now on. If people who stand to get hurt by Trump the most can't be bothered to make what should be a thunderously commonsense decision, then why the hell should I care what happens to them?

[Chad32]

This is very true. Made all the more clear by Bernie not even really being a democrat in the first place. He was third party running for democrat. Hell, trump wasn't an establishment republican either, though not for lack of trying. It would be great if we could build up a third party, even though both major parties would fight it tooth and nail.

I really don't like this circular logic of "I don't vote third party because they can't win, and they can't win because nobody votes for them". If the dems don't give us a candidate that true progressives want, then why should they be surprised when people don't show up to vote.

I watched a video about someone in the media complaining that Hillary lost because too many people voted third party. Ignoring the fact that apparently 9% of voting democrats went to Trump. You really shouldn't complain about people not voting for your candidate, when she can't motivate the voters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXnK29AKS7k

This was not the time to go purist. No candidate is going to be perfect--it's never happened. No third party hack was going to win this thing--not a hope in hell. You don't go to the track and bet on the three-legged horse in a three horse race because you happen to like the jockey riding it. You know it's a waste of money. 

The choice in this election was not-Trump. It was either that or predictability, stability, and a Supreme Court that would guarantee everyone's equal, fundamental rights. We have none of that now. 

But hey, I'm not going to be hurt by Trump. I'm a white, hetero, middle-aged male with three white kids, none of whom are or will be in the military. And if things work out the way I hope, his tax cuts are really going to put some significant money in my bank account. I'm not going to lose my health insurance and no one in my family is going to get deported. 

And maybe that's the way I should vote from now on. If people who stand to get hurt by Trump the most can't be bothered to make what should be a thunderously commonsense decision, then why the hell should I care what happens to them?

Actually someone who wasn't really a democrat almost did win. If the DNC had done their job, he would have won, which is why I've suggested cleaning out the DNC. It's either that, or get a third party in. That's the only way we keep people like Trump from becoming president. Settling for the Hillary Clintons they push out doesn't work. If this election doesn't make thta point clear, I don't know what will.