This morning I woke up to a flurry of grief and panic on my newsfeed. The unlikely became likely and my prediction about the oligarchy sweeping their Queen of Wall Street Wars into power did not come to pass. Instead, a racist, misogynistic megalomaniac ascended the throne of the American Empire. When the mourning period is over perhaps the Liberal Class will take a good, hard look at the reasons for this without going to the all too easy standbys e.g. third party voters ruined it, or this is the fault of the radical left (of which I am a part) who criticized Clinton instead of supporting her, or some inane conspiracy theory regarding Russian interference.
The hard truth is that the Liberal Class sold out to corporatocracy and became fully invested in the neoliberal economic order, the last and most brutal form of capitalism, decades ago. In doing this they became drunk on their sanctimonious laurels while huge swaths of the nation languished, trade deals disenfranchised the working class and the social safety nets and public institutions were gutted. And yes, that all happened under Democratic leadership. They did not oppose the corruption within their own ranks and, as a result, became distrusted and reviled.
If the Liberal Class cannot see that “lesser evilism” is a failed tactic now, they never will. Hillary Clinton was one of the most detested candidates in Democratic National Convention history, but that did not stop DNC elites like Debbie Wasserman Schultz from propelling her into the spotlight through outright chicanery. To add insult to injury the DNC ridiculed, alienated and marginalized its base, including young voters and Bernie Sanders supporters. It is the Liberal elite who are to blame for this monumental loss. Only someone as reviled as Clinton could lose to a buffoon like Trump. Whether or not they will ever see this, however, is doubtful.
But we must move on from all of this, and quickly. The coming Trump Regime will probably increase misery for Muslims, Latinos and Black and Brown communities,as well as for the press and whistleblowers. They have all suffered greatly under corporate Democrats. President Obama’s deportation record, prosecution and persecution of whistleblowers, and drone bombing history are a testament to this. But Trump’s racist demagoguery has emboldened a whole host of latent frightening actors, from white nationalists to wannabe brown shirts, who now have a mandate to unleash an even more malicious culture of terror. We must stand in solidarity with people of color, immigrants and other minorities, and protect them wherever we see injustice. And we must also passionately defend independent journalism. Deregulation of industry is also certain since it is clear he has no regard for the natural environment or safety in the workplace. This is what makes environmental activism more vital than ever before.
Now comes the struggle to move beyond. We are facing the greatest challenges we have ever faced as a species. With increasing frequency, climate change, military aggression and biosphere collapse stand ever poised for utter calamity and sheer devastation. But the corporate controlled, war profiteering Democratic Party was unwilling to rise up to meet these monumental, existential crises with integrity and gusto. It sided with Wall Street and war profiteers. It has rightly been relegated to the dust bin of history. Let’s leave it there.
It is urgent that we build a new movement of real progressives, disillusioned liberals and leftist radicals like myself while there is still time left to do so. It is also time for Liberal Class elites to smack the smugness off their faces and build bridges of solidarity with Black Lives Matter and Standing Rock Sioux and Palestinian rights activists and Pipeline obstructionists and prison rights advocates and a whole host of radicals who have been working hard against the injustices of Empire. The establishment politicians and ruling duopoly failed them, we must not.
The day after the period of mourning is over I hope you will join me. There is much work to be done and the time is quickening.
Kenn Orphan 2016
Kenn Orphan 
I don’t believe that the Democrats will succumb to the imperative to question their own behavior, self-deluded narcissists rarely do, much less those in a gilded echo chamber. No, they will blame and ridicule and revile because they cannot learn. They dismissed critical thought in order to secure their power. So be it.
The critical organizing that must take place will need to be intersectional: addressing the needs of communities, of the climate, and of the individual. By empowering communities to help each other and themselves, we can do this. Urban agriculture, alternative or planned communities, as well as self-guided community education emphasizing the needs of those they serve and their relation to the big picture; these things can happen. They are happening as we speak. And the energy will only grow as a disillusioned progressive/liberal population will be woken from their stupor and face the reality of life under capitalism.
There is no need to play every part at once. We can focus on what our gifts are.
LikeLike
LikeLike
I sense a glimmer of hope in all of this, but you will not find it in mainstream corporate media. You will find some of it on the social networks online. DiCarpio’s National Geographic documentary, “Before the Flood.” shows how we have the technology to go beyond oil with at least a couple of positive examples. Bernie Sanders influence created a huge youth movement that’s still there and still dissatisfied. But in your very cleverly written article you give no real
suggestions about what to do next for positive change. Why is that?
LikeLike
Thanks for your comment, Don.
To answer your question, I am really not attempting to write a “cleverly written” essay, but would rather spur critical thought and discourse.
As I mentioned in the essay: “It is urgent that we build a new movement of real progressives, disillusioned liberals and leftist radicals like myself while there is still time left to do so. It is also time for Liberal Class elites to smack the smugness off their faces and build bridges of solidarity with Black Lives Matter and Standing Rock Sioux and Palestinian rights activists and Pipeline obstructionists and prison rights advocates and a whole host of radicals who have been working hard against the injustices of Empire.”
This is how I would proceed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
praying
LikeLike
I sense a glimmer of hope in all of this, but you will not find it in mainstream corporate media. You will find some of it on the social networks online. DiCarpio’s National Geographic documentary, “Before the Flood.” shows how we have the technology to go beyond oil with at least a couple of positive examples. Bernie Sanders influence created a huge youth movement that’s still there and still dissatisfied. But in your very cleverly written article you give no real suggestions about what to do next for positive change. Why is that?
LikeLike
Politics will not save us. We are on our way to regions more hellish than those we already inhabit. Our lack of the real Love that is so essential is reflected in every individual and institution of our doomed human culture. The change required of us is beyond our abilities to accomplish it. Hold fast to whatever Love you can muster, but this great ship of humankind is going down. This is in accordance with cosmic laws, which are just – but certain in their operation. And yet every moment of Love is precious and real. May we have many of them as this great and tragic drama of extinction runs it’s course….
LikeLiked by 1 person
We must not be short-sighted. There is energy for change, it must simply be directed. In fact, there is likely going to be more energy than there would have been under Clinton, with suburban and urban liberal whites lulled back into complacency. The Trump phenomenon is not necessarily representative of even those who voted for him, much less the 75% or so that didn’t.
LikeLike
Kenn,
I’ve commented now several times. No posting of my comments or listing or other ability to contribute. Why is this? You are doing good work that I’d like to support and contibute to.
Thanks, Mel Strawn
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hello Mel, I am not sure why that is happening. I can see your comments. I will have my editor look at this. It may be a problem with WordPress, but it was certainly not intentional. Thanks, Kenn.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ken –
First, thank you for hanging in and continuing beyond. As a fellow artist, I applaud your immediate turning to the reality-facing task that remains.
My previous comment, listed on your blog page, yields only a link-up to my web site? What happens to the text?
Best wishes – Me
LikeLiked by 2 people