I admit I did not march anywhere yesterday. By and large I've never been a marcher. It's not the way I do political activism. But I am incredibly grateful to those who did.
Yesterday marches in hundreds of cities by millions of women and men made it clear that Trump will not get it all his own way.
His press secretary can shout at the media and say his inauguration was the best attended ever, and we'll know it's not true. He can abuse common sense, the facts, and real people because he's the president. But in the first days of his time in office the brazen lies have been exposed. And that matters.
It matters because if he'll lie about the small stuff, like how many came to hear a speech, then he won't be trusted on the big stuff.
It matters because those who know he's lying will realise they're not alone.
It matters because once you've stood shoulder-to-shoulder with someone you didn't know in a crowd and realised you share an infinity with them, even if you don't know their name, then you're no longer a crowd: you're a movement.
And movement is what is needed. A movement that says the big stuff matters.
Big stuff like women's rights. In fact all the right's that we as humans need to have respected. Gender rights. LGBT rights. The right not to be discriminated against for our race, disabilities and faith.
Our right to speak. And to be heard.
Our right to stand equal, but not just where we are, but with all those wherever they are.
Our right to protect, including the generations to come.
And our rights at work, at school, as children, in old age.
Our right to a home, an education, to work, to health care, to a social safety net and to a pension.
And so much more.
This is not the little stuff. It's what makes life possible. It's what really matters.
Which is why we accept obligations.
Some are legal. To abide by the law. To pay our taxes. Not to violate the statutory rights of others.
Others are voluntary: to love one another as ourselves.
These too make life possible.
Which is why we can't lie.
Lying destroys trust. But without trust there is nothing.
And that's the lesson that has to be delivered to Trump.
Don't lie.
And we know you do.
So we don't trust you.
We can't trust you.
Because you don't tell us the truth.
And nor does the system you support.
And that's fatal. Because to make life work we have no choice but trust.
Sure, we've all learned that we can be hurt by trust. We all have our reservations. We all know that's wise on occasion.
But we have to trust enough.
Enough to consent to be governed.
Enough to act together in common interest.
Enough to ensure that we do what is right.
Enough to trust that we can act together to hold liars to account.
Enough to build a future.
And Trump can't do that.
Because Trump lies.
And millions of people said that yesterday. I am grateful to them.
Now I hope that this common ground can become the basis for new action.
Action that takes Occupy forward.
On realistic ground.
On common ground.
In trust.
In trust in the world we know we share.
Which is the truth most of us appreciate and which binds us against those who who would deny it.
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How CAN we trust a man, and the administration he leads, when, within 24 hours of becoming President, the following occurs?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/2017/live-updates/politics/live-coverage-of-trumps-inauguration/lgbt-rights-page-disappears-from-white-house-web-site/?utm_term=.1b9a42e6e840
The same was done with articles on climate change and global warming.
Quite simply, the Trump White House has shown itself already to be an Orwellian “Ministry of Truth” in the making.
Agreed Andrew
Once quoted to me. ‘You can sometimes trust a thief but you can’t ever trust a liar.’ Makes complete sense as a thief can be tempted to steal but a liar doesnt know what truth is.
From a pathalogical point of view, I’d suggest that both Johnson & Trump share a common view – that “reality” is whatever they happen to say at any given moment. For them, it is irrelevant if this reality is a proveable lie – it is how their reality/lie is perceived by the audience they are speaking to that matters (and for the most part this audience is not us). Johnson & Trump are both entertainers – in the case of Johnson this “ability” was developed in Eton as a fat child bullied by others. In the case of Trump – it is difficult to know where he got the ability – but it probably stems from a feeling of inadequacy & the need to compensate.
I feel sorry for those who believe in Trump.
All they have done is vote in a more extreme version of the forces that hobbled Obama in both Houses of the American Government.
The only change is that this lot are the ones that even their fellow Republicans felt were too extreme!!!!
That folks is where they – and ultimately we – are. As I have said before – all we can hope is that Trump lasts for one term.
Mind you I hoped the same for Bush Jnr – and then 9/11 happened which gave him s new lease of life and may have saved his presidency.
I wonder what the Americans will cook up this time? A war with Iran? China? Germany?
I am afraid that I expect something to be manufactured – chaos and war are highly profitable phenomenon.
My thoughts are guided by the Gore Vidal’s book ‘Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace’. I wonder what he would have made of Trump – his appraisal would have been withering in the way that only Vidal could be.
And in a loud echo of Blair’s fawning behaviour to Bush (and look where that ‘special relationship’ got us), May is off to kiss Trump’s arse, and all dressed up as putting us first in line for a trade deal. For god’s sake wake up, May. If you were 30 years younger the only thing this man would want to offer you is a grope.
When my wife showed me an extract from Trump’s speech before the CIA memorial wall I was convinced it was a parody; no not Alec Baldwin?, he’s a very good mimic and has the look and cadence of Donald absolutely right. So clever to use North Korea and their boasted exaggeration of attendance at rallies as a theme for a sketch. It took some convincing that it was actually Trump.
Over breakfast I asked my son (12 year old) what the would have said in front of the memorial wall to the CIA dead. “I would have thanked the CIA for their great service and sacrifice and asked them to remember and honour their dead.”
The only time I have been anywhere near as apprehensive about a new president was when Regan got elected; but Trump is far worse.
There are echos of Trumps rhetoric in May’s use of language so I worry about the transatlantic influence.
To follow PSR’s theme nothing like a good war to get the public behind you. I remember how unpopular Thatcher was before the Falklands. And given the reported c 40 B$ Chaney’s Halliburton made from the Iraq war a book could be open: North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela – how about an African adventure – somewhere with vast mineral wealth like the DRC?
I’m looking forward to the mid-terms in November 2018. I would be ironic if both houses went Democrat.
But highly unlikely, given the effectiveness of Republican gerrymandering (despite allegedly winning popular approval in the 2014 mid-yerms, the Republicans actually polled fewer votes than the Democrats- shades of Trump v Clinton), allied yo their frighteningly effective voter suppression campaigns and legislation. (See http://www.salon.com/2016/10/18/its-the-republicans-who-rig-elections-donald-the-gop-history-of-voter-suppression-goes-way-back/)
I see you are very big on rights Mr Murphy.
Do you grant the right of the people who voted for Mr Trump to be governed by the President they elected?
Do you grant Mr Trump the right to be judged on his role as President on his actions while in office?
If you do may I suggest you get down off what appears to be a soapbox mounted on a very high horse.
He lost the popular vote
From then on all of your claims look hollow
The US election is not decided on the popular vote. If you do not know that why are you commenting on things?
Both sides went into the election knowing this. Are you complaining that with only 62% of the votes in California that Clinton got 100% of the electoral college votes of California ? Of course not. It doesn’t suit your agenda. did you complain when the Tories got 1,000,000 more votes in 2010 with no majority than Labour did in 2005 with a majority. No of course not. It did not suit your agenda.
The fact is that if the rules has been different in the U.S. then the election would have been fought with different tactics. No one knows what the result would have been.
You are clearly an enemy of democracy when the vote does not go your way.
You should learn to lose with grace. No one likes a poor loser.
I am well aware of the way the College system works
I am also well aware that a populist claim – that Trump was chosen by the people – was made and that was wrong. He wasn’t. The chose Clinton. The College chose Trump
Now with the greatest of respect, stop being a pedant
Surely Brexit was in part all about the lack of trust- deeply ironic that the Leave side lied and the Remain side exaggerated so once again truth is lost. This government lies all the time. We are giving social care an additional £900million – (over 2 years) – no mention of how many billions have already been cut already- Ok it can be argued its not quite a lie- but it gives a false impression – and that is a lie. no one can trust anything that any politician says anymore the spin has got completely out of control.
I suspect Donny’s going to find life under the lens of the world rather different from life under the lens of 20 or so Yes Men execs from Trump Corps, and that the scale of his narcissism will make his unsuitability for the task of POTUS under such a glare of publicity all too apparent. A somewhat delicious irony for a man for whom fame, notoriety and celebrity mean everything, though one resulting with Pence in post as a possible best result taken against a tweet meltdown demanding access to the codes.
One of my American friends posted this on his Facebook site, from Robert Reich
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1445206565491935&id=142474049098533
I’m with you for much of this Richard as far as the answers are concerned, but I’ve got a couple of points.
Firstly all of this sits a little uneasily with your dismissal of many of the new members of Corbyn’s Labour party as just ‘clicktivists’ (which you did on commenting on some of the recent by-election results).
Also, although I’m hoping you had the environment and sustainable communities in mind, I’m very wary of an idea of a ‘right to protect’ – which is just the kind of ‘right’ that was employed by the sainted Obama and his then Secretary of State to reduce Libya to a failed state – and would almost certainly have been used to finish the job in Syria had Trump not beaten the appallingly hawkish Clinton.
Until Trump inflicts just a fraction of the misery on the world as they’ve done (a list of crimes too long to include here) I’m going to reserve judgement.
That’s not to say that I don’t think he will, but I think a little perspective is in order on what’s changed so far and just how little the ‘un-marched’ Obama really achieved.
I thought the right to protect related to the environment
And I do remain worried about clicktivism – although the weekend turnouts were amazing
This one for excision..
https://order-order.com/2017/01/23/government-trident-spin-misfire/