TRUMP’S SECOND TERM COULD ESCALATE SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL’S FAR-RIGHT AGENDA WHILE CUTTING U.S. BACKING FOR UKRAINE, WITH UNCERTAIN OUTCOMES DRIVEN BY HIS PERSONAL AND POLITICAL GAIN ~ Blade Runner ~ The result of the U.S. elections might seem inevitable in hindsight, thanks to the ultra-centrist Democrats doing everything they can to hand the White House to the far-right Republicans. The outlook for domestic issues is grim indeed. What could be just as unpredictable and dire is U.S. foreign policy under a second Trump presidency, which could bring significant shifts to the proxy war zones of Palestine and Ukraine — most likely for the worse. While Trump’s “America First” rhetoric points toward isolationism, his actions reveal a more erratic, self-serving approach. He might make limited military moves or engage in strategic posturing, either escalating or de-escalating crises without committing to any long-term policy — with the focus shifting depending on Trump’s personal gain. His unpredictability leaves the door open for either short- or long-term escalations with China or Russia, depending on what best suits his domestic agenda. Trump is aligned with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and will likely escalate support for Israel’s far-right war machine. With bipartisan U.S. complicity, Israel’s genocidal violence in Gaza has already gone unchallenged. Trump’s first term saw the U.S. moving its embassy to Jerusalem, and a second term could offer further support for settlement expansion in the West Bank and northern Gaza, as well as ongoing military aggression in Lebanon, Syria and potentially Iran. Another possibility is complete U.S. disengagement from the issue. Trump’s “America First” stance could de-prioritise Palestine, leaving Israel to act with little international pressure. The U.S. would pull out of any peace negotiations, and Israeli policies could escalate unchecked. This could actually deepen the occupation and worsen the humanitarian crisis. Alternatively, Trump might use Palestine as a bargaining chip, seeking superficial concessions from Israel in exchange for diplomatic victories to boost his image. Trump could pressure Israel to end the war and make minor symbolic moves, such as avoiding resettlement of the northern part of the Gaza strip, in which Israel is now carrying out ethnic cleansing. He may even have his eyes on a bid to renew the normalisation process between Israel and Gulf states. This approach would be more about Trump’s personal brand than about pushing for any real resolution for Palestinians. Protest in New York City, 2 November. Photo: Pamela Drew, CC BY-NC 2.0 Trump’s open alignment with Israel’s far-right could, nevertheless, become a counterpoint for other NATO allies to differentiate themselves from the U.S., and possibly raise the prospect of a French or British arms embargo. On some level, that has been suspended while waiting for the U.S. election, but it may finally move forward. Almost anything would be preferable to normalising the current inhumanity. For Ukraine, Trump’s isolationist tendencies could lead to a major cut in U.S. military and financial aid. He could withdraw support under the guise of protecting U.S. taxpayers, leaving Ukraine vulnerable to the Russian offensive. The Biden administration yesterday decided to allow Ukraine to strike Russian targets with U.S. missiles. This move could be a final effort to solidify U.S. military support before Trump takes office. Nevertheless, his admiration for Putin and dislike of NATO make full disengagement a strong possibility, especially as U.S. public opinion grows weary of the war. Trump could also try to negotiate a peace deal that favours Russia, legitimising some or most of their territorial claims in exchange for geopolitical and economic deals with Putin’s regime. This would serve Trump’s desire for short-term victories and enhance his image as a dealmaker, but it would come at the expense of Ukraine’s sovereignty. He would likely prioritise personal and political gain over any lasting stability for Ukraine. Another option is for Trump to reduce U.S. support while still maintaining enough to keep NATO allies satisfied. This could involve pressuring European countries to ‘pay their fair share’ and take more responsibility for Ukraine’s defence. This approach would weaken Ukraine’s position but appeal to Trump’s base and avoid full disengagement. If U.S. support fades, Ukraine could turn to ‘grassroots’ resistance, relying on decentralised efforts and international solidarity. Anti-war groups around the world could feel encouraged to challenge state-controlled narratives and provide alternative support to the Ukrainian cause. While this would be challenging, it is  a plausible response to U.S. disengagement, depending on the strength of resistance movements and external support. For global grassroots movements, therefore, Trump’s second term could serve as a reviving spark. The rise of the far-right to the highest seat of global power certainly ought to act as a catalyst for revolt, as people awaken to the superpower shedding its democratic mask. As more nations face the escalating consequences of war and ecological collapse, and as existing power systems continue to crumble and restructure, the opportunity for the spread of regional revolts and rebellions may grow. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Image: dullhunk CC-BY-2.0 The post Trump’s world politics: Bad or worse for Palestine and Ukraine? appeared first on Freedom News.

WHAT A RESURGENT MAGA PRESIDENCY MEANS FOR POLICY AND RESISTANCE ~ Louis Further ~ It is a week since the elections, and our preliminary assessment of how and why Donald Trump – a twice impeached convicted felon, and an incompetent, largely economically ignorant white supremacist, misogynist and serial rapist – was legitimately elected to the US presidency. That such a thing could happen is still sinking in for many people. It will probably take until early next year for us to have the true measure of it all, after Trump is inaugurated and takes his place alongside recent history’s more violent, destructive, dictatorial, intolerant, and dangerous figures. While 19th century predecessors like Andrew Jackson, James Polk and Ulysses Grant also attracted opprobrium for being ‘Caesars’, this is essentially different. Globalisation, the benefits of a much richer and diverse society, and climate collapse, all make the stakes much higher. Obviously, it’s going to be a difficult two months, as we see developments towards Trump’s and the new MAGA-heavy Congress shape and announce their plans. Much will be rumour, some will be ‘announcements’ with largely provocative value. But a lot will be clear indications of the damage, death, and destruction about to be inflicted; and seemingly impossible to stop. Last time, apparently many potentially disastrous and illegal steps were quashed by Trump’s advisors, and by government agencies to the exercise of power and expertise of which the Supreme Court’s Chevron decision at the end of July put paid. As promised, those moderating forces are all gone. The guard rails are non-existent. The brakes are off. ALARM The transition process itself is already going against precedent: Trump has missed several deadlines and has so far refused to submit the ethics pledge which he is required to do by law before he can be sworn in. Many fear that there will be no (enforceable) sanctions for such actions, because he has managed to avoid all legal consequences for his crimes over the last four years. He has also pressured Congress to approve appointments during the months between election and inauguration. So far, Republicans have failed to push back. The news is currently dominated by announcements of who will take the senior positions in his administration. For instance, racist bigot Stephen Miller is to fill the post of deputy chief of staff for ‘policy’ from January. Just as disturbing, New York anti-environmentalist Republican congressman Lee Zeldin will head the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Zeldin consistently voted against such EPA initiatives as replacing lead service lines, funding for clean school buses, cleaning up toxic brownfields and Biden’s climate law in 2022. Tom Homan is a loud-mouthed vulgar racist, who Trump has appointed to oversee his threatened mass deportation of non-white people. One of its most probable outcomes is going to be the separation of children from the adults who care for them… something Homan revelled in during the last Trump administration, while the United Nations suggested that it amounted to torture. It will again. THE LAW Trump is still facing four major legal cases: falsification of business records in the furtherance of his bid for the presidency (New York); although he’s due to be sentenced on 26 November, he will most likely run the appeal process for two more months until he becomes president. Legal opinion argues that it could then be paused until 2028, assuming that he leaves office (which he has promised not to have to do – although that could be just provocation). Those pursuing the case against him for his illegal misappropriation of classified documents are almost certain to be sacked, and the case nullified. Even if it were now ever to go ahead, attempts to hold Trump accountable for inciting an insurrection on January 6, 2021 seem likely to fail. The same applies to all cases involving Trump with his MAGA cult. Attempts to pin down, say, the involvement of those in the 6 January attempt in overturning the 2020 elections with violence are likely to fail, because most defendants argue that they were merely doing as their leader exhorted. Trump, though, claims he couldn’t control them. It looks as if the legal establishment is already following a course which expert of fascism, Timothy Snyder calls ‘obeying in advance’. Most of those whose appointments have been announced so far voted to overturn the results of the 2020 elections anyway. SO WHERE DO WE STAND? Wisps of ‘resistance’ have begun. Some states have announced their plans to try and Trump-proof themselves. But no apologies are offered for again drawing attention to a set of speculative, but wholly possible, developments suggested by the Lincoln Project made up of ex-Republicans. Over time, Trump could push the United States into unrecognisably dire and dangerous places. It looks as though Trump has a tall pile of executive orders waiting for implementation in January. We should expect the enshrinement into law of white supremacist hatred – probably including the start of mass deportations of non-white guest workers; misogynistic regulation – perhaps a national abortion ban; suppression of any kind of dissent – including the press and media; and economic measures – which will benefit the rich and significantly harm the rest of the people in the United States. Trump is also in the process of preparing the first tranche of executive orders to hasten climate collapse. As 2024 shapes up to be the hottest year on record, he is expected to withdraw United States support for wider initiatives to curb emissions. Drilling for fossil fuels, as threatened, seems likely to be increased sooner rather than later. Trump is also feared to augment support for the Israeli genocide in Gaza and the West Bank, where an average of 67 children are being murdered each day by Israeli terrorists. Mike Huckabee, the new US ambassador to Israel, has said, “there’s really no such thing as a Palestinian” and been an ally of the settlers in Israel who are illegally annexing Palestinian land. This week the MAGA cult also introduced a bill which would allow Trump to close down non-profit organizations of which he disapproves. This is a little-discussed threat which, if passed into law, could have enormous implications for the country. WHY? Commentators of many stripes have understandably been falling over themselves to examine “why it happened”, and to advise on “what the Democrats need to do now”. Unsurprisingly, almost all published and broadcast opinions fail to recognise that the Democrat election campaigns of 2024 still supported the United States version of capitalist ‘liberal democracy’. Harris, Walz, and the congressional candidates never adopted an approach designed to defeat MAGA as a socio-historical phenomenon. After all, as members of the élite, they were partly responsible for enabling its creation and growth. Voters’ choices had many causes, not all of which are known. Ignorance certainly plays a huge part: many voters – perhaps a majority – have little or no idea of even the simplest historical context, let alone the tools to understand that their economic grievances will never be addressed by a move to the right. Similarly, they distrust the Washington ‘insider’ culture – but their vote does nothing to remedy this. To be sure, there is a sizeable slice of the electorate that fervently believes in the supremacy of white males and that the United States belongs to them against all-comers. They are arguably right in concluding that MAGA has granted them an unashamed, overt right to hate and bully. But black and Latinx demographics accounted for many decisive votes for Trump, as did those of the working class. For some, Trump was simply a better alternative to a black woman.   Empirically, the outcome of MAGA voting patterns does present a very gloomy assessment of the mess in which the United States now finds itself. Effectively, the country is in the process of ‘remaking’ itself. But even that is only half the story. Varieties of such outcomes are inevitable for societies like that of the United States. GRIEVANCES In other words, the question is not where ‘the Harris campaign’ went wrong, but why, where, and how the system under which the United States operates makes that irrelevant. Alarmingly, but hardly surprisingly, no observers from the kind of ‘news’ sources of which most people are likely to avail themselves have, do or will ever ask such a question. Ways out of this are depressingly hard to discern. The closest they come is when soft left commentators like CNN’s Michael Smerconish ask has Trump changed America or revealed ‘its’ true nature – as though one could generalise for the whole country. In truth, Trump has done both. Most alarmingly, he has made the hatred, intolerance, misogyny, supremacism, criminality, mendacity, reliance on oppressive fear, and generally offensive transgressiveness of the élite become the norm. It is more readily acceptable by more people for whom the ends of an aggressively white male pragmatically white and oppressive state have been the aim all along. Another highly pertinent question – especially given the many millions of people worldwide whose lives will now be negatively impacted, and in many cases ended – is what form response takes. Safety pins, marches, op-eds, placards, rallies, and ‘Resist’ badges won’t do it. Not that they ever would. Civil disobedience, non-compliance, and effective passive resistance may be appropriate. The post Notes from the US: Power unchecked appeared first on Freedom News.

ITEMS DISCUSSED IN THIS PROGRAM: VALENCIA ANGER AFTER FLOODING • FIRST CONTACT WITH OCALAN IN ALMOST 4 YEARS • TRUMP VICTORY AND THE ‘FAR RIGHT INTERNATIONAL’ • UK AT CLIMATE SUMMIT • AI JOB LOSSES The post Freedom News Review – November 12 appeared first on Freedom News.

A FASCIST IN THE WHITE HOUSE, AND THE ‘TRAFFIC LIGHTS’ GO OUT IN GERMANY ~ Jonathan Eibisch, Paradox-A ~ The promised turning point is clearly coming much louder than many would have expected. Why do anarchists care who is in government, one might ask. In fact, the ruling order remains the same precisely because of the replacement of its political decision-makers. One thing is clear: the neoliberal-technocratic model of government is being replaced by the protectionist-nationalist model in this phase. And ironically, both are still sides of the same coin. Democrats need not be surprised why fascists are taking over the bastions of political power one after the other: social security has been systematically dismantled since the turn of the millennium, public infrastructure has been left to rot, corrupt super-rich people have not been kept in check, and political rights have been restricted. It is correct to say that the protectionist-nationalist model of government is not fascist in itself. However, as a counter-revolutionary avant-garde, fascism plays the role of an integrating element in the reactionary and aggressive project of securing power. Meanwhile in the Federal Republic of Germany, since it was switched on, the ‘traffic lights government’ has been attacked by conservatives. What initially made some people want change increasingly seemed like an imposition for other parts of the population. Despite different population compositions and narratives, the core issues of the formation of camps in North America and Europe are the same: the lines of conflict run along economic models, the handling of migration and cultural issues. Even if state and federal politics are two different things, this applies to both levels. This is creating new constellations, while the camp of supporters of a socially equal, liberal democracy is becoming increasingly smaller and moving closer together. The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance would have liked to become a stepping stone for the future state government – but wanted to take on this role only on its own terms. As far as the federal government was concerned, the issue was ostensibly the insoluble controversy over economic policy, in which Christian Lindner stuck to the neoliberal dogma of not taking on any more national debt – as if the state were not sovereign over money itself. There were probably many other issues in the background. Above all, however, the FDP wanted to save its ass in order to distance itself from the red-green coalition before the regular election date next autumn. This strategy may also lead it to insignificance, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. A lot of it was used in the USA too: enormous sums of money, overreaching campaigners’ involvement, celebrity appearances and propaganda battles on social media – which experience shows are not unaffected by some foreign interests. None of this helped Kamala Harris. Although it seemed like a smart move to bring her into the field when Uncle Biden mentally abdicated, the Democratic Party failed to appeal to those large sections of the population that were now miles away from them: white men with a low level of education. Nevertheless, Trump was elected in a wide variety of countries, by a wide variety of groups. The reasons for this are complex, or at least multiple. But you can only understand Trump’s voters and his electoral success if you understand a collective rationality in voting decisions when they occur en masse. This consists in the fact that the fronts should be clarified, prosperity defended and things finally get back to “normal”. In all cases, a considerable number of citizens are clearly  demanding that politics be made again. They are looking for points of friction, want to identify the enemy, strive for power and ultimately question the system. Where there is sawing, there are chips. The political landscape continues to change rapidly – but what are the anarchists doing? First of all, they would do well not to allow themselves to be carried away by the political spectacle. It is precisely the superficiality of the bourgeois democrats that leads to their chronic misunderstanding of neo-fascism, as well as to the ignorance and suppression of social movements. But then it would be important to establish themselves as a conscious, active factor with a shared vision. Broken down, this means that you need a toolbox for flexible, low-hierarchy, autonomous and federated groups, a common value base and culture, and a shared set of basic theoretical assumptions. This does not mean forcing all anarchists into a unified organisation with a clear program and leadership structures. In my opinion, it means organising in the first place. Instead, in the broad left-wing scene you encounter an unconscious, comfortable bunch of scattered and insecure individuals who talk at the same time, do not think in the long term or in terms of goals that can be achieved. It is a pitiful game that I will address elsewhere. The political upheavals in particular should motivate reorganisation. Anyone who is still running around like a bunch of cackling chickens has not heard the shot. The post Politics at all levels, by all means appeared first on Freedom News.

ON THE DAY AFTER THE ELECTION HALF — BUT ONLY HALF — OF AMERICANS WOKE UP SOMBRE, STUNNED, SICKENED, AND RIGHTLY VERY SCARED ~ Louis Further ~ On Tuesday Rudy Giuliani, disgraced and debarred lawyer and felonious election denier, arrived to cast his vote in Florida in a car which he had been ordered by a court to surrender. This was part of the $148 million settlement for defaming two poll workers from Georgia after the 2020 election, in furtherance of the lie that the election was stolen. Also voting in Florida on Tuesday was convicted felon Donald Trump — despite the fact that over a million ‘regular’ voters are banned in that state because… they are felons. Those episodes epitomise the smug lawlessness of the elite which is gripping the United States. To list only the most egregious of his many crimes (for none of which is he now likely to be held accountable), Trump tried to overturn the last election with deadly violence; he boasts of his many sexual assaults and serial rapes; he is avowedly and proudly supremacist, racist and misogynist; he stashed classified national security documents in his bathroom on leaving office in 2021 and refused to give them back when ordered to do so; he called for the assassination of his (political) opponents and of members of the press; his staggering number of lies and unpredictability made his last administration chaotic as well as dangerous. A majority of voters willingly elected a fascist dictator. It was no ‘fluke’. Now, his lawlessness may give way to laws simply being changed to allow massive oppression of the populace and destruction of the Earth. Maybe MAGA should stand for Manipulable, Aggrieved, Gullible, Ahistorical. Grievances are real. An acquisitive, hierarchical, and coercive society like that of the capitalist United States ensures that large sections of the population (working people, non-whites, women and LGBTQ+ folks) are systematically oppressed. But even in those groups many nevertheless chose their own oppression and disease anyway (junk science merchant Robert F Kennedy is likely to hold a key post in the next administration’s public health plans). Why did they vote in such decisively large numbers for Trump? Three factors account for this week’s outcome. The first is that Trump’s character, conduct and transgressions — from ‘indelicacies’ to proven criminality — simply don’t matter to his cult’s members. Facts don’t matter. The electorate seems to have got fixated on lies they were told about the economy, which in the end was ‘stronger’ under the Biden administration than it was under Trump’s. But spend an hour or two with cult members’ main sources of disinformation and you’ll discover that a sizeable minority of voters has a frighteningly slim grasp of reality. Worse, they tend to see and believe what they want to see and believe. Trump’s unsuitability to run a roadside lemonade stand — let alone have his hands on the nuclear codes of the most powerful and influential country in the world — long ago became irrelevant to his supporters. They dismiss his crimes and failings as too far in the past to worry about, or as ‘communist propaganda’. Reason doesn’t play much of a part in the MAGA approach to ‘analysing’ the (political) scene; from the point of view of clinical psychology, confirmation bias is much more powerful. Secondly, the propaganda which is fed to both sides of the post-truth US electorate is based, not on substance, but on personalities and their positioning. For instance, to level the charge at Trump or his party that they are likely to further hasten climate collapse, does not provoke the response that there are evidence and facts against which such a plan of his can be judged, but that the critic’s identity or position on the political spectrum make their opinions invalid. The criticisms are deemed invalid because the critic is a political enemy, a communist, a ‘bad person’, or someone that should be dismissed with a silly epithet — ideally of a crude or foul nature. For most commentators or allies, that suffices. Argument over. Issues as such are rarely discussed; “they’re the enemy”, “she’s an extremist”, “he served our country in the military”, “she lives in a ‘transgender neighbourhood'” is all you will hear. Similarly, the reasons why someone would advocate peace in Gaza and the West bank and not want to see (southern) Lebanon reduced (further) to rubble doesn’t seem to grab anyone’s attention. The fact that an opponent sided with Palestinian protesters is what counts — their label-able stance is as simple and important as the colour of their hair. Thirdly, the official ‘opposition’ to the MAGA movement, the Democratic party, acted consistently as if it was oblivious to political science, and the history of fascism. Indeed, they admit no substantial or effective critique of the way capitalist, male-led polities work. For the candidates and vast majority of commentators this all looked to be little more than the usual game of tennis: “First it’s my turn to run an oppressive and destructive system in the interests of the elite. Then it’s your turn”. None of the many correspondents, pundits, commentators, observers — even celebrities — on the so-called mainstream left stopped even once in the last couple of years, took a deep breath and (eyebrows and voices slightly raised) asked, “Just a minute. How the hell did we get here?! Why didn’t Biden’s Attorney General (Merrick Garland) assemble and press the charges against Trump as soon as he could after his crimes were committed? And why didn’t the Department of Justice foil the evasive actions by the judges to whose courts the cases were assigned? Why did Biden insist on a ‘softly softly’ approach to the MAGA cult? And why did Harris have Polyanna with her at every rally”? Indeed, post-election ‘analysis’ almost immediately began to argue about ways to present a “better and more convincing message” to the voters, one which “addresses the grievances” mentioned above… time for fresh balls from the freezer, change ends and continue the match. Anarchists put no stock in elections, politicians and party systems. Yet in the US, the Democrats stand for ostensibly (but not really) honest and ‘neutral’ ways to support the status quo with all its inequalities, belligerence and destruction. ‘Old style’ Republicans pretend to stand for those things too; but their platform is really a way to aggressively and unapologetically promote selfishness and destruction. And over the past eight years the MAGA cult has developed an unstoppable promotion of white supremacy, misogyny and anti-intellectual denial of the sciences, in particular climate collapse and decaying public health. Few outside the genuine radical left appear to have even begun to understand the threats of fascism in the United States and its rise globally. Now that Trump can deploy Project 2025 with absolute immunity and without the opponents in the Republican party who were there last time to temper at least some of his excesses, things look very grim indeed. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Photo: Wikimedia commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 The post Trump’s victory: “Manipulable, Aggrieved, Gullible, Ahistorical” appeared first on Freedom News.

WITH THE ELECTIONS LESS THAN A MONTH AWAY, CAMPAIGNING IS DOMINATED BY FILTHY RACISM AND CLIMATE DENIAL ~ Louis Further ~ As ‘Notes from the US’ went live last month (September), attempts were just beginning by Trump, Vance and the MAGA crew to terrorise the town of Springfield, Ohio, by falsely claiming that Haitian immigrants were slaying residents’ pets in order to consume them for food. Bomb threats, school closures and forced evacuations quickly followed. Nor was it long before gangs of fascists carrying swastikas and other far right flags, insignia, emblems and uniforms began regularly to show up in Springfield to bring terror to the guest workers there and to add to the hatred generated by the MAGA mob. The two Republican nominees (Trump for president and Vance for vice president) appeared to be trying to provoke a race war. Vance used X to rile up his followers, posting “…don’t let the crybabies in the media dissuade you, fellow patriots. Keep the cat memes flowing”. In other words, those who had objected to the harassment and criminalisation of black guest workers in Springfield were to be shunned and ignored in furtherance of the MAGA agenda of ‘patriotism’. Needless to say, there were no reports of attacks on, nor abduction of, cats or any other animals for food: it turns out that just isn’t the Haitian way. Nor did those fomenting race-based hatred acknowledge the damage done when schools and hospitals and their routines were repeatedly disrupted as threats from far right hate groups responded to continuing goading from Trump and his cult. Trump subsequently said “…I don’t know what happened with the bomb threats. I know that it’s been taken over by illegal migrants, and that’s a terrible thing that happened. Springfield was this beautiful town, and now they’re going through hell…” and “[the]…real threat is what’s happening at our border rather than the bomb threats in Springfield”. It’s distressing, but hardly surprising, that Trump ‘doesn’t know’ about widely-publicised security threats; and appears not to know that the Haitian guest workers are in Springfield on a completely legal basis—under the ‘Immigration Parole Program‘. The Secretary of Homeland Security designated emigrants from Haiti as eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS); this is valid at least until February 2026. It is to be remembered that it was the United States under George Bush that deliberately destabilised Haiti culminating in the kidnapping and removal from office of the country’s elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, in 2004. At the beginning of October, Trump promised to revoke the legal status of those living in the town and contributing to its economy; then deport them. He really hates (and must be afraid of) non-white people. Vance too actually criticised the TPS status of Haitians in Springfield, saying openly and explicitly that Haitians weren’t the “…right kind of people…” to be living in the United States. Although he could presumably have made a more intolerant, offensive and divisive supremacist comment, he would have had to try pretty hard. But that should not surprise anyone as—a few days later—he boasted that he would willingly lie, exaggerate and fabricate such ‘news’, and also admitted that he had indeed made the whole pet-eating lies. As is the case with Trump, the number and absurdity of lies has been increasing the nearer we get to the election. Some residents in Springfield, though, have brought legal actions against Trump and Vance for what they are—still—doing. RACISM These developments, perhaps more than any other, ripped away any shred of decency which until then had kept the MAGA cult’s racism in small part hidden. Throughout September it became clearer than ever that for many this election is an opportunity for a fascist putsch to exclude, expel—at ‘best’ to demonise, at worst to exterminate—black immigrants in the United States because the MAGA cult sees them all as belonging to an inferior race; as rapists, criminals and a detrimental force on the lives of true (‘patriotic’) white Americans. They simply have… ‘bad genes‘. The supremacist message was finally overt, blatant, unapologetic, open; and being ferociously pushed with a lust for violence. Easily 99% of the Republican party was behind this, or hiding—in order quietly to acquiesce to what in some senses is a preparation for ethnic cleansing if the election goes their way. And conceivably to agitate for it if it goes against them. Two facts add to the alarming nature of this situation. Firstly, that about a third of the electorate (those who could well have voted to return Trump to office as president by this time next month) essentially support an election fought chiefly to promote white supremacy. It appears futile to try to alert members of the cult to its transgressive nature because such foul ‘core values’ excite and exhilarate the cult’s members, and validate their proud adherence to MAGA. Secondly, few on the left appear really to be able to situate MAGA in the swamp of revived global fascism… Biden, for instance, simply stamped his foot and uttered word redolent of Thatcher’s school ma’am “Now stop it!” Without understanding the (historical) origins of fascism and fascistic actions, opposing and meeting the threats head on will at best miss the mark; at worst it will be impossible, and fail. To be sure, few (if any) well-informed and experienced people have all the answers, or any. But that doesn’t mean they are unaware of—or not justified in drawing stark attention to—the problems. The small steps which need to be taken to confront MAGA are always still legitimate despite the absence in the public sphere of tried or superficially-novel alternatives demonstrably better than Harris/Walz Democrats. If the right and MAGA gain victory, it will not be because of any policies, argument or persuasion. Rather, it will be through attempts at intimidation, rigging the electoral system and systematically disenfranchising their opponents. Last month, as he ‘promised’, Trump used his golf club and residence in Bedminster, New Jersey, to host an event featuring at least one person indicted for his role in the January 6 attempted putsch: Timothy Hale-Cusanelli. This is a fascist apologist of the opinion that “Hitler should have finished the job” and “babies born with any deformities or disabilities should be shot in the forehead”. So, to repeat, the possible future president of the world’s most powerful nation, while not in attendance, did send a message: “…all of the people there, you’re amazing patriots… Have a great time at Bedminster”. MAGA Yes, the excesses of Trump and his cult are getting greater and farther than ever out of hand. Trump is, of course, a convicted felon, a twice-impeached misogynist, a lying, incompetent, not-completely-literate racist who has pushed conspiracy theories in multiple fields—not least when he made several attempts to overturn the results of the last election. Yet he still stands a good chance of being elected in about three weeks’ time. But for many it’s still not obvious why his opponents—particularly in media which one would expect to be sympathetic to ‘democracy’—aren’t more active in trying to demolish his appeal; and why they fail to challenge him more vociferously, articulating the evident threat he and the MAGA cult pose to the United States and indeed to the rest of the world. It seems as though the Harris/Walz approach has been to try and ‘keep the peace’, avoid what they see as ‘negativity’ and go easy on the ‘foibles’ of Trump—not because they are so appalling, but because they hardly align with the Democrats. Fears are beginning to be expressed that there will be much greater violence if Trump loses than most people care to admit. No wonder, when sentiments are expressed like those in a poll last month conducted by the World Justice Project. Fully 14% of Republican voters—that’s one in seven—are quite clear that if Trump loses they will “take action”. Nearly half said they would not accept the result if Trump loses (nor would Vance, for that matter). Presumably this is because they have convinced themselves—against all the evidence—that the electoral process is not ‘fair’… unless it results in a victory for Trump. Notes from the US has previously mentioned North Carolina election candidate Michelle Morrow before. It emerged last month that this frontrunner in the upcoming election was present and active in the January 6 riot at the US Capitol; and that she urged Trump to “[put] the Constitution to the side”, use the army to stay in power and carry out mass arrests for anyone who certified that election: “…if the police won’t do it and the Department of Justice won’t do it, then he will have to enact the Insurrection Act… which completely puts the Constitution to the side and says, now the military rules all…”. Morrow could still be elected next month. A similarly unfit state candidate is Mark Robinson. His rapidly-disintegrating candidacy may, though, adversely affect Trump—so extreme is Robinson’s unsuitability for public office. Yet—despite all the many scandals which would finish the career of any candidate in a ‘normal’ democracy— Robinson is still avidly supported by Trump. Things get even stranger, though. Last month Vance attended a gathering in person at which one of the key participants seriously expressed the view that Kamala Harris is a ‘witch’ and uses ‘witchcraft’ as part of her campaign strategy. The MAGA coven in Texas, for its part, is suing the Biden administration for access to any information it has on patients who are unable to obtain an abortion in states like Texas and so travel—legally—elsewhere to obtain one. Meanwhile a sheriff in Vance’s state, Ohio, has ordered residents to keep a list of their neighbours who have signs supporting Trump’s and Vance’s opponents. The implication is clear. There would be fewer such signs of dissent in future: if Trump is elected and has his way, he would make it illegal to even criticise the Supreme Court. ENVIRONMENT If you want to understand MAGA for the immature, selfish nonsense that it is, borne of an underdeveloped and severely distorted political system in the United States, then look no farther than to the death threats which were aimed at meteorologists tracking hurricanes Helene and Milton. Don’t like the message? Then kill the messenger. It hardly needs to be said now—but at this stage in the election it must be remarked on—that the collapse of the environment, the greatest threat to life on Earth, does not figure in the campaigns at all. Various polls show that the percentage of voters who say the environment is an issue is in the low single digits. Science is, however, emphatically unambiguous on how the climate degradation caused by excessive human-generated emissions of greenhouse gasses contributes to the frequency and severity of ‘weather events’ like hurricanes. Yet this understanding was mocked by the MAGA gang while Biden—after doing the obligatory tour of some of the areas devastated by the storm— went on to Texas the same day to raise funds from leaders of the fossil fuel industry. So it should come as no surprise that it was almost impossible to find a media/propaganda outlet which even mentioned what they still call ‘climate change’ (with the inference that it could also be for the better) in the context of hurricanes Helene and Milton. The main response—if any—of those in power when asked about the ‘apparently quite threatening’ uptick in such ‘natural’ disasters is almost always that they are taking—or “need to take”—better steps than the other side to prepare for them. As for Trump, Vance and the MAGA cultists, for them it’s nothing but a ‘hoax’. For a solid fortnight they have been making political capital from the storms by spreading conspiracy theories about their origin. Meanwhile there are activists who have increased their (conventional and probably largely ineffective) pressure on Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis, who is of course an established climate denier. DeSantis seems quite sanguine about the hits which his state (and others) are taking from hurricanes in the context of climate collapse. He refused to take a phone call from Vice President Harris, for example, which he thinks would somehow acknowledge the climate emergency. But as the second (so far) hurricane was approaching his state, DeSantis was busy censoring radio stations which ran (legal and legitimate) advertisements on abortion. This time last month, convict Trump was in California trying to raise money for his campaign. While there he held a ‘press conference’; amongst other topics was the dire climate situation in the state which contributes fiercely to wildfires. In 2024 California experienced greater burning than the most recent five year average. Trump said, though, that if the votes were “counted properly” he would “win California” (in 2020 Trump lost the state by five million votes); then, as president, he would withhold federal firefighting aid for the state—unless its governor, Gavin Newsom (who Trumo childishly refers to as “Newscum”), does his bidding. GAZA Israeli state terrorism against Palestinians and Lebanese continues with almost total support from the US élite and media. At a Senate Judiciary hearing last month—while officials in Gaza were publishing a list of those slaughtered in their homeland, the first dozen or so pages of which contained babies—MAGA senator John Kennedy from Louisiana said to Maya Berry, executive director of the Arab American Institute, that for her support of Palestinians: “You should hide your head in a bag”. Again, predictably, on 7 October—after a year of Israel’s hugely disproportionate, genocidal response to the Hamas massacre of Israelis—far and away the greatest sympathy in the media was consistently and unapologetically exclusively for the Israeli hostages and the Israeli polity as a beleaguered victim. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Photo: Devastation in Asheville, North Carolina after Hurricane Helene. Wikimedia Commons The post Notes from the US: Countdown to dictatorship? appeared first on Freedom News.