From a Reader
Trump Regime Begins Process of Transferring Power
| revcom.us
On Monday, November 23, more than two weeks after Joe Biden was projected to be the winner of the election, the first signs of reckoning with this undeniable reality have come from the Trump/Pence regime, with the Trump-appointed head of the GSA (General Services Administration), Emily Murphy, sending a letter to President-elect Biden informing him that the necessary funds would be released to finance the transition.
There continues to be no “concession speech” from Trump, and it’s doubtful one would ever come. In fact, until now, there had been no acknowledgement from the regime of the legitimate and widely accepted results of the election, in which Trump lost the electoral college by 74 votes, and lost the popular vote by six million votes. Instead, the Trump team has launched lawsuits in a so far fruitless attempt at overturning the election, while leading his tens of millions of hard-core followers to disregard all evidence that goes against what the fascist “strongman” says.
While it is correct to continue pointing towards how dangerous these moves really are, especially insofar as these moves affect the thinking of broader ranks of people, the fact that there is no factual basis for the fascist claim of “massive election fraud” and that the corresponding lawsuits are, or have already been, dismissed, is cause for celebration. The feeling that millions in this country and many more around the world have felt of “having a weight lifted off of their chests” is real, and will continue, with good reason, as the process of Trump and his regime leaving power continues and is actually ensured.
Trump’s Defeat Is a People’s Victory
So does this mean that those who said “rely on the normal channels” and on the institutions of this system alone to stop this fascism were correct? No. The masses of people in the United States who do deeply hate the fascist program and oppressive relations embodied and enforced by the Trump regime and backed up by its fascist social base, and have been compelled in many ways, big and small, to stand against all this, delivered the fascists a decisive defeat on November 3, in an election that was unlike any other in the history of this country. Fascism was on the ballot, and although Trump was able to win more votes than he did in 2016 (for more on why it is that 73+ million people voted for an open white supremacist, watch Bob Avakian’s 2017 speech on fascism, which goes deeply into the rise of the overall fascist movement that has coalesced around Trump and the fascist trajectory of the GOP), the reservoir of people who believe Black Lives Matter and want to see an end to institutionalized racism and murder by police, who believe in the humanity of women and LGBTQ+ people, who want to see an end to the plunder and destruction of our planet, and who in general want to see a “better world,” however they understand that, DID come out and vote for Biden. This was a very good thing—an urgently needed societal repudiation that creates “far better conditions for continuing to wage the struggle against everything represented by the Trump/Pence regime and all the oppression and injustices of this system…” (BIDEN, A DOORKNOB—AND GOING THROUGH THE DOOR by Bob Avakian).
All this does not make it right that so many people did wait so long to act, and confined their resistance to the ballot box alone. It would have been far better for the overall societal alignment of forces and political climate if the mass resistance had taken expression in mass nonviolent, day-after-day protests determined to drive out the regime. Too many people who could be won to stand on the right side of history failed to respond to the urgent calls for mass street protests, and instead relied solely on the “democratic process,” in no small part due to the misleadership of the Democratic Party.
There Is No Going “Back To Normal”
There is likely to be a gravitational pull among some sections of the people, including many of those who were so outraged and moved to act against the Trump/Pence regime, to “return to normal,” as the door closes on this regime, and a resolution to the ongoing coronavirus crisis seems likely within the next year. But, as Bob Avakian said back in June:
For those who cannot help but hunger for a “return” to some kind of “normalcy” as an answer to the madness of Trump, Pence and the rest—forget it, it is not going to happen!
And nobody should want a return to the “normalcy” of this system. The “normalcy” of this system has always included the barbaric oppression of Black people and other people of color, with systematic terror, brutality and murder to enforce this oppression. It has always included vicious discrimination, bigotry and violence against immigrants, women, LGBTQ people, and any others regarded as inferior and “alien.” It has always included unjust wars for empire, and continuing crimes against humanity. It now poses a threat to the very existence of humanity through its increasing devastation of the environment and the ever present threat of nuclear war.
And we can add to that the fact that we are still facing the horror of a fascist Supreme Court and continued virulent fascist street mobs and car caravans, and that the Democrats are not guaranteed to gain control of the Senate through the upcoming Georgia run-off races. And say that the Democrats did win these races? The policy and outlook of the Democratic Party is not one which says that “fascism is unacceptable and we will not work with, and therefore legitimize, fascists!” No. It is quite the opposite. They do not see the now thoroughly fascist Republican Party as illegitimate, but as perfectly legitimate partners with whom they have differences, but nonetheless would “come together” and unite within the “bigger interests” of the Amerikkkan empire. This whole sickening ethos of “reaching across the aisle” is even promoted among the population. We should “reach out to” and seek to “understand” those in our families and communities who voted for an open white supremacist, the liberals insist. Why the fuck should we do that?
For people who care about justice, and forging a better future, there can be no unity with those who uphold and promote the most reactionary and fascistic elements and programs in society. There is no “common cause” with those who take part in or passively go along with the pogroms and marauding MAGA mobs terrorizing and attacking peaceful protesters and spreading lunatic conspiracy theories. There must be a clear line of demarcation, in all aspects of our lives. If they want to “come together,” it is THEY who must change. We will not degrade ourselves in the muddy waters of collaborationism to accommodate the Nazis in our midst.
A Pledge to the People of the World: In the Name of Humanity, We Refuse to Accept a Fascist America.
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