In the story of how the United States frees itself from monopoly finance capital, one of the most important mass elements is the antiwar MAGA crowd. The crowd which has voted for Trump out of desire to negotiate an end to the conflicts, and clear up a path towards the economic growth we need. In this progression of thinking, the next step is the idea of mutual growth; of a shared developmental effort between the USA, and the Russian and Chinese civilizations that our government wants to cut us off from. When you bring up this concept to Trump’s voters, you find that many of them are receptive towards it, even amid all the anti-China rhetoric from the MAGA leadership.
Palestine is another nation that one can find support for within this crowd; even as Trump calls to ethnically cleanse Gaza, those among his supporters who are most informed recognize that a genocide has been happening, and want Palestine’s rights to be respected. “If he can come and set a peace treaty with Israel and Gaza, they can stop massacring and genociding the Palestinian people, I will call him the greatest president in history,” said one man in a “Make America Great Again” cap on Inauguration Day. He was at an event that the Center for Political Innovation had put on with the goal of reaching people who think like him. Nearby there was a “Build the peace bridge” banner, referring to the proposed landbridge between Russia and Alaska, as well as a picture of Trump shaking hands with Kim Jong Un. These messages are easily capable of attracting those who’ve been supporting Trump with the hope that he’ll end the U.S.-Zionist death machine; the crowd of Trump supporters received the two banners quite warmly, and there were many who were glad to talk.
Of course, there are Trump voters who support the “Israeli” settler entity, or dislike China; but it’s also productive to have a dialogue with people like them, because we can’t only operate within the circles where incorrect ideas have already been unlearned. We must take an active role in shaping popular consciousness, and this is something I didn’t truly understand while I was still within leftist spaces. I credit the CPI with demonstrating to me that we must not retreat into leftism, like U.S. communists did during the mid-20th century. And it’s because of CPI’s challenging this insular belief that we continue to see efforts at smearing it, like when a fake graphic was recently created which claimed the org enforces extreme puritanical standards. In reality, the main thing it’s up to right now is to bring a deep economic analysis into the conversations the MAGA base is having.
These activities represent a wider trend within U.S. politics; one where actors across the ideological spectrum have been adopting the populist spirit of MAGA. Such a tactic can be used for good or for ill, depending on the intentions of the person who utilizes it; right now, there are many anti-woke grifters weaponizing the populist style to promote Zionism, and to demonize China. As we in the antiwar movement work to combat these pro-imperialist ideas, and to pick up those who may become disillusioned with Trump, we must account for how the state is going to react to our efforts. For how hard the imperial state is going to try to crush us as we challenge it during such a crucial moment.
We’re picking this fight at a time when the empire anxiously seeks to solidify its narrative dominance, and thereby create the conditions for war with China. By committing to this struggle, we’re taking on many risks; but should we properly respond to these risks, it will end up strengthening our organizations, and giving the people the means for overthrowing their monopolist dictatorship.
There is a bipartisan plan to crush dissent against the empire’s war plans, and so far our government is going after those who are most vulnerable. The Trump administration has begun a campaign to find foreign students who it identifies as terrorist sympathizers, and take away their visas so that they can be deported. This is only the start of the crackdown, which is intended to target everyone who actively opposes U.S. foreign policies; but at this stage, the main goal is simply to prevent the pro-Palestine movement from regaining the energy it had last year. If this repression can stop the students from leading another revolt against the war machine, then in all areas the empire will have an easier time advancing its destructive designs.
In the outcome that the state prefers, there will be no sustained mass momentum against the next parts of the war on Palestine, or against China, or against BRICS. The narrative managers want enough apathy and confusion that whatever revolutionary sparks exist, this won’t lead to any meaningful change. That way, the crackdown will also be able to go forward without sufficient opposition.
We will avoid this outcome if we give the masses the means to fight back. Nothing must discourage us; we have to reach everyone who has potential to join us, from the MAGA people, to the independents, to the libertarians, to the groups with particular class war experiences such as striking workers. A great deal of them will receive our arguments well; the interests of the USA’s people are in building an economy that works for the collective wellbeing rather than for profit, and in cooperating with other civilizations. Getting the people to agree with this agenda will not be difficult, because all we’re doing is adding onto the beliefs that so many workers already hold.
The more challenging aspect is in providing the people with an organizational outlet which can aid them in all areas throughout the class war. Which will fight for them during strikes, will provide for their material needs both before and after the revolutionary moment, and will keep operating even if it’s forced underground. These are among our many responsibilities as those who’ve taken on the revolutionary mission. If we fulfill these duties, the people will have the allies they’ll need within the next stages of this fight. The present stage is about breaking the psychological control of ruling class media and political theater; in the next stage, the ruling class will strike back at the people, and we’ll have to overcome intimidation and repression. We must confront this task unflinchingly, like we’ve faced the obstacles that have already come up.
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