What are the chances that a man who simultaneously holds the office of head of state and is the main bearer of the executive power does not reach the center of public attention in moments of national crisis? All eyes are on Trump. Despite this, the president practically renounced any responsibility at the national and even international level. The only thing he doesn't give up is the daily shows where he plays the leader, trying to raise his own ratings, and is unable to show even an ounce of empathy for the daily hardships of millions of Americans. It's time to turn our attention to the other side. It is necessary for the Democrats to organize themselves and offer real leadership to a country in disarray. There are many people (among them journalists) who have been waiting for a long time for the star of a TV reality show to miraculously turn into a "presidential" figure. Trump's critics, on the other hand, despaired and waited for the moment when someone would finally ask him the question directly: "Do you have cheek?", as happened in the famous TV debate between lawyer Joseph Welch and Senator Joe McCarthy that heralded McCarthy's final downfall. . Still others are debating whether Trump's daily conferences should be broadcast at all on cable and TV networks (until Trump stopped them himself). An important history lesson from a very different historical period can be useful here. I am referring to the strategies applied by Central European dissidents in the 70s and 80s. century (which does not mean that I am in any way equating authoritarian state socialism with today's United States). After the failure of numerous attempts at reform, Adam Michnik and other intellectuals concluded that repressive regimes would not change. They gave up trying to address state leaders and decided instead to start "speaking through them" (as historian Tony Judt put it) and thus try to reach as many citizens as possible, despite restrictions on freedom of speech. They also began the organization of what Václav Benda described as a "parallel polis" - a world in which man would behave as if he were already free. With such initiatives, civil society managed to weaken dictatorial regimes without direct confrontation. What is the lesson? It is pointless to negotiate with Trump, because he will not change: after every moment of semblance of presidential sobriety - which commentators from the center welcome with enthusiasm - there are ten moments filled with bluster and threats. We won't wait until the day when we can tell him, "Ah, you're caught," because his voting base, one would say, remains loyal no matter what he does; it seems that even the most elementary interests - such as the interest in preserving life (not to mention economic interests) - cannot dissuade Trump's admirers from identifying with a figure who, if nothing else, looks like a seasoned general in the conduct of the culture wars. In the words of media critic Jay Rosen, Trump needs to be "decentered". True, he is still the president, although he practically informed the public that he renounces responsibility for the pandemic crisis, in order to return to the political stage. "Decision-making" is left to the governors. The rest of the world therefore concludes that the United States is not interested in cooperating in the search for answers to the global challenge. This specifically means that the Democrats should organize their own evening conferences and present their plans (wasn't someone who excelled in making plans once participated in the campaign for the election of presidential candidates?); the fact that Trump has "authorized" them to do what they want can be interpreted by governors as a mandate to build a parallel polis with better policies, some of which could eventually be elevated to the federal level. The fact that many of them are under-resourced - because Mitch McConnell is more interested in bankrupting blue states than saving human lives - should be presented as further evidence that the Republicans have become the party of political cruelty. To offer alternative leadership — and real facts, instead of Trump's largely “alternative” facts — is not the same as denying the president's legitimacy. When Andrés Manuel López Obrador challenged the results of the 2006 Mexican election. (which he lost by a narrow margin), he declared himself the "legitimate president of Mexico," and his voters flocked to camps set up in the middle of Mexico City. In the weeks after the November 2016 shock, many Americans repeated that Trump was not "our president." It is a dangerous move, similar to the move of the Republicans, for whom Bill Clinton was always "your president" in the XNUMXs, by which they practically denied the legitimacy of their political opponents. it is our president - even though he doesn't act like it. Democrats may fear that their offer of alternative leadership will be interpreted as further "deepening divisions" or "politicizing" the crisis. But like it or not, the campaign is well underway, and Trump is deepening divisions on a daily basis anyway; most importantly, an opposition ready to offer a comprehensive alternative represents the very essence of representative democracy. This is perhaps more obvious in the example of parliamentary systems; just remember how in the British House of Commons the leader of the opposition stands up and answers the Prime Minister as soon as he finishes his presentation. There are proposals for Joe Biden to form a "shadow cabinet" based on the British model. Some believe that the Democrats should not have just one representative to answer to Trump, but that it should be done by several charismatic and competent politicians (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is emerging as a natural choice). The most important thing is to send the message that the opposition, in addition to criticizing the government, has i constructive proposals for the period of crisis. It is true that the outcome of elections today is often determined by "negative identities" more than positive visions; voters are more likely to vote against someone than for something. A large number of Americans have already passed judgment on Trump; but many are still impressed by the kabuki plays in which he plays the general and successfully convinces them that no one else has a workable plan. That pernicious impression and belief must be neutralized. (The Guardian; Peščanik.net; translation: Đ. TOMIC)
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