#260: Now That Happened: After the Election, All Our Work Continues

Posted on by Philipp Kneis

No matter who has won the US election, our work as a country continues. We have to solve concrete problems. We have to see ourselves as neighbors and fellow citizens, as well as fellow citizens of the world. This means we need to learn from each other, and learn how to understand each other – so that next time, we may be able to communicate better and find a way to not be so polarized. After all, we’re all in this together – in the United States of America, and in the world.

Here is what we all will need to understand:

  • There is no country like the US. It is unique in its history, flaws and accomplishments and all. This should give us an odd mixture of humility and pride.
  • The US is the pivotal nation in the world. Its economy and military are dwarfing everyone else. This should give us power and the responsibility to use it wisely.
  • The US is the most attractive country in the world for immigrants. Just see recent numbers of undocumented  / illegal immigration (I am using both terms to be able to communicate across the aisle). I myself am an immigrant, and a recently naturalized citizen of the US – for a good reason. I could have remained on a Green Card, but I believe in this country as so many others who have not yet been worn down by the constant negativity promoted from parts of the political and media spectrum. This is, indeed, the greatest country on Earth. It is not perfect. Greatness sometimes comes by comparison. And numbers don’t lie: We, who have chosen America and sworn an oath of allegiance, know what we have done and why. Immigration is always also a love letter. Accept it, and learn from it if you like.
  • This attractiveness gives the United States soft power in addition to our economic and military hard power. We need to understand this better.
  • We have enemies – namely, dictatorships like Russia and Iran and their minions (Hamas, Hezbollah, Huthis) — and enemies that are also necessary partners like China. We need to be all in together.
  • The challenge to our natural world persists. We need to adapt to a changing climate, slow down and maybe undo some of global warming, and work to protect and restore biodiversity – for our own sake as much as for the sake of the natural world / creation.
  • We have to support the international order lest it be usurped by our enemies. We need allies, for we are strong, but not strong enough in a global conflict.
  • We have to protect democracy, checks and balances, separation of powers, individual freedoms, free markets, free media, because the alternatives are worse.
  • We have to remain a cosmopolitan power. We have to remain a visionary power. We have to remain a hopeful power. Our human voyage is just beginning as we are working to save our planet and also head out into the solar system.

Here is what liberals will need to understand:

  • Stop dreaming about abolishing the Electoral College, Federalism and the Filibuster. These institutions exist for a reason, and they are not worth the fight. If you think you could win better with different rules, then your opponent will play with different rules as well. We are not one nation, but one nation in 50 states. History matters.
  • Stop using nudging and pretend people don’t understand you are patronizing them. Treat them like grown-ups.
  • Fix concrete problems now, and don’t use “progress” as an excuse to make life harder for them.
  • Stop using words like “socialist.” In the rest of the world, that word means oppression by the likes of Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Castro, Chavez/Maduro, Kim, etc. No “democratic socialist” either. You are Social Democrats. And no, communism has never been a good idea anywhere.
  • Criticize capitalism, but seek to make it better rather than to aim to abolish it – which won’t work anyway, and all you do will be wasting money and agitating people.
  • You waver in your support of Israel at your own peril. If Jewish people cannot feel safe in America and Israel, you will lose votes.
  • Stop playing to the lowest common denominator even if your opponent does so. As the saying goes, If you wrestle with a pig, the pig will love it and you’ll both get dirty.
  • Stop patronizing.
  • Stop elitist language, but also don’t dumb things down too much.
  • Stop the “What’s the Matter with Kansas” nonsense. Yes, voters may vote against their material interests. Yes, materialist (Marxist) theory does not understand that. Religion matters to people, values matter, principles matter. Feeling that you matter matters. Treating half of the country as flyover country is not a winning strategy.
  • Let your extremes be extremes, but head for the middle.
  • Don’t alienate assets like Joe Manchin and Kirsten Sinema. That behavior just lost the Democrats the Senate.
  • Being against Trump is easy. Having a plan of your own, and being able to communicate this successfully, is difficult. You lost key voter groups to the Trump movement. Ask yourself why.
  • I’m sure that is not all.

Here is what conservatives will need to understand:

  • Conservative is not the same as reactionary — conservatism means to moderate between tradition and progress, not to reject all progress.
  • The Republicans have a proud tradition as the party who defeated slavery and who – under Nixon – continued the work of the Civil Rights Movement. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are not your enemies; they are part of your own achievements.
  • Don’t try to regulate who gets to love whom. Anti-LGBTQ sentiments are not helping your cause.
  • Protecting the Creation, protecting nature, protecting our living planet should be core conservative principles.
  • Fiscal responsibility has to be coupled with solid investment. Extreme austerity is a one-way ticket to reducing competitiveness. The Tea Party movement nearly destroyed the party, and it definitely made it ready for being hollowed out by Trump’s pseudo-conservatism.
  • Let your extremes be extremes, but head for the middle.
  • Being against Trump is easy. Having a plan of your own, and being able to communicate this successfully, is difficult. You lost your party to the Trump movement. Ask yourself why.
  • I’m sure that is not all.

Here is what Trump supporters will need to understand:

  • You won. Congratulations. You deserve it. Now, you may fulfill your promise and work for everyone. Populism claims to stand for the people. Make sure it does.
  • Immigration should indeed follow a legal process. But we need immigrants, and most of those who came illegally and are now undocumented came for a reason. If you treat them fairly but let them stay (provided they are not violent criminals), they will be your best supporters.
  • Peace can only come when it is a just peace. Aggressors like Putin must not be rewarded. Supporting Ukraine enhances America’s power; giving in to Putin would diminish it. You can only make America great again if it is clear that our allies and friends can count on our help. Also, we promised to protect Ukraine after it surrendered its nuclear weapons. We need to keep our promises.
  • Please, please don’t let RFK jr. mess with health care.
  • Bitcoin is a scam.

Here is what Trump haters will need to understand:

  • Demonizing Trump and his voters will not work.
  • The worst president in recent history was still W. The way 9/11 was handled by waging wars in Afghanistan and Iraq was wrong. Many Democrats agree with that. Trump does to.
  • People have voted for Trump for a reason. Listen to them. Don’t do everything they ask, but listen. Democracy means that common sense matters. Common doesn’t mean elites, Hollywood stars, the rich jetset etc. (How Elon Musk fits with Trump, oh well. Bitcoin scams, I guess.)

Here is what all Americans will need to understand:

  • Gerrymandering needs to be depoliticized.
  • People voted for x for what seemed to them good reasons – whether you like or understand it or not, or whether you like them. Learn what motivated them to vote for x, and try to see whether you could find a way to help them solve concrete problems. Take them seriously, don’t insult them.
  • We need to listen to each other. All of us.
  • We need to stop demonize each other. All of us.
  • We need to learn to hope again, always, and recognize that democracy works best if we all respect and love each other.

Here is what our allies in Europe and the world will understand:

  • America is different from you.
  • America is not that different from you. What you see happening in the US will also happen in Europe, if it hasn’t yet.
  • Europe needs to pull its own weight. The idea that Europeans get to enjoy their security and welfare states under an American umbrella, paid for by American taxpayers, is making less and less sense.
  • NATO members should pay more than 2% of GDP. Now.
  • Hoping for a better government in the US is not a winning strategy.

Anyhow, that’s it so far. This was Kamala Harris’ election to lose, and she did so with gusto. I had thought she would win, but I underestimated her campaign’s utter incompetence. When she refused to sit down with Joe Rogan for 2-3 hours, she lost. Trump did it. Joe endorsed him. The internet is real. You cannot run for President without actually talking WITH the people. Trump did it. I would not have voted for Trump, but I can understand why people did.

Now, let’s all get over it, hope there are no riots, and let’s all get back to work. Democracy means that the voters get to have the last word. Accept it, respect it, and move on. Midterms are in two years.