Imagination and passion required

In the week since his inauguration, Donald Trump has sent a blizzard of conflicting signals, and key slots at the State and Defence departments and the National Security Council remain vacant. Photo: Reuters

As new  United States President Donald Trump rolls  out  his  executive  orders, many of which have  direct  ramifications

for us, as   Vladimir Putin,   Bashar al-Assad and  Benjamin  Netanyahu  defy with impunity  world  outrage,  as  populist  forces  in  France, Germany, the  Netherlands and   the UK  thump  their kettle drums,  how  do  we  trump  Trump? How  do those of  us  who still believe  in sustainability,  social  justice,  rationality,   and simple  truthfulness   respond creatively?  As  Elizabeth  Warren  said  to the huge   rally  of  women in  Boston: "We  can whimper, we  can  whine,  or  we can  fight."

But  what  does  that  mean, concretely, for  us  in New  Zealand?  My  hunch  is   we   should not rush prematurely  into  action,  but  stick  with  our  despair  for  a  while, deepen and process  it. Have  a  good hard look at  what we  are  up against.  After  all,  the  very wells  of  communication  are  being progressively poisoned.  Inconvenient  facts  are simply brushed  aside.  Apples become bananas, lies transmuted  into "alternative facts".  Journalists  are the enemy  (in a so-called  democracy).  Globalisation and  automation have spawned the  crudest  ethnocentrism and protectionism; the brutality  of   Islamic State its own counter-brutality. Torture is  OK  again.  Bully tactics  replace arguments and negotiation. One wild option to finance  the beautiful wall to keep America  secure follows  another.  Sanctuary cities are threatened.  All this is manic  stuff.   The  madmen who  rule  the  roost are utterly  determined, and think  they are   on  a  roll.

For  our  part,  how clear  are we what we  stand  for, how  determined  are  we  that  the  "know nothing" brigade  should not  succeed?  We need to remember   we  are  our own best strength.  One  important  clue was  the affirmation of  identity  by the  massed  women’s  protests  in  the  United States. We are  America,  they said. Pluralism is  here  to stay. This whipped-up  "whitelash"  will wither on the  stalk.  At  the   Dunedin protest last week  it  was clear   the feminist group who  organised it was  equally clear  about its  identity,  how  it is threatened,  and  why  it must  be  defended.  They  are well  ahead of  the  rest of us there.

The  truth  is   we have let the old  bastions of  identity atrophy:  the trade unions, the churches, the political  parties.    As  with the Springbok tour  and  the  peace  movement,  we  need  to  develop  new networks  with  the  expertise  and   imagination and   passion to  reach  out  to  the  inner city  and  the  suburbs  and  rural  New Zealand and  wake people up. 

One  thing is for  sure.  The  old  liberal elite,   symbolised  by  the  Clintons, has  lost credibility.  We need a new consensus. This new  inspiration  may come from   unexpected  directions.  At last  week’s traditionalist Burns night in Dunedin’s Toitu Otago Settlers Museum,    the  winning poem,  videoed  from Scotland, lashed  out  at  all  Trump stood  for in  the  earthiest of  vernacular  outrage. Our poets, our  cartoonists, our  dramatists  are our best allies to  get  the  message out.

We need to stop twitching  at  Trump’s latest Twitter,  and stand  tall,  stake  out  our own inviolable territory.   What  are  our  non-negotiables?  As we  get into  election mode will we  let  personalities  and  slush funds  dominate  or  will there be  a  focus  on   real  issues:  a fair go  for  all children,  affordable housing, clean rivers,  a  decent  minimum wage, a  curb on inflated  executive payments and bonuses?   After all,  Trump is  not  the problem.  It  is  the  despair  and  alienation  of  those who  voted him  in.  

Our economic  system, worldwide,  is bankrupt.  We need to  address  that: the ludicrous  disparity  between  rich and  poor, the draining away of  our most precious  resources, the short-term  thinking  which can only see  dollar signs. What  transcends  our personal  immediacies?  Hope of  a  better society, of course,   menaces us profoundly. The  mobilisation  of  energy  and  grey matter it  demands will knock us off  our comfortable chairs. It could be fun, though. It could trump Trump.  And  God  knows  how utterly imperative it is.

- Peter Matheson is a Dunedin historian.