I’m still processing the election of Trump in the USA and what it means for issues I’m passionate about – like climate change, environmental protections, peace, human rights and not least the future of democracy. But what is clear is that the Trump supporters voted for deep and radical change – not tweaks to the system to try to make it work better or to be less unfair. Trump and his campaign spoke to a widespread sense of fundamental unease and distrust of “business as usual” which the Democrats were seen as embodying.
I don’t believe for a moment that Trump will deliver the change we need. His election immediately added billions of dollars to the net worth of the handful of oligarchs who back him. His policies will cut taxes for the richest, enable the fossil fuel giants to keep drilling at the expense of the biosphere – all the while distracting the populace with manufactured outrage over “woke” nonsense, and blaming people’s genuine suffering on refugees and immigrants.
But we need to look beyond all of this to find genuine answers to the genuine cry for real change. Neo-liberal capitalism in its current form has to end. We need to strengthen local economies, strengthen local communities, wean ourselves off the toxic effects of social media and re-learn how to make sense of the world. We have to learn how to rebuild trust in our personal relationships, in our communities, educational institutions and beyond. The revolution we need must start with a revolution of the heart, a commitment to being people who are not just looking after ourselves but also caring for the people, communities and ecosystems that we are part of.
