Happy Warriors

In January 2009 each day’s paper, each swipe of the president’s pen, seemed to bring hopeful news. Wars winding down. Guantanamo closing. State Department abortion gag orders rescinded. Smart, sane cabinet appointees. Competence and caring throughout the executive branch. OK, economic appointees disappointed liberals hoping to decrease the power of  and hold to account Wall Street bankers. But overall, what refreshing changes! Springtime in Washington! 

Now it’s January 2017, and my social media feeds are filled with despair from the sort of people who hit U.S. streets Saturday in the large Women’s March protests. Among the concerns (in addition to those against a half-dozen or more cabinet appointees): 

Pulling out of international trade agreements threatens U.S. leadership in the world. The White House is trying to gag federal workers. The notion of civil service itself is under assault -- not surprising, given that Newt Gingrich, among others, has touted the G.O.P.’s desire to end the practice of civil service. (The 19th-century good-government policy holds that those working on the people’s behalf should be shielded from political winds as they do their jobs.) 

Meanwhile, members of Trump’s inner circle leak news of their boss’s instability like flowing spigots -- entertaining, perhaps, though I again wonder if such leaks feed a reality-TV narrative that serves to distract from actual policy.

And, back in the losers' locker room: how can Democrats resurrect political relevance? 

In any event, it’s clear that the Trump Administration intends to wage war not only with the press but with factual information itself. Example: If unemployment is not 4.7 percent and perhaps not countable at all, that makes possible the 2020 “Morning In America Redux” campaign, since things will certainly have gotten rosier since the 2016 days of 42 percent unemployment and American carnage.

Bloomberg columnist Tyler Cohen distinguishes between what a friend calls "bullshit" (political shading, diplomatically nuanced truths, doublespeak, deceptive rhetoric) and the sorts of bald-faced lies in which the Trump Administration has to date trafficked. Cohen opines that the usefulness of lies is manifold: to serve as a loyalty test for new underlings; to damage the credibility of those underlings and thus tie them closer to the leader; and to help push through policy changes fast, gambling that long-term credibility damage is negligible or irrelevant.

Academic Dawn Gilpin points out that the lies paint a picture needed to justify future policies. Millions of illegal voters? Runaway violence in Chicago? Unchecked immigration? Bloated government staffs? Rising abortion rates? "Politicized" scientific research on climate change? "None of these claims are true," Gilpin writes, "but they have to be said to lay the groundwork for specific actions."

Though mostly predictable since Nov. 9, this news flood has depressed or enraged a sizable number of Americans. My friends on the Trumpian side have noted lefties’ dismay with derision, glee, and bafflement. A friend with whom I sparred on Facebook wrote: “I understand the discomfort that you all feel. I felt that same way eight years ago. But you know what? I refused to allow myself to ride the roller coaster of depression like some of my friends. Take a wait-and-see attitude. Verbally protest that which concerns you. But for heavens sake, relax! I love all of my friends too much to see them in self-imposed agony.”

His comment led me to alter my outlook before hitting the Manhattan streets on Saturday. Without lessening my determination to be counted among those opposing the new administration’s plans, I decided to do so joyously. What surprised me about the event was how many marchers shared high spirits. No violence, little anger, lots of patience among people densely packed for hours. The crowds expressed not irritation but solidarity: Look how many of us there are! From where I marched folks were friendly, ebullient, wry, steadfast: Not in our names. We stand for another way. This is what democracy looks like. 

Such energy is almost absent on my gloomy social media feeds. So in the spirit of the happy warrior, I humbly ask concerned leftists and centrists to consider the following examples of engaging with those with whom we disagree. 

For starters, deep perspective matters. The indispensable press critic Jay Rosen demonstrates that understanding the political views of opponents helps him withstand the daily social media storm. 

Jeff Tweedy, boss of the rock band Wilco, spiritedly invites trolls into his tribe: “Sure, we live in a bubble. I'd love for more of you to share our bubble though! It's awesome! In our bubble I know cops and rappers and grocery store cashiers and artists and garbage collectors...so many decent people that don't really care that much about people being different than they are. ... I grew up in what I think might be something like your bubble. You should at least try this one! Come on in!” 

Most instructive: this piece from a Venezuelan reflecting on lessons of fighting a populist authoritarian, Hugo Chavez. My inadequate summary: 1). Chavez labeled his enemies in ways similar to the G.O.P.‘s war against “coastal elites.” 2). The goal of political engagement with the leader’s followers needs to be “Don’t feed polarization. Disarm it.” 3). Don’t try to force the leader out through non-democratic means, which only feed his message of populism and polarization. (“See how the elites hate me/us?”) 4). Find counterarguments that demonstrate to the leader’s enemies that we all in fact belong to the same tribe. Show that you’re human, that you share some of their concerns. 

When I responded Saturday morning to my Facebook friend, I agreed with his suggestion to relax. I noted that I was “not in agony; I'm concerned about the future of our nation, including the ability of all to march and protest and speak freely. That's why I'm out today.” 

His response: “We agree on more items than we probably realize. Including being concerned about the future of our nation. March on brother! Be safe out there. Peace!”