Re: <nettime> Resistance (was: 10 Preliminary Theses on Trump)

[Carsten Agger <agger@modspil.dk>]

On 01/28/2017 08:23 AM, Patrice Riemens wrote:

> I believe that the real political forces that are behind Trump, and
> assorted look-alikes in other countries, are eagerly on the watch-out
> for opposition/resistance, and are mouthwatering at the prospect of
> 'robustly' dealing with it, in a kind of final countdown bandobust.

I agree. As a matter of fact, for some years now I have also believed 
that the better option, as far as it's possible, is to work on creating 
alternative structures and networks rather that fighting the surge of 
the right; in a way, our time is best spent fighing *for* our own values 
and visions rather than against those of our enemies. Things attempting 
to create a real collaboration and sharing of strategies and knowledge 
between indigenous communities and urban activists, to highlight one of 
"my own" projects.[1]

For one thing, doing our own thing may actually bring us forward, while 
always "fighting against" may see us trolled by ever more outrageous 
statements and actions from the forces of Trumpist reaction.

> My hunch would be to withdraw, do 'our own thing', and wait for the
> storm to pass - something I might even be able to do, at my pre-advanced
> age. But even on that I am quite pessimistic: if we don't come out of
> the woods, they will ferret us out of the bushes, by direct repression,
> but even more, indirectly - mostly thru total digitization/ hi-tech
> surveillance (e.g. 'cashelss society'). But the even, brute, 'fascist'
> force is also very much in the(ir) cards ...

Yes. Many people, me included, have been heard saying that as disastrous 
as Trump's election is, it may be good for something in the end, because 
...

E.g., because it may shake things up in completely new ways; it may mean 
people will know the right for what it truly is; because his policies 
are really an explicit version of George W. Bush's hidden agenda; 
because the backlash may pave the way for a well-meaning and competent 
Corbynite and Sanders-esque left.

And in many ways it's true. Trump is like the classical politician, 
Democrat or Republican, Clinton or Bush, who will lie and manipulate his 
way to power.

Except he doesn't try to hide it. When asked about his vows to jail 
Hillary Clinton, were he to be elected, he later declared that "played 
well" before the election, but now he doesn't care - basically, "so, I 
lied! What did you expect?[3]

And while George W. Bush and his cronies adamantly denied acusations of 
just wanting to steal Iraq's resources, Trump is candid about it - 
"let's jsut take the oil to reimburse ourselves".[4]

The lies and manipulations and outright cries that all the main 
professional politicians, definitely including both Clintons and all of 
the Bush administration, have spent their entire careers hiding, he 
brings out in the open, just like that. I *do* understand why some 
people want to see a silver lining getting these things exposed for 
once, in the hopes that people will start seeing the manipulations of 
"normal" politicians for what they are.

But I don't believe that. Frankly, I believe that Trump's election is an 
unmitigated disaster that will do great harm to our world. I also 
believe that if ever there was a time for other politicians to stand up 
and be counted as someone who will stand up to common decency and all 
that's good in this world, and not someone who caves and gives in to the 
impending fascism, this time is now. British prime minister Theresa May 
is already failing. We should keep our eyes closely on those who don't.



[1]: See https://tecnoxamanismo.wordpress.com/2017/01/23/comments-on-the-ii-international-festival-of-technoshamanism-in-the-aldeia-para-pataxo-village/ 
for an encounter of such an attempt.

[2]: Same text in Portuguese: https://tecnoxamanismo.wordpress.com/2017/01/17/comentarios-sobre-o-ii-festival-internacional-de-tecnoxamanismo-na-aldeia-para-pataxo/

[3]: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/donald-trump-latest-hillary-clinton-lock-her-up-we-dont-care-us-elections-campaign-promise-a7467071.html

[4]: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-threat-seize-iraq-oil-reserves-cia-middle-east-us-president-petroleum-a7545106.html

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