US ELECTION: The Real Fight Begins Now

(Adapted From a Twitter Thread)

Dear Americans,

The US presidential election has been decided. Donald Trump has lost.

Joe Biden will become president.

Take a breather, sigh in relief, get all of that stress, anxiety and fatigue out of your system, celebrate even if you want, I am not going to take that away from you. Have at it, gloat, laugh, do whatever you need to.

BUT AFTER THAT... once the energy has been released:

REMEMBER 1) Trump is a danger and he is not yet gone. He still has a few months to cause damage. Many of his followers are armed and dangerous. Many of them are in the military and the police. This still could get ugly. Remain vigilant please.

2) Biden and Harris are not great and will do their best to pretend nothing ever happened. The cries for a return to normal will be deafening. Many Democrats are already pretending that the move to progressiveness is/was irrelevant/unnecessary/harmful. Don’t let them. Don’t let them be lethargic so Trump (or another nationalist) can try again in 2024.

There’s a lot of work ahead. Both within electoral politics and without. Even outside of politics in general. In media, in community organizing, in culture, everywhere... I want to plead with Americans not to let it stop here. Remain vigilant. Take care and stay safe for the next few days/weeks.

Fight back against centrists and liberals who are set to underestimate the far right and make the same mistakes. Fight back against those who want to pretend that the pre-Trump status quo was fine and hamper positive change. Fight and never stop fighting. Stay strong and take care.

PS: Dear non-Americans,

I can only say this: Trump is something that may or may not have been possible in your own country, nevertheless we too should be vigilant. Right wing populism may be on the decline, but it is not done yet and it will very likely become more deceptive, more violent, more openly terrorist and a lot harder to fight as its influence falls. We cannot let this fight fall into lethargy. Do not take your lead from centrists and anyone who wants to pretend that the pre-2008 status quo can/should be restored, especially as the exponentially dangerous threats of an economic crisis, the pandemic and the climate crisis loom large.

What happens in 2020 will have consequences for a long time. The far right will use these consequences, as it has always done, to blame the marginalized, protect the exploitative and the corrupt and use the worst human instincts (distrust and fear of the Other) to discriminate and hurt people, all as a distraction from the big economic and environmental problems to which they have no real answers. Do not let them. Remain vigilant. Resist attempts to demonize people. Resist attempts to propagate simple solutions to complex problems and drive you into apathy and despair. Resist the system's attempts to grind you down, nullify positive change and fill your head with selfishness and distractions. Give solidarity a chance. The greatest feats of humanity could only have been achieved to through working together. Don't let them tell you that such things are not possible now.