Mobilizing Against Trump in Week 3: Rebecca Solnit and Leah Greenberg | Start Making Sense
Feb 5, 2025
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Rebecca Solnit, a columnist and author, teams up with Leah Greenberg, co-founder of Indivisible, to discuss powerful grassroots resistance against Trump's actions. They reflect on how swift public mobilization led to the reversal of his funding freeze, emphasizing the importance of collective outrage. Solnit introduces her blog 'Meditations in an Emergency,' exploring resilience in activism. Greenberg shares Indivisible's strategies for organizing pushback against harmful nominees, illustrating how everyday actions can unite communities and amplify voices in the face of authoritarianism.
Grassroots mobilization through organizations like Indivisible is essential for challenging authoritarian practices and holding elected officials accountable.
Direct communication, particularly phone calls, is the most effective method for influencing lawmakers and ensuring public concerns are addressed.
Deep dives
Grassroots Mobilization Against Authoritarianism
Grassroots mobilization is crucial in responding to authoritarian practices, particularly those employed by Trump during his administration. Organizations like Indivisible play a pivotal role in rallying community action and holding elected officials accountable amidst increasingly aggressive executive actions. Their strategies focus on encouraging citizens to actively engage with their representatives by making phone calls, attending protests, and organizing local groups to create pressure. This collective action not only serves to resist potential abuses of power but also highlights the importance of civic engagement in safeguarding democracy.
Response to Trump's Funding Freeze
A significant public outcry recently led to the swift reversal of Trump's funding freeze memo, showcasing the power of organized resistance. The memo initially threatened federal support across various programs, raising concerns about the impact on essential services like education and healthcare. However, the immediate backlash from activists, including lawsuits and widespread communication with elected officials, prompted the administration to rescind the order within a day. This incident reinforces that collective vigilance can effectively challenge and limit authoritarian overreach, demonstrating that public sentiment can influence governmental decisions.
The Importance of Direct Action and Communication
Direct communication with elected officials, especially through phone calls, is far more effective in influencing decision-making than emails or letters. Phone calls provide immediate feedback to congressional staff about constituents' opinions, allowing officials to track public sentiment on urgent issues. Activists emphasize the necessity of engaging with Democratic senators to strengthen their resolve against the Trump agenda, indicating that persistent pressure leads to more substantial political action. By utilizing specific organizing techniques and constituents' voices, activists can hold officials accountable and ensure they respond to the public's needs.
Everyday Resistance and Long-term Commitment
Resistance to oppressive policies need not be limited to large-scale actions; it can also manifest in everyday interactions and conversations. Advocating for issues like reproductive rights, immigration reform, and climate justice can take place in routine discussions, thereby normalizing resistance against hate and misinformation. The belief that everyone can contribute to a larger movement is vital, as collective efforts, no matter how small, accumulate to foster significant change in society. Activists are encouraged to view every conversation as an opportunity to uphold their values and challenge the growing normalization of harmful ideologies.
Understanding our power: “If you’re always consumed by the next outrage, you can’t look closely at the last one.” (Ezra Klein) Last week, Trump tried to stop payment of all federal grants and assistance. But people rose up in protest, and within a day Trump rescinded the entire effort. How did we do it? What does that tell us about him--and about our power? Rebecca Solnit comments – her new blog is “Meditations in an Emergency.”
Also: Trump’s strategy of flooding the zone with executive actions is intended to paralyze the opposition. But there’s lots of grassroots mobilization underway right now, and one of the biggest organizers of that mobilization is Indivisible. Leah Greenberg will explain the group’s strategy and tactics -- and this week’s work assignments -- to get four Republicans to vote “No” on Trump’s four terrible nominees. Leah is one of the co-founders and co-executive directors of Indivisible.