Why Arguments Are Not Enough
On dealing with Trumpism
In dealing with Trumpism and the right-wing movement worldwide, we are confronting a force that thrives on fear and division, gaining strength where its power to create fear and harm others finds fertile ground. While it is crucial to address the real problems we face—such as incomes diverging for decades and a dysfunctional political and media system—a purely rational approach will not be sufficient to counter the dangerous attacks on democracy—and basic decency—that lie ahead in the coming years, both in the US and in the West and worldwide.
Trumpism has spun toxic narratives that present even the most extreme measures, such as mass deportations or the imprisonment of political opponents, as reasonable solutions to its followers. In this distorted reality, facts are replaced by fictions, creating an almost impenetrable worldview that resists even the most sincere and thoughtful arguments.
While economic and systemic grievances affecting Trump's voters cannot be ignored, Trumpism taps into something far more dangerous: deep-seated, supremacist instincts. Black voters, who have overwhelmingly supported Kamala Harris, understand this dynamic better than most. Their support is not simply based on the fact that Harris is a Black woman, but reflects a long history of resistance to similar authoritarian and exclusionary tactics.
Even today, American society remains deeply divided along lines of ethnicity and gender, and Trumpism feeds on this division and its violent historical roots.
Let there be no misunderstanding: Trump's central message was never about being proud of one's own identity or heritage. That was Harris's message. His message is far darker: the belief that it is an inherent right of a Trumpist to inflict suffering on others. This ethos of dominance and retribution is what drives his success.
To counteract this, it is essential to set and protect clear boundaries—personal, social, legal, political, and ethical—and to utilize all necessary forms of peaceful resistance. Only then can we shrink this destructive force to its true nature: the cry of a frightened child desperately seeking validation and love.