by Jonathan Krall
We follow the daily news with a sense of horror. Some of us tune in to the Politically Reactive podcast, where two comedians help us make sense of the news. Recently, author Naomi Klein, author of No is Not Enough, appeared on that show to remind us that we must do more than simply resist the anti-democratic policies of the current White House.
She spoke about Trump’s “brand.” Trump, she tells us, is selling the idea that “winners” have no limits. They can act with impunity. Giving attention to his individual acts of lawbreaking and rulebreaking helps him build his brand. Instead, she suggests, we must identify and oppose the brand itself. We must direct attention to the moral black hole that that his brand represents. If oligarchs have no limits, then the rest of us have no protection.
Looking at the big picture, Klein suggests that we must present better, moral, ideas in contrast to those of white supremacists and oligarchs. Whether discussing healthcare, the environment, or civil rights, we must expose this simple fact: The Trump “brand” is the destruction of any and all protective safeguards, such as the Clean Air and Clean Water acts, that are the hallmark of civilization. Those of us who believe that government should protect citizens from, for example, poverty in old age, have a duty to act.
The podcast can be heard here. The Naomi Klein interview begins 23 minutes into the podcast.