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ON Saturday, October 18, massive public protests against the existence of Donald Trump and his neo-Nazi regime were held across the US in what was dubbed “No Kings” day. It was the second “No Kings” event, the first one having been held in June, and followed similar events called the “Free America Weekend” over the Independence Day holiday in July, and the “Good Trouble Lives On” protests later that same month.
This latest mass demonstration was the largest yet, with rallies in approximately 2,700 cities and towns across the US, the US territories of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the US Virgin Islands, a few cities in Mexico and Canada, and about 20 other foreign cities, mostly in Europe. Organizers claimed that more than seven million people turned out for this weekend’s rallies, and while there may be some uncertainty about the exact figure, it was unquestionably significantly larger than the previous events.
On a side note, how big of a schwantz do you have to be to inspire ordinary people in foreign countries to rally in the streets to express how much they dislike you? The answer is, as big as Donald Trump, whose reaction to the weekend’s rallies was as immature as one might expect. While members of his government filled time on right-wing media outlets ranting about “antifa” and “paid protestors” (neither of which are things that actually exist), Trump posted an AI-generated video to his Truth Social network, depicting him flying an F-16 fighter jet while wearing a crown, and bombing protestors with liquefied excrement.
That Donald Trump deserves to be the target of angry demonstrations is indisputable. He is the literal definition of the Antichrist, for those who follow evangelical Christian beliefs (if you’re inclined to challenge that assertion, I’d suggest you read the Book of Revelations before you attempt to do so), and has filled the US administration with sycophants whose racism, sexism, and utter lack of moral or ethical standards are matched only by their astonishing stupidity. In less than 10 months in office, Trump and the clown orchestra he directs have destroyed the American economy, destroyed America’s global influence and leadership, and pushed the country to the brink of civil war. He, and everyone associated with him, needs to be removed from the real world – locked away for the rest of their miserable lives, at a minimum, with Trump himself subjected to the fine old Roman tradition of damnatio memoriae.
The protests over the weekend were remarkably peaceful, jolly even; there were very few reports of anyone even being arrested for misbehaving, and no reports of any sort of violence or clashes with police. The sheer size of the protests was remarkable, too; even if the number of participants was somewhat below the estimated seven million-plus, they constituted the largest single-day demonstration in US history. Everyone who participated or helped to organize local events is enthusiastically patting themselves on the back for a job well done.
The frustrating thing about it all, however, and the reason I cannot find it in myself to be too impressed by the mass display of public sentiment, is that there is no indication of what the intended result is. Do Americans want the Trump regime removed and replaced, or are they just hoping that national-scale chastisement will compel him to change his ways and conduct the business of the nation in a law-abiding and respectful manner? Or was it all just for the sake of catharsis – a mass need to vent, and to reassure one another that other people also think this guy sucks?
Do Americans really think they’re going to spark change – change that is going to have to be more drastic the longer it waits – by conducting a revolution on a convenient schedule?
Even if one embraces some of the ideals championed by the right – and I know some who do – ideals such as extreme nationalism, closed borders, economic protectionism, minimized social safety nets, laissez-faire government regulation, one still cannot rationally support the Trumpist approach to administering the country, because it is unsustainable. If left unchecked, it will lead to a catastrophic collapse, which is why no other country – looking at you, Mr. Marcos – should be doing business with the US until the current regime is displaced, lest they be dragged down with it.
But the problem is not going to be fixed until a critical mass of people in the US actually do something. Americans have had roughly 150 years of soft comfort, relatively speaking, and it shows; the revolution, so far, is the laziest one the world has ever seen. As embarrassing as it has become to be an American in the age of Trump, it is even worse when the world sees how little conviction those who claim to want a return to basic humanity, respect for law, and a place in the world community are applying to those ends.
***
I hate to break this to you, America, but out here in the world, they’re leaving you behind. I gig President Marcos for his unwarranted tolerance of the current US regime – for example, this government and the US just signed some other kind of defense cooperation agreement concerning the South China Sea, on the occasion of US Defense Secretary Reinhard Pigseth’s brief visit a couple of days ago – but on the other hand, the Philippines has made agreements with Canada, Japan, South Korea, some of the EU countries, and is courting others such as India and Pakistan. Every other country on this continent is doing the same thing; they treat Trump or any of his henchmen like the ill-tempered toddlers they are, butter them up with empty flattery so they go away happy, and then do business with everyone else. America is not taken seriously, and it won’t be for a very, very long time, maybe ever.
And what are you all doing about it? Playing by legal and moral rules that you should already clearly understand by now mean absolutely nothing to the other side, if you’re doing anything at all. And most of you aren’t doing even that much; the more enterprising among you have instead turned online rage-baiting into a business, and herald how many Substack/YouTube/Instagram/etc. subscribers you have as if that somehow constitutes action to take back your country. Yes, as someone in the media business, I agree that it is important to keep a record of what’s happening, expose the lies, and preserve the truth. But that’s a means to an end, not an end in itself, if you really give a damn. And I’m starting to think most of you really don’t; after all, what happens to your business model when Trump is gone and democracy is restored?
If all of this pisses you off, good. If I’m doing my job, maybe I can make some of you actually mad enough to fight back. Make it costly and dangerous for the MAGA regime and its cult following to exist. Or don’t. It’s up to you. But don’t expect anyone else anywhere else to respect you if you make the wrong choice. The planet doesn’t need America – if there’s anything this sorry experience of the past year can be described as positive, it’s been watching the rest of the world (or most of it, anyway) understanding that and coming together. Not without America, but in spite of it.
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