America has voted. What Next?

Consistency is the universe's greatest amplifier. Going for a run on a whim is likely to leave you gasping for air after little more than a minute; run every other day for six months will see you run mile after mile after mile with no more concern than if you have too many running shoes (hint: no - there is always space for one more pair). Meditating once will be a process of scattered thoughts and frustration; even a few weeks of regular practice will improve the time you can sit gently alongside your mind. Learning a sport, musical instrument or dance is built around proper patient practice. We intuitively know that the more we do the same thing, the easier it becomes to do that thing. More than this - we are what we repeatedly do. Patient people are not patient by design but because they patiently and persistently practice patience. Inspiring speakers rehearse, incredible teachers revise, impressive gymnasts refine.

Maya Angelou delivering a speech for the Obama campaign in 2008. Image by Talbot Troy, CC-BY-2.0, Source in notes

The world has experienced one Trump presidency. Trump consistently rode rough-shod over the international norms of diplomacy, leadership and the truth. He showed disdain for those more intelligent and experienced than him. In place of policy, he offered scapegoats; in place of consolation, he offered threats; in place of solidarity, he offered division. Myriad commentators have condemned Trumps views as misogynistic, xenophobic, and homophobic. His consolidation of power has been characterised by a politics of 'othering' and hatred. His speeches, social media tirades and interviews have consistently attacked migrants and women, all the while cosying up to dictators and leaders with fascist tendencies.

As a group slides into authoritarianism, one of the first groups they come after are the artists. It is no surprise that whole swathes of literature are being banned in schools and libraries across the nation that likes to style itself as 'land of the free.' It is fitting, therefore, that Maya Angelou reminds us:

When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time. People know themselves much better than you do. That’s why it’s important to stop expecting them to be something other than who they are. Dr. Maya Angelou

We know what is coming. We must take Trump at his word and believe he will behave in much the same way as the 47th POTUS as he was when he was 45th. Many people rightly look on a world they view as fundamentally more threatening. Many will be feeling more fearful. Many will feel adrift.

How do we make progress on climate and biodiversity crises when the leader of the most powerful country in the world has pledged to 'drill, drill, drill'? How do we achieve security in Europe when Ukraine's largest military and economic supporter looks set to pivot to giving Putin what he wants? How do the champions of liberal democracy continue to raise living standards when the next incumbent of the Oval Occupant has openly flirted with being a dictator on day one of their presidency? It is all to easy to feel hopeless, but apathy and despair only serve the incoming administration.

But as fascism rises once again across the world, we can draw on the experiences, insight and words of those who faced it down last time. Those who saw the worst of humanity, and were neither cowed nor compromised but stood resolute, lighting a path of courage and resilience for those around them and, now, for us.

Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength. Corrie Ten Boom

America has voted. What next? If we were serious about making a fairer, kinder, more sustainable world, this vote changes nothing. There is still work to do and people needed to do it. Seasons inevitably change. Ideals and plans and possibilities will alter, fall away, or get closed off. As Dylan Thomas urged his father in his poem, we can meet these changes with an attitude of defiance. While a world under a Trumpian US executive may seem darker, we can 'Rage, rage against the dying of the light.' We cannot afford to be blinded by our despair; we join in the tradition of hopeful resistance.

Call to action - What's next for you?

Volunteer at a local charity	Stand for election
Donate money to a political cause you believe in	Start a blog/newsletter/social media channel
Start lobbying your local and national representatives	Join a political party/union/professional body
Sponsor projects or vulnerable people most at risk	Vote

Maya Angelou image at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Maya_Angelou_speech_for_Barack_Obama_campaign_2008.jpg#/media/File:Maya_Angelou_speech_for_Barack_Obama_campaign_2008.jpg