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I HAVE FINISHED grieving. In the midst of 35 hours without sleep, I processed what had just happened in my native country. A convicted felon who in an undamaged system would be behind bars, out of business, or banned from political office is returning to the White House. This time, rather than trying to hold power in a coup attempt, he had succeeded legally with the support of almost 73 million voters.
Upon his inauguration in January, that man will not serve the US system which he was elected to represent, but will serve one person: himself. Seeking vengeance against all his imagined “enemies”, he will try to co-opt or even tear down that system.
He will try to deny women their rights, rail against minorities even after courting them for their votes, and threaten the deportation of millions. With no coherent policy or even ideas, he will use those worried about their economic futures as cannon fodder. Abroad, he will sacrifice the people of Ukraine to his friend Vladimir Putin, and court the favour of autocrats rather than long-standing allies.
I grieved for all of this. And then on Thursday, I stopped.
It’s time to saddle up and ride, folks. Time to reclaim decency, respect, tolerance and an entire country — and to bolster my new home in Ireland by doing so.
Inevitably, as the Trumpists celebrate and mock those whom they dislike, there has been much navel-gazing and finger-pointing on the other side. Some have turned their grief upon Kamala Harris, some upon Joe Biden, some upon the Democratic “machine” and the spectre of “big donors”, some upon “celebrities”.
Reflection is necessary. Even on the Trumpists’ loudest themes of the economy and immigration, the Harris campaign could claim progress: a sharp fall in inflation, a steadily growing GDP, historically low unemployment and a 77% decline in undocumented immigration across the Mexico border this year. But those facts were swamped by the sentiment of “feeling” and the Trumpist spectacle of carnage and invasion.
Perhaps more importantly, attention must be paid to the issues that should have but failed to bring out key blocs of voters. As expected, women preferred Harris by 10 points over Trump, 54%-44%, whereas men supported Trump by the same margin. But six million fewer women than men cast ballots, and despite Trump and the Republican’s assault on their reproductive rights, more young women — 40% in 2024 v. 33% in 2020 — voted for him.
Contrary to a lot of chatter in the press, Black voters stayed loyal to Harris by a margin of 86%-12%. However, in what may have been the election’s “tipping point”, 45% of Hispanic voters — defying Trump’s insults of them and their countries of origin — voted for him, up from 32% in 2020.
So, yes, a lot of contemplation is needed. But contemplation does not knee-jerk suggestions of giving up campaigns for rights and equality because Trumpists stigmatise them as “culture wars”. It does not entail superficial references to “centre” v. “left”. It does not include ceding ground on the necessity for investment in a green economy; on rights and justice being part of the address of immigrants, refugees and asylum-seekers; or for the security of those threatened by invasion abroad.
Almost eight years ago to this day, working for a UK channel, I sat in a soulless hotel room in Guildford, England. I covered the ascent of Donald Trump to the Presidency through lies, vulgarities, stalking of his rival and even a helping hand from the Kremlin.
I thought then that my “America” was lost. But as Trump took the country through chaos, shutdowns, division and impeachments, as he sacrificed Americans to Covid-19 and his ego, I watched those Americans who would not accept defeat. I saw them embrace community. I saw them exercise compassion. I heard them call out the insults. I saw them comfort each other as they had to grieve.
So here we are again, with the stakes even higher than in 2016.
I won’t indulge in the platitude “darkest before the dawn” because I cannot be sure — no one can be sure — that there will be a dawn this time. The damage may be too grievous, the invective too entrenched.
But I keep with me the mantra — coined in the first weeks of the Trump dystopia in 2017 — “Nevertheless, She Persisted“.
And in my pockets are the words of James Baldwin, persecuted for his colour and his sexuality by the Trumpists of another era:
I can’t be a pessimist because I am alive. To be a pessimist means that you have agreed that human life is an academic matter. So, I am forced to be an optimist. I am forced to believe that we can survive, whatever we must survive.
Saddle up, folks. Let’s ride.
Scott Lucas is a professor of International Politics at the Clinton Institute, UCD and editor-in-chief of EA WorldView.
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And how much will church pay?
The church should pay the entire bill
I believe that the Religious have a strangle hold over the Health and School System; it is very unlikely that the Government will take legal action against their Landlords? As far as I know they still haven’t finished paying their agreed share from the 2002 Indemnity Deal to pay for Abuse in the Irish Industrial Schools
Surely the bill should be sent to the Vatican?
That’s an insult to these women. You’d be waiting for the Vatican to pay until kingdom come. Give them they’re money and let them get on with their lives.
Correction. State to pay €250,000.
The government gives 638 euros of our money to Africa every year. Where do it go ? Who gets it? They even saw fit to give 7 million euro to Libya. 250,000.? Insulting !
The Irish Psychiatric Profession should also apologise to Magdalene victims.
The Psychiatric profession colluded with the Catholic Church in incarcerating thousands of innocent Irish Women and Men for ” unacceptable, deviant behaviour” – ie. being a Single Mother or being a Homosexual in the Fifties and Sixties. Many lives were ruined by these guys ordering Lobotomies, Freezing Insulin Baths and Electric Shock Treatments on many healthy people.
When will the media scrutinise the numerous abuses by Consultant Psychiatrists ? We know of several cases involving these so called pillars of the Community locking innocent people up in return for large cash payments . They remain above the Law and when they get a diagnosis wrong, the unfortunate patient has no opportunity for redress. They intimidate and bully. Have any of these arrogant elitists ever apologised for the sins committed in the name of their professional research ?
We now know, thanks to great work, by the late Mary Rafferty that these abuses were/are still happening recently in Waterford and other Institutions. Doctor Dennis Lane O’ Kelly has been named in the excellent RTE documentary, ‘Behind the Walls’. Yet those who knew about this and other abuses are still employed by the HSE. Do these experts on all aspects of human nature really expect us to believe that they knew nothing about the sexual abuse of vulnerable people being instigated by one of their colleagues, Dr. Lane O’ Kelly ?
How much did the state give to the soldiers who were actually paid to do their work …..
That should read we give 638 million euro to Africa every or rather our government borrows and gives this huge amount on our behalf. Charity begins athome and 250,000 is a derisory sum
The catholic church should pay the bill. It sickens me that womens rights were violated in this way. Did the european union know this was going on? How did they get away with it
250,000 Given to this unheard of Centre, before the 3 Month audit of need they seem to think is required!! WHY??
On closer Scrutiny this Centre Does Not Exist??
Funding of Survivors Groups in Ireland has been very Controversial! Have they Learned NOTHING?
No doubt it will be London Based, as if there are only Survivors in London?
This is the Group that will receive the money http://www.irishsurvivorsuk.org.uk/
If this money is to paid immediately to a Project that does not exist?
For needs that haven’t been assessed yet?
I would like to know
“What Fund/Budget is this Money to be drawn from?”
HELP US MAGDALENES WHAT WITH A CUP OF TEA OR COFFEE ..I DONT THINK SO ITS A SHAM ..TO SUDDENLY CROP UP WITH NO HISTORY ITS A SUSPICIOUS ORGANISATION ..I FOR ONE WILL SKIP IT I CAN MAKE MY OWN TEA ..WHERE HAVE THOSE DO GOODERS BEEN WHEN SOME OF US LAY DYING FROM OVERDOSES AND ON LIFE SUPPORTS ..WHERE WERE THOSE DO GOODERS AND SO CALLED COUNCILLARS ..WHEN WE NEEDED THEM …I DONT WANT THEM NO THEY CAN SUCK IT UP BUTTERCUPS
can someone in the Irish Government pray tell just WHY ?? is that Woman in London getting another lot of funding £250,000 for a service THAT DOES NOT EXIST??? are they all insane
it is from the compansation that was supposed to be for the survivors, this Group in London and other so called Groups in the UK and Ireland surported by the irish State have been recieving Funding using survivors names saying they surport survivors and offer services to them ,(NOT ) those so called Groups are only interested in keeping themselves and their friends in their well paid JOB’s >While the real survivors have been IGNORED and BULLIED into SILENCE , they help survivors > Pig’s might Fly. It’s another CON
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