The results of this month's US elections left many of us feeling anxious, concerned, and despondent. The rising tide of the far right around the world can feel insurmountable and this latest election at the heart of today’s global Babylon will surely embolden those who seek to further weaken democracy. My immediate response to the US election result was catastrophising, thinking of the worst-case scenarios, and although we certainly must brace ourselves that this could occur, we are not left without options in how we respond.
The day after the election results were confirmed I woke up and went to put the bins out only to be confronted with a stunning sunrise, I spent time in prayer thanking God for glimpses of beauty and life amongst the brokenness of the world, I then spent an hour and a half walking the dogs, enjoying nature and making space to breathe. I do think that taking time to pray, meditate, and process the election result is an important part of our response but in this blog, I am not going to offer suggestions on how to do this. There are abundant resources available on prayer, reflection, and meditation which are far better than what I can offer in this space. So instead I want to present three ways that we can respond in our own contexts.
- Remain Committed to Truth
It is important to remain committed to truth and remember that just because a particular idea is popular does not make it right. In his book How Fascism Works Jason Stanley says this:
“Fascist politics replaces reasoned debate with fear and anger. When it is successful, its audience is left with a destabilised sense of loss, and a well of mistrust and anger against those who it has been told are responsible for this loss”.
We must call things what they are, Trump is an authoritarian politician and Project 2025 is a Christofascist policy platform. Just because 81% of white evangelicals voted for Trump and he won the popular vote does not change this reality. If we compromise on truth whether by falling for “blue anon” conspiracy theories or failing to properly call out Trump and the MAGA movement for what they are then we will risk being more susceptible to other brands of authoritarianism. We are not immune to the same failure of white American Christianity in not seeing the writing on the wall and allowing fascist politics and unreality to embed itself in its culture.
It is difficult to confront the true reality of things, it can be overwhelming to acknowledge the extent of suffering which exists in the world. Yet if we fail to face up to the world as it is then we cannot offer the solutions necessary for the freedom and flourishing of all. Part of our ability to be able to correctly identify the true state of things requires learning, we may not have ever thought we needed to learn about the patterns and behaviours of authoritarian leaders, considering it a thing of the past, but the most recent US election has provided us the necessary apocalypse to reveal to us why we should prepare for what could await us. Here are some books which you might find helpful:
- On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder.
- Surviving Autocracy by Masha Gessen.
- Christofascism Essay by Dorothee Sölle.
- Strongmen: How They Rise, Why They Succeed, How They Fall by Ruth Ben-Ghiat.
- Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future by Jason Stanley.
- Prophet Song by Paul Lynch (Fiction)
- Organise, Organise, Organise
We hear it all the time as a general call to political action that goes beyond the ballot box but political organising is the foundation of healthy democracies which are resistant to fascism. Whether through strong trade unions, politically engaged and aware religious institutions, community engagement, or movement building, we need to organise to be able to defeat the threat of authoritarianism. It is not enough to accept electoral and party politics as the means and end of political change. Organising not only helps us overcome hopelessness it helps us practice the skills necessary for resistance if authoritarianism was to come to our door.
Organising does not require a degree in political theory or a common political language to be able to succeed. What is needed is an awareness of the material issues which affect people in their day to day lives and a desire to change those things using whatever means we have available to us. Movement building does not start with national campaigns, general strikes, or international solidarity, it starts on your street, in your Church, in your workplace. If your neighbours regularly complain about the state of the communal garden, then organising might look like getting in touch with the council and local organisations to make the space usable and enjoyable. If your colleagues are being systematically targeted through disciplinary proceedings at work, then even if union recognition is beyond your capacity being trained as a union rep and representing your peers is a great place to start. If your university is refusing to divest from the arms trade and fossil fuels, then getting involved in the university societies actively campaigning for divestment is an excellent way to learn how to organise.
From potholes, to foodbanks, to community gardens, workplaces, education, and religious communities. Organising starts with listening, and it always ends with action. Sometimes the end result is not even as important as the process. Engaging your community, friends, and colleagues in acts of organising enables you to develop the skills necessary for winning in the future, it builds the community solidarity required for when the world of authoritarian politics comes crashing into your neighbourhood, it makes the vision of a new and better world feel that little bit closer. So where do you start when it comes to organising:
- Start local. Find organisations and groups you can get involved with near you.
- Learn from others. Find someone who is already organising and join in.
- Stay focused on the material conditions people face. For example, there is no point organising a protest against Trump in the UK (unless he visits), far better to organise against the rise of Reform and the far right in general. To counteract this we need an awareness of the conditions leading people to be more susceptible to far right politics.
- Check out Organise Now for resources on organising in your workplace.
- Get involved in Hope not Hate for anti-fascist campaigning and organising.
- Take part in some of Sabeel Kairos’ actions to show international solidarity with Palestine.
- Do not Obey in Advance
In his book On Tyranny, Timothy Snyder says this:
“Do not obey in advance. Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do.”
Giving up hope and capitulating to a sense of powerlessness is exactly what the authoritarian leader wants. When you feel that organising, protest, and political engagement do not achieve anything then you leave the door open for the repression of these types of action. It may not be a task we necessarily want to do, and we may not feel qualified but resisting authoritarian politics is the unfortunate task that this generation has been landed with. I can completely understand Frodo in the Fellowship of the Ring when he said that “I wish it need not have happened in my time”. But maybe all of us need to hear Gandalf’s response again "So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
If you have not already then do check out SCM’s podcast series on Christian political action and the accompanying blog posts. The podcast series can be found wherever you listen to podcasts by searching Student Christian Movement Podcast or listen to the first episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Some of the blogs that would be worth having a read of include:
- An Introduction to Political Theology
- A Brief History of Theology and Democracy
- Subsidiarity and Local Politics
Written by William Gibson. William is currently training for ministry in the Church of Scotland alongside studying for a PhD at the University of Glasgow.