The day after the Trump election, the New York Times wrote: “America stands on the precipice of an authoritarian style of governance never before seen in its 248-year-old history.” For many, the results of November 5th confirmed the view that we are in dark times. So, the big question is: what are we going to do? We can wallow in self-pity and depression, or we can find kindred spirits and organize and form alliances to not just resist the repression to come but promote progressive causes. As writer Rebecca Solnit says, “Not acting is a luxury those in immediate danger do not have, and despair is something they cannot afford. But despair is all around us, telling us the problems are insoluble, that we are not strong enough, our efforts are in vain, and no one really cares.” Hope, Solnit says, counteracts cynicism and pessimism.
Naomi Klein is a professor in the Department of Geography at the University of British Columbia, the founding co-director of UBC’s Centre for Climate Justice, and an Honorary Professor of Media and Climate at Rutgers University. She is a columnist for The Guardian. Her articles appear in leading publications around the world. The New York Times says, “She is that nearly extinct breed of activist: one who never stops questioning orthodoxies and interrogating her own beliefs.” She is the award-winning author of such bestsellers as This Changes Everything, No Logo, The Shock Doctrine, No Is Not Enough, and On Fire. Her latest book is Doppelganger.