In Episode 56 of the CounterVortex podcast, Bill Weinberg takes stock of the evident reality that Trump is getting ready to steal the November election—whether by undermining the Postal Service, suspending the election entirely under pretext of the pandemic, or simply refusing to recognize the result and sparking a constitutional crisis that could potentially involve the military. The Transition Integrity Project, recently established to assess the looming dilemma, warns: “A show of numbers in the streets—and actions in the streets—may be decisive factors in determining what the public perceives as a just and legitimate outcome.” As the RNC delegates openly call for making Trump president for life, Weinberg examines examples from around the world where people are currently filling the streets to resist an illegitimate power-grab by a would-be dictator—from Belarus to Bolivia, from Hong Kong to Mali, from Thailand to Lebanon.
The question of whether the populace of the US can similarly rise to the occasion has been posed before. But this year’s nationwide protests over racial justice may bring us closer than ever before to the critical capacity to stop Trump’s impending putsch.
Weinberg emphasizes that such a movement in the United States must have no illusions about Joe Biden and the Democrats—noting that their platform (just for example) for the first time embraces nuclear power. On the contrary, a popular movement powerful enough to prevent a Trump power-grab must maintain the momentum to keep a Biden White House on the defensive, push for long-overdue reforms such as abolition of the Electoral College, or even a more truly revolutionary agenda. But the most critical task at this dangerous moment is to avoid a fascist take-over of the country.
Listen on SoundCloud or via Patreon.
Production by Chris Rywalt
We ask listeners to donate just $1 per episode via Patreon. A total of $30 per episode would cover our costs for engineering and producing. We are currently up to $25.
Photo: GGWash.org
Initiative to rein in Electoral College
An initiative called the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC) aims to defang the Electoral College by having participating states agree to award their electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote, regardless of what happens within their borders. Once 270 votes’ worth of states are on board, the theory goes, the winner of the popular vote is guaranteed victory. So far, 16 states, representing 196 electoral votes, have agreed to participate. (Willamette Week, On Point)