Thomas Paine | Breaking Big Money's Grip on America

In December of 1776, in the midst of the American Revolutionary War, Thomas Paine famously wrote: “These are the times that try men’s souls.”[1]

Today, we are again in such a time.

Then, Americans were fighting for their independence from a foreign sovereign, the King of England. Now, we are struggling for our freedom from a domestic would-be king, Donald Trump.

Most Americans are familiar with at least some of the very long list of the president’s outrageous, corrupt, often criminal efforts to enrich himself and his family, dismantle the government, overthrow our democracy and establish an autocracy with Trump as the country’s supreme leader. While practically all the Democrats have been opposing many of his authoritarian initiatives over the past year, only a few Republicans have dared to resist Trump to various degrees.

Recently, however, more Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), have publicly objected to a few of Trump’s outlandish proposals. This past week, for example, Thume and other Congressional Republicans rejected Trump’s call to nationalize elections in at least 12 states,[2] undoubtedly all blue states.

While greater Republican opposition to Trump would help bring him down, the truth of the matter is that only the American people en masse can rid our nation of the grifter-in-chief now occupying the White House. If a three-time Trump voter can finally see this president for whom he truly is, and apologize for “supporting this rotten, rotten man,”[3] then there is still hope that we, the people will prevail over this poor excuse for a president. Still, the question is: Will enough of us rise to the challenge before it’s too late? Clearly time in running out.

But, as much as this is a question of Americans’ determination and courage, it is also one for soulful reflection. All of us must go deep inside and examine who we really are at our core and what we want for our country. Do we truly believe in, as Lincoln proclaimed at Gettysburg, “government of the people, by the people, (and) for the people”?

In addition to taking the time to march in the next No Kings protest on March 28^th, are we willing to sacrifice our modern conveniences and boycott Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, and the multitude of corporate vendors that have bowed down to Trump, in order to pressure them to support American democracy rather than Trump’s corrupt, self-serving regime?

Summoning all Americans to join in a national boycott of these corporate giants, NYU Professor of Marketing Scott Galloway explained:

…we must recognize that the president is unfazed by citizen outrage, the courts, or the media. He responds to one thing: the market. The most potent weapon to resist the administration is a targeted, month-long national economic strike — a coordinated campaign that attacks tech companies and firms enabling ICE — to inflict maximum damage with minimal impact on consumers. In sum, the shortest path to change without hurting consumers is an economic strike targeted at the companies driving the markets and enabling our president.

Professor Galloway has already begun a month-long national boycott of these major companies that are enabling the Trump regime. Check out https://www.resistandunsubscribe.com/.

Some argue that an economic boycott would be more effective if it targeted just one company at first to demonstrate the power of the people. And that we then build toward a general strike as we are successful in pressuring that corporation to abandon Trump and, instead, work to strengthen our democracy. In fact, that may be a better way to involve more people and have a greater impact.

In any event, if enough of us engage in some form of an economic strike, we, the people could turn our nation away from authoritarianism and back toward democracy. Discuss this with your friends and family. And go deep within.

What is your heart and soul calling you to do at this critical moment in our history?

Bruce Berlin, J.D.

A retired, public sector ethics attorney, Berlin is the author of Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America (See breakingbigmoneysgrip.com.), and his new memoir, From Camden to Kathmandu. (See bruceberlinauthor.com) He is the founder of New Mexicans for Money Out of Politics, a former U.S. Institute of Peace fellow, and the founder and former executive director of The Trinity Forum for International Security and Conflict Resolution. He can be reached at breakingbigmoneysgrip@gmail.com.

Subscribe to this blog at https://breakingbigmoneysgrip.com/my-blog-3/.

[1] https://ushistory.org/paine/crisis/c-01.htm

[2] https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/republicans-reject-trump-s-controversial-call-to-nationalize-voting-democrats-would-go-crazy/ar-AA1VBnFA

[3] https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-voters-regret

(My remarks at a solstice gathering a few nights ago)

Two Hundred and Forty-five years ago this week just after the winter solstice on December 23, 1776, Thomas Paine wrote:

“These are the times that try men’s souls… Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives everything its value.”

Paine was with George Washington and the Continental Army when they were defeated at White Plains and Forts Washington and Lee in October and November of that year. Washington’s troops retreated across NJ and into PA. Many were without shoes and sufficient clothing to protect them from the freezing winter. The dejected Continental Army then huddled along the west bank of the Delaware River on the verge of defeat.

But Washington was not about to give up. On Christmas night, December 25, 1776, the General led his ragged army across the icy Delaware River and embarked on a ten-mile march to Trenton, NJ, where they surprised and overcame 1500 enemy troops. A week later, they again prevailed at Princeton. It was a pivotal point that led to the defeat of the British and the birth of our nation.

87 years later, on Nov. 19, 1863, after one of bloodiest battles in our history, in the midst of the Civil War, Lincoln declared at Gettysburg: “that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people and for the people shall not perish from the earth.”

Now, recalling how our foremothers and forefathers persevered and overcame great diversity so that American democracy might be born and grow, once again our collective survival as a free people is being tested.

We are again in times that try men’s and women’s souls. We are being challenged to the utmost by the COVID pandemic, right-wing voter suppression, a fascist ex-president’s attempt to overthrow our government and global climate change.

So, as the winter solstice ushers in the radiance of the approaching new year, we have the opportunity, perhaps you might say, the duty, to open our hearts and spread the light of peace and love to all our relations, and to contribute whatever we are able, to the work of overcoming this pandemic, protecting our planet Earth and preserving our democratic way of life.

May this begin tonight with each of us.

Bruce Berlin