Donald Trump’s election as the next president of the United States of America demands that we re-evaluate our democracy and economic system. For all people who care about justice, peace, and a functioning society, a Trump presidency presents great challenges. But we MUST rise to these challenges, and we must begin today.
Trump’s ascent to the White House is, among many things, a horrific sign of a broken political and economic system. Powerful forces, with transnational corporations at the helm, have driven an economic system that benefits only a handful of people, while leaving the vast majority of people behind. Across the country, people have faced economic hardship and an uncertain future, even while the U.S. economy grows and GDP rises. The election results show us how deeply this economic crisis has affected almost all of us.
The hateful and divisive discourse by Trump is horrifying, enraging, and traumatic for so many of us. His scapegoating of immigrants, his racism, his blatant Islamophobia and anti-Semitism, his misogyny, and more is unforgivable.
In the days that follow, there will be volumes of analysis of this election. What is sure to come through is that Trump’s victory is rooted in the fact that this system is failing too many people across the country.
Corporate Accountability International’s day-to-day organizing and our mission seeks to overhaul our broken economic systems and create systemic change. We work every day toward a world rooted in justice where corporations answer to people — not the other way around. And a world where security is based on cooperation and community. Today, we recognize that our mandate just got stronger and our organizing is even more essential than it was yesterday. Our energy and drive for justice, equity, and inclusion are even stronger.
If ever there were a time to make sure that checks and balances in this country are in place, it is now. People and organizations who truly represent the common good must stand as a strong check to a Trump presidency. As Howard Zinn put it: “What matters most is not who is sitting in the White House, but ‘who is sitting in’ — and who is marching outside the White House, pushing for change.”
We must all push harder now for an inclusive society, one where transnational corporations don’t write the rules that leave so many people behind. Only by coming together, organizing together, and building together can we create a world where all people have access to clean water, healthy food, a safe place to live, and the opportunity to reach their full human potential.
The next phase of our work begins today.
