Weissman writes: "No surprise, I back the protesters and feel sad that distance and a gammy lung keep me from joining in. Trump may - or may not - have won an Electoral College majority fair and square. But belief in democracy does not require us to endorse the decision of our fellow citizens or the scapegoating of immigrants and Muslims. We need instead to find nonviolent ways to resist Trump and the worldwide ultra-right he encourages."

Anti-Trump protesters in front of the Trump International Hotel in downtown Washington, D.C. (photo: Andrew Stefan/RSN)

A Call to the World: Boycott Trump's America

By Steve Weissman, Reader Supported News

19 November 16

�Give Trump a chance,� urge the would-be peacemakers. �Bring the country together.�

ot my president,� say tens of thousands protesting in the streets across the country. �No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here!�

No surprise, I back the protesters and feel sad that distance and a gammy lung keep me from joining in. Trump may � or may not � have won an Electoral College majority fair and square. But belief in democracy does not require us to endorse the decision of our fellow citizens or the scapegoating of immigrants and Muslims. We need instead to find nonviolent ways to resist Trump and the worldwide ultra-right he encourages.

Hundreds of ways to resist will emerge in the weeks and months ahead. One extremely creative idea comes from my Ramparts colleague and sometimes co-writer Frank Browning, author most recently of �The Fate of Gender.� Like so many of us, Frank is horrified. Why did so many Americans, whether personally racist or not, vote for someone who expressed so much bigotry, misogyny, and hate? And what can we do to force a clampdown on the post-election surge in hate crimes?

A native of Kentucky now living in France, Frank has asked me and several others to reach out to those beyond Trump�s national borders and ask them a simple question: Will you join us in fighting Trump�s politics of hatred by refusing to visit the United States? We call our campaign �Boycott Trump�s America.�

The initial target will be the American travel and tourist industry, in which Trump and his family play a leading role. International visitors to the US spent $216.9 billion in 2015, creating a $61 billion trade surplus. As with the historic boycott of apartheid in South Africa, this will unfortunately hurt workers, many of whom are immigrants. But similar to the tourist and business boycott of North Carolina following its notorious bathroom law, a sharp, well-publicized kick in the pants has and can put real pressure on the hatemongers behind Trump as well as on Trump himself. It also could lead to an even more extensive boycott of American goods and services.

How do we spread the word? Mostly though emails, social media, expat groups and leading publications around the world, and � soon � a website. We are not creating an organization. We are not asking for money. We are not breaking any laws, though Trump and the Republican-dominated Congress could soon change that.

Why should Europeans and others want to join us? Largely in their own interest. Trump and his newly appointed chief strategist and senior counselor ? Steve Bannon ? have been working closely with Britain�s anti-immigrant Brexiteers, especially Nigel Farage. A white nationalist and former boss of the hate-filled Breitbart News, Bannon has just sought an alliance with the �Le Pen women� and their neo-fascist Front National, while Trump�s victory has given an enormous boost to like-minded nasties across Europe. Boycotting Trump�s America will help Europeans and others fight against their own hate-filled ultra-nationalists.

What can you do? Wherever you live, click on our Facebook page and friend us to follow the boycott and the worldwide fight against the growing ultra-right. If you live outside the US, please add your name to our public declaration. Let the world know how you feel. Unless you need to care for a loved one, attend a funeral, join an anti-racist protest, or something else absolutely necessary, tell everyone that you will not visit Donald Trump�s America.

If you have suggestions or want to help in some specific way, please email us at boycott@orange.fr.

A veteran of the Berkeley Free Speech Movement and the New Left monthly Ramparts, Steve Weissman lived for many years in London, working as a magazine writer and television producer. He now lives and works in France, where he is researching a new book, "Big Money and the Corporate State: How Global Banks, Corporations, and Speculators Rule and How to Nonviolently Break Their Hold."

Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader Supported News.

Comments

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+51 # tswhiskers 2016-02-29 15:16

Your actions are all too understandable; living in the Bible Belt can be difficult for many reasons. I only hope that you will not leave the U.S. We need the jobs and services that you and your company provide. Surely up North or out West, say Oregon or Colorado, you will find more open-minded people with whom to start a business. Thank you for speaking up honestly about leaving GA and maybe the South entirely.

+5 # NAVYVET 2016-03-01 04:37

Philadelphia, PA welcomes you! Where universities provide ideas & employees, the cost of living, though risen, is still lower than in other big cities. Most of all, it's a city to respect for its visionary history, open-minded activism, and honest, loving ecumenical teamwork that includes all religions--or, if you prefer, none. Of course there are differences of opinion and a hostile state legislature. Much is needed to clean up our rusted infrastructure, an old Pay-to-Play political machine, the city police with their own white supremacist hate crimes and public schools which are a shambles of neglect & abandonment. But dozens of community groups recognize these problems and work for improvement! It's a city where every neighborhood has a lively Bernie grassroots group, plus political coordinating groups. We have a new liberal mayor. Social justice Quakerism makes its home here in the Friends Center, and Reconstructioni st Judaism, now a strong voice, was born in Philadelphia, befriending open-minded Islamic masjids. My own Unitarian Universalist parish is at the heart of justice activism, but voices for equity & tolerance now can be found in many theologically conservative churches & colleges. I've lived in 15 states, about 1/3rd in the Bible Belt, but also Hawaii (a terrific state but too expensive for me). Even with faults and problems, Phila PA is the best home for energetic activists! I've been here 20 years, 3 times longer than anywhere else, & don't want to leave.

+4 # economagic 2016-03-01 07:10

"Oregon or Colorado" -- choose the locale in either state only after careful research. Both have significant pockets of deep anti-everything -ism, especially around the Air Force Academy in Fort Collins!

0 # Nominae 2016-03-01 20:02

Quoting economagic:

"Oregon or Colorado" -- choose the locale in either state only after careful research. Both have significant pockets of deep anti-everything-ism, especially around the Air Force Academy in Fort Collins!

You advice is germane, even as your geography, (and that of your 5 "fans" on the green thumb bar), absolutely sucks.

Fort Collins is a highly progressive town, and the home of Colorado State University. Ft. Collins is 60 miles *NORTH* of Denver.

As one who claims to be a former teacher, it is hard to believe that this fact just plumb evaded you. After all, anyone can make a mistake, but isn't that what the internet is *for*? Aren't teachers fond of attention to actual facts ?

The freakin' *ACTUAL* Air Force Academy is located 71 miles SOUTH of Denver in the city of Colorado Springs. It is not only heavily populated by military, but it is an absolute MECCA for Evangelical Christians, who hold INCREDIBLE power in the community, and who have QUITE successfully invaded the USAF Academy, even when doing so is supposed to be against military regs.

So, yeah .... you can comfortably recommend Fort Collins, so that your correspondent DOESN'T end up in Colorado Spring !!

Talk about "out of the frying pan, into the fire" ! ;-D

Close, tho - the two cities ARE in the same State, but they are roughly *130* miles apart.

+39 # Ken Halt 2016-02-29 22:10

The Bill of Rights was created to protect minorities from the tyranny of the majority. Unfortunately the balance rests with the SCOTUS, and because of the quality of jurists appointed by the ascendance of conservatives since RR, civil rights have been eroded and corporate rights substituted in their stead. I am delighted to find the current demographic in the US much more tolerant and rainbow colored than the old white guys that have called the shots for way too long. Never thought that in my lifetime (I'm an old white guy) there would be such a strong and successful movement for feminist and LGBT rights. We are all brothers and sisters under the skin, there is room for all of us here, all preferences should be respected.

+24 # Farafalla 2016-02-29 23:49

OMG, Georgia. Dixie is Dixie. We should have finished the Civil War long ago and we wouldn't be coddling these "state's rights" racists and their pals, the religious fanatics. Deeply held? The only thing they hold deep is an abiding animus toward most of their countrymen.

I'm for a Supreme Court that defines citizenship as related to the whole country and not every little fuctup red state that wants to secede. Either our constitutional rights are protected or not. Hiding behind a misconstruction of the First Amendment does little to hide their hatred toward equality and justice.

-8 # ThorunnPS 2016-03-01 01:27

But of course, as a result of the company relocating, any number of presumably good workers will lose their jobs unless they are willing to relocate as well. Considering that this bill is unconstitutiona l and may well be reversed fairly quickly, I believe that this decision is precipitous and that the head of the company should sit on it for a while and see how the situation develops.

+8 # Scott Griffith 2016-03-01 02:46

My guess is that your correspondent ThorunnPS wants his comment to exemplify moderation and gentlemanliness , or something along those Southern lines. Allow me to indicate that there are times when such counsel is laughably inappropriate and this is one such.

+18 # NAVYVET 2016-03-01 04:06

Everyone who lives in the South and values personal integrity needs to read this article! And please read my comment, too: In 1957, the year I graduated after I was -- oh-so-politely and Southernly -- kicked out of the U of Florida for civil rights activities, I graduated with Cum Laude honors from Miami. It was a private school & cost money, and I had to go deeper into debt to pay off a scholarship that obligated me to teach in that disgusting state, where I'd be fired about 10 minutes after I opened my big mouth. To get away, I signed up for Navy OCS in March, as soon as I turned 21. (I'll be 80 in a few days!) Having been impressed with two women activists who'd been officers in WWII, I figured the military HAD to be better than living in the #$%^*& South! And it was more liberal, or I was too young and naive to see otherwise -- until the Vietnam war forced me to make another choice and resign in 1968.

PS: My parents had moved South only because Dad's company was sending its elder engineers to Sunbelt (Southern) states, thinking they'd prefer to retire there. But they detested Florida, too, never went to church -- dismally Fundamentalist! -- and as soon as Dad retired in 1965 they put their house up for sale. Florida is always in a dreary depression so it took 4 years, but finally they were able to move back North. Best move they ever made. They enlivened their rural Iowa town with liberal ideas & actions! GET UP AND GO.

+5 # Bruce Gruber 2016-03-01 05:40

Perhaps that "god" will slowly drown or storm the many for their self-righteous judgement, presumptuous misinterpretati on of the prophetic messengers enabled to think with their own minds, and inability to grasp the simplicity of the concept of being one WITH nature.

+9 # jcdav 2016-03-01 07:02

I'm rather suprized. in the 1980's I lived in Decatur. I had really great gay neighbors & Atlanta was about as gay as SF & NY....on the flip side prejudice was an undercurrent..w e moved back North when a neighbor child called another child (who was white) "nigger"...and I can recall a volunteer a Decatur Hospital trying to deny me access to my wife @ the birth of our son because our last names were not the same...I agree with your thoughts and decision. Navy Vet has a good suggestion, look @ PA if not Phl then the main line or Chester Co...we have it all.

+3 # Krackonis 2016-03-01 11:33

Come to Canada.... It's where the free people live.

+2 # Krackonis 2016-03-01 11:36

"It is my deeply held religious belief that Anikin Skywalker was the coming messiah.

We don't serve Christians and other non force users..."

"The Police of the Romans killed Jesus, we don't serve Police here"

"The Romans killed Jesus, we don't serve Italians here."

0 # Blackjack 2016-03-01 16:34

Let me assure you, SC is just as bad. If companies aren't leaving yet, they should. Unbelievably, though our Grand Dame Haley chose NOT to take federal money for Medicaid or for education, she had no problem holding both hands out for FEMA money after the October flood. . .which Obama graciously granted. And now our legislative hypocrites and the guv are gushing about all that "extra money."

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