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
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.
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