There is no silver lining when it comes to the election of Donald Trump. The violence of his speech — targeted at muslims, migrants, women, and disabled people, to name but a few — marks a fascist turn that must not be accepted as the new normal.
And yet, as the global counter-mobilisations surrounding Trump’s inauguration make clear, he could act as a powerful unifier for the left, both within countries and internationally. But the potency of such a renewed left will depend on two key factors.
First, it matters who is in the alliance and who is out. Many people are shocked and disturbed by the rise of Trump, stretching from the radical left all the way to the liberal centre and seeping into parts of neoliberal right. And that’s not to speak of the many people who wouldn’t fit neatly anywhere on this ideological spectrum but feel uneasy about Trump and his presidential campaign. Bringing together this broad opposition movement is necessary, inevitable, and to some extent desirable. But for this opposition to be effective and just, the line will have to be drawn somewhere: not everyone can be invited to the party.
