Forget all the “Protests don’t matter” and “No Kings is just silly” nonsense.
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First of all, the Trumpists’ key assertion is that they represent “real America,” that the November election was a referendum that installed Trump as the tribune of “the people.” Anything that helps to dispel such notions – especially in the minds of mainstream elites – matters.
Secondly, a broad coalition is needed to defeat Trumpist authoritarianism. In thousands of places, Americans are coming together with their neighbors in a communal effort that creates a shared experience beyond strategic or ideological disagreement. That matters.
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Secondly, a broad coalition is needed to defeat Trumpist authoritarianism. In thousands of places, Americans are coming together with their neighbors in a communal effort that creates a shared experience beyond strategic or ideological disagreement. That matters.
Finally, the No Kings protests can be part of an effort to, as cringe as that may sound, reclaim patriotism from the Right. Too long have rightwingers been allowed to drape their grievances in the nation’s collective symbols and present themselves as the guardians of the national mythos.
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Finally, the No Kings protests can be part of an effort to, as cringe as that may sound, reclaim patriotism from the Right. Too long have rightwingers been allowed to drape their grievances in the nation’s collective symbols and present themselves as the guardians of the national mythos.
This is where the slogan “No Kings,” in all its simplicity, is effective. It is a reference to a founding myth – but mobilized in defense of democratic self-government, as an affirmation of democratic aspirations, even if America has certainly never fully lived up to them yet.
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This is where the slogan “No Kings,” in all its simplicity, is effective. It is a reference to a founding myth – but mobilized in defense of democratic self-government, as an affirmation of democratic aspirations, even if America has certainly never fully lived up to them yet.
This is also how the (perceived) “normie” character of the No Kings protests becomes an asset. Too long have rightwingers been allowed to present themselves as “real Americans” and deride everyone who dares to dissent as “abnormal.”
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This is also how the (perceived) “normie” character of the No Kings protests becomes an asset. Too long have rightwingers been allowed to present themselves as “real Americans” and deride everyone who dares to dissent as “abnormal.”
But all (small-d) democrats in America must dispute this claim of “real American” normalcy and replace the repressive norm of white Christian patriarchal dominance with a promise that the expected norm is an acceptance of pluralism and diversity in all spheres of life.
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But all (small-d) democrats in America must dispute this claim of “real American” normalcy and replace the repressive norm of white Christian patriarchal dominance with a promise that the expected norm is an acceptance of pluralism and diversity in all spheres of life.
The chasm between the traditional Republican assertion of representing “normal” America and the assortment of extremists, fraudsters, and weirdos in positions of influence and power has become brutally stark. It is time to pounce.
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The chasm between the traditional Republican assertion of representing “normal” America and the assortment of extremists, fraudsters, and weirdos in positions of influence and power has become brutally stark. It is time to pounce.
Will it work? I don’t know. But it is certainly better than preemptively conceding ground to the Right’s claims that they deserve disproportionate power as representatives of “the people.”
It is time for (small-d) democrats to assert their right to define what “real America” should be going forward.
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Finally, the No Kings protests can be part of an effort to, as cringe as that may sound, reclaim patriotism from the Right. Too long have rightwingers been allowed to drape their grievances in the nation’s collective symbols and present themselves as the guardians of the national mythos.
@tzimmer_history I don’t think this is cringe at all. Huge swathes of Americans are fundamentally patriotic- they want their country to be something they’re proud of. I think it’s been a huge strategic error for the Left to allow the Right to define what that means over the last 40+ years. Reclaiming that is a critical part of building something lasting.
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Will it work? I don’t know. But it is certainly better than preemptively conceding ground to the Right’s claims that they deserve disproportionate power as representatives of “the people.”
It is time for (small-d) democrats to assert their right to define what “real America” should be going forward.
@tzimmer_history Yes, even while purity testers mock doing protests without boycotts. Oh, what if they go to Target for supplies?
More important is "no, the normal people are saying this is wrong." -
@tzimmer_history Yes, even while purity testers mock doing protests without boycotts. Oh, what if they go to Target for supplies?
More important is "no, the normal people are saying this is wrong."@tzimmer_history We can also talk about the shopping choices at teh protest....
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Forget all the “Protests don’t matter” and “No Kings is just silly” nonsense.
Protests matter. Societal resistance has been hardening. It’s a massive problem for the MAGA regime.
And “No Kings” is crucial as part of an effort to dispel the idea that “real America” stands behind Trump.
https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/a40ac673-b42b-4108-9756-feeae62ca5e8
@tzimmer_history
I'll be heading my local protest today. You can't form a resistance without getting organized and protests are the breeding grounds for organization. -
Forget all the “Protests don’t matter” and “No Kings is just silly” nonsense.
Protests matter. Societal resistance has been hardening. It’s a massive problem for the MAGA regime.
And “No Kings” is crucial as part of an effort to dispel the idea that “real America” stands behind Trump.
https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/a40ac673-b42b-4108-9756-feeae62ca5e8
@tzimmer_history great thread! Very clearly and compellingly conveys how these protests matter.
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Forget all the “Protests don’t matter” and “No Kings is just silly” nonsense.
Protests matter. Societal resistance has been hardening. It’s a massive problem for the MAGA regime.
And “No Kings” is crucial as part of an effort to dispel the idea that “real America” stands behind Trump.
https://steady.page/en/democracyamericana/posts/a40ac673-b42b-4108-9756-feeae62ca5e8
@tzimmer_history
A great way to meet other people who share your interest in saving the planet & civilization. -
The No Kings protests in the fall of 2025 did not change anything in any immediate, tangible way. It was a highly symbolic affair. But that doesn’t relegate the protests to the status of an ephemeral blip. I believe they mattered for three main reasons:
@tzimmer_history History proves these demonstrations help to provide a catalyst for change. MLK Freedom marches and women protesting for the vote in front of the White House are two examples. History also shows those in power inevitably describe them as smaller than they were, delusional, and ineffective.
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