SLEEPWALKING “WOKENESS”
AND THE TRUMP/PENCE NIGHTMARE

by Bob Avakian

October 7, 2020 | revcom.us

“If fascism fully takes hold in the most powerful country in the world, this could lead to a catastrophe from which humanity may not be able to recover.” (This Is the Situation, These Are the Stakes)¹

Far too many people who claim to care about injustice and the destruction of the environment, and say they are working for a better world, still come up with ridiculous rationalizations for not recognizing—and not acting in the way necessary to oppose—the fascism of the Trump/Pence regime, and the very real and terrible danger it poses. Here I am going to speak to one of these ridiculous rationalizations.

Far too often, people who claim to be “woke” say that, since Black people have always been subjected to horrific oppression in this country, Trump is no different than other politicians, and there is no reason, and no need, to focus on opposing Trump and building mass mobilization to demand the removal of the Trump/Pence regime. This is like arguing that, since this country was founded in slavery, it makes no difference if slavery is brought back now! People need to understand that Trump is a genocidal racist.² He may not be trying to bring back literal slavery but he is definitely aiming to take this country back to a situation where overt white supremacy is blatantly promoted, codified in law and court decisions, and enforced through systematic, full-blown white supremacist violence.

This highlights the very real and important “wake-up call” that needs to be made, once again, to people who are ignoring the reality of what Trump is all about, and the terrible consequences of allowing the Trump/Pence regime to remain in power: You think you’re woke, but you’re sleepwalking through a nightmare.

Driving out the fascist Trump/Pence regime is urgently necessary. It concentrates the question of whether there will be any favorable basis for continuing the struggle against racist oppression and police terror and every kind of injustice and oppression, as well as the plunder of the environment. It concentrates the question of whether there will be a future—one worth living—for humanity.

Everyone who really cares about this needs to join those who are already in the streets, who are not waiting for an election that Trump is already stealing through an ongoing fascist coup, and instead are taking up the call from RefuseFascism.org for sustained non-violent mobilization, day after day, raising the demand that the Trump/Pence regime must be OUT NOW!

1. This article, This Is the Situation, These Are the Stakes, is available at revcom.us.  [back]

2. Donald Trump—GENOCIDAL RACIST, by Bob Avakian, is available—as a series of articles, and to download as a pamphlet—at revcom.us.  [back]