As the disaster that was 2025 circles the bowl, there is no guarantee that 2026 is going to be any better. The law of inertia notwithstanding, Trump is gonna Trump, and the people who have inserted themselves into the orbit of his second administration are hell-bent on destroying reproductive freedom, ensuring that poor kids get poorer, severing all ties with allies and establishing friendships with global bad guys, and …well … and so on.
But there is reason to hope.
Back in 2001, after the September 11 attacks, there were a few thought pieces that claimed that terrorism was self-limiting, almost like an especially deadly virus. If a virus works too quickly to kill its host, it has trouble spreading. If a terrorist attack is so ghastly that it rallies the population it targets, then the terrorists’ goal of destabilization fails.
To say the Trump administration is doing unpopular things is like saying the Titanic sprung a little leak. Public sentiment is so aghast at Trump’s actions that, as the New Year comes into focus, we can see a glimmer of light on the horizon.
More effective and inspiring Dems are throwing their hats in the ring. More of us are standing up. There is motion, heat, and the midterms are less than a year away.
But, pals, we can’t focus too intently on November ‘26. There is a lot of daylight between now and then, and so so much to do.
Watch Susan Demas and Edwin Eisendrath for their last weekly conversation of 2025. It’s a doozy.
And while you’re at it … why not subscribe to Lincoln Square? Membership is free, and your voice is just as important here as anyone you see on our shows.
