While the Democrats and the media are doing everything to conceal from the population the danger of Trump’s unfolding fascist coup d’etat, the response to recent videos posted by the World Socialist Web Site on social media has revealed a desire in the working class to draw the lessons of history and fight back.
A 30-second video of a teacher speaking out against Trump, posted on October 1, has been viewed over 199,000 times on Facebook as of this writing. It’s been shared over 2,800 times, liked/loved 13,000 times, and it has generated over 700 comments.
In the video, a WSWS reporter speaks to a history teacher outside of a union event in Detroit. “I think people need to study their history,” the teacher says, “and look up what is a dictator, what is authoritarianism, what is an oligarchy, and compare it to what’s going on today. They’ll see it’s a playbook and it’s being played.”
Our reporter then asks the teacher about a general strike, to which she responds favorably, citing recent strikes against pension cuts in France.
Among the major social media platforms, Facebook has the highest percentage of working-class users, and many of the hundreds of comments below this video express strong agreement with the teacher, including explicit support for a general strike.
For example: “I like the idea of everyone going on strike.” “Let’s do a general strike now!” “Strike sounds good to me.” and “A General strike would be good, why can’t that happen?”
Some commenters focused on the need to learn the lessons of history, with special emphasis on Nazi Germany: “Read a little about how Germany was taken over in WWII. It’s very plain to see the comparisons.” “Read about not just the holocaust, but the events that led up to it.” “That play book is Mein Kampf.” “It’s Hitler’s playbook.” “The only way to save ourselves and this country is to really have an understanding of history, how these things start and how we can stop it together!”
Another video of a mother of a special education teacher in the Detroit area, posted on social media on September 30, now has over 35,000 views across Facebook, TikTok and Instagram. She speaks with great urgency about the need to fight Trump. “We’ve got to band together and do something, or there’s going to be nothing left,” she says.
She calls for shutting down the schools and a strike, as well as throwing out Trump and his whole gang of fascists. She then reads part of a letter she wrote to the union president, which refers to the fight waged by Norwegian teachers against the Nazification of the schools in 1942.
The many comments on this video reveal strong agreement among a layer of workers and young people who want to fight Trump: “Do it!!” “You are right, the time is up.” “I love this idea” “I’m with her-Trump’s MAGA thugs are a joke!” “Stand up and fight! Trump needs to go!!!!” “SHUT IT DOWN.” “We must fight like hell to drive Trump out ASAP or we’re done! Trump is the enemy within!” “Look at what Nepal did to their authoritarian government. The USA can do the same.” “Bravo. I would donate to the strike fund.”
While right-wing “bots” promote reactionary politics in comment sections online, these commenters supporting a general strike, opposing the oligarchy, and extolling the lessons of history are real people expressing the genuine sentiments that exist among masses of people.
A third video of a Dana auto parts worker in Toledo who speaks out against Trump, posted September 23, now has over 490,000 views on Facebook, with 43,000 likes/loves, 4,000 shares and 51 comments.
In it, our reporter asks, “What do you think about the working class carrying out a general strike to drive [Trump] out?” The worker responds, “I agree with it. We should do something. He needs to be gone.” And who does Trump speak for? “The rich!”, she says.
The comments: “Say when.” “She’s absolutely right! 100 pct!” “All in let’s do it!!!” “I’m in her camp.” “Trump needs to be impeached now and removed ASAP. He belongs in prison.” “Trump is strictly in it for his own self interests and his billionaire buddies.”
These videos have found an audience, despite political censorship on social media, because the opposition expressed in them is shared by millions. Growing numbers of workers and young people want to fight against Trump’s dictatorship.
The World Socialist Web Site fights to give this opposition both a voice and a socialist political perspective. Follow us on social media and share our videos and other material widely.
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