How to survive
It's not about burying our heads in the sand
Here we go again… in about nine hours’ time, Donald Trump will be the President of the US for the second time, with plans to ban abortion, re-introduce the global gag rule, strip away trans and LGBTQ rights more broadly, implement tariffs based on tantrums, make ugly threats to invade Greenland, and god only knows what for Ukraine and international security. He will be served by an oligarch-controlled media and social media, the latter promoting disinformation, fascism and far right conspiracy, all designed to sow chaos, undermine faith in democracy and international law, with the promise of a strong man authoritarian as a resolution.
Happy 2025!
I have buried my head in the sand the last few months. I just can’t face another four years of having to care about every mad utterance or bizarre brain fart that emanates from the White House. I don’t want another four years of having to care about what Trump said about x, y or z, what horrific corruption or flouting of the international order he has committed.
But the problem is, we kind of have to care. Firstly, because despite this signalling an end to the era of US empire, the US remains the most powerful and influential country in the world, particularly in regards to the West/Global North region. And secondly, because as a citizen of the world, it is important we care about our fellow citizens whose lives are seriously impacted by Trump’s rule – whether that’s a teenager in Texas trying to get an abortion, or a teenager in Ethiopia trying to get an abortion when the global gag rule is in place. Ignoring Trump is a marker of privilege.
That said…
I think the way to survive the next four years is to focus on the Trump-adjacent issues you care about, and try not to get drawn into a media pantomime that marvels and exclaims at every utterance as though the old rules still apply.
The 2016-2020 period was marked by journalists and pundits treating Trump as if he were any other president but just a bit more flamboyant and eccentric. This led to an endless carnival of news that was all a bit “ohh isn’t he terrifically naughty” and therefore failed to predict an attempted white supremacist insurrection when he lost the election.
We cannot repeat this mistake. Trump is not a normal president and he should not be treated as such. So don’t spend the next four years getting caught up in a weird politico gossip cycle. Take what he does seriously, and do not get distracted by the bizarre things he says. Watch for the policies, for the threats, for the undermining of global order. Watch for the decisions and the alliances that destabilise the US and the wider world. And yes, call out corruption, misogyny and racism, the homophobia and transphobia. But rather than get lost in a whirlwind of outrage at statements, reckon with policy. See how stated transphobia, for e.g., leads to anti-trans policies and focus on the impact of that, not the “well that language is not presidential but let’s analyse to death where Trump fits in the presidential canon” chatter so that in the end, the actual policy harms get lost.
Similarly, turn your attention to affected communities. Fellow journalists: interview girls who can’t get abortions, platform LGBTQ+ voices, platform black voices, visit the places Trump is screwing over. Let’s get beyond political gossip and hear directly from those impacted by Trumpian politics. Audiences, put down your social media and turn off the chitter-chatter podcasts and read those stories!
My second survival tip is similar to that of blocking out the noise: focus on the issue. It’s a long-standing social media meme: “I’m bored of being an expert on vaccines, now I’m an expert on forest fires!” We cannot be across every single issue. We cannot be politically effective when we are lurching from one crisis to the next, never getting across the detail and always in reaction mode.
This does not mean you don’t care about the other issues or not recognise their interconnectedness. But for example, I am very knowledgeable about abortion rights. I am keeping a keen eye on what Trump will do on abortion rights – and I will do my best to cover it as a journalist and Substack writer, and work out ways in which to show solidarity and support those on the sharp end of anti-abortion policies (shout out to Mara for this article). Similarly, I care deeply about what Trump’s presidency means for Ukraine and will be following those developments closely.
That does not mean I don’t care about the climate crisis, or Middle Eastern security – I do, passionately, nor does it mean I don’t see how the attacks on abortion rights are intersecting with the attack on gender rights more broadly. It just means that rather than feeling overwhelmed by horror, I can see where my knowledge and experience is best used to challenge Trump-ian narratives, while following the work of those more knowledgeable and expert than me on other issues.
That last point is key. It’s not about burying our heads in the sand. I am not saying don’t read up on the Trumpian impact on other issues. Find the researchers, activists, writers, campaigners who work on those issues and listen to them. But let’s sharpen our attention. It’s the same as point one, really. Focus on the policy, not on the circus.
Also, if you are reading this in the UK, which is likely, remember there is very little you can do to affect anything happening in the US, but you can show solidarity with those working on the issues that matter to you.
Finally, while we absolutely should care about what happens in the US, remember there is a bigger world out there. UK media is obsessed with the US and this means we often fail to get news closer to home.
News closer to home is rarely good! I am not saying that we ignore the White House binfire and enjoy the lovely news from Europe, Africa and Asia. Things are grim everywhere. But as media consumers (and creators), we can broaden our outlook. What’s going on in Europe? Who are you reading about Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan? What is happening with democracy in India, and in Georgia? Listen to the World Service, read national newspapers from outlets that are not based in London and New York.
I say this not because the news is happy and shiny in these countries: it’s not. But one of the predictions for Trump’s presidency is that the US is about to become more isolated and insular. Those of us in Europe need to become more outward looking as a result. The US is no longer a stable ally. It cannot be relied upon for democracy or upholding international norms. So where do we turn for alliances, for solidarity? What does that mean for a reconfiguring of the global order? I don’t have the answers other than we need to have a more internationalist outlook and that can start by reading about what is happening in countries that don’t start with a Capital U full stop.
Will this work? Will I get caught up in an endless outrage cycle and exhaust myself by day three of the presidency? Yeah, probably.
But to recap, just in case…
Focus on policies, be aware and angry by outrageous statements but see those statements in terms of policy impact, not media gossip.
Put your energies into supporting/showing solidarity with the issues where you feel you can make some difference, while keep abreast of other issues by following experts and campaigners. Don’t bury your head in the sand, but don’t get political burnout either, basically.
There’s a whole world out there – and we are part of it. The news does not just happen in the US and the UK.
Good luck out there. We are going to need it.
Obligatory book plug
So back in 2016 when Trump last won the election, people (men) mocked me when I said it would mean the end of abortion rights as we knew them in the US. Now, I did not want to be right but I was right. That’s why you should buy my book on the global far right attack against abortion rights.
What I’m loving
Loving is absolutely the wrong subhead. Like a lot of women, I have found the revelations about Neil Gaiman really triggering for various reasons.
You can listen to the original Tortoise podcast, Master, by Paul Caruana Galizia and Rachel Johnson, here.
What I’m writing
Just one since my last Substack:
Musk’s posts on British grooming gangs are rooted in a far-right conspiracy
What I’m reading
The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver (only took me about 12 years to actually read it!)
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John LeCarre
Hercule Poirot’s Christmas, Agatha Christie
The Bells of Westminster, Leonora Nattrass
Lightborne, Hesse Phillips
The Seventh Floor, David McCluskey
The Painter’s Daughters, Emily Howes
Pity Party, Daisy Buchanan
Case Histories, Kate Atkinson
What I’m watching
I watched so many classic movies over Christmas, most of them re-watches to be fair, but new ones included Funny Girl, Blitz, The Courier, gosh I’ve gone blank, I’m sure I watched something else! As I said, lots of rewatches such as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Witness for the Prosecution, West Side Story, Death on the Nile, Little Women, Tinker Tailor…
That’s it for now. Let’s see if I actually stick to my survival suggestions. I doubt it, somehow…