Advertisement

Naomi Klein's Call For An Unapologetic Trump Resistance

46:57
Download Audio
Resume

Liberal activist writer Naomi Klein says President Trump marketed his way to the White House. Now she wants to bring him and his politics down hard. She’s with us.

Naomi Klein. (Kourosh Keshiri/Courtesy Photo)
Naomi Klein. (Kourosh Keshiri/Courtesy Photo)

Lots of talk of resistance to President Donald Trump these days, from critics who see Trump undermining fundamentals of American democracy, decency. From critics who see him doing the opposite of helping America’s working class – the promise he made on the campaign trail. Right out front on the left in that resistance is Naomi Klein. Big liberal activist who warns we’re in for more shocks under Trump. This hour On Point: Naomi Klein on resisting Donald Trump, and what comes after. -- Tom Ashbrook

Guests

Naomi Klein, journalist, columnist, documentary filmmaker and author of, “No Is Not Enough: Resisting Trump’s Shock Politics and Winning the World We Need.” (@NaomiAKlein)

Joan Williams, professor at UC Hastings College of the Law. Author of, "White Working Class: Overcoming Class Cluelessness in America." (@JoanCWilliams)

Abigail Hauslohner, national reporter for the Washington Post. (@ahauslohner)

From Tom's Reading List

Boston Globe: If it’s all about the Trump brand, let’s jam it up — "Why does this matter? Because just as Trump sees his voters as consumers, his supporters see their president less as a representative from whom they have a right to demand accountability and more as a brand. That’s why the self-dealing scandals don’t stick: Trump is just playing by the same lucrative rules that have reshaped the global economy. He’s fully embodying his boss brand, making money wherever he can, getting the best possible deal out of being president."

Washington Post: Naomi Klein’s message to the anti-Trump left: You’re doing it wrong. — "But Klein argues that the left’s new call to resistance is insufficient on its own. She prefers a new kind of shock doctrine, one that capi­tal­izes on the crisis of Trump’s presidency to unite liberals in a radical and comprehensive policy platform — the affirmative counterpoint to her book’s title. A $15 minimum wage. A carbon tax. Demilitarization of police. Free college tuition. One hundred percent renewable energy. A Marshall Plan to fight violence against women. Reparations for slavery and co­lo­ni­al­ism. The abolition of prison. The abandonment of 'growth' as a measure of improvement. Hey, Trump is going for it all, so why not her side, too?"

Harvard Business Review: What So Many People Don’t Get About the U.S. Working Class — "Trump’s blunt talk taps into another blue-collar value: straight talk. 'Directness is a working-class norm,' notes Lubrano. As one blue-collar guy told him, 'If you have a problem with me, come talk to me. If you have a way you want something done, come talk to me. I don’t like people who play these two-faced games.' Straight talk is seen as requiring manly courage, not being 'a total wuss and a wimp,' an electronics technician told Lamont. Of course Trump appeals."

Read An Excerpt From "No Is Not Enough"

National Washington Post reporter Abigail Hauslohner joined us at the end of our show today to give us a debrief on the 'anti-Sharia' protests this weekend. Check out the segment here.

This program aired on June 12, 2017.

Advertisement

More from On Point

Listen Live
Close