Rise of an Opposition?

Rise of an Opposition?

As remarkable as the concept may sound after years of Democratic dysfunction, something akin to a two-party system appeared to take shape November 1, the week after Scooter Libby was indicted.

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As remarkable as the concept may sound after years of Democratic dysfunction, something akin to a two-party system appeared to take shape November 1, the week after Scooter Libby was indicted. Democrats forced the GOP-controlled Senate into closed session to discuss the status of a promised investigation into the Administration’s misuse of intelligence before the Iraq invasion. Minority leader Harry Reid thundered from the floor, “I demand on behalf of the American people that we understand why these investigations aren’t being conducted.” Majority leader Bill Frist absurdly accused Reid of “hijacking” the Senate. Frist’s fury was understandable–he and his leadership team are unfamiliar with the challenges posed by an aggressive opposition. Taking the Republicans by surprise proved to be smart strategy. The Democrats won the day, securing establishment of a bipartisan committee to examine charges that Intelligence Committee chair Pat Roberts has stalled the investigation. This success should embolden them to question the war and hold the Administration to account. Reid was slow to evolve from “minority leader” to “opposition leader,” but success might encourage him to retain the title.

We cannot back down

We now confront a second Trump presidency.

There’s not a moment to lose. We must harness our fears, our grief, and yes, our anger, to resist the dangerous policies Donald Trump will unleash on our country. We rededicate ourselves to our role as journalists and writers of principle and conscience.

Today, we also steel ourselves for the fight ahead. It will demand a fearless spirit, an informed mind, wise analysis, and humane resistance. We face the enactment of Project 2025, a far-right supreme court, political authoritarianism, increasing inequality and record homelessness, a looming climate crisis, and conflicts abroad. The Nation will expose and propose, nurture investigative reporting, and stand together as a community to keep hope and possibility alive. The Nation’s work will continue—as it has in good and not-so-good times—to develop alternative ideas and visions, to deepen our mission of truth-telling and deep reporting, and to further solidarity in a nation divided.

Armed with a remarkable 160 years of bold, independent journalism, our mandate today remains the same as when abolitionists first founded The Nation—to uphold the principles of democracy and freedom, serve as a beacon through the darkest days of resistance, and to envision and struggle for a brighter future.

The day is dark, the forces arrayed are tenacious, but as the late Nation editorial board member Toni Morrison wrote “No! This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal.”

I urge you to stand with The Nation and donate today.

Onwards,

Katrina vanden Heuvel
Editorial Director and Publisher, The Nation

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