Or, Before What-do, What-want.

So, left leaning types, we’re screwed. Oh, man are we ever fucking screwed. We’re about to be ruled by an ancient, stupid, rapey bigoted toddler who’s going to make another unholy mess of everything. Those of us who survive will be, naturally, expected to clean his mess up for voters who will, and we know this, be ungrateful as fuck and all too eager to make another mess right away. It’s all too natural in this situation to be pissed off, scared, sullen, and wondering what the fuck we should do.

And to be clear, I’m feeling all of those feelings. Trump supporters should be glad that The Force isn’t a thing, because I’ve got enough anger, fear, and aggression to Sith Lord all over their asses.

But before we build our Death Star and perfect our Force Choke, I have a suggestion. Let’s take a step back and ask what we want the world we’re trying to build to look like. What definable features should it have? How will it get us out of this rotten dynamic where we’re constantly reacting to and cleaning up after dipshit reactionaries?

For me, big picture, I want to live in a country that uses its wealth not only to make sure that everyone here gets the essentials they need, but also gives everyone a taste of the good stuff–paid vacations, a work week short enough that people have time and energy for their hobbies, families, friends, and communities. I want a working world where everyone can collectively bargain not just for their wages and benefits, but also for a say in how their workplace functions and what its goals are. I want us to respect and honor that immigrants thought enough of the country we’ve made to come here and contribute to it, make it easy for them to do that legally, and make it so shameful to scapegoat them that our nation’s assholes keep that shit to themselves. I want to break the racism, misogyny, homophobia, and transphobia so that everyone can move through the world with the unfettered ease of white dudes. I want to live in a country that admits not only that it has fucked up, but that it has, for most of its history, been fucked up. And finally, I want a country where the wealthy and powerful are allowed neither immunity nor impunity and pay stiff penalties for their crimes. Oh, and they need to either pay their fucking taxes or they’re obliged to become Batman.