The resistance: Washington DC and London
We need love and solidarity in the face of violence and chaos
I’ve just returned from three days in Washington DC, attending a conference called Principles First. Its significance was made evident by a visit from the ex-leader of the Proud Boys, released recently from prison, followed by a bomb threat that required us to vacate the conference space while hotel security, the Metropolitan Police, and the Secret Service investigated.
This note is short, simply to share a few links and videos while I put together a summary of what I learned, and where we go from here. I’ll also be publishing this week a piece on Train Time about what we can learn from Amtrak about what Elon Musk is doing to the US government.
The Guardian covered the bomb threat and the harassment of the January 6th police officers who were among the speakers: “Bomb threat sent to anti-Trump conference singles out officer who tangled with ex-Proud Boys leader” and “He believes he is the law”. Here are the men who defended the Capitol and whose speaking up today makes the Proud Boys so angry.
The Guardian describes Principles First and the summit as “anti-Maga conservatives.” But many of us were independents and Democrats. One of the first things I heard from the stage on Saturday morning was a shout-out to Kamala Harris, met by loud applause and cheers. And in the final session, former Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger said that he would gladly, if asked, run for office as a Democrat.
Now to London, where I took this photo in April 2022 on a walk the morning I arrived. I just happened to pass the Russian Embassy and stood there with tears in my eyes. The question on the bottom sign seems prescient: “If we do not stop Putin, what city will be next?”
At the same spot on Monday, the third anniversary of the invasion by Russia, Ukrainian supporters were making another bold statement.
Recommended reading
Naturally, the question to ask is what the prospects are for united resistance to what the current administration is doing, here and abroad. Anne Applebaum is probably the single best writer on this subject (though there are others who are also excellent). She writes a newsletter, and is the author of Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World as well as a lovely cookbook, From a Polish Country House Kitchen: 90 Recipes for the Ultimate Comfort Food.
