The people of the USA are experiencing the equivalent of an invasion. The “enemy” is moving quickly, taking few prisoners, and aims to annihilate all opposition. It is stoking fear even though it represents, in this case, only a minority of the U.S. population. We had months, if not years, to prepare for this “invasion,” yet too many good activists and thinkers either believed that the return of the prince of darkness —and his MAGA followers — would never happen or that the threats inherent in this movement were simply campaign rhetoric. Worse yet were those who thought that sitting out the November 2024 election was an acceptable response to an unacceptable situation.

The response to the MAGA assault by the Democratic Party establishment has been mixed, at best. The “Squad,” of course, champions resistance, as do forces aligned with Sen. Bernie Sanders. Democratic state attorneys general are planning various important legal strategies. Many organizations ranging from the Working Families Party to the Sierra Club to the Service Employees International Union have been engaged in struggle against the attacks. That said, it is not enough.

Resistance to an “invasion” necessitates strategic coordination. It necessitates a cold assessment of our opponents, including both their strengths and weaknesses. It also necessitates a self-assessment and the recognition that this is an asymmetric fight. As such, we cannot combat our opponents using the same approach or resources they possess.

What needs to be done? Here are a few suggestions:

Noncooperation:  Do not give in to the impulse towards so-called bipartisanship; “…they go low, we go high…”; and fatalism. Not only was the November 2024 election a very close call, but the anti-MAGA forces remain the majority and the antics of the prince of darkness seem to be taking a toll. Resist!

Join or build organizations that are resisting: Standing4democracy.org, a group that I cofounded, is an example of an effort to focus on building a force among workers to combat the far Right and create broader coalitions to not only defeat the attacks but lay the foundation for a counter-assault. Get involved in an organization that is actually doing something.

The activities of any one individual organization are not enough:  There are countless organizations that are doing great work in the resistance, but they are largely doing it on their own or, at best, in some level of interaction with elected officials. To defeat the MAGA “invasion” we need strategic coordination. For instance, unions and other organizations need to be uniting together to get relief assistance to Los Angeles and the Southeast to help in the recovery from the natural disasters. The Republicans are attempting to put conditions on that assistance. NO!!  We need to have activities in every state supporting assistance. This cannot be done by one organization. We must join together.

Begin thinking about and drafting a program for the “Third Reconstruction”:  The term “Third Reconstruction” has emerged over the last 20+ years to signify the need for radical structural reforms that address social and economic injustices and the environmental catastrophe. Defeating MAGA necessitates having a program that not only points out the irrationalism of MAGA, but also points us in the direction of progress and rebirth.

There is no longer any time for mourning. The time now is for inspiration, resistance, courage and vision.

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This post originally ran on Progressive Hub