How do we combat the Trump regime in ways that promote systemic radical change? As part of Three Way Fight’s ongoing effort to address this question, we want to highlight the new pamphlet, Naming the Moment: Revolutionary Strategy in a Time of Crisis, by the Emergency Brake Collective and available from AK Press. This work grows out of a process of discussion and collaborative writing by an ad hoc group of radicals starting in early 2025. I participated in the later stages of this process, which involved many Signal chats and Jitsi meetings.
The pamphlet spans 66 pages and is divided into four sections. “Characteristics of the Crisis” traces the socioeconomic roots of our current dilemma, starting with the decline of U.S. empire and the rise of neoliberalism. “The Power Elites, the Mass Movement, and the Emerging New Order” gives an overview of the political and economic factions that make up the Trump coalition and the fault lines that represent some of its points of vulnerability. “The Radical Left Today” examines the dynamics of major radical movements of the past quarter century and some of the key leftist forces currently active. “Paths Forward” offers recommendations for an overall strategic approach, specific issues to focus on, and organizational forms with the most liberatory promise.
In that last section, a passage that I helped to write argues that “our radical strategy must undermine Trumpism’s appeal by addressing the legitimate grievances that Trumpism seeks to exploit” (60) an approach that challenges both far-right politics and liberal anti-Trumpism’s call to defend American capitalist “democracy.” The passage outlines several potential organizing themes that have the potential to weaken Trump’s popular support, including widespread economic precarity, the artificial intelligence industry’s massive growth, broad-based opposition to war, the Epstein files, and healthcare. Part of the challenge is to frame each of these issues in terms of combating systemic inequality and to oppose the supremacism and conspiracist scapegoating around which the far right builds its phony solutions.
Naming the Moment is intended as a discussion document, not a program or manifesto. The Introduction states, “While as authors we mostly find ourselves to be in political agreement, we don’t agree on every analytic point, or even on all the points raised in this pamphlet. Rather than trying to resolve every issue, we have allowed tensions to stand, believing that political disagreement arising from shared principles can be a source of strength” (6). The pamphlet also has significant limitations. For example, there’s a lot more needs to be said about labor issues, gender analysis, and the relationship between U.S. and international struggles. However, I believe Naming the Moment represents a useful contribution that can help move our analysis and strategic thinking forward.
For related initiatives, see the Three Way Fight posts “What the F*ck is to be Done?” and “Two Takes on Radical Strategy in the Time of Trump.”