Allan Nairn on Trump and Trumpism

Interviewed by Jeremy Scahill for The Intercept. Nairn is brilliant and fearless; always worth attending to.

Here’s a taste of sanity—and he’s a die-hard lefty; a real lefty:

So, the Democrats getting control of the House, and even more so the Senate, are absolutely crucial to stopping the rise of what really is, it’s already an extreme rightist movement that has control of the government, and what could become an incipient fascist movement given Trump’s own ideological inclinations. 

And one thing I think that’s necessary for people who consider themselves decent is to apply a principle. In Indonesia, there’s this saying [Allan speaks Indonesian], which means essentially, “have a warm heart and a cold brain.” 

So, when you’re dealing with something like politics, you have to think coldly and objectively. So, on the congressional level, you fight like hell to get a very good nominee. But if it so happens that the Democratic nominee in your district is a corrupt tool of the local corporations: Vote for him anyway, campaign for him anyway in this particular election, because that potential one-vote majority in the House, that potential one-vote majority in the Senate can save vast numbers of lives. It can make a difference in the entire future direction of the country. You have to be very calculating and tactical in seeing with clear eyes the political situation that is before us right now.

 (Here’s the Powell memo he mentions—worth reading.)