32 Comments
User's avatar
Denise Shipman's avatar

When Democrats are in control, if that’s ever possible with Republican gerrymandering, we must get new younger leadership and work on impeaching the 6 Supreme Court justices who sold out our democracy.

Expand full comment
Beverly Dale's avatar

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I can dream again about a working democracy. I too believe in Americans' "can do" spirit. We've been deliberately held down by the absence of federal vision. We've been mistrustful because of the distraction of culture wars. I love your visioning! May it be so!

Expand full comment
Chris G's avatar

Just remember what George Carlin said: “They call it the ‘American Dream’ because you have to be asleep to believe it.”

Nothing will change without a crisis, a very deep and severe crisis. Once that happens there will be an opening for major changes, but if the Left is not organized and prepared it could be a change for the worse.

The greatest force holding back the Left and disrupting its attempts to better organize is the Democratic Party. A party funded by the oligarchs of Wall Street, the Military-Industrial-Complex, the AIPAC Genocide Lobby, the for-profit Healthcare Complex, and the Big Tech Surveillance Complex, is never going to support the Left.

Only a disciplined and dedicated Party of the ‘Real Left’ will be able to mount a serious challenge to seize power at the right moment. The lack of any such Party today is not a very hopeful sign.

Expand full comment
Bruce Dickson's avatar

Corbin, surely you are aware of South Park's recent incendiary episode satirizing Trump. The cheap and easy form of animation they use would BE IDEAL to film your positive vision of Stewart, Warren, Bernie, etc.

Since I've followed you, I've wondered what content of yours could become a movie as David Sirota's idea became the movie "Don't Look Up."

If you need Hollywood contacts, when convenient, I encourage you to contact David Sirota on this. He and Adam McKay can support you getting a project off the ground. If useful I can volunteer too.

Expand full comment
mimisabel's avatar

I'm crying.

Expand full comment
Carl Van Ness's avatar

It begins by contesting every seat held by a neoliberal Democrat, but it's going to require much much more than that. In many places the Democratic brand is so toxic or the districts are so gerrymandered that a Democrat has no chance of winning. We need to be building non-partisan parallel organizations that can inspire people to run for office and organize labor unions and build mutual aid organizations. Here's a concrete idea. Let's take some of that $300B you talk about and create a network of payday lending institutions that will drive the payday lenders out of business, generate wealth in working class communities, and build political ties in those communities. Here's another idea. I've been reading a lot about the plight of mobile home dwellers. Let's beat the equity firms to the punch and create commonly owned trailer parks. We don't have to wait for your electoral revolution. In fact, that electoral revolution won't come without the parallel organizations that I speak of.

Expand full comment
Bruce Dickson's avatar

Carl, the current horse-race voting-ballot method preserves the status quo. How? It forces vote-splitting, the spoiler effect, if a progressive runs against two conservatives.

Numerous published election math papers agree STAR voting and Approval voting are the most democratic voting systems, far more than Ranked Choice (IRV). More colorful, accessible education here https://www.equal.vote/learn

Expand full comment
Bruce Dickson's avatar

Wonderful. Positive change begins with vision. This is a positive vision readers can see in their minds. Accessible positive visions inspire hope. Hope inspires action.

===============

This may also be useful. It’s inspires by Dan Froomkin’s Head’s Up News positive vision of 10 points for reconstruction after Trump:

10 points" about public street marches and demonstrations

Ideas to work with. Corrections invited:

1) Large public demonstrations are NOT AN END IN THEMSELVES. They can only ever be the BEGINNING OF A PROCESS.

2) Corporate-owned mass media is now about 90% of all media. Since early 2025, all reporting and photos of US and world mass street marches have been banned. Almost the only place to find photos and coverage of US demonstrations is now European media and AlJazeeera.com

Corporate-owned mass media treats our valid protests as demonSTRACTIONS.

3) If after participating in a street march, you do not also do something TANGIBLY effective; then, there is the sad chance you are merely "virtue signaling" not participating in reconstructing democracy.

4) Prof. Jen Mercieca is correct, "[If you are reading this] you are America. The government and policies you want are American. Ffor generations, the Right has been distorting who or what "America" is. Do not let them. Ceding the definitional battle cedes them the nation."

5) Jon Cooper is correct, "I don’t want a revolution of violence. I want a revolution of responsibility-one where we take care of each other, where people can raise a family without choosing between groceries and medicine."

6) After a street march, the minimum you can do, is to "Find the others" who believe in Team Human like you do (see Douglas Rushkoff TeamHuman.FM). Educate yourself on local issues, to threats to voting in your locality.

7) Remember the Serenity Prayer, “To know what’s mine to change, what’s not mine to change—and—wisdom to know the difference.” Ask yourself, "Around me today, what's mine to change for the better?"

8) more items from readers of Corbin Trent!

Expand full comment
John Whitehead's avatar

Corbin,

If you ever get tired of political activism, I think you could have a budding career as a novelist! 😊

I urged you, a week or two ago, to use your connections within the progressive ranks to convene a meeting to make your fantasy a reality - ie, to get the many disparate progressive grioups to put aside their individual agendas in order to unite around a national, top-line agenda. In your 4-part essay, you've laid out a way this might happen.

I don't know that Jon Stewart is the right person to lead the movement (our prior celebrity Presidents have not been great models for smart and enlightened leadership), but that is an issue to be hashed out when the progressive groups meet. Stewart is smart, charismatic, and principled, so I would not necessarily be against his leadership.

As I wrote you previously, time is short and the mountain we're trying to climb is high. We need to get started now! I'd like to help fund the effort, but you need to get the ball rolling. My semse is that there are A LOT of people who are willing and able to join the fight. You just need to make it happen.

Expand full comment
Mary Ann Vollbrecht's avatar

I’ve so enjoyed reading this and the previous ones. No mention of restoring

and protecting LGBTQIA rights, women’s bodily autonomy and rights. I would think amidst all the building we’d restore people’s basic human rights too.

Expand full comment
Bruce Dickson's avatar

Agree. Yet this "detail" "down in the weeds" comes later for sure.

Expand full comment
David Gullette's avatar

This is quite a dream. But as the poet says, "In dreams begin responsibilities."

Expand full comment
Jeff B's avatar

Outstanding👍🏼

Expand full comment
Beverly Dale's avatar

I am in total agreement with you. The economic system is skewering (and screwing!) the political system. I just figure it may be a stronger argument to argue FOR Democracy than it is to argue AGAINST capitalism. We have to do a major re-orientation and re-education on the benefits of Democratic socialism. And, if we don't do that the oligarchy wins! Sigh!

Expand full comment
Denise Swan's avatar

We need to piece meal these ideas and get them out these. The best read I’ve had in a long time.

Expand full comment
Rosemary Siipola's avatar

Just what I needed this morning. Obviously, we can do these things. Finding the courage will be key. Thank Yiu!

Expand full comment
Josh Conescu's avatar

It all makes perfect sense, and I don't believe it will ever happen.

It's why I'm watching less news and keeping my head buried in the sand.

I'm breathing through a straw - so far, so good.

-sigh-

Expand full comment
Arnold Karr's avatar

It'll be undone before that—and.the people who call themselves progressive Democrats are mostly corporate stooges, so they won't do nearly what the claim they will. If you've never watched Bulworth with Warren Beatty, it is the best takedown of the Democratic Party I've seen in a while.

Expand full comment
Beverly Dale's avatar

Sounds like you approve of a dictatorship. There is only one party trying to save democracy and it is not the Republicans.

Expand full comment
Tom High's avatar

We’ve never had a democracy to ‘save’, only the idea of one. The current iteration of the Democratic Party (since 1976) is, to a large extent, a collection of corporatist neoliberal whores.

Corbin is trying, through his dream scenario, to get beyond that.

But he, and you, and every other well meaning person who doesn’t fall into the apathy or authoritarian camp, have to understand that capitalism is the problem, and the thought that we can build our way out of this mess is an illusion.

Read this link, and understand the real dynamic at play - https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/08/21/weve-become-business-partners-in-the-apocalypse/

Expand full comment
TR's avatar

The old expression is appropriate here " If elections actually changed things, they wouldn't be allowed". Corbin is a great writer and dreamer but in the end, his view validates a system that was never (or at least in recent decades) intended to be a people empowered democracy. The puppet masters have designed a depopulation/control agenda that closely resembles the China model, but appears to be more dangerous. It is time to work, live and create a world we want in spite of these monsters who still have a "grip" but it's fading. Hopefully new constructs continue to appear to replace this "mule", which when dying, kicks the hardest.

Expand full comment
Bruce Dickson's avatar

FYI see my reply to Tom High above. See if it applies to your comment too :)

Expand full comment
Bruce Dickson's avatar

Tom, I looked at the Counterpunch link. The reason post like this have no longevity is--factual as they are--they are NOT SOLUTION-ORIENTED. The Counterpunch piece is part of what 1950s psychologists called the sickness of "ain't it awful?" detailing how bad things are. 1980s psychologists called this the sickness of TRAUMA BONDING. Both true.

What Corbin and a few others (John Nichols, Robert Reich, who else?) are doing is creating positive visions to replace the negative visions piled on top of us every day.

Expand full comment
Tom High's avatar

You cannot get to valid solutions without correct diagnosis of what is wrong, see Trump is the problem, or we have to save democracy, instead of Trump is a symptom, the rot is extensive, and capitalism is the reason.

The reason the post lacks longevity is 1) Counterpunch has a minuscule footprint in the media landscape as compared to the legacy/mainstream propaganda firehose that the government possesses, and 2) as long as we’re talking psychology here, trauma bonding can’t hold a candle to fear, of change especially.

Positive visions mean squat, just like Democratic Party proclamations that it cares for working people, unless backed by 1) acknowledgment of past sins, and 2) policy proposals which will actually fix what ails us.

Anything that exacerbates wealth inequality or increases corporate control (Obamacare), or doesn’t actually address climate change (IRA) is doing nothing but driving more people to the authoritarian side of the fence.

Expand full comment
Beverly Dale's avatar

You said, "Positive visions mean squat" but what counters that is the fact that Scandinavian countries have already worked this out - it is based on sharing the wealth and taking care of one another. I think as a culture we could benefit by a grand introduction of spokespeople from those countries that would have the effect of kickstarting our conversation that would start with, "Why not? If they can do it, why can't we?"

The argument that those are homogenous societies simply points out that, at the same time, this country has to deal with its horrendous history of enslavement and genocide on the backs (and brains) of those we have harmed and murdered. It is hard to move into an expansive problem-solving space if we need to keep shutting down this part of the (ongoing) problem in our history has historically fed and continues to feed the system.

Expand full comment
Tom High's avatar

Agree completely with your second paragraph here. As to the first, some of the Scandinavian countries are holding the democratic socialist line, but others, Sweden in particular, are backsliding under neoliberal pressure.

Americans, as a rule, don’t listen very well, especially to the notion that foreigners do… anything… better. We would be more effective by highlighting examples from our own history in which policy was geared towards the general welfare rather than the wealthy and corporations, most of which have been erased or altered by propaganda from monied interests.

Expand full comment
TR's avatar

Agreed Bruce, I often like their visions as well and of course, they're desperately needed to attempt balance for the horrid messages we're bombarded with daily (luv that "trauma bonding" term). I am however the ultimate skeptic of even these wonderful visionaries. Real threats to change this system designed solely by and for the elites since day one, has been historically met with (dare I say) annihliation in many forms. Thus Corbin and others can also be described as "controlled opposition". They're surely are not allowed a 15 spot on "60 Minutes"...if you get my drift...and "never" will unless we've actually have entered the world he so well visions. The whole govt.and services game is rigged (thanks Bernie) and so is the possibility of major change within it. Emerging subsistent/self reliant/connected populations is the solution and they're in progress in spite of the existing ugly paradigm...and need to be fostered in the "vision" as well

Expand full comment
Laurie K's avatar

I loved every word of your dreams Corbin! I cried because I don't know that it will come true. I'm 75 but still a bit of a romantic. I know the powers that be are so fierce and strong, and they wield so much destruction. I also know there is a very huge silent majority out there, and they would happily become builders. I hope to see the day the builders join together and exert their power. The key is the unity--in unity lies enough power to counter the destruction wreaked on our democracy. Thank you for pointing that out.

Expand full comment