PROJECT 2026: A Mandate for Leadership on the Progressive Promise

This book is a compilation of a series of blogs I wrote over the first year of Donald Trump's secondterm of office. The series was entitled, The World Is A Cruel Place For Those Whose Hearts AreEasily Broken. I knew that even if we survived 2025, we couldn't let things continue as they wheremuch longer. Whether by ouster, the 2026 midterms, or the 2028 presidential election, we must putan end to Trumpism. In many ways we are already too late; but in others ways, it is never too late.The blogs (chapters) reflect my many topics of interest. As a development economist, my heart is inAfrica, Asia, and Latin America. With multiple blogs on Gaza and Sudan, it is clear that not just myheart, but my soul is there as well. As a political and social economist, I've written on socioeconomicissues and policy. As a U.S. immigrant and dual citizen with Canada, I've written on immigration andTrump's cruel autocratic policies. As a mother of a daughter and her family in Norway, I've written inadmiration of Norwegian socioeconomic policy. As a grandmother of two white and two Blackchildren, I've written on white supremacy and racism. As a global author on matters pertaining tonationalistic populism, I've written of U.S. and European Trumpism. As an in-law of a Kenyan family,I've written about Africa.Most importantly, as a democratic socialist, I've written of my vision for the U.S. future. I am callingon progressives everywhere to work together to change the trajectory of a country rapidly becomingauthoritarian and undemocratic-a country abandoning allies and threatening a new and oppressiveworld order, a country that is dooming the planet and its climate, and a country that has forgottenany humanitarian impulse it ever had to meet the needs of the global poor whose plight has beenexacerbated by this country's exploitative policies, climate emissions, weapons, and wars. It is acountry predicated on contempt for the poor and systemic racism, both domestically and globally.I have ten policy proposals, realizing not everyone will agree on all things. I have some red lines, and afew are more pink. The proposals are: Affirmative Action and DEI, Criminal Justice Reform, FreePalestine and No Super PAC Financing, Foreign Assistance, Global Cooperation, ImmigrationReform, Public Education, Single-Payer Universal Comprehensive Healthcare, Social Safety Net, andTax Reform.New Blog - ProgressiveNow: