“Wag the dog” is an old expression which means that a small, unimportant thing or issue (the tail) overrides a larger, more important entity (the dog). But since the film “Wag the Dog” came out — very successfully — in 1997, it’s had a more specific meaning. In that film, the U.S. president distracts the public from a sex scandal involving an underage girl by attacking an innocent enemy, in this case Albania. His tactic succeeds.

While the nation of Iran is not wholly innocent — its ruler, the Ayatollah Khamenei, both oppressed his own nation and threatened others — the scenario is all too familiar. Recently, Pres. Trump and his so-called Dept. of Justice has come under increasing pressure to release ALL the Epstein files. Currently, the ones mentioning Trump have been redacted. What better way to distract than for the president to suddenly declare war? Many have transformed the military title of this attack, “Operation Epic Fury,” to “Operation Epstein Fury.”

Trump’s justifications for attacking Iran have varied tremendously in the last few days, ranging from pre-empting it from attacking the United States, to protecting Israel, to “advancing U.S. national interests,” to toppling the “lunatic” Khamenei. In the process, bombs have been dropped indiscriminately — the worst case known so far killed over 100 girls in their school. Trump’s government has no plans to protect U.S. citizens in the area. Thousands of them are striving to leave, but airports are closed and planes are not available.’

There is very weak evidence for most of these claims. Before the attacks, talks with Iran were ongoing and productive. Yesterday, Trump admitted that many of his preferred new leaders had been killed in the bombing campaigns. The Constitution of the United States gives Congress, not the President, the power to declare war. Unfortunately, in recent decades, presidents have pre-empted that power, claiming that an “emergency” exists and that it necessitates their immediate action. But that is not the case now. Instead, Trump’s actions most resemble that of many authoritarian governments. To strengthen their hold, they declare war, hoping that national pride and patriotism will support their regime. I deeply believe that is what’s happening now.

Are there any remedies? One would be for the Republican Congress to oppose the president. Given their previous actions, this seems unlikely. However, the approaching mid-term elections may persuade some to cater to their constituents, 80% of whom oppose this war, according to recent polls. Almost all Democrats oppose it.

And the fact that the population is against it gives us hope. Here, Minnesota has led the way. Despite the immense presence of ICE in that state, which led to at least two murders, Minnesotans organized and rebelled against those forces, which finally had to leave. A few weeks from now, on March 28th, the third No Kings March will take place. Organizers hope that it will be the largest demonstration in American history. May this happen and may it end this horrible war. You can easily find a group marching near you. Join it and make our opposition felt!

These two methods are how I’ve been coping.  Both are necessary for me to keep functioning during these hard times.

     First, protest.  This is valuable both personally and communally.  Personally, because it feels great to be doing something to combat Trump’s growing authoritarianism; communally because it’s wonderful to be taking action among like-minded people.

     The largest demonstration I’ve been to so far was “Hands Off” on April 5th.  Here in New York, so many people gathered that I couldn’t get into Bryant Park where it began.  We all marched down Fifth Avenue to 20th Street and whenever I looked forward or backward I saw an unbroken sea of people.  Many carried the “Hands Off” signs that had been handed out; other posters were individual and creative.  Among my favorites were “The Elephant in the Womb,” “Don’t Call Trump A Cunt – He’s Not Warm Enough or Deep Enough,” and “God Must Love Gays or He Wouldn’t Have Made Us So Cute.”  Everyone was friendly and helpful and of course we all were on the same side.

     I’ve been to two smaller demos this spring.  Both were downtown in Foley Square and both attracted a lot of participants.  The first was to champion academic freedom, as Trump had recently attacked both Columbia, which caved, and Harvard, which didn’t.  (I joked to friends that I never thought I’d be on the same side as Harvard.)  Participants were either young college students or old faculty as it was held during working hours when many middle-aged people were employed.  The second went from 5 to 7 p.m. and many more people attended.  They were not only of all ages, but also all ethnicities.  There were excellent speakers and for the first time, I heard AOC live –- she was terrific!

     My next protest, which I hope you will join, is No Kings Day on Saturday, June 14th.  This is Trump’s birthday and he’s planning to have a military parade to honor him in Washington which will cost millions of dollars.  There are hundreds of demonstrations against this folly planned throughout the nation.  You can easily find one by typing its title into your computer.

     For me, balancing these political actions requires escapism.  I need just to be frivolous for a while.  My two favorite methods are reading and television.  I read mysteries (which always turn out to be solved) and rom-coms, which display humor and love in equal doses.  On tv I adore “The Great British Baking Show,” which has nothing to do with my actual life.  They tried to do this program in the U.S., but Americans are too competitive;  in Britain, the bakers are so nice to each other.  I also loved “Madame Secretary,” which stars an empathetic female Secretary of State who (spoiler alert) eventually becomes President.  I also watch tv mysteries as well as Antiques Roadshow, which for me is the perfect soporific: I never take a sleeping pill; I just watch this show.  So this is how I cope and I hope these tactics help you as well.     

     For my longtime subscribers, my apologies for not having written a blog recently.  I was busy crafting a book proposal for Verso to publish my memoir, A Broad View of History: My Feminist Life.  This was quite difficult, as they wanted each chapter condensed to a short paragraph.  I kept remembering an adage of Benjamin Franklin’s that I used to tell my classes: “If I had more time I would have written you a shorter letter.”  The first publisher I sent my proposal to was, of course, the Feminist Press, but their portal asked for books by young, non-binary, women of color, so three strikes for me.  If you have any other suggestions of where I should send it, please let me know.  Thank you.