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Arundhati Roy’s “Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing” (as quoted by Anne Lamott in an opinion article [1]) are words that nicely express hope amidst today’s chaos. Hope is a sentiment that has been sorely missing for many of us. But while hope matters, it is not in itself a strategy.
The Trump administration brings the opposite of hope to country and world. And the administration is pursuing its agenda largely unopposed by either party. In particular, as a recent NYT Editorial Board correctly points out [2], the Democratic leadership appears distressingly oblivious to the party’s highly dangerous (and self-inflicted) disconnect with large segments of the electorate. Democratic leaders seem to hope that the storm will pass, and voters and normalcy will return. In that hope, they fail to realize that Democracy itself is at risk. This is not a mere ‘hic up’ but rather a dangerous trend.
We have long been trapped in a false political dichotomy: No two, and just two, political philosophies capture our many and sometimes nuanced differences as a People. And the lack of choices favors divisiveness, extremism, and ultimately authoritarianism. Authoritarian regimes are too often installed by voters; once elected, they shift away from the very democratic rules that led them to power. If this sounds familiar, it should be: We are living it!
The problem is global. But the US is at the epicenter. This administrations’ gutting of the federal government is one of its strategic steps towards totalitarianism. The deconstructing of the Constitutionally mandated separation of powers is another. And the third step is disrupting geopolitical alignments, to weaken global support systems for democracy.
It is not too late to change course. But while we would do well to avoid panic [3] and retain hope, creative thinking and decisive action are urgently needed. It all starts with strategic coordination.
Opposition Cabinets are a form of shadow government institutionalized in many countries, inspired by the British model. As already recognized by some [4], we need an Opposition Cabinet–here and now. Forming one is a task worthy of true leadership. Making it effective is even more challenging. Can Democrat leaders muster the necessary will, courage, savvy, discipline and pragmatism?
As I argued earlier [5], the charge should be clear: “(1) keep elections free; (2) hold the Trump administration to account, politically and legally; (3) selectively develop and effectively communicate alternative policy positions; and (4) build a broad electoral coalition for 2026, inclusive of [Democrats], independents, Trump-opposing Republicans, and minor parties.”
The aim should be more than pointwise opposition to totalitarianism—although that is sorely needed! An Opposition Cabinet should strive fully for a more perfect Union. As in: “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” [6]
Words to truly live by—if we are principled, determined, and strategic enough to deserve it.
— Antonio Baptista
Correction: “Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing” are words of Arundhati Roy quoted by Anne Lamott in her opinion piece [1]. In the original version of this article, I incorrectly attributed the authorship to Anne Lamott.
Links:
[1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/03/25/spring-politics-democrats-buds/
[2] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/29/opinion/democrats-strategy-2024.html
[3] https://outoftheboxblog.org/2025/02/20/one-month-in/
[5] https://outoftheboxblog.org/2025/02/25/needed-an-opposition-cabinet
[6] The U.S. Constitution: Preamble. See, for example: https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/preamble/
Outside the box 
Thanks Antonio for this insightful piece. How can we maintain hope while each day our country is dragged into deeper and deeper disarray? To remain hopeful, we must see an effective response from Congress and the judiciary (most importantly the Supreme Court). That response must protect rule of law, separation of powers, and the ideals that have shaped the United States. Unfortunately, it is not apparent that these institutions are up to the task. And so, we and the rest of the world watch as the USA self-destructs and destabilizes the imperfect efforts of the post-WW2 era.
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