What’s Coming This Weekend
The “No Kings” protests are back for another round this weekend, with marches planned in public spaces across the country. No one has put forward a clear policy agenda or a list of measurable goals. Instead the events look like collective venting sessions aimed at signaling displeasure with President Donald Trump and the people who voted for him. Expect signs, chants, and the familiar ritual of declaring a political opponent morally illegitimate rather than engaging with their ideas.
Jonathan Alpert Calls It “Bad Group Therapy”
Jonathan Alpert, a New York psychotherapist, wrote about the rallies and described them as “bad group therapy.” He pointed out how some participants treat emotion as proof of truth instead of a prompt for reflection. Alpert argues the protests trade debate for moral certainty. That helps explain why these events are heavy on symbolism and light on substance. It is therapy-style affirmation dressed up as political action.
Who Shows Up and Why It Matters
The crowd makeup Alpert noted rings true to many observers. These protests are often led by comfortable, educated people who feel personally threatened by political change. When a large group of like-minded people gathers, emotions escalate and nuance fades. Instead of persuading undecided voters or changing policy, the rallies mostly reinforce participants’ own beliefs while signaling virtue to peers. That is helpful for personal identity, but not for civic persuasion.
How This Changes Political Conversation
Transforming disagreement into a moral drama makes compromise harder. When politics becomes a performance of victimhood and villainy, the only options are moral purity or total rejection. That mindset makes normal democratic give and take impossible. It is not healthy for a republic where citizens must live with people who disagree and still work together on shared problems. Converting political differences into therapy sessions raises the stakes without offering solutions.
What They Accomplish and What They Do Not
These rallies do succeed at creating media moments and energizing a base that already agrees with the message. They fail at persuading skeptics, passing laws, or changing the course of policy. If the goal is to influence governance, show up to town halls, engage with legislators, and build coalitions. If the goal is to feel better about losing an election, a public group therapy session will do the trick, but it will not change minds or outcomes for the long term.
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