Ritchie Torres is just one rep and afaik not one with much power, but he’s known nationally for being an over-the-top Zionist. Defeating him might just be symbolic but I think it would a mistake to disregard symbolic victories. They absolutely matter.
It’s like with Zohran, even if he’s stymied and isn’t able to accomplish much, just someone with a class-conscious platform enjoying electoral success means something. It shows people are hungry for change and are more open to our ideas about class and society. And a symbolic win can give a good morale boost to all of us and help in all facets of the work we are trying to do.
Of course there are non-negotiables. If someone who identifies as a socialist is able to win material improvements for their constituents, that is good for us and building class consciousness. Someone who identifies as a Socialist makes some pro-Zionist comments? That is bad for us (and evil ofc) and there absolutely needs to be consequences. I just cannot vibe with the stark black and white thinking around electoralism that some of you have.
There is so much work to be done here in order to build the class consciousness necessary to be the foundation of revolution. Avoiding the political sphere (or any sphere) is intentionally ceding ground to our class enemies.
I just cannot vibe with the stark black and white thinking around electoralism that some of you have.
I don’t have a problem with electoralism, I have a problem with self-described “socialists” who make the decision to run as candidates for non-socialist parties. There are actually socialist parties they could run for, there is no excuse for this shit.
I’m going off of a thread I read here yesterday about how he intends to maintain current NYPD numbers and to conduct a thorough line by line audit of the department of education budget to find waste to cut.
No this wasn’t it and when I tried a cursory google search I got the same thing. Sorry I don’t have a source for you but the thrust of it was Mamdani did an interview and said the NYPD would be fully funded and the DoEd would be thoroughly audited for waste. The argument here was whether or not that meant cuts and I think it’s pretty clear it does.
I should have saved the link but the latest bernard acting like the latest bernard is very unremarkable at least to me.
These meager and disappointing gains have and only will turn people away.
Some folks will gain class consciousness sure, but then they will become demoralized when the object of their support proves ineffective in an electoral system designed to please private interest, and placate the public into passivity- not push material conditions to new heights.
Even if the purported best case scenario takes place- and material conditions improve for the average person, we will be worse off.
Mass class consciousness in the united states can only be born of political unrest, and that unrest will not come easily if americans are comfortable.
We are not to do nothing however, for now it’s best that we continue to grow our own circles both locally and nationally, agitate, and be ready to pull people out of the future’s rubble- taking advantage of what is clearly inevitable: amerikkka’s self destruction.
It’s best we continue to grow in our own circles… be ready to pull people out of the future’s rubble
I don’t think it’s crazy say that in the time of the largest wealth disparity in U.S. history and housing affordability crisis, that an unapologetic socialist actually freezing millions of people’s rents for years is what pulling people from the rubble looks like. Removed from the fact it happened as a result of electoralism, that would be hailed as an enormous victory for base building opportunities in all other scenarios. I think that’s exactly why Zohran rode a meteoric rise to success. Electoralism is not the final answer, but it is one of many tools, and we’d be stupid not to use it
Ritchie Torres is just one rep and afaik not one with much power, but he’s known nationally for being an over-the-top Zionist. Defeating him might just be symbolic but I think it would a mistake to disregard symbolic victories. They absolutely matter.
It’s like with Zohran, even if he’s stymied and isn’t able to accomplish much, just someone with a class-conscious platform enjoying electoral success means something. It shows people are hungry for change and are more open to our ideas about class and society. And a symbolic win can give a good morale boost to all of us and help in all facets of the work we are trying to do.
Of course there are non-negotiables. If someone who identifies as a socialist is able to win material improvements for their constituents, that is good for us and building class consciousness. Someone who identifies as a Socialist makes some pro-Zionist comments? That is bad for us (and evil ofc) and there absolutely needs to be consequences. I just cannot vibe with the stark black and white thinking around electoralism that some of you have.
There is so much work to be done here in order to build the class consciousness necessary to be the foundation of revolution. Avoiding the political sphere (or any sphere) is intentionally ceding ground to our class enemies.
I don’t have a problem with electoralism, I have a problem with self-described “socialists” who make the decision to run as candidates for non-socialist parties. There are actually socialist parties they could run for, there is no excuse for this shit.
The same Zohran who just pledged to slash the department of education in favor of the NYPD. Yeah good ok
source? i find this hard to believe
I’m going off of a thread I read here yesterday about how he intends to maintain current NYPD numbers and to conduct a thorough line by line audit of the department of education budget to find waste to cut.
Caused a bit of a struggle session.
Never thought I’d be not online enough
Can’t find the thread you’re talking about or any major news stories other than this:
https://abc7ny.com/post/nyc-mayoral-race-zohran-mamdani-proposes-cut-gifted-talented-program-andrew-cuomo-curtis-sliwa-want-expand/17925599/
unless you have some kind of stronger backing…? “pledged to slash the department of education” sounds pretty fanciful
No this wasn’t it and when I tried a cursory google search I got the same thing. Sorry I don’t have a source for you but the thrust of it was Mamdani did an interview and said the NYPD would be fully funded and the DoEd would be thoroughly audited for waste. The argument here was whether or not that meant cuts and I think it’s pretty clear it does.
I should have saved the link but the latest bernard acting like the latest bernard is very unremarkable at least to me.
i find your eagerness to propagate negativity on specious evidence to be kinda cynical and i question how you think it helps anything
These meager and disappointing gains have and only will turn people away.
Some folks will gain class consciousness sure, but then they will become demoralized when the object of their support proves ineffective in an electoral system designed to please private interest, and placate the public into passivity- not push material conditions to new heights.
Even if the purported best case scenario takes place- and material conditions improve for the average person, we will be worse off.
Mass class consciousness in the united states can only be born of political unrest, and that unrest will not come easily if americans are comfortable.
We are not to do nothing however, for now it’s best that we continue to grow our own circles both locally and nationally, agitate, and be ready to pull people out of the future’s rubble- taking advantage of what is clearly inevitable: amerikkka’s self destruction.
I don’t think it’s crazy say that in the time of the largest wealth disparity in U.S. history and housing affordability crisis, that an unapologetic socialist actually freezing millions of people’s rents for years is what pulling people from the rubble looks like. Removed from the fact it happened as a result of electoralism, that would be hailed as an enormous victory for base building opportunities in all other scenarios. I think that’s exactly why Zohran rode a meteoric rise to success. Electoralism is not the final answer, but it is one of many tools, and we’d be stupid not to use it