The Time for Cowards is Over, the Time for the Courageous Has Come
We need leaders that demonstrate courage and rage in these desperate times
The past few weeks have been some of the worst since Trump was elected President. We have seen the Trump administration escalate its plans of ethnically cleansing America by detaining families, denying asylum, and violently ripping people off the streets to throw them into detention centers. Supreme Court has upheld Trump’s Muslim ban, given a green light to racist gerrymandering, amongst other bad decisions. He’s likely to get another appointee to the court as well. To describe these as injustices does not properly describe the depths of the horror and pain being inflicted. The rage and powerlessness felt by bystanders is immense and now more than ever we need those in the opposition to properly speak to that anger and provide something for people to strive towards. The Democratic Party, the only opposition with any semblance of institutional power, have been entirely inadequate, utterly failing their constituents and the afflicted. These times have demonstrated now more than ever they have to go and be replaced with those who are on the side of justice.
Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi threw Maxine Waters under the bus for her comments where she encouraged people to heckle and protest the Trump administration. Predictably Donald Trump simply joined in the pile on, calling her low IQ, saying she’s the face of the party. Chuck and Nancy thought they were going to get a cookie from Trump for criticizing their own and obviously got nothing in return. They pissed off their base that is trying to put forth some public consequences on this monstrous administration as Democrats like Schumer have failed in doing so. Several Obama appointees or advisers have said the same, David Axelrod and Arne Duncan lambasting protesters, expecting us to just lie down for Republicans like the Obama administration did.
This is simply cowardice, it’s collaboration with a fascist, or at the very least aspiring to be fascist, government. Schumer has said harsher things about Maxine Waters than any of the Democrats that voted to deregulate banks or enable Trump’s agenda in other ways. The reason all of these establishment figures care about the “end of civility” more than material issues is because that’s the only thing that could affect them. They fear the public could heckle them next for their hideous actions.
These transgressions are not just limited to the moderate powers in the Democratic Party. Even those attempting to consolidate the left flank of the Democratic Party have proved inadequate in providing a path towards justice. While those on the socialist left have been calling to Abolish ICE, high profile left of center Democrats have denied this call or tried to co-opt it without truly being for abolition. Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris and a handhold of house members have talked of getting rid of ICE, must consolidating its core functions into other agencies, or abolishing just Trump’s immigration policy, as if the previous administration didn’t set a record for deportations and put millions of dollars towards militarizing the border.
This is just putting some radical veneer on a reformist position. An organization like ICE or even Customs and Border Patrol can’t be reformed. They operate on violent premises, that immigrants are deserving of this use of force, that they are all potential threats to the country. Putting a nicer or civil face on these won’t change that they will be raiding homes, ripping people off the streets or shooting at people who cross the border and dumping water jugs for those making the long journey for a better life.
At a time where this administration brazenly violates the law and ethics on one end and uses its power to crack down on the oppressed, all with the help of a fully complicit and happy Republican Party, we must demand politicians that are willing to do what it takes. Ones that will block his court appointments, his legislation, encourage protest and dissent wherever possible, and promote an agenda that upholds human rights, democracy and the material wellbeing of the marginalized in this country. We have no use for leaders that will get distracted by Sarah Sanders getting kicked out of a restaurant while there are children in concentration camps. No one, not even Bernie Sanders, is excused from this.
We need leaders like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, that demonstrate the courage we need and feel the same rage that courses through us. The only option is bold, revolutionary justice, like Medicare for All, Abolishing ICE, and more. This must be demanded of our politicians, forced to acquiesce under our pressure. This era of treating Republicans as anything other than a threat to our lives must end. There is no other option before us. America must be transformed, the traditional tinkering and mild reforms of the Democratic Party are not equipped to undo the damage of this administration or prevent Republicans from seizing power again. If Democrats do not change their course, they have to be replaced by those willing to do what’s necessary and right.
