This is bad essay. Sure, we'd all like a multiracial working-class politics. That also completely flies in the face of how white people have voted throughout American history. And if your savior is Richard Ojeda, I mean, come on.
jacobinmag.com/2018/11/midter…
jacobinmag.com/2018/11/midter…
The idea that the Democrats are the party of the New Gilded Age is just laughable. This is not to let bad Dems off the hook. But isn't this also the party of black and Latino voters? Do they just disappear here because the white working class votes Republican?
I fail to see how the party of Ocasio-Cortez--who is a big part of the party's future--isn't somehow part of this equation. But the left loves loves LOVES it's white working class dream.
No, the Democrats aren't an anti-capitalist party. Yes, I would like the Democrats to be an anti-capitalist party. But in the face of fascism, if suburban white liberals want to unite with people of color to resist, then I am going to accept that.
How many of these white liberals support universal Medicare? Quite a few. How may support generally progressive economic policies. Most. How many are going to be a pain in the ass? Some. This is coalition politics!
How do these visionaries about an anti-capitalist party think it would work? Do they think racism would disappear and there wouldn't be fractures in that coalition? Because not bloody likely.
And yes, you can squint and cherrypick toward a few moments in the past where there have been brief cross-racial politics. You can also just look around everywhere and see how white workers have embraced racist politics with their employers with open arms.
And racism isn't some capitalist conspiracy to divide the working class either. Quit taking agency away from white workers. They are happy to make these choices, like most white people are.
Yes, we continue to fight racism and craft policies to win working class voters of all races. But in American politics, it would be electoral suicide to intentionally alienate a huge sector of voters based on the dream of pulling in the white working class.
Unfortunately Jacobin has become increasingly committed to bad essays on political change as the nation is moving left but not in the way they anticipated. This is just one of too many examples of risible essays. But hey, Richard Ojeda for president!
Anyway, let's close this thread by listening to a great rock song. Much more pleasant.
