At a time when much of the left is in retreat or ducking for cover, Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral campaign is championing democratic socialist politics and raising expectations.
Great piece! Zohran’s campaign needs to be understood in the context of the total defeat of the Old Left, the New Left, and the Millennial Left. Social democratic reformism like his campaign is the only thing that stands a chance to win right now (and not a strong one). Socialists should strongly support it as a means of base building, party building, legitimacy building, and of course, the very meaningful life improvements that even “progressive liberal” reforms can bring in our current hellscape. Perfection can’t be the enemy of progress but also “real” socialism can only be possible after many such “merely liberal” reforms are won and the Democrats are further discredited as the controlled opposition of capital. We’re not even liberal. Even the slave-owning founding fathers would be appalled.
Great piece! Zohran’s campaign needs to be understood in the context of the total defeat of the Old Left, the New Left, and the Millennial Left. Social democratic reformism like his campaign is the only thing that stands a chance to win right now (and not a strong one). Socialists should strongly support it as a means of base building, party building, legitimacy building, and of course, the very meaningful life improvements that even “progressive liberal” reforms can bring in our current hellscape. Perfection can’t be the enemy of progress but also “real” socialism can only be possible after many such “merely liberal” reforms are won and the Democrats are further discredited as the controlled opposition of capital. We’re not even liberal. Even the slave-owning founding fathers would be appalled.