Not long ago, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was demonized by leaders of both political parties. Today, just six months after taking office, the 34-year-old democratic socialist’s political strength is surging.
Always a darling of the far left, he has earned praise from both Donald Trump and former Democratic critics like New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. He has emerged as the face of the region’s sports renaissance. And days before New York’s primary elections, Mamdani is testing the limits of his newfound political muscle in a bid to reshape the Democratic Party — in his state capital and in Washington — even if it means challenging his own party’s leadership.
Mamdani will join Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. at a get-out-the-vote rally in Brooklyn on Thursday. The event is designed to elevate a slate of candidates aligned with Mamdani’s values, including two running against Democratic incumbents in Tuesday’s primary.
The hero we needed.
Which means it’s time to attack him for the Left!!
Oh, there are definitely parts of the left attacking him for having flaws. But we’re mostly still appreciating the true and sincere efforts he’s making, while criticising him when applicable.
The sad thing is that once you’re in the system, you need to make compromises to advance your agenda. However, some people on the left see this as capitulating to the status quo and a betrayal of the movement.
You could argue that pushing for radical change (i.e., a revolution) would be too drastic and that you won’t get any meaningful change made.
But on the other hand, you could say that we’re currently headed toward a massive disaster (climate change), and making incremental changes won’t cut it.
I understand why some people on the left are attacking him. To be honest, as for me I’m already exhausted, I’ll just do what I can to ensure my community has resiliency in the coming upheaval and just hope for the best.
Every little bit counts. Even if what someone is doing is not enough to solve the whole problem, it makes solving the problem easier. Unless the person has literally all the power in the situation and is choosing not to do enough for whatever reason.
I was lucky enough to meet some old school Communists, folks who’d fought in Spain and been blacklisted in the 1950s.
One thing they told me was that back in 1968 they were telling folks that Hubert Humphrey was a million times better than Richard Nixon and they needed to make sure he won.
Or you can go back to Frederick Douglas, who backed Lincoln when Honest Abe was telling folks that preserving the Union was far more important than ending slavery.
Turns out Abe was fucking wrong.
You do realize he ended up doing both…?
Yeah but the only reason you need to make those compromises is because the extreme right will not compromise. And the Overton window continues ratcheting to the right.
We need a progressive party that can work without needing to sacrifice its agenda. Unfortunately, the right controls the media.
That would require enough voters supporting them that they have the political leverage to implement their agenda without making compromises.
So attacking leftists for doing what they can while working within the system is not helping anything…