It’s easy to fall into despair, so I much appreciated the positive vision for abolishing ICE offered by Spencer Ackerman in “Either ICE Is Abolished or It Will Kill Many More Renee Goods.” While it’s terrible what’s happening, it’s important to note the incredible bravery of tens or hundreds of thousands of community members who are doing what they can to protect their neighbors—and mostly with limited support from their ostensibly left-wing elected officials. This must have consequences, says Ackerman.
As we have seen in Los Angeles, Charlotte, Chicago and elsewhere, the people under siege have not waited for the elected officials of the feeble political opposition to lead them. The Democratic Party, consistent with its War on Terror form, is proving itself incapable of leading people out of this danger. From the ranks of those who are defending their neighbors will emerge organic leaders whom the party will, if recent history is a guide, at first resist. The victory of Zohran Mamdani in New York shows that the people will lead their own way over the objections of the party’s functionaries. It also shows that socialism beats fascism, and so that must be the choice, because it is the choice. But first socialism and abolition must prevail against the capitalism and letter-writing of the Democratic Party in the undercard match.
I like the framing of the “undercard match.” It’s coming, and it’s urgent. Having a clear-eyed, non-billionaire-captured, forward-looking Democratic party is a matter of life and death for countless people around the globe. The editorial board of the New York Times simply isn’t going to lead us out of this mess. Hell, it’s not even going to win an election. Send more Zohrans!
