We Must Fight the Far Right

There's no backing down in the face of fascism.

Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images

From the war on abortion rights to the epidemic of gun violence to racist policing, America is under siege by the far right, which controls the GOP. Those who have turned to the Democratic establishment for help have been sorely disappointed.

Even liberal stalwarts like Debra Messing have had it with the feckless Democratic leadership. This CNN article depicts the staggering depth of Dem ineptitude:

Debra Messing was fed up. The former "Will & Grace" star was among dozens of celebrity Democratic supporters and activists who joined a call with White House aides last Monday to discuss the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.

The mood was fatalistic, according to three people on the call, which was also co-organized by the advocacy group Build Back Better Together.

Messing said she'd gotten Joe Biden elected and wanted to know why she was being asked to do anything at all, yelling that there didn't even seem a point to voting. Others wondered why the call was happening.

That afternoon, participants received a follow-up email with a list of basic talking points and suggestions of Biden speech clips to share on TikTok.

The idea that you can fight rightwing Republicans by sharing Biden speech clips on TikTok is jaw-droppingly out of touch.

Michigan Deb 🌽 @MichiganDeb1

Encapsulates #Democrats Leadership perfectly. Combination of behind the scenes plan to do absolutely nothing to meet the needs of the people and the moment; but taking the time to plan TikTok marketing opportunities. Democrats aren't inept, they do this $#&@ by design. Smdh.

Peter Daou @peterdaou

Oh my, these four paragraphs: https://t.co/ylQdX4fZ06

To effectively oppose the far right, we need direct action, strikes, protests, and much more. Voting for the same old corporate Democrats is a recipe for disaster. Many of them want to lose to the GOP, because it means more fundraising. Axios reports:

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, for instance, "broke cycle-long records" with its online content immediately following the [Roe v. Wade] ruling, according to a DSCC aide. The day of the ruling and the day after were its best and second-best days of the cycle, respectively.

It’s deeply frustrating to see how easily Democratic leaders pick the pockets of their supporters by letting the GOP dominate them, then fearmongering that they need more votes and money.

Walker Bragman @WalkerBragman

In a matter of days, the Supreme Court has stripped long-established rights away from millions of people and is poised to dismantle our entire government. Meanwhile, all Biden and his Dem majorities can muster are fundraising emails, calls to vote harder, and songs and poems.

Leftists have been correct all along: We cannot keep enabling the GOP’s enablers. It’s time to actually fight, not to pretend to “resist.” Stopping the march of fascism in America will require courage, principle, self-reflection, and brutal honesty. And it means supporting activists and organizers who are putting their bodies on the line, not voting harder for the people who promise to be the opposition but are complicit in protecting the oppressive system.