electoralism

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been bandied about as a potential “socialist” candidate for the Democratic nomination for the 2028 Presidential race. She is a member of our own organization, Democratic Socialists of America, and her positions are widely seen as representative of our own in the eyes of many. Many of our comrades, for whatever reason, seem adamant that she enter the contest in 2028, and we commit time and resources to her run. This is a very bad idea for a myriad of reasons.

First, AOC is not a socialist. She is a social democrat. A socialist, in the Marxist sense, is one who fights for the dictatorship of the proletariat, and the overthrow of the ruling class. In essence, a socialist puts the working class, the proletariat, in the driver’s seat, and does not see co-governance with the bourgeoisie as an ideal. This is not a purity test, this is the ABCs of Marxism. Without a firm foundation in Marxism, there is no socialism, no socialist party, no anything. To turn away from this foundation is to vulgarize and throw away centuries of class struggle and theoretical understanding purchased with the blood of millions of workers at home and abroad. AOC has identified her idea of socialism as a strong welfare state, akin to European monarchies such as Norway, Denmark, and the UK. Socialism deals with the question of power, class power, not individual power. Communists center our organizing around the struggle of power, in which our class must come out victorious. Failure to recognize this leads to opportunism and the continued march of imperialism across the world. It is a bourgeois habit to see power for celebrity politicians as being power for our class. Does AOC serve the people and our organization, or does she serve herself? If we endorse and work for her, will it be for the proletariat, the global proletariat, or will it be for the aggrandizement of a politician and a handful of connected people on her staff and in her circle? Is this proletarian politics? No.

Secondly, American imperialism will never let an actual socialist manage its affairs. In this country, real socialists, usually Black, do not get invitations to conferences in Munich, or the Met Gala, they get driven into exile, imprisoned, railroaded, driven insane, and shot dead. Imperialism is masterful when it comes to capturing energy and channeling it back towards dead ends, and centrists are already circling like vultures. The consequence of a few primary defeats will most likely be a call to endorse Gavin Newsom or whatever other ghoul rears their head for the nomination, in exchange for a trifling cabinet seat. This will not benefit DSA, it will embarrass us in front of the masses, and will serve to carry us down the road of right opportunism, when we need to be standing in front of the movement. Running a candidate, seriously, for the head of the US empire, as a Democrat, is a recipe for confusion and hypocrisy. Our task is to dismantle this empire, not seek to put one of our members at the head of it. America will never cease to manufacture death, it will never cease to exist on stolen land, it will never cease to steal and commit every type of crime the world over. Failure to understand this is failure to understand America, failure to understand America means that you are not a political actor, you are simply a rudderless boat tossed and turned on an ocean of blood.

Thirdly, continued waffling on Palestine. DSA should not make a habit of rewarding bad behavior with labor and endorsements. After announcing, to great fanfare, at a forum the other day that she intended to rectify her previous positions which attracted criticism, she went on to declare that she sees Israel as an ally and vomited up more soft Zionist slop. Israel still has the right to an Iron Dome, and to exist, it should just pay for it itself! Palestine is the compass, the North Star, not a “side issue” about which you can lie to the people to extract an endorsement. Instead of humbly accepting criticism from comrades in the organization that she continues to demand labor and endorsement from, and actually doing better, she habitually lashes out at comrades who seek to hold her accountable. This is the behavior of bourgeois politicians, not a people’s tribune.

In short, no, we should not endorse AOC for either Congress or a hypothetical run for President. Raise up proletarian politics and abandon mimicking the bourgeoisie with a socialist veneer. Cast away opportunist illusions, prepare for struggle.