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New York City, May 1993. By Vicente Alonso-Fontelos.
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By Vicente Alonso-Fontelos. (From Order Number One)
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeated
current Democratic Congressman, Joe Crowley, with a wide margin primary victory for
the 14th Congressional District of New York City. In the political summer
before the midterm elections, the Democratic Party received a frozen bath. With a
grassroots campaign at low level and support of a broad social groups, the young women, a political newcomer
of 28 years-old,
installed a new progressive agenda: to sweep left parties’ castes, and urged to the courage because the change can’t wait.
It is a new category of the classic ‘power for the people,’ without relying
on the theory Lenin's revolutionary vanguard elite. Grassroots classic
collective action political process, now it’s transformed in political power
action. If the amazing proposal crosses the Atlantic Ocean and is available to
spread on the other shore of the left, the importance of this movement will not
reside only in the important Midterm Elections US.She claims the old values of the Illustration and French Revolution as right and distribution of wealth towards the people; right and distribution of power to the people, with an exposure clear of political issues: working class, democracy, federal guarantee of employment, universal health, free public education, 100% renewable energy and immigration reform. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez challenges, without complexes, the new rampant populism: “I mean, are working class people. And to fail working class Americans is also to fail Latino Americans.”
The main newspapers supporters od Democratic Party have changed their initial critical opinion about these new politicians. Since The New York Times Op-Ed, When Liberals Become Progressives, Much is Lot in April 13, 2018, notifying the progressive cloud that loomed over the Democratic Party. The third time The New York Times wrote name of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, June 14, 2018, the editorial board added the adjective ‘insurgent’ in front: “an insurgent campaign from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez”. The night of win, an unfortunate photograph opened the breaking news in the home page of the online edition; and has now disappeared. The last time, August, 26 2018: “On Sunday, an admiring tribute to Mr. McCain tweeted by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez”. In the passing of this month, they are already the "Liberal Insurgency".
Some elected officials Democrats
requirements to delete their pictures from activist political Facebook’s
campaign, or refused meetings with key New York City leaders, because they
didn't dare to be seen with them in public. But a comment of the leader of the
United States Democratic House, Nancy Pelosi, downplaying Alexandria Ocasio
victory it is unforgettable: “The merit in one
district.”
‘Mini Obamas,’
‘Insurgents,’ ‘tea party-style revolt,’ ‘outsiders Democrats.’ Although Obama didn’t then endorse candidacy them, the former president is ratifying your politics proposals. And the message of the young progressives has
penetrated among other Democratic candidates who have joined the illusion created by the female New Yorker. Representative Beto O'Rourke running against Ted Cruz for Senate Texas; Representative Ro Khanna of
California, or Representative Seth Moulton of Massachusetts embrace to ‘liberal
insurgents’ and talk new sense of urgency, boldness, and chance, because “we need new Democratic
leadership.”
The new progressives demand a place in
power and they do not wish to spend the campaign just defending their right to
run. nor Communities choose these angered candidates to lead fight and face president
Trump’s policies. But they want to run and win on their own terms, not ask
permission to get in the door, not are waiting turn, as past generations. The
new progressives are advocates for a democratic socialism: the social-welfare
achievements of European social democracy, and a new model power engagement and
participation.
Into a Democratic Party that doubts
about identity politics, as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez points out, they present
down generational, racial, ethnicity, and gender defies. “What's
Impossible?”
express Tallahassee Mayor, Andrew Gillum, who could be the first African-American nominee for
governor of Florida, without whoops. Also, between these challengers so much are women to the left, and many are women of color, or of minorities. Some of that women could make history in the Midterm Elections. According to the Center for Women and Politics Americans, the potential-candidate are 345 women who ran for the House and the Senate as challengers. And 31 challenging in the headlines within the Party. If the broad success of women Democrats is indicative in current election cycle, the presence of women in the progressive ranks is overwhelming.
And so, Stacey Abrams, running in Georgia; Jahana Hayes, in Connecticut; Rashida Tlaib, in Detroit; Lauren Underwood, in Illinois. Or Ayanna Pressley's surprise, the first African-American woman to
become nominee to represent Massachusetts on Capitol Hill, trounced
Representative Mike Capuano, a white well-funded by corporates, and over and
over liberal incumbent.
Bernier’s smart
troops face Trump’s adoquin troops. Many young promises of the
Western Left (who have never placed a yogurt on of a supermarket's shelf),
excited about this new insurgency, should know that their counterparts will
come to sweep them of the political map.The young American insurgency has only to project its vital experience of belonging within the communities where it lives. That is the criticism contained in the message sent to the elites of the democratic party: “You don’t live among us, don’t breathe our air, don’t drink our water.” This framing that, in the mouths of other leaders would be dogmatic, is showed as an effective political tool, because it is based on a true closeness to the people around them, and that is what makes this movement different.
These new
progressives have achieved a high level of higher education that allows them to
participate in politics but, far from distancing themselves from their
neighbors, they coexist with them. They have moved away from political
patronage of liberal wing of the Democratic Party, and they have decided to
obtain political power directly supported by their assets neighboring. They want
to empower at working class.
This
engagement produces results that, in turn, distance them from the populist left temptation because they do not need it as a political strategy to win elections,
unlike Jean-Luc Mélenchon, in France; or Jeremy Corbin, in the Kingdom United,
according to Mouffe.
The world of the second
post-war period built on Keynesian full-employment commitment and the social
democratic welfare-state, guaranteeing full employment, and establishing social
peace in a more egalitarian and fairness society, where its citizens would be
protected by that State throughout their lives, need a new redefinition and a
fresh set of policies.
These young activists political try to give a
solution constructing a form of responsible capitalism, empowering working
class and pain people. They know that, as important as it is to include and
observe differences, political success requires a shared vision and approach to issues of sustainability. |
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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, May 26,
2018. Photography by Corey Torpie / Courtesy of the Ocasio-Cortez Campaign.
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