The clear conclusion I draw from this is that he doesn't want police officers doing so much overtime, which is something I agree with. It is consistent with his plan to shrink the scope of what police handle in the city, which I think is only beneficial. Even if we desire the complete abolition of police and believe that this must be achieved via revolutionary action, the diminishing of police ubiquity and de facto decrease of funding creates better conditions for such action.

A lot of people would rather turn their nose up at anything with the semblance of a mass political project because it fails some criteria and is therefor "tailist" and "social fascist", yet will themselves offer no alternative plan beyond vague calls to organize. Organize what exactly? This is left as an exercise for the reader, though we can wonder whether anything organized by such contemptible imperial subjects and liberals will ever pass muster for the principled do-nothings.

There is little conclusion I can make besides people either making continuing excuses for their inaction (and, if you are engaged in organizing with the PSL or something, great! keep it up. I'm not talking to you.) or that they are, whether they realize it or not, accelerationists who can only hope that things will break correctly or who do not care for their own lives or those around them. What does it matter to you if NYC elects a socdem or a demsoc or a selfsuck? Do you need it to fall down fast enough that people get a smack on the bottom that makes them into good, principled communists? At a very basic level I do disagree with this idea. This is a large and mobilized group of people active right now that should be used as best as it can to advance the political consciousness of the people involved and watching and to achieve whatever material gains can be had in the city. I have concerns about the campaign and the potential for recuperation of Mamdani as a political figure. I neither think we should ignore this nor throw up our hands and say, "it is already a lost cause." This is a moment to hold tight and wring as much as can be wrought from the moment. I hope that the people in Mamdani's campaign and its leadership have this mindset.

[–] sewer_rat_420@hexbear.net 18 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I try to have a positive view on his campaign, regardless of the outcome.

If he wins and enacts all of his policies, life is materially better for NYers, it's good propaganda for "socialism".

If he gets ratfucked by dems, potential hundreds of thousands of DSA supporters just got radicalized against electoralism.

If he gets fucked over by Trump in any way, it radicalizes people, probably many normies as well, against this fascist administration.

I don't like the rhetorical knee bending he has done, but I never expected more from him then the modest social democratic reforms he is proposing. I still recognize the policies would materially help real people, and under the surface its hope that there is genuine leftist momentum in this hellhole of a country

[–] grym@hexbear.net 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

That's exactly the revolutionary strategy I think about regarding electoralism! Cool to see it in someone else's words, very well put.

It's a strange game. You sometimes have to join these movements because they can motivate and educate "regular people", ie. people that aren't yet as politically educated and radicalised as you might be. You have to go where people are, if it's useful. You have to be with them, not condescending, not a bitter asshole, not pestering or complaining all the time, you have to do the work and stand with them, so they respect and trust you.

BUT, you also know electoralism almost certainly won't succeed or won't do much. Your goal is to educate and agitate, by genuinely being there and helping out. You also shouldn't hide your views and your opinions. You can be polite, diplomatic about it, but you shouldn't lie, you have to be honest about what you think will happen, what will or won't work.

BUT, if you're just helping cynically expecting everything to fail and you're just there opportunistically to agitate and nothing else, people will know, they'll notice or feel it. You have to, somehow, genuinely help these local things and genuinely try to win, even partially. Push as hard as you can. Even if you know it won't work, but just because you are here to help other people fight, to activate them and educate them.

If you lose, they'll learn from their mistakes and get wiser, and they'll trust you for having stood shoulder to shoulder with them despite your disagreements or misgivings.

If you win, a lot of people will get incredible motivation and hope, and you've got some energetic and trained people that can do good work. Some of them won't go further, some of them will stop caring, but every little crumb of improvement you can get, every little fight you can win, brings people with you.

[–] Sebrof@hexbear.net 2 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

I liked your comment. You said in words my vague thoughts on it:

The masses in the US already see politics mostly through the electoral struggle. For most, it's their only political terrain. We'd love for the masses to be at a higher subjective level in the States, but you can't force such subjective changes of the masses.

So work earnestly with the masses in the terrain but always be pointing out the contradictions and limitations as you mentioned.

Through struggle, and with Communists pointing out these limitations while working with the masses, not scolding them, these contradictions become lived by the masses. The limitations are internalized and understood, and the terrain can shift. The struggle can advance, but the contradiction has to be lived and understood.

Only struggle, or practice, by the masses can actually advance the dialectic.

[–] grym@hexbear.net 2 points 10 hours ago

Well said!

[–] ratboy@hexbear.net 5 points 1 day ago

Perfect comment