As the US presidential election draws nearer, the pressure to fall in behind Joe Biden grows ever gr
As the US presidential election draws nearer, the pressure to fall in behind Joe Biden grows ever greater. Predictably, most of the social democratic and liberal left are promoting the former vice president, even if some remain squeamish about formally endorsing him. More surprising has been the unprecedented step taken by a number of respected socialists, most notably Dan La Botz, to advocate voting for a man who called on police to shoot Black Lives Matter demonstrators in the leg.In almost every case, the rationale is the same: Donald Trump is a unique threat and must be stopped at all costs. In a despairing article for New Politics, La Botz raises the spectre of a Trump coup and dictatorship as a reason to vote for Biden. La Botz is far from alone in emphasising the danger that Trump, with his undeniable affinity with the far right, poses to US democracy.What emerges from these articles and arguments is a profound sense of defeat and demoralisation on the US left. They have largely abandoned the goal of social transformation and have chosen to prettify the neoliberal pig.Socialists should not accept the lowering of our political horizons in this way. We currently face enormous global economic and health crises, the growing likelihood of imperial conflict between major powers and the terrifying prospect of climate change. Nothing short of a fundamental transformation of the entire system can resolve these issues. Voting for neoliberals won’t lead to meaningful victories on any of these fronts. Nor will a Biden victory save us from the real dangers posed by the far right, which grew substantially during Obama’s smooth-talking neoliberal presidency.READ MORE: Socialists should not vote for Joe Biden -- source link
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