American politics is led by three corporations in a trench coat. The two party system supposedly offers 'choices' to millions of American voters who place immense faith on the ballot box to bring about desired changes. Choose between lesser of the two evils say the people who have the world wrapped around their pinky finger.
The two party path to liberation?
The two party system is a choice between two sets of elites. One socially and fiscally conservative and other socially liberal and fiscally conservative. With a slight difference, there is no alternative for the working class. Nobody really cares about the working class. This sad state affairs ensures that the working class is never heard, their concerns forever take the backseat and only the agenda of the ever scheming bourgeoisie is taken into consideration. All that the working class get to do is choose the lesser evil.
The red alternative
The covid crisis has exposed the contradictions of late stage capitalism. All the mitigation efforts catered to the bourgeoisie. The working class kept toiling and dying in the process. This had led to a sort of disillusionment. The fact that the two party system is a sham slowly crept in and the working class now is looking for alternatives. Enter Cathy Rojas. Rojas, a candidate for the NYC mayoral elections is a socialist. The working class in what has been historically the heart of capitalism finally have a chance to be heard.
Rojas, who happens to be a school teacher from Queens is running as the candidate of the Party of Socialism and Liberation. In the mayoral elections, Rojas stood third. She wanted to cancel rents and mortgage, tax the rich and defend the police. The perfect checklist for a progressive candidate indeed. Her humble, yet honest campaign, which is as pro people as a country as capitalistic as USA would permit was overshadowed by the campaigns backed by the corporate lobbies.
What does an 'average' New Yorker actually want?
Like all other countries, USA too was built by the working class. New York as we see represented in pop culture, it's sheer opulence, it's seedy underbelly, all fashioned by working class immigrants. Even though the working class have made the city what it is, it isn't immune to good old fashioned red scare. Perhaps Rojas receiving 2.44% of the share of votes signifies the beginning of the end of red scare? Or is this naive optimism?
Because afterall, even after the BLM protests a former cop who wants to increase policing won the mayoral elections.
