Commentary by Editorial Staff, Triangle Free Press
Triangle Free Press understands elections as a site of struggle. Over time spans of decades organized far right camps have pushed their agendas using all three branches of government. They want a return to Jim Crow and beyond, and working people should fight in the electoral arena to prevent these capitalist-funded rightwing reforms.
However, if we prioritize political elections over building working class power, we cannot win.
The Federal Executive and Judicial branches are controlled by ruling class interests and cannot be occupied by any legitimate working class representative, and the Federal Legislative branch has very few exceptions.
Even in offices where socialists are able to push initiatives through, they are stuck using the tools currently available. Since socialism is built only by working class control of the government, socialists in office are not able to implement any element of “socialism.”
This being the case, whenever the reforms pushed through by an elected official are called a “socialist program,” that claim is incorrect. At best, political representatives can negotiate, compromise, and achieve significant–but impermanent–victories. And almost always, these politicians are opportunists who talk a big game and quickly sell working people out.
We cannot just fight negative visions; We need positive visions to build, which cannot happen through politicians. No one who aspires toward change remains content to act within the rules of the system they seek to change.
Because we want permanent change, we must organize primarily outside of the electoral arena by building our own working class political parties and organizations.
While we do that, the right wing agendas haven’t stopped, and they are also organizing within and without the governing establishment. We must combat their power within the system, but also overwhelm it from without.