This fall voters face yet another election where we are left to choose between the threat of fascism or the neoliberal status quo. On one hand, Trump represents the threat of mass deportations of immigrants, attacks on bodily autonomy and LGBTQ rights, deepening attacks on unions and workers, racist attacks on people of color, and the curtailment of democratic rights. His populism appeals to millions of people who have been alienated by growing inequalities, decades of neoliberal policies, and a persistent urban-rural divide.
On the other hand, though many were initially energized by the change in the Democratic ticket, a Harris administration would likely be a continuation of the Biden administration. She has not committed to end US support for the genocide in Gaza, and her economic policies are set to be influenced by Ford lobbyists and former BlackRock executives. As socialists, we know that neither candidate represents the interests of the working class, and that a better future is possible.
Growing disillusionment with the Democratic Party has left many voters with the choice between Harris/Walz, a third party, or sitting the presidential election out all together because they won’t vote against their values. As a chapter, Twin Cities Democratic Socialists of America (TCDSA) is not making an endorsement in the presidential election – we understand that both parties uphold capitalism and are beholden to ruling-class interests. A better world will not be achieved through elections alone. This is why we organize – through the election cycle and after – to build power with one another toward a future where everyone has not only what they need to survive, but what they need to flourish.
We believe that building a party of the working class is needed to create a future far different from the one offered by both the far-right Republicans and corporate Democrats — a future with a political and economic system that guarantees basic human dignity, housing and food security, expands democratic rights, ends the climate catastrophe, and creates an economy not dependent on the war machine or the destruction of the Earth. We protested at the Republican and Democratic National Conventions to take a stand against Trump’s fascist agenda and demand a ceasefire and not another bomb to Israel. We’re supporting local candidates who push working-class issues like renters’ rights and community control of the Roof Depot, organizing as working people to demand more out of employers, supporting our unhoused neighbors at Camp Nenookaasi, and fighting for environmental justice for all our neighbors.
If you believe in fighting for a better future, there is no time to lose in building a political alternative. Together, the multiracial working-class is organizing for power in our homes, in our workplaces, and in our communities to end the root cause of oppression — the capitalist system. Join DSA today and help us build a better world together.