By Wolfgang G. Bronner
There tends to be a lot of ideological confusion in the Tennessee ecosystem; this comes as no surprise since words such as conservative, moderate, liberal, progressive, or even radical have seemingly lost all meaning. To understand why these words have lost meaning, it is necessary to connect what will be said to how national politics is playing out right now. Look no further than the progressive's favorite influencer politician: AOC
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (aka AOC) is probably one of the most well-known "progressives" on Capitol Hill. Other so-called progressives currently in office include Bernie Sanders, Ayanna Pressley, Illhan Omar, and Rashida Talib. Progressives who recently lost their seats to AIPAC money include Cori Bush and Jamall Bowman. When we look at state and local politics, you might see "progressive" mayors, city council members, lawyers, prosecutors, judges, etc. In Nashville, some people say we have elected the "most progressive city council."
As been noted by a wonderful comrade of mine, "progressives," especially during the ongoing genocide, have exposed their limitations and have shown us quite clearly that working within the two-party system poses a zero-sum threat that won't bring about material change. Oftentimes, these "progressives" work with neoliberal lawmakers to pass policies that are antagonistic to the very people these "progressives" claim to represent. In Tennessee, what was just stated has been on full display since October 7th, or the Operation Al Aqsa Flood, as known by the Palestinian Resistance.
As noted above, to understand the issues with Tennessee "progressives," it is necessary to understand the issues people have with the national "progressives" stated above. When AOC stepped on the scene, she gained fame by challenging the moderate Democrats that came before her. People thought she would be different and that she would finally bring much-needed energy and change to the Democratic Party. This energy was later followed up by the rest of the so-called "Squad": Pressley, Omar, and Talib. While The Squad performs in rhetoric, they are the biggest opportunists when it comes to policies. For example, AOC would call for the abolishment of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), and she would also call for a Free Palestine; nevertheless, she will vote for policies that increase funding for ICE and for Israel. Let's take the example of AOC at the Democratic National Convention, where she stated, "Harris is working endlessly for a ceasefire!" only for that to be cover for the United States to continue shipping bombs to Israel so it can continue its genocide against the Palestinians. The definition of a ceasefire does not involve providing more weapons. AOC (and Bernie) also advocated for Joe Biden to stay in the race, arguing that it would not be legal, only for her to turn around and support Harris when Harris herself did not get the presidential nomination from voters, but through delegates.
The most recent example is how AOC attacked Green Party candidate Jill Stein for being predatory for simply having a campaign and platform that is against genocide. In short, AOC ignores the primary contradiction, which is American Imperialism. She intentionally confuses and shifts people away from the primary contradiction afflicting us and instead gives cover to the imperialistic policies that a lot of Americans have huge grievances against. This is very dangerous because it keeps us captured in this endless cycle of supporting politicians and policies that, again, ultimately do not have our best interest. Politicians and policies that ultimately support American Imperialism.
So, how does this apply to Tennessee? Listen, we see it, and we just have to be honest. Let's take the Covenant School Shooting that took place last year. People rallied in the streets, rightfully, for gun safety. Meanwhile, the Klan-controlled Capitol decided to allow teachers to carry guns in schools; all around, it was not good vibes. Certain politicians rightfully took issue with this. However, the policies that followed did not enrich the people; instead, they enriched imperialism. As stated above, Republicans in the Tennessee State Capitol passed legislation that allowed teachers to carry guns in school, while the Democrats pushed for 'red flag laws.' Both policies enrich the military-industrial complex; one side wants to pump more guns into the streets, while the other side wants to further empower policing by expanding its ability to seize the arms of civilians, the same policing that stands accused of rampant racial & sexual discrimination. Both policies empower American Imperialism, so how do "progressive" politicians not see the connections? Let's take it a step further; the same politicians that were irate about the Covenant School Shooting, have largely been silent in regards to the genocide of Palestinians. Again, the same military-industrial complex that is pumping thousands of guns on our streets is also providing the bombs that are murdering Palestinian men, women, and children.
The failure of the people to not see these connections is due to a lack of political education/clarity, but additionally the actions of these opportunists. These opportunists, rather knowingly or unknowingly, steal the energy of the people, confuse the people, and give it to those who stand against us. This is American imperialism, and it is not just a foreign phenomenon. What happens domestically is a mirror of what happens around the world. You will never solve the issue of police brutality until we start addressing the primary contradiction: American Imperialism. The primary contradiction appears in Tennessee via issues such as MALETA, the Arts, the murder of Tyre Nichols, and the Metro Nashville Police Department lobbying to remove oversight. How do politicians attempt to pass policies that strengthen the role of Tennessee police when those same police have murdered, surveilled, and abused the citizens of Tennessee? How does a city council puff it's chest out to stand against Nazis but be silent on genocide and Zionism? The same Zionists that attacked students at Vanderbilt? This was the most egregious hypocrisy; that these influencer-politicans take up issues, separate them from their root causes, be silent on genocide, blocking and dismissing anyone who mentions it to them, while they enjoy fancy Christmas parties at the Red (White) House and dance ridiculously to themes of joy at the Democratic National Convention.
The contradictions speak for themselves, and it's not wrong to acknowledge them. As it has been stated by others numerously, what does the term "progressive" mean when people talk about gun safety but are silent on genocide? Those aren't the values or politics of Martin Luther King or Kwame Ture, no matter what those outside of Tennessee say. This is an example of political clarity; Kwame Ture was a vehement opponent of imperialism, and because he understood the primary contradictions and how they connect to other issues, he was against capitalism AND Zionism. Martin Luther King Jr. once referenced how the three evils of society were racism, economic exploitation, and militarism. These "progressives" even compared Kamala to Fannie Lou Hamer. It must be understood that all three of these characters had a deep political understanding and did not allow themselves to be captured. They also had a deepcourage that allowed them to speak out against issues that needed to be spoken against, while our current modern-day "progressives" are too scared or paid not to touch these issues. We must not get captured by the "progressives," or AOCs, amongst us. They come in many different forms. While these AOCs rally around Kamala Harris, a genocide continues, the war continues, the lessening of our cost of living continues, food prices continue to increase, and police kill more and more people every year. We must not let ourselves be blinded by people who style themselves as "progressives" when they could do a lot more, but oftentimes, it's unclear whether they have the will to do so. Stay sharp, my people. If you see contradictory behavior, recognize it for what it is and move accordingly.
Wolfgang Bronner is a Library Associate with Nashville Public Libraries. His duties entail establishing library programming, gathering, and redistributing literacy resources for his community. He is also an organizer with Black Alliance for Peace, All African Peoples Revolutionary Party, and the Black Nashville Assembly.