Hunger and Hope and Horrific Hedonism

This week is a tale of two competing stories: One of despair and cruelty, and one of hope for a new political future. In the first story we see the Trump administration over the weekend illegally stopped disbursement of SNAP benefits to over 41 million Americans, many of them children, who rely on the program to put food on the table each week. Despite two different judges ruling the federal government Must Use the Congressionally appropriated emergency funds to pay out benefits, days later as of this email, SNAP funds have yet to be released, (although the admin says it will release some funds at some point). It is one of the most pointedly cruel actions taken yet, by an administration bathing in cruelty and spite, doubly so when juxtaposed with the Great Gatsby themed billionaire bash Trump threw over the weekend. The naked nihilism on display by the ruling class truly makes one shudder to think what hateful thing they’ll do next in their insatiable greed and lust for power.

The second story is about the rising popularity of earnest and authentic politicians running for office across the country. The current poster-child of said moment is Zohran Mamdani, running for NYC mayor on a populist message of affordability and public transit. Rhetorically, Mamdani also demonstrates how to stand firm on your values, even when navigating “tricky” political terrain, he’s just so much better at this than the average democrat. Election day is today, so if you haven’t voted yet there is still time, but early voting numbers are currently painting a hopeful picture for those who are looking for new direction for NYC, instead picking another disgraced sex-offender - Cuomo, not Trump in this case (although Trump did endorse Cuomo on Monday).

It might seem that these stories exist in parallel, but in fact, they are two sides of the same coin, demonstrating competing ideologies of the government and who it serves: a government that is by the few and for the fewer, enriching those who already have too much at the expense of the most vulnerable, or a government that creates popular policies to materially improve the lives of the many, even, and perhaps especially, when it means standing up to powerful interests.

When we look at the polls, from the federal to the city level, it’s clear which path the population supports. Trump and his regime are currently massively underwater on nearly every major policy issue. They’ve lost huge levels of support among voters, especially the youth who are now -55 approval for Trump.  Meanwhile Zohran’s policies are generating huge excitement, activating the very youth that eluded Democrats in 2024.

h/t to Charles Pierce for writing about this: https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/

From the NY Post.

The New York Young Republican Club is pushing to prevent the NYC mayoral front-runner from taking the oath of office Jan. 1. ... It cites language in the post-Civil War 14th Amendment to the Constitution barring from office anyone who “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” or who has “given aid or comfort to the enemies” of the nation. The group argues that Mamdani’s own statements calling to resist ICE could violate the prohibition. “There is a real and legitimate push to see the insurrectionist Zohran Mamdani either a) removed from the ballot or b) removed from office if he is to win on Tuesday,” Stefano Forte, president of the New York Young Republicans, told the Post.

Meanwhile, House Republicans are doubling down on their effort to push the Justice Department to probe Mamdani’s path to citizenship. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) has goosed his own earlier campaign to prod the federal government to investigate statements the New York assemblyman made when he became a naturalized citizen in 2018. The lawmaker wrote Attorney General Pam Bondi on Monday trying to spur action and urging her to “uphold the integrity of its citizenship process.”

Ogles wrote the Justice Department Oct. 28, citing the Post’s reporting and reupping his call to have Mamdani deported over his “refusal to disavow violent anti-American rhetoric.” Current law bars membership in a Communist or totalitarian party for people becoming citizens. He accuses Mamdani, 34, of engaging in a “broader pattern of conduct inconsistent with the oath of allegiance required of new citizens.” He asks Bondi for any update on the scope of any inquiry and “the steps being taken to determine whether denaturalization proceedings are warranted.” His comments were even more fiery on X, where he accused Mamdani of coming to the U.S. from Uganda “to turn America into an Islamic theocracy.”

Part of Mamdani’s ability to succeed after the election, and successfully fend off fascist intimidation depends on his margin of victory in the election, and the continued mobilization of the base. If you haven’t voted yet and you live in NYC, get out there, today’s election can be the first step in taking power away from the feckless democratic establishment, and beginning the fight in earnest between the ruling oligarchy and the rest of this country. No politician on their own can save us, but when politicians are part of people powered movements they can be an important part of the solution, amplifying the people’s voice in the halls of power, and helping to pass laws which change the status quo. To get there requires staying involved on day 2, and day 50, and day 500. Without the people standing united politically and economically, even well-meaning, supportive politicians have little hope of passing representative legislation.  Until we join together, in growing solidarity, wielding an economic cudgel on behalf of the 99%, we will continue to see more people needlessly go hungry as the nihilistic ruling class hoovers up all the remaining resources. Vote today, stay involved tomorrow, and of course each week,

Don’t Shop on Tuesday.

#DSOT