rambles about the blue tsunami (other than cheering)
when I was little, I remember my parents mourning Bush's reelection. I absorbed their comments that he was the worst president in U.S. history, I watched their disappointment in their country as he continued to make mistake after mistake. I celebrated alongside them when Obama won, and when I was finally old enough to vote, I recognized how important it was to my mother than her daughter's first time voting was for a woman to be president.
but of course, Trump won in 2016. I am lucky that only one of my relatives voted for him (and not for reelection... either time), and I am thankful that the conversations I had with my dad about politics at the time was drawing comparisons with Trump's political strategy and other populist fascists (yes, like Hitler. not to flex, but I said he would embolden neonazis before it was cool). I remember being in my college dorm's dining hall watching the news, terrified about what it meant. I've had the privilege of being surrounded by educated, intelligent, and compassionate people who have resisted Republican propaganda and fear mongering.
but I'm not sure I realized how hopeless I've been until last night. my entire adult life has been in the current political hellscape. my entire life has been simmering in a culture where every single president is the "worst one yet." not a single corporate monopoly has been broken up in my lifetime. not a single day in school was spent without the understanding that school shootings were apparently fact of life. not a single trip to the airport (or memory, for that matter) was not impacted by post-9/11 security measures. not a trace of digital footprint was free of government surveillance. every single one of my votes has been to maintain the bare minimum human rights. hell, I don't even know what my actual political opinions are, since I've never had the chance to consider them relevant to an election. I just don't want to live in a fascist country!
but now Texas is blue. the idea of a potential supermajority in congress is floating around in my mind. more and more DSA candidates are winning, with or without the support of the Democratic establishment. young voters are turning out in larger and larger numbers. Republicans in conservative strongholds are expressing that the culture war isn't worth falling victim to the class war.
the culture war isn't worth falling victim to the class war
I guess what's most hopeful is all the signs that what people care about are the simple things, like the price of gas, making sure their family can go to the doctor, and keeping their community safe. and if the Democratic control of congress can move the needle in the right direction, then maybe we can continue taking small steps to a post-capitalist society that actually functions for people.
anyway, the main thing is this: we won a battle, now let's lock the fuck in to win the war