Are... Are Good Things Actually Happening?
What is going on in Washington?
When I last left you, my humble readership, I was irate. Senator Manchin had torpedoed what appeared to be America’s last attempt to do anything to address the climate crisis and a shooting in my hometown left me shaken to my core.
It felt like it had been ages since we’d received good news. The election of Biden, while an immense relief, was immediately dampened by the attempted insurrection and lack of swift justice for its perpetrators, namely the former president himself. Biden’s Build Back Better agenda, while excitingly progressive in its scope, was chipped away at and eventually shelved.
My cynicism, like many others on the left, I’m sure, had grown in intensity.
But over the past two weeks I have felt like Théoden being purged of Wormtongue’s curse by Ganda—I mean Dark Brandon (more on that to come).
The Inflation Reduction Act is an extraordinarily exciting piece of, erm, “budgeting”, that will immediately help millions of Americans in its healthcare statutes while also providing absolutely necessary action on climate. While activists should rightfully be upset about concessions made to the bill to please the senators from West Virginia and Arizona, it is nevertheless an outstanding achivement that will provide much-delayed relief to our planet, to future generations, and to my anxiety.
Of course, the work on climate doesn’t stop here. The bill is further proof that if Democrats just had one or two more senator, they would not need to compromise within their own party on climate change policy, or indeed other aspects of the Build Back Better agenda (not to mention removing the filibuster to enshrine Roe v. Wade and voting rights protections). Hopefully, the sentiment of progress created by the passing of this bill will stymie cynical both-sidesism, and inspire more Dems to vote, such as for inspiring candidates like John Fetterman in Pennsylvania.
And while, yes, I have and will continue to complain that America’s current political system is practically broken given that Democrats currently encompass the entire reasonable political spectrum and have to debate amongst themselves while Republicans sit in the corner and huff glue while ranting about inane conspiracies, even I have to concede that this is a major success within the confines of the system.
Kansas’ vote to retain abortion rights was also a significant win, proving that even in deep red states there appear to be (relative) limits on the popularity of the Republican Christian nationalist anti-women agenda.
And T**** getting raided by the FBI and losing an appeal on handing over his tax returns to congress? *Chef’s kiss.*
While sure, complaints over the past year-and-a-half that Merrick Garland has been too timid in going after T**** for inciting an insurrection on live television are valid, hopefully the FBI raid temporarily hushes those, like me, who are impatient for justice.
The timing of all of these wins for the left (and reasonables in the center) is immaculate. Just as midterm season comes into full swing, Democrats have delivered on multiple key campaign promises, the decision to overturn Roe still remains in the public conscious, and progress is being made in litigating T****’s numerous blatant crimes, which the January 6 Committee has called repeated attention to (and will continue to in September).
Will it be a perfect storm to deliver Democrats an underdog victory in November? If voters remain motivated, we can hope. At least the White House has appeared to finally understand how to market itself to millennial and Gen Z voters—the “Dark Brandon” memes are hilarious and engaging in a format that Republicans had previously monopolized.
All that good news aside, I’m still me. And that means that I am still and will continue to be existentially concerned about:
Gerrymandered states rigging elections in favor of those who complain about “rigged elections”, furthering anti-democratic practices by keeping in office minoritarian, authoritarian Republicans;
The continued insistence of the Republican Party to remain loyal to T****, spread lies to undermine the legitimacy of elections they lose, and use increasingly violent rhetoric;
Blake Masters and others like him, who are downright terrifying as the potential future face of the Republican Party;
Same goes for DeSantis, who I would also argue is more dangerous than T****;
The fact that even though Democrats have finally passed a bill to invest properly in clean energy, the climate crisis is already here, evidenced where I reside by England’s second major heatwave this summer and uncharacteristic drought;
That Joe Biden is still old and not really an ideal candidate for 2024, but there are seldom any Democrats that achieve broad appeal;
That the Roe v. Wade is still, and likely will for many years, remain overturned;
The heinous injustices at the southern border that have continued to be perpetrated;
The ongoing threat of nuclear war with Russia and Chinese aggression against Taiwan and Hong Kong;
Covid and now Monkeypox, which appears to be yet another public health failure;
Inflation and persistent and extreme wealth inequality;
Continued, unnecessary, inhumane gun violence;
A broken media ecosystem that amplifies controversy, conspiracy, and hate. Read my reporting for The Media Leader on advocates who are at least attempting to make progress in this area;
A litany of other things that I’m sure I’ve missed but am grateful to have momentarily forgotten about.
In other words, there’s much more to talk about, and much more to fix in America. But it’s important—for progressives, for liberals, for centrists, and for the young and anxious out there like me—to appreciate the rare positive moments when Democrats deliver.
Heck, they might have just saved the world.