Donald Trump’s Win: The Democratic Party’s “Hoax” and The “impotent” Left

November 15, 2024

By now most of us are tired of the deluge of articles and roundtables about Tuesday November 5th, 2024 US Presidential Election; everyone has an analysis on why Kamala Harris lost miserably, and Donald Trump won so convincingly. The attempt here is not to repeat the same old adages and waste valuable time and space on an issue that requires serious review and analysis. In any case a few general comments are made in order to set the stage and put in context our position on the election campaign and the inevitable result.

Kamala Harris and The Democratic Party

Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s candidate is just another side of the same coin; both Parties are capitalist Parties, rooted in the ideology of capitalism and represents capitalist interests. There is no program, Policy or action in either Party that challenges the foundations of capitalism or its ideology; and neither Party is intent on dismantling this system of social production and private ownership and accumulation. The Democratic Party is so loyal to its class interests that it would not even allow Bernie Sanders, - a Social Democrat and one that would not advocate dismantling capitalism – to become the Party’s candidate; not in 2016, 2020, and definitely not in 2024.

Kamala Harris ran a petty bourgeois capitalist campaign, which was totally out of touch with the working class, including organized labor. The campaign lacked luster, and definitive Policy proposals; instead, it resorted to vague phrase mongering and “celebrity politics” that have no real contact with the US working class. Oprah Winfrey, Beyonce, Taylor Swift, and Jeniffer Lopez to mention a few, have nothing in common with the everyday worker; they do not represent the mother from the “hood,” or the Minimum Wage worker, struggling to get unionized. This type of politics is banal, condescending, and sterile and is indicative of petty bourgeois liberals and political enthusiasts.

The Democratic Party has consistently shown in deeds, that it cannot and is incapable of leading the working class in general and people of color in particular to any “promised land,” real or imagined. The Party exists as a “hoax” to blunt the edge of the class struggle; every four years the “hoax” is retooled and refashioned and offered to the electorate, who erroneously believes this time they will get “salvation.” In other words, there is no need to struggle seriously for working class and Black Liberation. There is no need for working class organizing and mobilizing, or a platform which will speak to the fundamental issues facing the working class; and thereby challenging and weakening the foundations of capitalism. Therein lies the “hoax” of the Democratic Party consistently and unwaveringly perpetrated against the working people.

Trump’s Win and The Economic and Political Crisis of Capitalism

Just like the United States’ Civil War, the war between a moribund feudal/agrarian system and a developing industrial system, this election was between a dysfunctional and inept Democratic Party administration represented by candidate Kamala Harris, and a perceived vibrant and “have all the answers” Republican Party, represented by Donald Trump. A banner at one of Trump’s rally said, “Trump will fix it.” Despite Trump’s constant demagoguery, this slogan resonated with the electorate despite party affiliation; the masses globally have become tired of liberal and neoliberal economic Policies, which seem to put them in a worst socioeconomic condition.

Increasing and out of control inflation; shortage of adequate and affordable housing; costly medical care including prescription drugs even with insurance; relatively stagnant wages and increasing workplace activism for unionization and better working conditions, are just some of the economic issues plaguing the average worker. On the political front, not the least is the Biden Administration’s complicity, material, and financial support for the genocide by Israel taking place in Gaza. Israel has now extended its warmongering to Lebanon and Iran. The migration crisis has compounded the Foreign Policy actions of the United States; the immoral and unilateral sanctions against Cuba and Venezuela, and the interference in supporting reactionary regimes in Latin America, have contributed to the out of control migration crisis.

The Trump campaign like Goebel’s under Hitler, used demagoguery and playing into peoples’ fear by promising to rid the American society of the scourge that is causing the problems: restriction on capital, people of color and immigrants and government bureaucracy. Despite Kamala Harris’ phrase mongering, capital was not willing to take any chances that a continuation of a Democratic Party Administration might yield to political activism that may cut into capitalist profits. Capital wants an administration that will not go “soft” on activists and activism; capital wants to dismantle and abolish democratic gains earned by the working class through decades of struggle; capital wants to ensure that the captains of industry have an unfettered access to exploit and reap as much profit as they humanly can. A Donald Trump Administration represents these guarantees to capitalism; like Hitler, he is their man.

This is the way forward

The electoral process has its place and useful in principle; however, it must be taken in context. In a society that is divided into class and race, all major social processes have a class and race characteristic, including the electoral process. The current electoral process currently favors the ruling class. Big capital has the financial resources to materially support and project their influence into the electoral process; when it suits their interests, capital will resort to racial stereotypes and prejudices in order to eliminate a candidate not in their favor. This is not democracy as popularly defined as: “for the people, of the people, and by the people;” this is bourgeois democracy. Democracy for the white and extremely rich.

Neither the Democratic Party nor the Republican Party are working class parties; they both serve the interests of capitalism and as such, have no interest in offering the working class in general and people of color especially, liberation from capitalist domination and oppression. The only way forward to real working class liberation is the formation of a working class Party; a party rooted in working class theory and practice, led by workers who are committed to working class liberation. It should also be reinforced that there can be no Black Liberation without the destruction of capitalism, in all its forms.

The counter to Trump’s presidency is going to require getting back to old-fashioned mass organizing and mobilizing of the working class, including organized labor. All the democratic gains that working people have received over the years have come from grassroots struggle; persistent and protracted struggle. This struggle must include international solidarity with the oppressed peoples of the world; first and foremost it must include solidarity with the people of Palestine, who for 76 years have been experiencing colonial occupation, from a genocidal and ethnic cleansing regime that is Israel. Defeating the enemies of the working class is not an insurmountable task; but it must be approached with a thorough understanding of the issues, the strategies to be undertaken, fearless, and uncompromising non-capitulation to reaction.

 Paul Bogle Action Network (PBAN) is an organization of concerned Jamaicans, helping to facilitate the development and nurturing of working-class organizations where absent, and where they exist, strengthen their focus. Questions and information request can be sent to: paulbogleactionnetwork@gmail.com