Class Struggle and the Power of Resistance

Economic Inequality and Inaction

Despite the promise of change under Biden's presidency, the gap between the wealthy and the poor widened, with student debt and health care becoming increasingly inaccessible. Tax cuts for the elite fueled the crisis.

"This was not a break from capitalism...Yet here was an advance in social welfarism not experienced in at least two generations."

Climate Change and Political Obstruction

Climate policy faced resistance in Congress, led by Joe Manchin and supported by vested interests in the fossil fuel industry. The "Inflation Reduction Act" provided minimal relief.

"If the lack of progress could be reduced to a single figure, that figure was Manchin, the grotesque embodiment of America's bipartisan fossil-fuel consensus."

Radical Critique and Resistance

Amidst the political stagnation, Swedish intellectual Andreas Malm's book "How to Blow Up a Pipeline" ignited debate about radical action to address climate collapse.

Malm's call for sabotage provoked hostility from mainstream media, who questioned the legitimacy of political violence against economic targets.

Dealignment and the Erosion of Trust

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent electoral chaos exposed the instability of traditional political alliances. Radicalism and triumphalism have given way to a sense of unease and desperation.

"'Dealignment' doesn't quite cover it. Marchese cannot abide Malm's answers, precisely because Malm is not speaking for himself."

Luigi Mangione and the Target of Capital

The assassination of UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson by Luigi Mangione brought the critique of health insurance industry practices to the forefront.

"Mangione (allegedly) took a straight shot at capital, and now popular ire is being directed at CEOs rather than Congress, the free market rather than the immiserating state. This won't do."

The Stakes of Resistance

Prosecutors have responded to the growing support for Mangione by bringing terrorism and capital punishment charges. The state is attempting to stifle a narrative that undermines its authority.

"Mangione is no autoworker, and his lawyers are not members of a revolutionary union movement. Still, a percussive line of popular support is scrambling the banal and increasingly feckless story that American politics is about fealty for two parties, rather than, say, class warfare."

Confusion and the Path Forward

Despite widespread anger and dissatisfaction, the path forward remains uncertain. Protests have focused on state violence but have yet to effectively mobilize against the slow-motion death caused by capitalism.

"We are at a real impasse. In the tides of the 2008 financial crisis, we have learned that protest is not enough. Electoral organizing is riddled with contradictions...What will it take?"

Past Lessons and the Future

The history of resistance movements teaches that resistance is an ongoing struggle against carceral power and disinformation.

". Now is not the time to lose faith... It emerges from immiseration but must be fueled by possibility. This popular outrage and its accompanying confusion—toward a politics of life and against a promise of death—might be as good a place to start as any."