How the Democrats Under Harris-Walz Can Truly Defend Democracy

After U.S. President Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race, Democratic Party leaders praised Biden for “defending democracy” and boasted: “He is one of the most consequential presidents in American history.” But when you ask people in the streets, many will give you the opposite response.

They point to his stance on two main things: Imperialist wars and immigration. Biden’s policy, as well as that of the Democratic leadership, has been no different from that of the Republican Party.

The Democratic leadership’s continued support for Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza is no departure from past policies. American engagement in imperialist wars have long interfered in the democratic practices of other nations (like former President Donald Trump’s meddling in Venezuela), provoked unjust wars, destroyed the livelihoods and homes of people in those countries, and driven their exodus to other countries, including the U.S.

The Democratic Party is in crisis. We should seize this opportunity to demand that Vice President Kamala Harris, or any other Democratic candidate, change gears.

When those dispossessed and displaced migrate here, the U.S. law treats them as criminals without the right to work and gain a livelihood. Although the Democratic Party claims to be pro-immigrant and the Republican Party claims to be anti-immigrant, both parties agree on criminalizing immigrants and maintaining this underground labor class without the right to organize. This pits immigrants against the rest of the working class; undermines organizing of any kind for unionized and non-unionized workers; and leads to the decline of working conditions, long hours, and low wages for all workers, citizens and immigrants alike. Meanwhile, sweatshop bosses, developers, and big corporations reap greater profits.

The majority of Americans struggle to pay for healthcare from private insurance companies or from their own pockets. In order to get Medicaid, many workers earn less money and let unscrupulous bosses steal more wages! Even though there has been widespread support for universal healthcare, Democratic Party leadership turned their backs on past promises to deliver a public option for healthcare. Surely, the billions the U.S. government has spent on wars abroad could provide healthcare for all Americans. However, the Democratic Party continues to promote the unpopular Obamacare which allows insurance companies to make a lot of money, further losing the support of the working class.

If elected, Trump will fascistize the government by expanding presidential powers and bringing the U.S. government under his authority, while carrying out the “largest deportation effort in the history of this country” and weakening the civil rights and the rights to organize for all Americans. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party, the only party who can defeat Trump in this election, offers empty talk about “defending democracy” and “uniting Americans” while pushing policies that fail to address the needs of Americans, further sowing divisions, and pushing more people into the arms of Trump and fascism.

The Democratic Party is in crisis. We should seize this opportunity to demand that Vice President Kamala Harris, or any other Democratic candidate, change gears. If we really want to defeat Trump and prevent the country’s march toward fascism, we should demand the Democratic nominee adopt a platform that unites the working class: stop interventions and wars against other countries; abolish the provision of the Immigration Reform and Control Act that criminalizes immigrants, ensure equal rights for all workers; and improve people’s livelihood by guaranteeing universal healthcare. Let’s bring citizen and immigrant workers together to rally for these demands that will benefit all of us and will give us a fighting chance to improve the working and living conditions for all of us far beyond the elections.