The democratic socialist Melat Kiros unseated the long-serving US representative Diana DeGette in Colorado’s primary elections held on Tuesday, the latest in a string of high-profile victories for the party’s insurgent left.
The Associated Press reported that Kiros had defeated DeGette for the Democratic nomination in the deep-blue first congressional district centered on Denver. Kiros’s triumph came a week after New York voters unseated two Democratic congressional incumbents and replaced a third who was retiring with candidates who had campaigned on standing up to Israel amid accusations that it was carrying out a genocide in Gaza.
For what it’s worth, the late 80s to early 90s Republicans were as useless to Americans as the establishment democrats are to the left.
The conservatives that overthrew those establishment people and took control of the Republican Party (Newt Gingrich and the rest of his scumbag traitors) did so by running conservative primary candidates against sitting, long-time congressmen…and winning. They also refused to wait in line, and ran for leadership positions (Speaker, Maj Leader, Whip, and committee chairs) and won those, too.
They were also called insurgents at the time.
We really should be using the 1994 model. Pick 10 simple things we can all (70%+) agree on, and all democrats, left or center, run on the platform.
Stuff like “No corruption” “No more corporate elites bribing Congress” “No more bribes for the Supreme Court” etc. Don’t get into the controversial stuff. Just pick the easy stuff, like “Everyone should get to fucking eat food and have medicine”
You’ll see what an insurgency can do with that simple model.
How about “no fucking kids or committing genocide for another country”?
I dunno man you’re asking an awful lot… :P
Jokes aside- elections are supposed to find the best of us to represent the rest. It really shouldn’t be that hard to find someone who’s a. not into raping 14yo’s, b, frowns on genocide, and c. has basic administrative/leadership skills.
And yet…
When corporations are considered people, and can donate to political campaigns, real people don’t matter. Citizens United destroyed America…Trump is just a symptom of that system.
The conservatives in America have wanted a fascist state since before WWII; FDR was their nightmare, and they fought all through the 2nd half of the 20th century to lay the groundwork for someone like Trump to come along. Their goal has never been democracy.
Fuck it, the only question you need to ask these candidates are “Is Israel committing genocide in Gaza?” That answer alone will tell you the other 9 things.
This started as a ripple in New York and we are now riding a wave of change. Hopefully this will become an unstoppable tsunami across the nation.
insurgent left
Fuck off with that shit
Billionaire News strikes again
It’s The Guardian, they operate on reader donations so that they’re not beholden to billionaires.
The word choice here is somewhat poor, but I don’t get the sense that this article is lamenting…
They don’t run ads?
Gee, I don’t know. Why don’t you click on the link and see if there’s any ads? I sure didn’t see any, but maybe your eyes are better than mine…
Apparently they are. https://usadvertising.theguardian.com/advertise
Funny, I don’t see any advertisements either on the article in the OP or on the home page…
So your contention is they don’t run advertising.
They’re trying to make these people look radical, when their platforms are centrist stuff most other western nations have done for decades. Her platform is universal healthcare, universal pre-k, building homes, not funding wars in the Middle East, and not taking money from big corporations and billionaires.
How is that radical?
In America, that is incredibly radical.
However, this is one of a string of incredible wins for the DSA, and I am very glad. As someone who has for a long time been despondent about electoral political change, it is a sign that the alternative - armed resistance and civil war - will not be necessary.
We should all support the DSA as much as we can if we do not want to see entire neighbourhoods on fire, civilians being slaughtered by the thousands, or all the other horrible shit that is inevitable in war.
Yeah, this is why so many of us have been saying stuff to the effect of “Wait till after midterms to see if democracy can prevail. If they cheat, or ignore the results, then all bets are off and anything goes. Until then, all is not yet lost, but if we resort to violence when there’s still hope of peace, all will be lost.”
There’s still hope in a peaceful way out of this. The fascists want us to believe there isn’t, but clearly they’re nervous about this election so apparently they haven’t rigged it as bad as they want us to think they have.
The people advocating for open revolt are not only jumping the gun, but they’re feeding right into the fascists’ plans. Some of them may even be fascists in disguise. Be very wary.
Healthcare AND Childcare AND Taxdollars being Used on AMERICANS and their CHILDREN? That is UNAMERICAN!
-People voting to Give your ID to Epstein’s Associates to PROTECT THE CHILDREN TM!
Yeah that’s deliberate and akin to the “cockroaches” propaganda in Rwanda. 2Ab42late.
Insurgent != Radical. Mainstream Dems don’t like this new social-democracy wave.
https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/24/politics/mamdani-house-democrats-primary-elections
In this sense, it’s quite reasonable to qualify them as “insurgents” within the Democratic party.
As a proud member of the anarchist jurisdiction Portland. Bring it.
I don’t think that came across as intended. This is the Guardian, the US left is basically right in the UK.
I think what they mean is the Democratic Socialists are insurgent from the standpoint of a small group growning quickly. The negative connotation might not have been intended.
The negative connotation might not have been intended.
Yeah the Guardian isn’t good with words. Probably just fucked it up on accident.
Get wrecked corporate stooges
Wait I was told voting never works and not to bother, wtf???
Well you see, the people saying that have an interest in you NOT voting, so they have to say that.
Some of the other people saying that were just out of hope, like me.
This example, and the other wins from the DSA, are giving me a bit of hope again.
The tankies are gonna be in shambles when the rest of us on the left prove that we can actually vote our way out of this mess. Shambles, I say!
Psuedo-leftists love to espouse this bullshit all the time.
They’re the same assholes who end masse refused to show up to their 2016 or 2020 primaries. Then they claimed the DNC rigged it from the start and Bernie couldn’t possibly have won (yes he fucking could have if more people turned out).
“Not voting sends a message.”
Yeah, it fuckin’ does.
Not voting votes for the winner.
2/3rds of American voters voted for Trump.
Idk the hype around primaries lately is so refreshing. We need to hard focus on primaries moving forward and all elections.
Both sides are the same. Fascism, not fascism. Social empathy, sociopathy, it’s all the same.
Don’t vote. Don’t try to change anything. Why bother. Just wallow in propaganda, it’s easier.
Diana DeGette was defeated by someone as old as her incumbency.
Love to see it. This is what should happen when you don’t pass the baton.
Or when you don’t try to actually improve your constituents’ lives.
Insurgent left lol. What’s next? “Leftist are using BLITZKRIEG tactics to win votes”
Remember when Jan 6th happened and all you would hear on the news is insurgency this and insurgency that? This is how they devalue the meaning of the words used against them. Now everything we don’t like is an insurgency and what happened on Jan 6th was a nothingburger.
That was a literal armed uprising attempting to overthrow the government. “Insurgency” is a perfectly valid term. What else do you call it when a mob of people engages in open rebellion?
Their point was that, by using the term for far less severe things, the media are devaluing it. The term is valid for the violent mob, but not for the swing in votes they’re using it for.
Tbh pretty accurate to the definition of the word. They’re winning in opposition to DNC authority despite all efforts to suppress them.
Yea, honestly I think ‘insurgent’ is complementary in this context
At least they didn’t use “insurgent” in the headline, I suppose.
Just give them some time. It will get much worse.
In a fascist government, insurgency is necessary. What are you complaining about?
Oh gee, I dunno. This term is being applied to a political party running a legal campaign. I can tell you without a doubt, they are referring to the more extreme definition of insurgency. Not just a rebellious group of people but an armed group of people who wish to accomplish their goals through violence. They are swapping out the term radical for terrorist, which is a common gop tactic.
I live here. There’s more guns than people. They are already on path to justify killing people for holding political opinion. Don’t be fuckin’ daft. You realize what you’re playing devil’s advocate for, right?
Not only that, but there’s already a term for that wing of the party: progressives. “Insurgent Left” is clearly a manufactured term concocted with the sole purpose of portraying progressives as dangerous, lawless extremists.
Hey the Ellison News Corp knows where you live!
A nicely aged, fine meme, sir. Excellent choice.
😎thats very cash money of you
She was fired from her job for opposing genocide and supporting student protestors. Take that shitrael!
Get fucked, centrists
standing up to Israel amid accusations that it was carrying out a genocide in Gaza.
Yeah, shure Guardian, these are just “accusations” from crazy leftists.
Glad Colorado realized that primaries are a thing, out here in Cali we’re struggling in that department
Yeah with this shit it’s a struggle just to get someone who isn’t a Republican or a billionaire.
Cool, let’s see how she uses her position to improve the lives of her constituents. It’s a big moment for a few people to really sell an idea particularly against large amounts of dissent and apprehension. That means they don’t need to be normal or good, they need to be stellar. Society is a numbers game and to win the game you need to win the minds and hearts of the majority and that’s done by being consistently awesome and doing awesome shit. As much as humans play games, meritocracy is still there aka no matter how much people dislike you, if you’re awesome enough for long enough they will love you.
True, but remember this is only the primary. She still has to win in the general.
The district is Colorado’s 1st, which is Denver. She’s winning the general :D
That’s what I’m worried about with these handful of Democratic Socialist primary victories. All it takes is one or two embarrassing moments, and the whole project will be smeared.
Take Darializa Avila Chevalier for example. She blamed NATO for Russia invading Ukraine, and she recently refused to say that murderers should be incarcerated. The interviewer gave her three chances, and she filibustered with Kamala-esque word salad each time. Hopefully she has the sense to cut that kooky shit out now that the spotlight is on her.
Oooph. There are critiques to be made of NATO but none of those absolve Russia of invading it’s neighbors.
She blamed NATO for Russia invading Ukraine
Sounds like talking to an average ml user. She’s representative of the kind of people calling Bernie Sanders a centrist zionist.
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The problem with most ideologies is people getting too fanatical and even if it’s hidden it’ll come out eventually. You can fool some of the people some of the time but not all the people all the time. Another issue with fanaticism is it has diminishing outcomes. Look at how maga is now harming the right wing voting base. Sure it works for a little while but it’s too hot, eventually it burns the hand holding it. At the end of the day every last person on earth wants the same thing, wellbeing for themselves and their loved ones. Whoever gives them that will win their vote. Fanaticism has a way of ultimately diminishing wellbeing.
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Bad time to be an incumbent.
You reckon Bernie Sanders’ seat is in danger? I don’t think the problem is incumbents so much as refusal to to give folks what they’re looking for in a representative.
No, the anti-incumbency wave is coming from progressives and (formerly) centrist Democrats who are tired of the status quo and lack of progress. Bernie is progressive enough that he will probably not be primaried, though if he was it would surely be for a younger similar progressive.
Yea but he’s a Zionist, which for many is a hardline right now. He’s also just … old. I like Bernie generally, but he’s barely left of center.
Yea but he’s a Zionist
What the fuck are you smoking? Bernie Sanders has been one of thr first and loudest critics of Israel in the US government.
“I don’t know how you can have a permanent ceasefire with an organisation like Hamas which is dedicated to turmoil and chaos, and destroying the state of Israel" -Sanders. Yes, criticizing and demonizing the only organization actively fighting against this genocide…
“Israel has a right to defend itself” - Sanders.
“It is no longer good enough for us to be pro-Israel, I am pro-Israel…[Israel has] absolute right to live in peace and security”" - Sanders
Israel’s so-called rights are rooted in its colonial framework; Sanders’s attempt at equivalence between the colonised and the coloniser is evident even in the language used: the humanitarian versus the political.
“I think it is very important for everyone, but particularly for progressives, to acknowledge the enormous achievement of establishing a democratic homeland for the Jewish people after centuries of displacement and persecution,” -Sanders. This is literally Zionism.
Hundreds of his staffers had to beg him to call for ceasefire:
https://inthesetimes.com/article/bernie-sanders-former-staffers-palestine-gaza-israel-ceasefire
https://theintercept.com/2023/10/24/bernie-sanders-ceasefire-letter-israel/
https://www.commondreams.org/news/cease-fire-gaza
Sanders refuses to call it a genocide: https://x.com/SDGMasterglass/status/1758513912427725233
When an audience member interrupted him and asked if Palestinians “have a right to resist,” Sanders, incensed by the interruption, yelled back, “Shut up! You don’t have the microphone!”
The truth is, whether you call it genocide or ethnic cleansing or mass atrocities or war crimes, the path forward is clear. We, as Americans, must end our complicity in the slaughter of the Palestinian people
United States of America cannot be complicit in this mass slaughter of children.
Over the last two years, Israel has not simply defended itself against Hamas. Instead, it has waged an all-out war against the entire Palestinian people.
What’s up with .ml users attacking people like Bernie, AOC, and Mamdani so often?
They’re leftier-than-thou, for one. For two, any solution that doesn’t completely rewrite the rules of society and production is just fascism lite. For three, I’m not saying they’re a hub of russian disinfo, I’m just saying what they argue for - whether practically or rhetorically - is almost always in line with russia’s interests. Although that is purely coincidental, I’m sure.
Because they don’t want successful leftists proving that socialism and democracy can go hand-in-hand. They want to have their ill-conceived revolution and fuck all what happens after it so long as it results in the complete breakdown of the fabric of society. They imagine themselves as the authoritarian dictators in what comes after, even though it could just as easily be anyone else.
I’ve asked them what their plan is for replacing industry, supply chains, transportation, maintenance, and all those other things after their “revolution” and they’ve basically cussed me out and said “What the fuck does any of that matter? Why are you even thinking about that or bringing it up?”
All they want is chaos and destruction. They’re petulant children who want to get their way and are willing to break other people’s things if they don’t.
What’s up with .ml users
ad hominem.
attacking people like Bernie, AOC, and Mamdani so often?
Criticism isn’t “attacking”.
Oh yea, and all those quotes you put there, was because we pressured these people with criticism.
I think the word Zionist is too nebulous for me to want to debate here but he’s still one of the most critical reps in congress of Israel. No chance he gets primaried. Your views are an extreme minority.
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I think the word Zionist is too nebulous for me
He previously cheered on Israel, criticized Gaza, defended the bombing of Palestinians, and refused to acknowledge the genocide. How is that nebulous?
No chance he gets primaried. Your views are an extreme minority
My reply here: https://lemmy.ml/post/49472329/26470085
Nicely .ml’d
Yea but he’s a Zionist,
When discussing electoral politics, especially in America, I’d suggest adjusting your scale of where “the center” is. Also, Bernie may be a liberal zionist. But he also is promoting and endorsing people far to his left. That speaks volumes to what he wants to be built after he is gone.
I’m merely commenting why he may be a target of getting primaried. I’m DSA and a ML … Bernie has onboarded countless thousands to DSA and socialism in general. For that we can thank him. He has shifted his stance recently if I remember, but he’s been staunchly a zionist in the past.
My friend someone in DSA should know Bernie would never be primaried by a DSA candidate. A DSA candidate would be endorsed by Bernie when he decides to retire. He’s like 500 years old and the most liked politician in the country. If the DSA started talking shit publicly about Bernie; I would be more concerned that some CIA infiltrated it’s leadership. It would be the worst political move I could think of.
DSA has codified anti-zionism into its bylaws. There is also an expulsion process (restorative rather than punitive). We also have the ability to rescind endorsements of those who do not follow our anti-zionist or bds platform. The point is to avoid unyielding fealty to DSA members in perpetuity even if they do not abide by our platform.
Conveniently, Bernie has finally shifted his stance last year. I think you’re consistently missing my point. I don’t think Bernie is in any danger. I’m simply acknowledging the situation in which he would be, which isn’t that much of a stretch considering his past stances.
If the DSA started talking shit publicly about Bernie
Plenty of DSA and other Socialists criticize Bernie. The reality is, he’s not that far left of center. That’s fine, DSA is big tent, and there’s plenty of room on the Dem ballot line for sort-of-left-of-center. I’ve acknowledged his role in onboarding countless people to DSA and Socialism. I’ve also laid out his shortcomings. What else do you want from me?
he’s been staunchly a zionist in the past.
Provide citations and sources, you’re tslking out of your ass, tankie.
https://lemmy.ml/post/49472329/26470958
Blocked for the tankie comment.
This is why the left always eats itself.
Constantly snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
And yet we’re seeing a surge of support for Socialism across the country. We’re seeing progressive policies passing in places that Trump even won in. DSA membership is surging like never before. More and more people are sympathizing and on board with the destruction of Capitalism and billionaires.
Sanders is just one man. We have a mass movement on our hands.
Just wait until actual candidates start winning the primaries and leftists have a chance to purity test them and decide not to vote as usual.
I’ll take the anti-zionist, anti-genocide, anti-imperialist purity test any day of the week.
Thankfully, the road to Socialism isn’t through popular vote. Know your history. ;-)
Degette can take her Israel money and pound sand.
