when purity politics poisons progress π
why some leftists would rather lose than compromise
tl;dr: some leftists are so obsessed with ideological purity they'd rather hand power to fascists than support imperfect progressives. their moral superiority complex is actively harming marginalized communities and undermining democracy. we need to grow up, compromise, and accept that in a nation of 330 million, you don't always get everything you want. perfect is the enemy of good to them, and these ultra-purists are becoming the left's biggest liability. maybe it's time to check our privilege and realize that for many, imperfect progress is a matter of life and death.
listen, i get it. i really do.
the democratic party can be frustrating as hell sometimes. they're not perfect, they make mistakes, they compromise in ways that feel like betrayals. trust me, as a queer puerto rican who's seen democrats fail our community time and time again, i understand the anger and disappointment.
but here's the thing - we live in a messy, imperfect democracy of 330 million people. getting even half of them to agree on anything is a herculean task. and yet some folks on the left seem to think if we just yell loud enough and stay pure in our ideals, we'll somehow get everything we want.
spoiler alert: that's not how this works. that's not how any of this works.
there's a certain type of leftist - let's call them the "ultra-purists" - who seem more interested in being right than actually improving people's lives. they'd rather lose elections than support a candidate who isn't 100% aligned with their views. they gleefully tear down democratic politicians for not being progressive enough, seemingly oblivious to the fact that they're doing the right's work for them.
and let me tell you, as a boricua, it's infuriating to watch.
every time republicans get elected, we get farther from decolonizing puerto rico. we get an administration that won't help us when the next hurricane hits. but these ultra-purists? they used puerto rico in their arguments when it was convenient, then forgot about us as soon as it stopped suiting their narratives.
ΒΏy sabes quΓ©? it's been real quiet since 2019. the only progressive i hear talk about pr these days is alexandra ocasio cortez... and the reason there is obvious. (sheβs puerto rican, haha.) haven't heard a peep from my white progressive friends about the island in years. muy sospechoso, ΒΏno? π§
it's like they've forgotten a basic truth: politics is about power. and in our system, you need to win elections to wield power.
but here's what really grinds my gears: many of these leftists have turned their ideology into some sort of messianic quest. they've fetishized revolution and violence, desperately hoping to herald the "second coming" of whatever radical ideology du jour makes them feel like they can cosplay che or lenin.
newsflash, mi gente: revolution isn't a fashion statement. it's not your chance to recreate the cool parts of "les mis" in real life. have y'all forgotten that revolution means real violence? that your white savior narratives are making you rabid for bloody heroism?
and don't even get me started on the day-to-day realities of revolution. where's all this energy when it comes to the boring parts? you know, actually working to win elections? building coalitions? doing the actual, hard, unglamorous work of change?
because here's the brutal truth: no revolution born from violence ends in peace without systems of rehabilitation, care, and reconciliation. and sometimes - brace yourselves for this revolutionary concept - the work of change isn't about bullets. it's about bread. it's about the slow, steady work of improving people's lives, bit by bit.
all the righteous anger in the world won't help anyone if you're not in a position to actually change things.
don't get me wrong - i'm not saying we shouldn't criticize democrats or push them to be better. hell, that's a big part of why i write this blog. but there's a difference between constructive criticism and circular firing squads. there's a difference between pragmatic progressivism and purity politics that hands power to the very people who want to strip away our rights.
remember 2016? remember how some on the left were so disgusted by hillary clinton that they either stayed home or voted third party? remember how that worked out for us? four years of trump, three supreme court justices, and a rollback of lgbtq+ rights that we're still dealing with. was that worth it to make a point? i made this mistake in 2016 and i have seen the consequences. i will never forgive myself for voting third party in 2016.
look, i used to be a republican. i know what the other side is capable of. and let me tell you, for all their flaws, the democrats are light years better than the alternative. please believe me when i tell you this - i moved in republican circles for almost two decades. two decades too long.
imperfect progress is still progress. incremental change still changes lives.
yes, we should keep pushing for more.
yes, we should hold our leaders accountable.
but we also need to recognize the realities of our political system. change happens slowly, through coalition-building, compromise, and yes, sometimes settling for "good enough" instead of perfect.
the ultra-purists seem to have forgotten something crucial: politics isn't a spectator sport. it's not about feeling morally superior or having the cleverest takedowns on twitter.
politics is about improving people's lives in tangible ways. and sometimes that means getting your hands dirty, making tough choices, and yes, occasionally holding your nose and voting for the "lesser evil."
because here's the brutal truth: while the left fights amongst itself about who's progressive enough, republicans are out there winning elections, appointing judges, and enacting policies that hurt the most vulnerable among us. they're banning books, attacking trans kids, and rolling back voting rights. and they're doing it because too many on our side would rather be right than effective.
so to my fellow leftists, i say this with love: get over yourselves. recognize that in a democracy of 330 million people, you can't always get what you want. learn to celebrate progress even when it's imperfect. understand that compromise isn't betrayal - it's how shit gets done in the real world.
because at the end of the day:
i'd rather have imperfect allies in power than perfect enemies.
i'd rather make slow progress than fast retreats.
and i'd rather light a candle than curse the darkness - even if that candle isn't as bright as i'd like it to be.
after all, isn't that what the left is supposed to be about? making things better, bit by bit, day by day? or have we forgotten that in our rush to be the most woke person in the room?
food for thought, mis amores.
and maybe spare a thought for puerto rico while you're at it, eh?
porque la verdadera revoluciΓ³n? it's in the voting booth, in mutual aid, in community organizing. not in your che guevara t-shirt fantasies. πͺπ½π΅π·π
te quiero mucho,
edgardπͺπ½π
one of my favorite ways to cope with voting in an imperfect system is to vote my heart in the primary, and vote strategically with a harm reduction mindset in the general
this piece is so powerful thank u for writing it