Were not taking a victory lap
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- Published on Thursday, 22 April 2021 20:00
- Written by editor
With Donald Trump in the rearview mirror, progressives should have an opening for serious policy reforms under the Biden administration. But there are warning signs that the Democrats may blow a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver real change for working people — and the consequences could be disastrous.
In the past week, Senate Democrats have given up on a $15 minimum wage, while limiting the size and scope of already meager stimulus payments. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden has ordered airstrikes in Syria, signaling his administration’s unwillingness to break with the bipartisan tradition of military adventurism.
For many pundits and political elites, all of this has been greeted with a yawn. But at The Intercept, we’re not taking a victory lap because Trump is out of office. We... know that the failures of past administrations made Trump’s rise to power possible. Without dogged reporters challenging the conventional wisdom, politics will quietly revert to business as usual.
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Next year’s midterm elections are already looming, and the GOP is doubling down on the phony populism of the Trump era. If the Democrats won’t deliver on their mandate, they’re likely to lose their thin hold on Congress — and the window of opportunity will close.
Democratic elites may prefer lofty appeals to unity over fighting for their constituents, but the failing democracy and broken economic system that gave us the past four years haven’t gone away. That’s why The Intercept’s mission of holding the powerful accountable through fearless, adversarial journalism is more important than ever.
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D.C. Bureau Chief
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