what’s the end goal here Zohran. ‘Socialism’ (actually social democracy) but with a roving gang of armed and organized fascists that we just ignore? are we just going to kick the issue of systemic racism down the road because it’s “woke 1” to even talk about, until it becomes a powder keg again? this is the actual internal DSA white chauvinism contradiction that MSM are clawing to find but they won’t use it as a real wedge because it’d increase the salience of Defund again
Yeah, nobody likes “abolish the police” in the US anymore. Frankly Americans never liked the idea partly because it was never well communicated. It’s not up to Zohran to educate the masses, it’s up to him to meet them in the middle and show them the left aren’t demons. And he has been doing that well with all his day one accomplishments.
On the other hand I dont think police abolition should be a defunct idea the way “woke 1” seems to imply. The left just needs to be smarter. What might help is shining a spotlight on massive police stockpiles of weaponry, and the estimated budget to maintain said weaponry. Like others have said, shine the spotlight on corrupt police union and officers, and fire them case by case. Then its no longer abolish the police, its fighting corruption (while actually moving towards abolishing the police). If leadership gets Allende’d in the process, then the police remain the corrupt enemy that way. The left fights a war for public perception, so they must be smart.