What's Going On? What Is to Be Done?

This essay seeks to place in context discontent on the left with the Barack Obama administration by focusing on the remarkable fact that for decades the Euro-American majority has voted consistently for the Republican Party, while minorities—particularly the most consistent anticonservative force, African Americans—are subjected to voter suppression to dampen turnout. This has created a structural right-wing bias within the United States. To escape this conundrum, this essay suggests emulation of our historical predecessors—for example, during the abolitionist struggle and the anti–Jim Crow campaign—who relied heavily on the international community for success.