Progressive outliers; a slither of hope

December 4th 2024, Images from PEXELS

---

In a world full of such injustice, inequality, and mistreatment, it is hard to find a slither of hope. I am more than guilty of drowning in negativity over the present and future, as it seems that the past is simply repeating itself. However, with the ever-growing connections in our society, the speed at which we can share anything and everything, the reassuring amount of cat content we have access to daily, society can not be overly negative. I began writing this piece immediately after watching ‘Knock Down The House’, which is a documentary following 4 female candidates for Congress in 2018. Whilst I find it uncomfortably American, the bittersweet optimism that is shared with the candidates and their teams translate globally. I have to admit it made me shed a tear; as someone with such an aspiration for public service, their confidence and bravery is unmatched. This piece is unlike anything I have written before, as you can probably tell with the (hopefully) lack of Nigel Farage, and I am unlikely to write anything like it again. You are reading history here, so buckle in. In this weeks ‘Conversation’ in Politics, let's explore the hope for the future, as I’m sure it is needed now more than ever. 

In the UK, the political system works differently than the USA. Firstly, we have a Leader whose first subheading in his Wikipedia page is ‘Legal Career’ instead of ‘Media Career’. Also, our cabinet is composed of experienced, dedicated politicians, with only one lying on her CV. Now, obviously the USA and UK aren’t the only democratic countries with recent elections and ever-increasing disagreement in their politics, which I’m sure you’re interested in reading about, but this is my article, not yours. The USA is simply too… outstanding not to look at, every headline I see about it spins my head a full 180 degrees in shock. I feel like an owl. Everytime I think of US politics now I just imagine Elon Musk jumping behind Trump, and if that doesn’t give you hope for the future of their politics, I don’t know what will! And obviously, I can’t be a true British person without making everything about myself, so I have to talk about the UK. As I’ve said before, this piece will try to be as hopeful I can be, but we still have to remember what we’re dealing with here: A man whose biggest personality is that his father was a toolmaker, and a convicted felon who spent too long on his Oompa-Loompa Halloween costume one year. 

But, overlooking those two for the time being, let's turn to the women of politics. And no, I’m not talking about Kemi Badenoch. I thought it would be intriguing to look at two young, energetic, progressive women of politics, one from the USA and one from the UK. Seeing as she started this piece, let's firstly talk about Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC). For anyone unaware, AOC is a Member of Congress, serving in the House of Representatives for the 14th Congressional District of New York since 2018. She is a Democrat, labelling herself as a democratic socialist. Her views are often very progressive and sometimes controversial, promoting higher minimum wages, the Impeachment of Trump, and more workplace equality for women. Although I am asking myself how these are controversial policies, in reality they are; which makes AOC’s position in the House more than remarkable. Mentored by a group helping grassroots campaigns, the New York waitress was spurred to political activism because of how the Representative at the time, Joe Crowley, overlooked the constituency. Her campaign was hard-fought, but she won the seat in 2018 and has been a Representative ever since. Now that we’ve copied and pasted her Wikipedia page, we can finally get to what you’re actually reading for; my opinion! 

In my opinion, Ocasio-Cortez is a hopeful outlier in a sea of corporation-backed politicians. Her resilience and bravery in politics, as a young woman of colour, should be admired from whichever side of the political spectrum you lie on. She is true to herself and her beliefs, not being defeated by those who happen to be older or louder (or balder). With an overwhelming amount of polarisation in politics, having a confident voice to aid the future is needed. AOC does this tremendously, with her campaigns tactics focusing on personal engagement and the overlooked. Her politics favour those who have suffered because of lawmakers, which makes her a remarkable representative. That said, I will never truly understand her passion and dedication to America and New York. Her patriotism is impressive. I love that she is proud of the city where she comes from… but does that city need to be the home to 9 million pigeons?? 

Travelling over the pond to the home of Tikka Masala, Paddington, and Milton Keynes, we have Britain. More precisely, let's look at Coventry South. The current MP for Coventry South is Zarah Sultana, a Labour MP who is not afraid to speak up for what she believes in. In July, she had the whip removed from her when she voted against the government on the two-child-benefit-cap bill, essentially making her an Independent in Parliament for 6 months (big deal). This simply shows how much she is willing to sacrifice in order to speak her truth. And I am here for it. Her use of social media and public engagement has allowed her to gain a huge influx of support from all over the country, making her a refreshing and needed voice for future politics. Her scrutiny of the government on issues such as welfare makes her, again, an outlier in a swarm of profit-driven politicians. Not only has this made her an infamous legend in the progressive branches of social democracy, her bluntness towards the governments compliance in the genocide in Palestine has made voters aware of how needed a change is. Wholeheartedly, I believe she deserves all the recognition she has received, and admire her strength in the face of adversity. She is truly an icon of the future, and a slither of hope in the political sphere of today. And, even better, her constituency is only home to 65,000 pigeons. 

Whilst I strongly don’t condone the idolisation of politicians, I can make a temporary exception for these two, as the way they carry themselves and uphold their fundamental values are inspirational. The way we see politics is ever changing, and will grow more complex everyday, but with the help of just a few, we can see hope. More hope, less ignorance is all I can wish for in society. 

And maybe less pigeons.