Bad Faith Episode 456 - The "Adversarial Left" Responds
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Mar 13, 2025 
Kshama Sawant, a former Seattle City Councilmember and founder of Workers Strike Back, takes on the 'inside/outside' strategy for enacting leftist change. She critiques the establishment's failure to support the working class, emphasizing the need for grassroots movements. Sawant discusses political accountability among leaders like Tlaib and Harris and calls for a shift away from entrenched politics. The conversation explores the necessity for diverse leftist voices and a united front to tackle systemic issues like immigration justice and inequality.
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Price of Fighting Back
- Sawant describes her experience running for Seattle City Council as an open socialist.
- She highlights the consistent opposition she faced from both Democratic and Republican parties, demonstrating the price one pays for fighting for working people.
Intentions vs. Analysis
- Focusing on individual politicians' intentions is less important than analyzing systemic political roles and what actions effectively help working people.
- Tlaib's non-endorsement of Biden was good, but hoping she reforms the system is analytically flawed.
Controlled Explosion
- The Democratic Party uses figures like AOC and Tlaib to create a "controlled explosion" effect.
- This gives the illusion of progressive change while limiting genuine fight back and maintaining working-class support for the party.