The safest way for the Squad to oppose conservative democrats.

This 1-minute read is worth your time. I show you an idea to enforce actual progress safely while appeasing Biden Administration and avoid media backlash.

I’ll explain it using a real-world example. Joe Biden proposed to increase the corporate tax rate from currently 21% to 28%. Joe Manchin did his thing and suggested an increase to not more than 25% CTR, threatening to kill the bill if this demand is not met.

This is a great way for progressives to step in and oppose Manchin in a perfectly symmetrical way. They can publicly demand an increase to 31%. This is 3% more than Biden (publicly) wants, while Manchin’s idea is 3% less. It would be very obvious to the public that progressives try to help Joe Biden to get his 28%, by negotiating against Manchin and ultimately meeting in the middle. This might not be a huge step, but it is something. There is little leeway for the media to spin this against progressives. Since MSM, the democratic party including the progressive caucus elevated Biden to some FDR-like deity, Biden’s position now goes as the reasonable one by default. There is no way to coherently attack the 31% proposal more than the 25% since they both differ from the Biden proposal by the same amount, unless you come from a hardcore libertarian “taxes are bad” position, which is only found on far-right outlets whose viewers will never vote for a leftist anyways.

This strategy has it all. Being actually progressive (by undoing more regress committed by the Trump Administration) while also siding with the democratic leadership and thereby dodging MSM criticism, which otherwise can’t be avoided when pushing for progressive causes. This is a move that the entire spectrum of the left — from the hardcore anti-Squad squad to the Canadian boutique liberals — would like to see. It would not upset the donor class too much and help the Biden Administration.[1] On top of that, it would be a nice training for progressives. One must learn to challenge the powerful; it’s not an ability we just naturally have. They will be taken more seriously in future negotiations. Also, they can finally achieve something in a group, strengthening the connection to each other.

[1] I know that the Biden Administration sides with Manchin behind closed doors. This is why he does not worry about repercussions for pulling any proposal to the right.