"We're all rats now"
The reaction to Mamdani's win highlights the inherent racism that we must fight against.
Paul Krugman's Substack article, We're All Rats Now, gets right to the point.
He discusses the backlash against Zohran Mamdani's Democratic primary victory in New York and rightly argues it reflects a broader resurgence of racism in American politics under the Trump administration.
He highlights three particularly harsh reactions to Mamdani's win: Stephen Miller warning of societal collapse, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent comparing New York to "Caracas on the Hudson," and Senator Tommy Tuberville calling urban voters "inner-city rats" who should be "sent back home." These responses are driven by bigotry rather than legitimate policy concerns. They aren't hiding their slips anymore. Hoods might be next.
Miller's alarm stems from discomfort with non-white political power, while Bessent feels free to use inflammatory language against a foreign-born Muslim that he wouldn't apply to white Christian politicians. Tuberville dehumanizes Americans with rhetoric that is as clear as day for anyone who has studied history. It, as Krugman states, "raw racism is rapidly becoming mainstream in American politics."
Of course, this is enabled by the larger context of the American polity today. Examples abound:
- Cuts at the National Institutes of Health that a Reagan-appointed federal judge called the most "palpable" racial discrimination he'd seen in 40 years on the bench
- Renaming military bases after Confederate generals
- Changes to military shaving policies allegedly designed to drive Black recruits from service
As he says, nobody is safe from this "new reign of bigotry." Legal immigrants face potential status revocation after a Supreme Court decision, while unidentified agents claiming to be ICE are reportedly detaining people based on appearance. The proposed "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" would significantly expand ICE funding, creating what will be "a huge national secret police force." The will have a budget larger than the US Marine Corps, and will be in the top 10 largest ten armed _____ in the world.
It's not limited to the usual "brown folks" either. He points to antisemitic connections within the Trump administration and argues that the "Great Replacement Theory"—now part of MAGA ideology, which specifically blames Jewish people for demographic changes.
Meanwhile, most Jews in NY are "not frightened at all by the prospect that New York may soon have a somewhat leftist Muslim mayor." Just look at the vote tallies and breakdowns.
All Americans who want to "keep America America" must oppose this resurgence of bigotry. Krugman ends with a very sobering declaration: "we're all rats now." This dehumanizing language used against specific groups ultimately threatens everyone. We could all be next, and yes, my name is on all these posts, and I own that.
Ultimately, his article is a dire warning about normalized racism and discrimination under our current political leadership, arguing that what began as attacks on specific communities poses a broader threat to American democratic values and safety for all citizens.
We must overturn this lawless regime. 2026 looms. Get out and vote. Make the numbers so large that their cheating and voter suppression can't make it go away.
Non in cautus futuri.
