Harry Targ
Attention among progressives is appropriately paid to the exciting New York mayoral victory
of Zohran Mandomi, gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey, and the ongoing
resistance to ICE in Los Angeles and Chicago. But it is also important to be
aware of repression and resistance everywhere.
The state of Indiana is one such venue. At the last
election a MAGA candidate won the governorship, a Christian nationalist became Lieutenant
Governor, and the two legislative branches retained Republican super
majorities.
Despite stereotypes of Indiana, it was not always this
way politically. In the recent past Indiana elected Democratic governors, such
as the popular Evan Bayh, and Senators Bayh and Joe Donnelly. As recently as
2006, the Indiana House of Representatives had a Democratic Party
majority.
In 1990, Indiana was the state with the tenth largest
union density. When former Governor (and former Purdue University president)
Mitch Daniels won the 2006 election he escalated the process of weakening
organized labor in the state by leading the campaign to make Indiana a Right to
Work State and denying state employees the right to join a union. Deindustrialization
over the last twenty years coupled with anti-labor policies played a role in
shifting state politics from purple to red. In addition, the Tea Party, Koch
Foundation supported institutions, and other rightwing forces also worked to
move the state red. (Even Daniels’ Republican successor, Eric Holcomb, was not
rightwing enough as he was excoriated by Republicans for insuring that Indiana
followed Covid protocols).
Within the last month, Trump clone, recently elected Governor
Mike Braun called for Indiana to redistrict so that the two Democratic
Congresspersons would be replaced by Republicans (already Republicans hold
seven of the nine House seats). And to their credit leading Republican
politicians, including Daniels, announced their opposition to mid-decade
congressional redistricting. Trump responded with outrage to State Senate chair
Rodric Bray’s recent announcement that there was not enough support for a
special session to redistrict the state. As a result, Trump has called for
primarying any state legislator in the Republican side of the aisle who opposed
redistricting.
Also, Indiana has rushed headlong over the last year
to promote incentives for semiconductor factories, environmentally dangerous
data centers, military contractors, and nuclear power. At the same time state
politicians and compliant administrators are dismantling diverse academic
programs at Indiana’s major universities. All these policies are put in place as
the percentage of Hoosier households, United Way researchers show, living below
a livable income has reached 38 percent, a five percent rise since 2014. In
short, Indiana, along with many other states is institutionalizing the programs
of the MAGA faction of US political life while the quality of life of Hoosiers
worsens.
But, progressives need to be aware of rising
resistance in red states such as in Indiana as well. Masses of Hoosiers marched
up and down the state during the 50501 and No Kings rallies. Even in Tippecanoe
County (Lafayette and West Lafayette), there were 4,000 marchers during the latest
No Kings rally. The rally was coupled with tabling by groups as diverse as
progressive Democrats, immigrant rights, the American Association of University
Professors, and Jewish Voice for Peace. The community also has organizations
such as Standing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ), the Young Democratic Socialists
of America (YDSA), various new organizations which seek to retain diversity
programs at Purdue University and around the community, and Christians who are
objecting to what Christian Nationalists stand for.
In addition, the Debs Foundation had its annual awards
dinner in Terre Haute, Deb’s home. This year’s award recipient was Bernie
Sanders. He was presented with the distinguished Debs award by Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortez before 700 banquet attendees (the event was sold out and many who
wished to attend were unable to).
What does all this add up to? First, the Trump agenda,
reactionary, anti-worker, anti-education, anti-immigrant, anti-healthcare etc.
is being imposed everywhere. But second, and important for our work and our
vision, is the fact that resistance is growing in all different ways: whether
it involves electing a Democratic Socialist Mayor in New York, community uprisings against ICE in Chicago
streets, boycotting manufacturers and
governments that have ties to Middle East genocide, organizing Starbucks workers, to large rallies
and campaigns against gerrymandering in Indiana.
