The daughter of King Priam of Troy, Cassandra was granted the gift of prophecy by Apollo in exchange for sexual congress. Though she agreed, and was given the gift of sight, she later refused his advances, prompting him to curse her so that, though she could accurately foretell the future, no one would ever believe her and she fell into madness as a result.
As a gay man and bleeding-heart liberal, I can relate.
Dorothy Dene as Cassandra, 1886 [public domain]
I don’t want to say, “I told you so,” but I did inform everyone this would happen. Maybe not all the details, but the important parts, certainly. For most of my life I, along with what I imagine to be most queer people and other minorities, have warned that the conservative political machine in the United States was absolutely moving ever toward fascism, only to be met with disdain, condescension, and calls to “calm down,” or to “stop being dramatic.” Ah, yes. The anti-gay microaggressions I have come to know so well. Apparently, if a straight guy is angry, he’s “tough,” but if I am angry, I’m “a drama queen.” Emphasis on queen – you know how we gays are.
And it wasn’t just queer people sounding the alarm. Many of my fellow citizens on the political left have been warning us about the rise of the far right, especially women, Jewish people, and people of color. While those in the center largely remained in comfortable denial or disbelief, the right continued its chipping away of legislative protections for the aforementioned groups, stripping away a woman’s right to her own body, removing federal protections designed to combat racial bias, and moving to ensure that queer people are no longer afforded marriage equality. And with all this happening, the left has largely engaged in purity politics.
To those not familiar with the term, “purity politics” refers to an ideology of only supporting movements and politicians that align 100% with one’s political goals. Any compromise is seen as morally unacceptable and to a degree, participation in the system is seen as an endorsement of the system at large. For some this may seem to be a righteous path — not giving in to those whose aims run counter or afoul of one’s own— but it alienates a sometimes-sizeable portion of those who might otherwise work in concert toward our progressive goals. So, in practical terms, it simply fails to work.
As a life-long liberal, I was surprised that a large portion of the political criticism I have received through social media over the years (along with all out attacks) have come not from the right, but from the left.
During the primary season of the 2016 US Presidential election, I was a proud supporter of Bernie Sanders. His calls for a “political revolution” that empowered the poor and the middle class inspired many to get involved in politics who had otherwise give up hope of any real change. His particular brand of Democratic socialism reinvigorated an otherwise lackluster Democratic party that many feel paid only lip service to helping the working class. Sadly, the Democratic party leadership worked to reject Sanders and chose Hillary Clinton instead.
When I then endorsed Clinton in 2016, I was told that by doing so I was de facto supporting a war with Russia, siding with colonialism, and participating in the erosion of our civil liberties, along with a number of other (to my mind, equally outlandish) assertions.
In 2024, my support of Harris was called a support of the Palestinian genocide (never mind that she had publicly and repeatedly called for a ceasefire there). True, the longstanding US policy of unwaveringly supporting Israel (i.e. sending them bombs) has absolutely contributed to the horrors in Palestine today. With only two viable choices on the ballot, I felt the choice was clear: vote for the “lesser of two evils,” and then work like hell to make sure that we can implement the changes we are seeking. But that’s not how it worked out.
For those who took a righteous stand in withholding support from the Democratic candidate in this latest Presidential election, I want to unequivocally state that I fully understand the moral dilemma posed by such a binary choice. The problem is in the limitations of our system itself, in which such moral stands might bear fruit during a primary, but once the general election has begun, these tactics largely serve to undermine long-term progressive goals. They fail to acknowledge the sheer complexity of domestic and international policy, as well as the structure of our system which all but assures only two parties can be viable choices. It’s a flawed system, certainly, and we must work to make our system of government one that is fair and just, but to assert that any participation in American politics amounts to supporting the system at large is simply false, as well as a barrier to enacting any significant change.
To this particular faction of the US left, anything less than the full and immediate implementation of a large number of goals is seen as siding with the enemy. There can be no debate, no nuance, no diversity of opinion or approach, and certainly no compromise. You are either for them or against them. This is what the right means when they declare us as the “fascists.” Both sides are projecting onto the other and in a way, both are correct.
One of the frescoes from the newly excavated ‘Black Room’ in Pompeii, depicting an angered Apollo and regretful Cassandra. Cropped from the original photograph by Stephen Chappell. [Wikimedia Commons, CC 4.0]
As leftists/liberals/progressives, we have collectively expected to be in perfect lockstep with each other in terms of our political goals and the methods we will use to achieve them. If you’re not on the same page, then you are the enemy. It’s an ideology that has informed the right for many years and ultimately not one that supports a free society. We have to stop looking for the perfect candidate, ally, or tactic. With respects to Voltaire, perfect is the enemy of the possible.
I am aware that my words will anger some. The comments and emails I receive whenever I post anything political are proof enough of that. But it is important that we face our fears and stand tall in the face of the very real fascism that is spreading like a cancer throughout our country. This didn’t start with Trump, and it didn’t happen overnight. I, and many others, have been sounding the alarm for decades. We might have different ideas on how to achieve the “American Dream” of freedom and justice for all, but we need to learn how to work together —strategically— if we ever hope to make that dream a reality. Otherwise, we will all fall victim to the same authoritarian machine.
Let us redeem Cassandra, lest we collectively share her fate.
We call to you, Apollo!
Blessed son of Zeus
Golden shining god of light
You who slayed the mighty Python
And who grants the gift of prophecy.
Alexikakos!
Have mercy upon us and lift thy curse.
Let Cassandra be forgiven.
As truth is made as clear as the skies in summer
And your golden light fills the world with radiance.
Blessed Apollo,
Hear my fervent prayer.
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