I'm So Disappointed with Schumer and Jeffries. They Don't Agree with Me 100%.

[Cirsium]

132. "Bashing" vs accountability

Calling out Schumer/Jeffries for what they are doing or failing to do is not “bashing” unless one assumes leadership is owed deference rather than scrutiny. Solidarity isn’t silence. In democratic politics, especially in moments of crisis, accountability is part of solidarity with the people who are harmed by policy choices.

You are using “solidarity” to mean alignment with leadership for tactical unity. I am using it to mean alignment with the people most affected. Those are not the same thing. When leadership positions diverge from justice or reality, solidarity with leadership can come at the expense of solidarity with the vulnerable.

Solidarity with whom is the real question here. Criticizing party leadership isn’t the same as attacking allies, especially when the criticism is about substance and consequences, not personalities. Movements don’t build power by suspending judgment indefinitely; they build it by being clear about what they stand for and who they stand with. If that clarity makes leadership uncomfortable, that’s not a failure of solidarity — it’s how accountability works.

Implicit in the question is: “Is now really the time?” History shows that this question is almost always asked when pressure is working. If criticism were truly irrelevant or unhelpful, it wouldn’t provoke this response.