“The Failed Gambit”

An Open Letter from the Yang Gang

To Andrew Yang and the Forward Party

We are writing this letter on behalf of the 2020 Yang Gang members. We are the people that voted for Yang, shared his posts, donated, phone banked, bought his books and merch, and evangelized the movement to our friends and family. Because of our support, Andrew Yang became a household name in America, and his campaign outlasted many prominent politicians including Senators, Governors, and House members.

We support Yang because of his vision for transformative change in American politics, guided by principles of humanity, integrity, and innovation. It is with this same vision in mind that we are addressing Yang and the Forward Party's stance on what's happening in Gaza. At the same time, we are calling for the rest of the 2020 Yang Gang to mobilize alongside us in addressing this pressing issue.

As of time of writing (February 2024), the Government of Israel has killed over 30,000 people in Gaza, the vast majority of whom are women and children. Tens of thousands have been wounded, millions displaced from their homes, and all residents of Gaza are facing hunger, thirst and disease due to a deliberate siege and the destruction of the healthcare system. This is all being funded by our taxpayer dollars, and the Biden Administration has vetoed every ceasefire resolution at the UN.

In response to this, the International Court of Justice has ruled¹ that Israel's actions plausibly amount to genocide of the Palestinian population in Gaza. But without more voices from the US speaking out strongly, it seems unlikely that a ceasefire will be reached soon.

Over the past few months, here in the US and around the world, we have witnessed the rise of the largest grassroots antiwar movement since the invasion of Iraq. Millions of Americans have protested, called their elected officials, signed petitions, and spread the word online to demand a #CeasefireNOW. They have also gone to the ballot box, including by voting "Uncommitted" in the Michigan primary, which received many more votes than Dean Phillips did.

And of course, we cannot forget the sacrifice of Aaron Bushnell. An active-duty member of the United States Air Force self-immolating to protest a war is an extremely shocking and unprecedented event. But it reveals how high the stakes have become. As the United States aids and abets a genocide, people are now going to every length possible to protest and stop it from happening.

“My name is Aaron Bushnell, I am an active-duty member of the United States Air Force, and I will no longer be complicit in genocide. I'm about to engage in an extreme act of protest, but compared to what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers, it's not extreme at all. This is what our ruling class has decided will be normal. Free Palestine. Free Palestine. Free Palestine. Free Palestine. Free Palestine.”

Unfortunately, in all of this, Yang and the Forward Party have been left behind. While the people have been demanding a ceasefire and looking for a genuine alternative to both Biden and Trump, Yang decided to endorse Dean Phillips. Sadly, Phillips' position on the Gaza Genocide has been disappointing at best. He aligned himself with the Biden Administration's policies on an issue where we could have actually made a difference. This has resulted in not only continued massacres in Gaza, but missing out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to disrupt the political status quo.

At the end of the day, challenging the incumbent President required more than just presenting a younger version of Biden. People want to vote for something, they want to vote to make an impact and to make the world a better place. When it comes to the Gaza Genocide, Dean Phillips failed to do that, which ultimately gave no reason for voters to rally behind him.

To give a sense of the opportunity that has been missed, it's worth looking at the polling data. Since October, we have consistently seen a big divide between the Democratic base and the Biden Administration regarding Gaza. In fact, recent data shows that 80% of voters² want a ceasefire (since October 20th!), and half of all Democrats³ agree that what Israel is doing amounts to a genocide. This gap represents not just a policy disagreement about some mundane issue, but rather a profound moral and humanitarian concern that the voters have.

Thus, advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza is not only the right thing to do from a humanitarian and moral standpoint; it is also a politically strategic move to distinguish the Forward Party from the current administration. Supporting a ceasefire could have served as a critical juncture to isolate the Biden Administration's stance and demonstrate true leadership by standing on the right side of history. This was a missed opportunity to embody the values the Forward Party is supposed to represent, and swell the party's grassroots support.

Instead of doing any of this, Yang decided to continue supporting Dean Phillips until his campaign predictably flopped. All that being said, not all is lost. In order to rebuild momentum and re-engage the grassroots, we are asking for the following:

  • Andrew Yang and the Forward Party must issue a call for an immediate, permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the entry of humanitarian aid, and accountability at the ICJ for the war crimes being committed.

  • The Forward Party should make a donation for life-saving humanitarian aid for Gaza, and demand that this aid be allowed to reach the people who need it immediately.

  • The Forward Party should state its policy on the Israel-Palestine issue, just as they have done for Ukraine in March 2022. This should include supporting negotiations for a peaceful diplomatic settlement, and cutting funding to Israel if they continue to stall and stymie a solution (as Netanyahu has publicly admitted to doing).

  • Yang and his team should revisit their decision-making approach. Be transparent on how the decision to endorse Dean Phillips was made, and how a similar failed gambit can be avoided in the future.

Despite our disappointment in the current stance, we still believe Yang and the Forward Party have the potential to be a force for positive change in American politics. But this potential can only be realized if it remains true to the grassroots supporters that made it relevant in the first place. Remember, it was not the lobbyists, donors or legacy media (remember #YangMediaBlackout anyone?) that launched this movement - it was us, the people.

As America sleepwalks into the dreaded Trump-Biden rematch, let's return to the drawing board together, with a renewed commitment to policies that not only reflect the will of the people but also position the Forward Party as a beacon of moral and political courage.

Sincerely,

The Yang Gang

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References:

  1. https://www.npr.org/2024/01/27/1227397107/icj-finds-genocide-case-against-israel-plausible-orders-it-to-stop-violations

  2. https://www.dataforprogress.org/blog/2023/10/19/voters-agree-the-us-should-call-for-a-ceasefire-and-de-escalation-of-violence-in-gaza

  3. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jan/24/americans-believe-israel-committing-genocide-poll