The Millennial Left: A Postmortem & Cautionary Tale

Thesis: The Millennial Left began as a bold response to the failures of neoliberal capitalism, rising from the ashes of the 2008 financial collapse with the dream of a world for “the 99%, not the 1%.” It embodied the hope of a generation hungry for change.

Yet, as the interregnum dragged on—where the old regime is dying, but no alternative takes root—the Millennial Left succumbed to the very contradictions it was a response to. Lacking a grounding in working class politics and revolutionary theory, the movement fragmented and grew exhausted. Its reliance on digital activism, idealism, and identity politics left it vulnerable to liquidation by assimilation into the institutions of the liberal bourgeoisie: NGOs, Democratic Party, legacy media, academia, and corporate diversity initiatives etc.

This postmortem of the Millennial Left serves as a cautionary tale: without a material foundation and a clear revolutionary strategy, movements will contintue to be co-opted, diluted, and ultimately absorbed by the very system they aim to change.