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U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks during a rally for Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) at St. Mary's Park on June 22, 2024 in the Bronx borough of New York City.
(Photo by David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)
Despair Is Not an Option, So Here's What We Must Do
We have got to take on Trump and the oligarchs. And the best way to do that is to educate and organize, educate and organize.
Dec 02, 2024
You won’t hear it discussed in corporate media (for obvious reasons), or on the floor of Congress (for obvious reasons), but the most important issue facing facing the American people and the global community is the rapid rise of oligarchy.
Never before in modern history have so few had so much wealth and power. Never before has a ruling class been able to exercise that power not only in the United States but in every corner of the planet.
Today in America we have more income in wealth inequality than we have ever had. While 60% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, 3 individuals own more wealth than the bottom 50%.
Today in America we have more concentration of ownership than we have ever had. In sector after sector - financial services, health care, agriculture, transportation, energy, food, housing, etc. - fewer and fewer giant corporations control what is produced and the prices we pay.
Today in America we have more media consolidation than we have ever had. Some estimates claim as much as 90% of U.S. media is controlled by just six huge global conglomerates that have a defining impact on our culture and the information we receive.
Today in America we have a political system that is increasingly controlled by the billionaire class. In the recent elections, just 150 billionaire families spent nearly $2 billion to get their candidates elected.
And let’s be clear. This massive level of inequality is only going to get worse under the Trump administration - with Elon Musk, the wealthiest person on earth, playing an active role. If Trump gets his way the very rich will get richer and have more power, while ordinary Americans will get poorer and have less power.
Under Trump there will be more tax breaks for the very wealthy and large corporations while, at the same time, reductions in desperately needed programs for the poor and working class.
Under Trump there will be efforts to privatize Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, the Veterans Administration and public education while, at the same time, making it easier for large corporations to destroy the environment, engage in bigotry and undermine workers’ rights.
We cannot allow this to happen. We have got to take on Trump and the oligarchs. And the best way to do that is to educate and organize, educate and organize. We have got to expand our social media reach to counter the enormous influence of corporate and right-wing media We’ve got to increase our presence in working class communities. We’ve got to find grassroots leaders who are prepared to take on the powerful special interests and run for office at the local, state and federal levels.
These are tough times, but despair is not an option. The stakes are too high, not just for us but for our kids and future generations.
We’re all in this together.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006 after serving 16 years in the House of Representatives. Sanders ran to become the Democratic Party presidential nominee in both 2016 and 2020 and remains the longest-serving independent member of Congress in American history. Elected Mayor of Burlington, Vermont in 1981, he served four terms. Before his 1990 election as Vermont's at-large member in Congress, Sanders lectured at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard and at Hamilton College in upstate New York.
You won’t hear it discussed in corporate media (for obvious reasons), or on the floor of Congress (for obvious reasons), but the most important issue facing facing the American people and the global community is the rapid rise of oligarchy.
Never before in modern history have so few had so much wealth and power. Never before has a ruling class been able to exercise that power not only in the United States but in every corner of the planet.
Today in America we have more income in wealth inequality than we have ever had. While 60% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, 3 individuals own more wealth than the bottom 50%.
Today in America we have more concentration of ownership than we have ever had. In sector after sector - financial services, health care, agriculture, transportation, energy, food, housing, etc. - fewer and fewer giant corporations control what is produced and the prices we pay.
Today in America we have more media consolidation than we have ever had. Some estimates claim as much as 90% of U.S. media is controlled by just six huge global conglomerates that have a defining impact on our culture and the information we receive.
Today in America we have a political system that is increasingly controlled by the billionaire class. In the recent elections, just 150 billionaire families spent nearly $2 billion to get their candidates elected.
And let’s be clear. This massive level of inequality is only going to get worse under the Trump administration - with Elon Musk, the wealthiest person on earth, playing an active role. If Trump gets his way the very rich will get richer and have more power, while ordinary Americans will get poorer and have less power.
Under Trump there will be more tax breaks for the very wealthy and large corporations while, at the same time, reductions in desperately needed programs for the poor and working class.
Under Trump there will be efforts to privatize Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, the Veterans Administration and public education while, at the same time, making it easier for large corporations to destroy the environment, engage in bigotry and undermine workers’ rights.
We cannot allow this to happen. We have got to take on Trump and the oligarchs. And the best way to do that is to educate and organize, educate and organize. We have got to expand our social media reach to counter the enormous influence of corporate and right-wing media We’ve got to increase our presence in working class communities. We’ve got to find grassroots leaders who are prepared to take on the powerful special interests and run for office at the local, state and federal levels.
These are tough times, but despair is not an option. The stakes are too high, not just for us but for our kids and future generations.
We’re all in this together.
Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006 after serving 16 years in the House of Representatives. Sanders ran to become the Democratic Party presidential nominee in both 2016 and 2020 and remains the longest-serving independent member of Congress in American history. Elected Mayor of Burlington, Vermont in 1981, he served four terms. Before his 1990 election as Vermont's at-large member in Congress, Sanders lectured at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard and at Hamilton College in upstate New York.
You won’t hear it discussed in corporate media (for obvious reasons), or on the floor of Congress (for obvious reasons), but the most important issue facing facing the American people and the global community is the rapid rise of oligarchy.
Never before in modern history have so few had so much wealth and power. Never before has a ruling class been able to exercise that power not only in the United States but in every corner of the planet.
Today in America we have more income in wealth inequality than we have ever had. While 60% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, 3 individuals own more wealth than the bottom 50%.
Today in America we have more concentration of ownership than we have ever had. In sector after sector - financial services, health care, agriculture, transportation, energy, food, housing, etc. - fewer and fewer giant corporations control what is produced and the prices we pay.
Today in America we have more media consolidation than we have ever had. Some estimates claim as much as 90% of U.S. media is controlled by just six huge global conglomerates that have a defining impact on our culture and the information we receive.
Today in America we have a political system that is increasingly controlled by the billionaire class. In the recent elections, just 150 billionaire families spent nearly $2 billion to get their candidates elected.
And let’s be clear. This massive level of inequality is only going to get worse under the Trump administration - with Elon Musk, the wealthiest person on earth, playing an active role. If Trump gets his way the very rich will get richer and have more power, while ordinary Americans will get poorer and have less power.
Under Trump there will be more tax breaks for the very wealthy and large corporations while, at the same time, reductions in desperately needed programs for the poor and working class.
Under Trump there will be efforts to privatize Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, the Veterans Administration and public education while, at the same time, making it easier for large corporations to destroy the environment, engage in bigotry and undermine workers’ rights.
We cannot allow this to happen. We have got to take on Trump and the oligarchs. And the best way to do that is to educate and organize, educate and organize. We have got to expand our social media reach to counter the enormous influence of corporate and right-wing media We’ve got to increase our presence in working class communities. We’ve got to find grassroots leaders who are prepared to take on the powerful special interests and run for office at the local, state and federal levels.
These are tough times, but despair is not an option. The stakes are too high, not just for us but for our kids and future generations.
We’re all in this together.
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