When WWII ended, it was thought that are problems were mostly over. We were paying down the wartime debt through income taxes on the wealthy of as much as 94 percent. Manufacturing was thriving. The middle class was growing with more Americans able to afford a home, a car and a good education for their children. And we had begun turning our attention toward eliminating persistent racism and sexism.
Then, beginning in the 1950s, our government and large corporations began meddling in the politics of other countries based on the fear of communism and the so-called Domino Theory. That led to the Korean and Vietnam Wars, the overthrow of democratically elected leaders in Iran, Chile, and elsewhere. And, as our nation’s power and influence spread, so did the power and greed of our corporations.
As a consequence of their globalization, industry consolidation and tax inequity, we have seen our nation change dramatically. The Citizens United decision permitted corporations and billionaires to quite literally purchase our government through campaign donations and influence. That led to growing wealth disparity, a weakened democracy, growing executive power, weakening international influence, increasing threats both domestically and abroad, the threat of environmental and climate disasters, a failure to transition to renewable energy, the threat of corporate and government controlled AI, the threat of corporations and billionaires controlling our food chain, massively increasing deficits and debt, competing ideologies with little hope of compromise, and a growing segment of the population that wants to tear everything down.
There are no easy and quick fixes to these problems. No answers that can be articulated in a sound bite. Few politicians are willing to risk losing their office by speaking out. Very few billionaires are willing to finance those who would address the issues at the risk of losing part of their fortunes. And even worse, few middle-class voters are willing to sacrifice their resource-depleting, energy-consuming, material-based lifestyle.
As I’ve written before, there will come a reckoning – perhaps the kind of collapse my grandparents faced when the banks and stock markets collapsed turning the Roaring 20s into the Great Depression. When many lost everything and an entire hard day’s work paid 50 cents to a dollar. Maybe less.
That may seem like ancient history not worth considering. Yes, it happened nearly 100 years ago. But there’s a lesson to be learned. Those generations thought it couldn’t happen to them, either. Yet it did, because then, like now, voters kept electing shortsighted politicians who refused to make hard decisions.
We can prevent such a calamity from repeating itself. We can overturn Citizens United and place severe limits on campaign contributions. We can create more jobs and reduce consumer costs by transitioning to renewable fuels. That will also benefit the environment and help head off the coming climate crisis and mass extinction. We can break up the 3 or 4 corporations that control almost every industry. We can address the federal debt by charging corporations for the infrastructure they use; by charging extraction industries for the natural resources they take; by making corporations and the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes; and by reducing our bloated military budget. We can make healthcare accessible and affordable for all Americans by implementing Medicare for all.
Unfortunately, those ideas are unpopular right now, especially among elected MAGA Republicans and their rightwing propaganda machine. And why not? They all profit handsomely from their obedience to the Felon and his billionaire friends who naturally oppose change. But there are a few politicians who understand that the future of our nation, and perhaps our planet, is at stake. People like Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and most of the Democratic progressive caucus. People who understand the real issues and are willing to fight for ordinary Americans.
It’s long past time that we listen to them.