Let’s take a deep breath and, for one second, neglect about Donald Trump, Jimmy Kimmel, the UN, Charlie Kirk, Gaza, a authorities shutdown and the opposite crises that we face.
Let’s speak as a substitute in regards to the actuality which the corporately-controlled media and the corporately-controlled political system don’t speak about very a lot.
What we’re witnessing proper now’s the rise of two Americas. One for the billionaire class. And one for everyone else.
In a single America, the richest persons are turning into obscenely richer and have by no means, ever, had it so good. That America is overflowing with unimaginable wealth, greed and opulence that makes the Gilded Age appear very modest.
After which there’s a second America – an America the place a majority of individuals stay paycheck to paycheck, struggling to safe the very primary requirements of life – meals, healthcare, housing and schooling.
The straightforward reality is that by no means earlier than in our historical past have so few had a lot wealth and energy whereas so many stay in financial desperation.
Within the first America, one man – Elon Musk, the richest man on this planet, value greater than $480bn, owns extra wealth than the underside 52% of American households. After spending $290m to place Trump again into the White Home, Musk has grow to be greater than $180bn richer since election day. That’s a fairly good return on his funding.
However that’s apparently not adequate for Musk. With the intention to maintain him “motivated” as CEO, Tesla’s board proposed giving him a $1tn pay package deal if he meets sure targets. A trillion {dollars}.
Jeff Bezos, the fourth wealthiest particular person on this planet, has a fortune of $233bn. He can sail to Venice on his $500m yacht for his reported $50m wedding ceremony , the place he gave his spouse a $3m-$5m ring – as a result of, amongst different issues, his efficient tax fee is only a reported 1.1%.
Mark Zuckerberg, the third richest particular person on this planet, is value $258bn. He has spent $110m to purchase 11 houses in Palo Alto, California, to create his personal personal compound, and one other $270m for greater than 2,300 acres in Hawaii with a 5,000ft underground bunker and three yachts reportedly value greater than $530m.
Larry Ellison, the second wealthiest particular person on this planet – value $377bn – lately grew to become practically $100bn richer in a single day. He owns a personal island in Hawaii, a fleet of jets and now he’s reportedly making an attempt to purchase up main media corporations resembling Warner Bros and CNN.
Collectively, these 4 males alone are value greater than $1.3tn. However it’s not simply them. The highest 1% now owns extra wealth than the underside 93%.
The 1% lives in a world utterly faraway from atypical People. They don’t trip overcrowded subways to get to work or sit in site visitors jams to get residence. They fly on personal jets and helicopters they personal. They stay in mansions all around the world, ship their youngsters to probably the most elite personal faculties and trip on their very own islands. And, for enjoyable, some spend hundreds of thousands to fly off into area on their very own rocket ships.
After which there may be the opposite America, the place the overwhelming majority of our individuals stay. For them, the financial system isn’t just damaged, it’s collapsing. On this America, regardless of an enormous enhance in employee productiveness, actual weekly wages for the common American employee are decrease right this moment than they have been greater than 52 years in the past.
On this America, persons are unable to afford a health care provider’s go to (in the event that they’re fortunate sufficient to search out one); are paying over half of their restricted incomes on hire or a mortgage; and are unable to afford the outrageous value of childcare or the flexibility to ship their youngsters to varsity. On this America, the worth of greens, fruit and different wholesome meals is past the funds for a lot of.
For many People, the system isn’t just damaged, it’s collapsing and is more and more resembling life within the third world.
Everybody wants healthcare. But right this moment, greater than 85 million People are uninsured or underinsured – a quantity that can rise by at the least 15 million beneath Trump’s so-called massive lovely invoice.
Everybody wants housing. But right this moment, practically 800,000 People are homeless and greater than 20m households pay greater than 50% of their restricted incomes on hire or a mortgage. Since 2000, common rents have greater than doubled and the median worth of a house has soared to greater than $435,000.
Everybody wants an honest schooling. But right this moment, our childcare system is damaged and wildly costly. A lot of our public faculties are dilapidated with academics underpaid and underappreciated and American college students are falling behind in math, science and studying in comparison with their worldwide friends. Faculty schooling is unaffordable for hundreds of thousands and vocational faculties fail to coach the employees we desperately want.
Everybody wants a safe retirement. But, practically half of older employees haven’t any retirement financial savings and no thought how they may ever retire with any shred of dignity or respect. In the meantime, 22% of seniors try to outlive on an earnings of lower than $15,000 a 12 months.
Sufficient is sufficient.
As supreme courtroom justice Louis Brandeis stated in 1933: “We are able to have democracy on this nation or we are able to have nice wealth concentrated within the palms of the few, however we can’t have each.”
That warning is much more related right this moment.
On this pivotal second in American historical past, we should create a authorities and an financial system that works for all, or we’ll proceed sliding into oligarchy – the place the billionaire class controls our authorities, our financial system and our future.
Let me say to my fellow People: I do know day-to-day life can take a toll, however we should not permit ourselves to fall into despair. If we don’t permit ourselves to be divided up by Trump and his oligarch allies, we are able to change the trail we’re on.
The selection is obvious. Let’s stand collectively for democracy and justice.
