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4: “How Did We Get Here?”

 You didn’t imagine it—America used to work better for regular people. One income could support a household. Wages rose with productivity. Pensions were common. Kids could go to college without lifelong debt.


So what happened?


Step by step, the rules were changed. And not in your favor.


1. The War on Unions (1970s–present):
Unions—once the backbone of the American middle class—were systematically weakened. Why? Because unions meant better pay, safer workplaces, and political power for workers. So corporations lobbied to gut them. Today, union membership is half of what it was in 1983—and so are your workplace protections.


2. Tax Cuts for the Rich (1980s–present):
In the 1950s, the top tax rate was over 90%. Under Reagan, it dropped to 28%. Today, billionaires pay a lower effective tax rate than many middle-class families. These cuts didn’t “create jobs.” They concentrated wealth at the top, while public services crumbled.


3. Deregulation of Wall Street (1990s–2008):
Banking rules meant to prevent another Great Depression were slowly dismantled. The 2008 financial crisis followed—and you paid the price with lost jobs, homes, and retirements, while the banks were bailed out and executives kept their bonuses.


4. Citizens United (2010):
This Supreme Court ruling declared that money = speech and corporations = people. It opened the floodgates for billionaires and corporate PACs to buy elections, drowning out your voice. This wasn’t democracy—it was a hostile takeover.


5. Divide and Conquer Tactics:
While the ultra-wealthy looted the system, they told you to blame immigrants. Or “welfare queens.” Or city folks. Or rural folks. Or Democrats. Or Republicans. Anything to keep you from noticing who was actually robbing you.


“The top 1% got all the gains and none of the blame.”

This didn’t happen by accident. It was a 50-year strategy by the ultra-wealthy to shift power upward—and it worked.


But now, the veil is lifting.


If you’re angry, good. You should be.
You’ve been paying into a system that’s rigged against you.


You don’t have to become a “socialist” to see the truth.


You just have to look past the noise and follow the money.


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