The Rising Tide

We hear a lot of talk these days about “getting back to what the Founders intended.” So let’s talk about it. Because the men who signed the Constitution  had a deep fear of concentrated power —especially when money and government got too close. Thomas Jefferson warned  of “banking institutions more dangerous than standing armies.” James Madison , the father of the Constitution, said: “The great danger to liberty is the gradual concentration of power in a few hands.” John Adams  believed: “Government is instituted for the common good… not for the profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men.” Sound familiar? They didn’t fight a revolution so that billionaires could buy elections. Or so that working Americans would serve a ruling class of unelected corporate elites. The Founders feared exactly what we’re living through now: Lobbyists writing our laws behind closed doors Massive corporations acting as shadow governments A system where the rich d...

Let’s talk about the so-called “culture war.” They want you fired up about books in libraries. About who’s in what bathroom. About M&M mascots and gas stoves and who said what on a college campus. Every week, there’s a new “crisis.” And every week, it’s designed to do one thing: Distract you from the real war—the class war. Because while we’re yelling at each other over pronouns and drag shows, the ultra-wealthy are: Shipping jobs overseas Pocketing trillion-dollar tax breaks Driving housing costs through the roof Gutting your pensions and benefits Buying up farmland, hospitals, and neighborhoods And quietly rewriting the rules to keep you under their thumb None of that is about “wokeism.” It’s about power. And you know who wins when the country stays locked in endless culture wars? The billionaire class. Here’s what they  don’t  want you focused on: The hedge funds that made $50 billion in profits while your wages stayed flat. The CEO who makes 400 times what his average ...

Let’s be clear: this isn’t about turning America into something it’s not. It’s about rebuilding what once made it great—and  fixing what’s been stolen from working people  for the last 50 years. A  pro-democracy economy  means  you have a say  in how your country and your workplace run. It means wealth comes  from  work—not from rigging the system. Here’s what that could look like: 1. Jobs that actually pay enough to live on. Not three side hustles. Not relying on credit cards. A single, full-time job should pay for food, rent, health care, and savings. That’s not a radical idea—that’s what your grandparents had. 2. Healthcare tied to your humanity—not your employer. The richest country in the world shouldn’t have people dying because they can’t afford insulin or avoiding checkups because they lost their job. A healthy population is a strong nation. 3. Schools that build futures—not debt. From vocational training to public universities, education ...

By now, it’s clear: this wasn’t a glitch in the system. This  is  the system. And it’s working exactly as designed—for the top 1%. But that doesn’t mean we’re powerless. In fact, it means the opposite. The good news? We outnumber them. And throughout American history, when regular people came together to demand dignity and fairness,  they won . So what can  you  do? 1. Start local, where your voice still matters. City councils, school boards, sheriffs, DAs—these races are where corporate money has the  least  control. Know your candidates. Vote in every election, not just presidential ones. Ask them: Who funds you? Who do you answer to? 2. Support organized labor—even if you’re not in a union. Unions are still the most powerful way workers push back against corporate greed. Even non-union workers benefit from higher wages and better conditions where union presence is strong. If you can’t join a union,  don’t cross a picket line . If you run a busi...

  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–20...

You know when America was strongest? 
1945–1975. The middle class exploded. Wages rose. Home ownership soared. One income could raise a family. You remember it—or your parents do. How did we get there? The New Deal.
• Social Security
• Massive public works programs
• Strong unions
• Banking regulation
• 90% top marginal tax rates
• Government investment in housing, jobs, and education That’s not “big government socialism ruining the country.” 
That’s why America thrived. Then, slowly, it was dismantled—starting in the 1980s.
Tax cuts for the rich.
Union busting.
Privatization.
Deregulation. We were promised “trickle-down economics.” What we got was rising inequality, outsourced jobs, unaffordable healthcare, and stagnant wages. You didn’t lose your freedom because of the government.
You lost your freedom because billionaires bought the government and rewrote the rules. It’s not left vs. right anymore. 
It’s top vs. bottom. Time to reclaim what worked.
Not for sociali...

Ask any Republican what grinds their gears and you’ll hear it:  high taxes  and  wasteful government spending.  Fair enough. Nobody wants their hard-earned money thrown away. But what if I told you your frustration is justified—just  pointed at the wrong target ? •  $858 billion  went to the military last year—more than the next 10 countries combined. • Hundreds of billions go to defense contractors, lobbyists, and private firms that overcharge taxpayers. • Meanwhile, we’re told we “can’t afford” universal healthcare, child care, or affordable housing. And here’s the kicker: The richest Americans and big corporations barely pay into the system. Amazon paid  0 in federal taxes  in 2018. Some billionaires pay a  lower effective tax rate  than you do. Meanwhile, you fund roads, schools, police, disaster relief, and Medicare with your paycheck. The government isn’t inherently the problem. It’s who the government is working for.  Ri...