We Need A Political Revolution
The status of American democracy is frighteningly dismal.
In the coming November elections, it is estimated that 60
percent of Americans will not vote. Worse, 70-80 percent of those
hurting most economically, low and moderate income workers, will not be
participating in the election.
Further, political consciousness in this country is
extremely low, with most people not knowing who their member of Congress
is or which political political parties control the U.S. House and U.S. Senate.
Meanwhile, while tens of millions of American workers have
given up on the political process and no longer see government as
relevant to their lives, the billionaire class is more active
politically than ever before. As a result of the disastrous Citizens
United Supreme Court decision, the Koch brothers, Sheldon Adelson and other billionaires will be spending hundreds of millions of dollars
to elect candidates whose main function is to help the wealthiest and
most powerful people become even wealthier and more powerful.
In other words, the rich are becoming richer and spend
huge sums on political donations. The poor are becoming poorer and
don't even vote.
Our job is to make a political revolution. Our job is to educate and organize so that working people
fight for their rights and for their dignity - and are actively
participating in the political process. When we do that, when we stand
together, we win: Health care for all, a fair distribution of wealth and
income, a major federal jobs program, higher wages, reversing global warming and real campaign finance reform.
When we give up and don't participate, we lose. And what
we will see is the continued collapse of the middle class and an
increase in poverty, cuts in Social Security
and Medicare, a growing gap between the very rich and everyone else, no
increase in the minimum wage, no effort to make college affordable and
more devastation because of global warming.
Please share your ideas with me. How do we make that
political revolution? How do we bring people together to fight for
their rights and a progressive agenda which represents the needs of all
Americans, and not just the top 1 percent.
