If widespread and sustained, grassroots activism could force the Democratic party leadership to stop blocking policy proposals that offer major uplift to huge numbers of Americans in economic and social distress. Potential remedies are clear: enhanced Medicare for All. Free childcare. Free public college. Tax relief for the large majority in sync with big tax hikes for the wealthy and large corporations. Federal programs ensuring good jobs, including a Green New Deal. Requirements that large companies receiving government support cannot engage in mass layoffs. And much more.
Such proposals routinely poll with high approval across the political spectrum. They could strip away the bogus veneer of populism from the Republican party and create a genuine groundswell of support for Democrats from non-affluent voters. But unless control of the Democratic party can be wrested away from the corporate elites who continue to dominate it, the fascistic Republican momentum is very likely to continue.
What’s giving me hope now? I see hope in an emerging united front against the Trump regime. The turnout of 7 million people at No Kings protests two weeks ago reflects that huge numbers of people in the United States want to creatively resist, in stark contrast with Democratic party leaders stuck in the past. Stronger grassroots organizing can light the way to salvage the future.
(Norman Solomon is the director of RootsAction and executive director of the Institute for Public Accuracy. His latest book is War Made Invisible: How America Hides the Human Toll of Its Military Machine)
Funny thing... here in MO, there has been a big backlash about property taxes being hiked up so high to keep up with or match the increase in value of the properties. So they held a special election and kicked out the county executive. People were also mad about a proposal for a county sales tax hike (around the same time) to pay for a new baseball stadium for the Royals and renovate the existing Chiefs stadium, which they voted down.
So after Jackson County Missouri voters said no to all that, there has been talk of Kansas wanting to build new stadiums for the sports teams, but the Kansas side of KC is far less populated than the MO side... so how are they going to raise the taxes to support that there?
These are both red states, and people don't much like paying taxes to begin with, but somehow they want the benefits. So now they are talking about ways to "increase the population density" in order to pay for all the stuff they want. And then there are those who worry that the crime rate will also increase with a higher population density. LOL
I have a feeling that many of the red states have a rude awakening coming after they begin to feel and see the effects of trump/co gutting and corrupting federal aid and such. Life is about to change, and I'm afraid it's not going to be for the better.
on November 2, 2025, 12:40 pm
