Has the Season of MAGA Finally Arrived? Democrats Struggle for Relevance

Few doubted Donald Trump would win a second term as president. After incumbent President Joe Biden was forced aside due to supposed mental issues, all the Democrats were left with was Vice president Kamala Harris, and few thought she had any chance whatsoever in derailing the MAGA juggernaut, even with the not-so-subtle help of the so-called “impartial” mainstream media.

As Vice President and heir apparent to the Oval Office, Kamala accomplished little, although she did achieve the distinction of having the lowest approval rating of a Vice President for all four years of any party in recent history. So, I guess that’s at least something. Even the Republican Status Quo didn’t bother challenging “The Donald” with a primary.  There’s no question, the “Season of MAGA” is upon us.

During his first 50 days, President Trump signed over 70 executive orders (a record number by the way). He’s empowered billionaire Elon Musk to head the Department of Government Efficiency (aka “DOGE”) to root out government waste and inefficiency wherever it could be found.

 In the process, thousands of government employees have been let go, funding of USAID and other programs have been dramatically cut. Now, DOGE is threatening Social Security and Medicare in it’s hunt for waste and fraud. Already it’s found millions in waste, including checks going to individuals long dead.  But many are beginning to wonder if DOGE will reach too far in its zealous search.  

Tariffs have been implemented against Mexico, China, and Canada in order to level the global economic trading field. Of course, they’ve responded in kind. Now it’s a matter of who will blink first (hint: Canada appears to be first out).  In addition, President Trump, in keeping with his promise of eliminating illegal immigration, has begun widespread round up and deportation of thousands of individuals here illegally.

Trump is also planning on cutting federal funding to all “sanctuary cities” as well. And if that wasn’t enough, he’s even ordered that the name of Gulf of Mexico be changed. It will now be known as the “Gulf of America” to reflect our rediscovered “greatness”. Needless to say, Mexico and most of Latin America isn’t too keen on the name change.

Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, was the early bird to Washington, hat in hand, and wanting to be one of the first to ask for billions more of taxpayer money to continue the war with Russia. For Zelensky, it was a diplomatic and media disaster.

The Ukrainian president was publicly heavily chastised by President Trump for not having at least a proposal to stop hostilities rather than just perpetuating a war that’s lasted three years all ready and cost thousands of lives and billions in damage. Russia’s president, Vladmir Putin, has already made peace overtures which were all but ignored by Zelensky. NATO, of course, threw a fit and has promised to continue military aid to Ukraine, which itself can ill afford (or worse, to keep poking the Russian bear until it bites back).

So, what about the Democrats? They fared poorly in the election all the way around.  In today’s hyper partisan political world, it goes without saying that whatever the other side does, the opposing party is against. It could be a cure for cancer and some partisan faction would find a reason to complain about it.

Case in point, at President Trump’s recent Congressional address on March 4th, he introduced a young man (about 13 years old) by the name of “DJ” Daniel, who has been fighting a lifelong battle with a cancerous brain tumor. This young man has always wanted to be in law enforcement. Knowing that to be unlikely given his condition (in 2018, doctors told Daniel’s family that DJ had roughly five months to live), he started collecting police and other law enforcement badges.  

Along the way, he’s been made an honorary officer some 50 times (including an honorary FBI “Special Agent”). During the speech, DJ was introduced and received a rousing applause from everyone, well, except the Democrats in attendance. They sat on their hands and totally ignored the brave young 13 year old cancer survivor.

Even when he was made an honorary Secret Service agent by the director of the Secret Service himself, Sean Curran, there was crickets coming from the Democrat side of the aisle. What gives? Has partisan hatred (and I do mean “hatred”) gone so far as to take it out on some little kid? Well, the public noticed in a big way.

Democrats were overwhelmed with negative letters, especially coming from their own side, chastising them over their disrespect of DJ. Even Democratic rank and file members, in a rare instance of courage, went after their party leaders for not allowing them some leeway to respond during the speech.

For anyone who watched the address, all they saw from the Democrats was them holding up signs calling Trump names, making accusations, and playing video games, while a few got up and walked out. One, Rep. Al Green (D-TX) stood up and tried to shout over the president and heckle him, was thrown out. The end result was a political party in disarray and at each other’s throats.

 That’s not how you win back the American People, and in case you have any doubts, an NBC News poll released on March 17^th found just 7% of those polled have a “very favorable” opinion of Democratic Party and just 27% had a “favorable” opinion! To put it another way, 66% of respondents had a negative opinion of the Democratic Party.  That’s the lowest favorability numbers since 1990.

A CNN poll, conducted March 6 -9, showed similar results. Reflecting a new low for the Democrats, the poll showed a favorability rating of 29% among Democrats and liberal leaning Independents. 54% said they had an unfavorable opinion of the Democrats.

In comparison, the low point for the Republicans was in September 2017 during Trump’s first term when the GOP hit an all time low of 62% (their approval rating was 29%) with the rest having no opinion.

Also, according to the CNN poll, 57% of Democrats and liberal leaning Independents surveyed said they wanted the Democrats to oppose the current Trump agenda. Just 42% said they want the Democrats to try and work with Republican lawmakers.

Contrast those numbers with a September 2017 poll and Trump’s first term when 74% of Democrats and liberal leaning Independents wanted Congressional Democrats to work with Trump while only 23% said they wanted Democrats to stop the Trump White House. As for current Republican favorability among the GOP faithful and conservative leaning Independents,  the Republican Party was standing at 48%.

A CNN/SSRS poll from March 18^th show that voters in general had a low opinion of both corporate owned parties in general with neither polling over a 20% approval rating. This is especially true of the nation’s largest voting bloc, Independents.

Republicans and conservatives gave themselves an 80% approval rating whereas just 63% of Democrats and those who lean liberal could say the same thing about the Democrat Party. The majority of Democrats and those who lean liberal---52%---said the biggest issues with the party is a lack of leadership.

Among Independents, the Democrats have a 19% approval rating while the GOP’s approval rating is a paltry 20%. In our current “winner-take-all” system, 90% of all elections, including Congressional races, are safe for one party or the other, meaning that the losing side forgoes any real representation for the duration of the office term (of course, despite a lack of representation, you can bet that the tax bills keep rolling in).

A February 13^th Gallup Poll showed that 45% of liberal leaning Independents and Democrats alike say the Democratic Party needs to adopt a more moderate or centrist course. 29% would like to take the party even further Left.  Just 22% wants to stay the course.

In dropping back to 2021, 31% of Democrats and progressive Independents wanted to stay the course. However, it was a tie at 34% each between those who wanted a shift further to the Left and those who wanted a more moderate approach.

In looking at conservative leaning Independents and party Republicans, 43% are happy where the party currently is. 28% would like to take the GOP further to the Right whereas 27% would prefer that the Republican Party tone it down a bit.

With Republican and conservative leaning Independents, 40% in 2021 want to see the GOP get even more conservative. 34% were happy where they were, but 24% thought the party should dial it back a few notches. Among all groups, each wanted theirs to take the lead with moderates wanting more moderation, liberals wanting to be more liberal, and conservatives wanting to be even more conservative.

So, where does this leave us? President Trump has hit the ground running full tilt, much to the delight of his MAGA supporters while the Democrats are still suffering from election shell shock. They have yet to come up with an effective massage to counter Trump, primarily because their leadership is completely out of touch with the American People.

Meanwhile, the nation’s largest voting bloc---Independents---have had enough of the extreme partisanship of both corporate controlled parties. Remember that both the Democrats and the Republican constituted minority parties, which reflects why both are struggling with the American voter.

 Until one or the other party can tap into the large centrist bloc, this national divide will only continue to worsen. Perhaps now, more than ever, it’s time for a third party. 58% of Americans agree.

 

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Trump makes 13-year-old cancer survivor  a Secret Service agent during speech to Congress

Polls Show Democrats Losing Popularity, Yet Making 2026Gains

CNN Poll: Only 19% of Independents View Democrats Favorablyand Don’t Think Much Better of Republicans

More Democrats Favor Party Moderation Than in the Past

Gallup: Support for Third Party Dips Slightly: Still Close to60%

 

 

 

Can Donald Trump Really 'Clean House' As Promised?

Donald Trump's thumping of Vice President Kamala Harris has sent shivers down the spines of not just the Democrats, but the Status Quo as well. Trump's election is seen by his supporters as four years of long overdue house cleaning; of ridding the government of corrupt oligarchs and wealthy insiders who've turned our Republic into a neo-fascist corporatocracy, albeit  with a thin veneer of democracy. The question facing Trump and the American People is whether he or anyone else can rid the nation of this virus and restore America?  

According to the 2024 World Population Review's publication of the world's oligarchies, there are twelve full fledge oligarchies plus several which are approaching the definition of oligarchy, but before we get to those countries, just what is a oligarchy?

The term comes from the Greek meaning "rule by the few" . An oligarchy  is sometimes referred  to as a plutocracy or a kleptocracy, which are actually subsets of an oligarchy.  A plutocracy is rule by the rich. So is a kleptocracy, which means rule by a few to steal their country's resources for their own benefit. A aristocracy or theocracy are types of oligarchy.

The ideal form of government for a oligarchy is authoritarian or feudal, although they can exist, at least for a while, in a democratic style Republic, be it a parliamentary system or a "winner-take-all" system like the U.S. has. They typically expand their reach through a process known as "gradualism". They advance a little here, maybe retreat slightly (and temporarily) there until they have ample influence to achieve their agenda.

Generally speaking, oligarchs are students of history and power. Since their bottom line is all about control,  they typically exert control over the media in order to control the flow and content of information.  Following Joseph Goebbels's dicta on propaganda, the public is feed just enough truth as to bury the lie without much notice. In most cases, the lie simply remains hidden behind euphemisms and red tape. Sometimes, there are no lies at all. The public is often seen as having achieve the occasional "victories" to keep them pacified just as they are kept entertained.

The elite monitors the population through surveillance, which is enforced through the law enforcement, intelligence agencies, secret courts and/or cooperative judges. Individuals who speak out to loudly or reveal their secrets (often falsely labeled as "national security") are accused of treason and dealt with accordingly (Julian Assange, Karen Silkwood, Daniel Ellsberg, Karen Kwaitkowski, and Edward Snowden come to mind). 

 Naturally, they control the nation's monetary policy  in a variety of ways, but most notably interest rates (which affects inflation) and taxation.  The military is used not just protecting the nation, but also as a club to enforce policies which, at their heart, are intended to open markets and access to resources (there is blurring of what's in their interests and the nation's).

Those governments who cooperate, receive various forms of bribery such as ”favorite nation" status and with it, supplemented access to our markets, billions in financial aid and "loans" (which are usually "forgiven" in all or part), and product such as military equipment, grain, fertilizers, etc. (and yet they somehow stay poor and backwards). Many times, direct U.S. military presence is provided to officially protect them from mutual enemies when in truth, they're for propping up the regime and protecting our own investments.

Those who are hesitant or refuse to cooperate face the usual threats of implied force and slow build up of purgative  labels as "undemocratic", "oppressive", "terrorist", and so forth. Gradually, the heat is turned up until a "liberation" invasion is deployed. After which, a new regime and more cooperative regime is installed (historically these tend to be Far Right military juntas).  If any of this sounds familiar, it should.

So, who are these "oligarchic" nations mentioned by the World Population Review? Not surprisingly China is top on the list. Despite officially being a "people's republic", the party control everything. It can make the richest Chinese business person a peasant anytime it wants. The government maintains a significant presence in every business operation.

Russia is another oligarchy which tends to operate more like a kleptocracy. They control every aspect of elections, keenly heeding Stalin's old adage about it not being who voted that's important, but rather who counts the votes. They also have their hands in every aspect of the Russian economy, particularly its oil, gas, infrastructure (like construction) and military.

Iran too is an oligarchy. In this case, a authoritarian theocracy comprised of clerics.  These clerics control nearly every aspect of society, from the economy, parliament, military, education, and media to maintaining a "morality" police which enforces religious laws governing dress, music, food, and social life based on their strict brand of Islamic law. 

North Korea is not unexpectedly an oligarchy under the total control of Kim Jong Un, his immediate family, and the military.  Several Middle Eastern monarchies such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates function as oligarchies in varying degrees as well. So do other countries like Columbia, Venezuela, Indonesia, Chad, Laos, and the Congo (amusingly, many of these nations also call themselves "democracies" or "people's republics"). 

Finally, the United States. The U.S. as an oligarchy has been supported by data from various academic studies for several years, although officially it's a democratic Constitutional Republic. That really shouldn't come as a surprise if you know your history. Ancient Rome, which our system of government is modeled on, called itself a "Republic" long after coming under the rule of the Caesars in order to reassure the people while it firmly seized control of the empire. The imperial government functioned as a military junta.  The result of these studies have shown that America is dominated by a relatively small handful of immensely wealthy individuals and corporations.

According to Italian dictator and founder of modern fascism, Benito Mussolini, fascism is a hand-in-glove partnership between the central government and Big Business. He added that fascism was more accurately defined as "corporatism" since that is what it was. However, in his definition, the state was to be the dominate partner. Today, Wall Street is the senior partner. Fascism occupies the same point on the Right that Communism occupies on the Left.

Is Fascism Left or Right wing? We hear that question often these days, especially as WWII fades from our collective memories. Make no mistake, however, those who lived through it had no doubt that fascism was seen as a extreme form of conservatism. Fascism borrows from the Left and the Right to varying degrees based on the history, traditions, and values of a given nation.

Countries with strong religious ties tend to keep or enhance those ties under fascism for instance. Some instituted a racial or ethnic policy. Some didn't. That's why fascism in Italy differed from Germany's, which was different from that of Spain or Hungary, Argentina, Austria, or Romania.  As an example,  Oswald Mosley, a English fascist of the 1930's tried to introduce a brand of Nazism in England, which Hitler, while acknowledging it, disapproved of.

When asked why, Hitler said the National Socialism was organic. It was based on political, religious, and social elements which were uniquely German and therefore couldn't be transplanted elsewhere. Instead, individuals like Moseley or America's Fritz Kuhn, should develop their own unique form of fascism as Italy, Argentina, and Spain had done.

As an aside, many of the reforms which followed WWI and the Great Depression were considered "socialist" such as unemployment insurance, the FDIC, Social Security, and so forth. Not only did the United States enact these and other social programs, so did Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and Spain, and other Right Wing governments (in fact, almost every country enacted some type of public programs).

Because of the pre-WWI  global political and economic power of Socialism, there was  serious concern among the ruling elites that a revised Socialist Left could potentially topple their capitalist empires. As a result, something called "conservative socialism" came about, albeit amid the gnashing  of teeth and a strong propaganda campaign opposing these "Anti-American" proposals such as wage and hour legislation, the right of workers to organize, the introduction of child labor laws, and workplace safety.

The goal of "conservative socialism" was to protect the capitalist state while introducing changes designed to pacify the people (and, of course, stimulate the economy. Starving or sick workers are useless). This became the bedrock of modern "gradualism" which sought to appease those who provided the labor while leaving the system essentially intact.

So, who are America's oligarchs? That's a hard question to answer since the exact definition is a matter of some disagreement among academics. Some consider those in the 10% or 5% income bracket to be the oligarchy. Many say the top 1%, while a few think it's more likely the 0.01%.

It's this sort integration into society which helps to insulate them from a direct public backlash similar to what befell their predecessors in 18th Century France for instance.  But one thing for certain, it's not the average U.S. taxpayer and voter who calls the shots. We're merely given the illusion. This is our "Matrix". Today's government  serves the interests of the wealthy, whether that be the top 5% or .01% at the exclusion of the bottom 99%.

Once, names like Rockefeller, Morgan, Mellon, Gould, Vanderbilt, Ford, Hearst, Rothschild, and Carnegie were synonymous with near absolute wealth and power. They bought presidents and prime ministers, congressmen and lords, judges and generals with the same ease as hiring anyone else who worked for them. Power was measured in railroad tracks, shipping, steel manufactured, newspapers sold, real estate, and of course, the control of money.

 Today, it's corporations such as Exxon, Bank of America, McDonald Douglas, Google, Apple, and Raytheon are among the small clique of entities who call the shots in Washington, but the end goal remains the same---the control of money and with it, the power it brings.  

While names like Musk, Bloomberg, Bezos, and Gates are familiar to us. Less known are names like Miriam Adelson, Ken C. Griffin, Cameron and Tyler Winkelvoss, Peter Thiel, Dick and Liz, Uihlien, Tim Mellon of the Mellon banking dynasty, and they like it that way. It gives them anonymity, which only enhances their power and personal security. In this past presidential election, they donated billions of dollars (Tim Mellon alone donated $100 million dollars), and you can bet it wasn't done out of patriotism.

Money is more than "free speech" and it buys more than just access. It buys power to a degree that the Czars, Emperors, and Sultans once welded. Consultants, advisors, and lobbyists in their employ, directly or indirectly, do far more that make suggestions when it comes to legislation. They help write bills. They review and recommend how to vote on legislation. They help move bills they're interested in through the maze of committees. They fund public pressure ("awareness") groups to promote issues of interest to them, including linking with legitimate groups.

They have a major impact on creating foreign and domestic policy. Of course, they compete with others elites. It's all part of the game of power, and we're a part of their game whether we like it or not. It creates the illusion of a competing political duopoly. As the famous Louisiana Governor, Huey Long, once said about the Democrats and Republicans, "one skins from the ankle up and the other from ear down.

That's the only real difference in the two parties. We are their pawns to be played and sacrificed with the ease of sipping a martini. In exchange, we're periodically given an incidental crumb from their thrones which are then hailed as some sort of victories for the public by the media they own.  

This is not the nation our Founding Fathers intended, but it is the nation we allowed to come into being. Whether Trump, his cabinet, or his mass of supporters can change this remains to be seen. Historically, those who get to close are bought off, co-opted, stalled, defeated and demoralized before being shuffled off History's stage, or simply removed from the game altogether.  Trump knows the game well. He's been a player all his life. Let's hope he can prevail. This may be the last time an outsider will ever have the opportunity again.

 

Thank you for reading Another Opinion! We hope you enjoyed this article and will pass it along. Please don't forget to subscribe. It's free! Lastly, please "like" us on whatever platform you use to read anotheropinionblog.com. It helps beat the algorithms and keeps our articles in circulation. Please find below the links we consulted in researching this article.

 

What countries have authoritarian governments

List of Whistleblowers

Oligarchy comes to America

Who has joined Trump's team so far?

 

Oligarchy countries 2024

 

Bourgeois socialism

 

The 2024 Presidential Election: Who Showed Up and Upset the Status Quo's Applecart?

86.7% to 13.2%. That's the percentage Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris among early voters, In the end, the Electoral College total was 312 to 226 (popular vote percentages were 50.1% for Trump and 48.3% for Harris) It's not what the political Establishment expected. It's not what the not-so-subtle partisan news media predicted. It's not what the Left or limousine liberals hoped for either. Some of the celebrity types even threatened to leave the country if the results weren't to their liking. I guess that was supposed to be some sort of implied threat.

All the "big names" came out---Barack and Michelle Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Oprah Winfrey, Whoopie Goldberg and the rest of the "The View", George Clooney---and even Taylor Swift to name a few. I guess their opinions weren't as important as they thought they were.

 Even the debates were a farce, at least as seen by the voters who bothered to turn in, further embarrassing the news media credibility and mocking its impartiality. Fact-checking one individual but not the other? Turning off the "mic" on just one in mid-sentence but not both? Giving extra camera to one candidate while the other is still speaking, plus the innuendos? Hardly "fair and balanced". I can see why some call it "soft propaganda". 

Some blamed President Joe Biden for waiting too long before withdrawing and thus giving Harris too brief a time to mount a properly organized campaign. But if so, then the blame needs to be shared by the Democrat Party for allowing an obviously ill Biden to be nominate in the first place, and then for encouraging him to stay the course. Biden has been in mental decline for much of his four years, becoming a running joke among foreign leaders, the international media, and a headshaking embarrassment to Americans of all political stripe.

A few have said that President Biden should have stepped down and allowed Harris to assume the mantle of President. It would have given her a certain clout to be running as the incumbent. It would have given her an opportunity to flex her presidential muscle, perhaps even getting some of ideas passed into law. 

At the very least, the Democrats could point to having America's first female president and Harris would have at least achieved something of note aside from having the worst consistent approval rating of any Vice President of either party in U.S. history.

Senator Bernie Sanders made a good point when he said "the Democratic Party left the working class. Now, the working class has left the Democratic Party". One voter in Pennsylvania who seemed to sum up much of the sentiment of Trump crossover voters when he quipped "It wasn't so much that I liked Trump more as it was that I liked Harris less". 

Many voters found her shallow, pandering, and basically unqualified to be president. Some remarked that they didn't like the fact that they didn't have a say in who the Democratic nominee was after President Biden withdrew under extreme pressure because of the decline in his cognitive health.

Maybe rather than being nominated as a "buy one get one free" ticket or allowing the presidential nominee (in truth, the party powerbrokers) choose the Vice Presidential nominee, the slot should be voted on separated by the party membership. But protest votes and finger pointing by disgruntled insiders and a partisan media aside, who upside their apple cart? Who peed in the Left's Cheerios? Let's find out.

 Early analysis of the race was a key factor in Trump's victory. Trump's advisors went back and reexamined who were their core supporters from his 2016 and 2020 races.  The majority are primarily  white male, mostly seniors, active duty military or retired veterans, law enforcement, business owners. Most are middle class with good representation among the working class and upper middle class.

They're strong advocates of the 2nd amendment. Dedicated nationalists ("America first"), and opposed to a open borders policy as well as to amnesty. They want a secure southern border, strict regulation on migration in general, and deportation of all illegal immigrants currently living in the United States (with some six to ten million embedded in the U.S., that would prove unlikely).

Trump supporters tend to be religious, mostly Christian fundamentalists. They oppose abortion, although they're split on whether the ban should across the board or allow for some exceptions such as rape or incest. They back legislation calling the adoption of English as the official national language.

Many advocate for the reduction of government bureaucracy and eliminating "red tape" which hinders business (especially small businesses).  Some want to do away with various government agencies like the Department of Education, the Department of Commerce, the IRS, Department of Energy, the EPA, and any other agency not specifically called for in the founding documents.

That's the core which has stayed loyal to Trump. That has been his base. But, would that hold true in 2024?  The 2024 election was a near record in voter turnout, with voters reportedly standing in lines for hours in some cases. According to pre-election polling, taken in late October by Gallup, 70% of voters said they were looking forward to casting their vote (70% of Republicans and conservative leaning voters and 67% of Democrat and liberal leaning voters). An estimated 54% said they intended to vote early.

Voter outreach was far more extensive than in previous elections. 58% of Democrats said they were contacted by someone in Harris campaign and asked to support their candidate. That compares 40% of Trump supporters who were contacted by a representative of the Trump team. 25% of registered Republicans said they were contacted by the Harris camp while 31% of Democrats said they were contacted by Trump supporters (as an aside, the polls excluded Independent and third party voters).  

The majority of Trump supporters over the age of 45, were 57% of men and 48% of women. Harris received 51% of the 45+ women's vote and 42% of the over 45 men's vote. The big surprise was the voters age 18 to 44, which includes the Millennials and GenZ. 53% of the males went for Trump compared to 45% for Harris. On the women's side, 44% voted for Trump while 55% backed Kamala.

Historically, the 18 to 40 age bracket has been strongly liberal (or at least, anti-Republican). This group---male and female---is the one we've heard so much about advocating democratic socialism, Communism, or anarchy (although a large minority is said to support libertarianism). Although women turned out for Harris, their numbers were slightly lower than expected whereas the men were backing Trump in strong numbers. If we compare these with numbers with those of the 2020 Presidential election we see just how significant there are.

In 2020, former Vice President Joe Biden received 60% of the vote from those 18 to 29 and 52% of voters between ages 30 and 44. When broken down by gender, Biden got 57% of the women's vote and 45% of the men's. Trump, by contrast, got just 39% of the vote from those in the 18 to 29 bracket and but 50% of those 30 to 44. Trump also received 51% of the vote from those 45+. When it came to gender, 42% of women voted for Trump in 2020 while he got 53% of the men's vote.

When it came to race, Harris picked up 83% of the Black vote which tends to vote lockstep Democrat. Trump earned 16% of the Black vote. In 2020, 87% of the Black vote went to Biden while 12% voted for "The Donald". 55% of the Latino vote also went to Kamala along with 55% of mixed or other race. 43% of Latinos vote in favor of Trump along with 41% of mixed or other race. When it came to white voters, Harris garnered 43% of their vote while 56% went for Trump.

In looking at the 2020 race, 58% voted for Trump compared to 41% for Biden. For Latinos, it was 65% for Biden and just 32% for Trump. Among Black voters in 2020, 12% voted for Trump with Biden getting 87%. Asians, who tend to be traditional, gave Biden the thumbs up with 61% of their vote. 34% said "yes" to Trump. Lastly, among mixed race results, only 41% sided with "The Donald" and 55% went with Biden.

The next category we want to examine is education. Among those who graduated from college gave Kamala Harris 56% of their vote and Trump just 43%. Voters without a college degree (as well as those who didn't graduate from high school or may have a technical/trade education) voted for Trump 56% to 43%. This group tends to be blue collar or middle class, as well as some small business owners. In 2020 Trump won the same bracket.  

Another important demographic is location. Who did better in suburbs versus the city and the hinterlands of rural America? Kamala Harris pulled in the vote among city dwellers with 53% of the vote while 35% voted for Trump.  Out in the suburbs, 47% of voters got behind Trump. A majority of 52% cast their vote for Harris. What about in America's farmlands? A strong 63% stood with "The Donald" compared to 35% for the current Vice President, Kamala Harris.   

When it came to gender out in the suburbs (irrespective of race), we find that 57% went for Kamala Harris. Trump got only 42%. Among guys, the story was reversed. 46% supported Harris while 52% backed Trump. The results here shouldn't come as a big surprise.  Most of us know that the majority of liberals and those registered Democrat tend to live in cities while many conservatives and Republicans often live in the rural farmlands of America.

 The tossup was in suburbia. This is Middle America. It's where the "America Dream" lives, tucked away in working class and middle income neighborhoods while the well-to-do are secluded in their gated communities. By and large, Middle America is traditionalist and typically leans conservative, though it's not rock solid conservative. It has some liberal tendencies too. It's not particularly fond of extremes from either side.

Most of the kids attend public schools while both parents work full time (some have to hold down multiple jobs just to make ends meet). In the 1980's we'd call them "latch key kids".  Much our country's veterans live in Middle America too. This is where you'll tend to find small business owners and factory workers. Many of whom are either members of unions or come from historically union families, which begs the question---who did best among union households?

According to a 2023 survey, 59% of union members were registered Democrat, and yet 39% intended to vote Republican. A October 14, 2024 poll by Pew revealed that 50% of union households surveyed said they would vote for Kamala Harris. 43% intended to vote for Trump while 6% planned to vote for a third party candidate. These are numbers which would have been unheard of just a few years ago.

So, what happened? The reasons Donald Trump won are varied. He was better at identifying his core base and better at persuading those who leaned in his direction. He delivered a more clear and articulate message. Vice President Harris was seen as not being a legitimate candidate. No one voted for her to be the Democratic nominee for President. She wasn't "their" choice.

 Harris was seen as a stop gap because President Joe Biden was falling apart and everyone on the Left failed to act in time. She offered platitudes instead of realistic goals that differed from Biden's failed policies. She appeared at times confused as she tried to appease everyone, and was often caught talking out both sides of her mouth. Her campaign was unorganized and unsure of its candidate or direction.

Another factor, which will undoubtedly be ignored is the news media. The news media's role is provide unbiased and objective news. Over the past decade (or longer), the news media has devolved into a partisan propaganda machine devoid of credibility. They've spent years doing everything possible to discredit Trump and aiding the Status Quo in its quest of character assassination (which likely contributed to the two attempts at the real thing). Their partisan bias was all too obvious. Too bad for them that the American Public isn't as ignorant or naive as they think we are. 

Lastly, American voters are tired of the same old bait and switch political game that's played every election cycle. They are tired of broken promises, condescending platitudes, and seeing the can kicked down the road and into their children's and grandchildren's laps rather solving the problem now. We've had enough of their bipartisan lies.

 We want our country back from the neo-fascist corporate elite who've hijacked our Republic. Trump, like him or despised him, represents the "outsider"; someone willing and able to challenge the corrupt Status quo for the soul of America, and it seems that most Americans are with him.   

 

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How 5 key demographic groups voted in 2024: AP VoteCast

 

Gallup: More Than Half of U.S. Votes Likely Cast BeforeElection Day

Roper/Cornell: How Groups Voted in 2020

Key facts about union members and the 2024 election

Religion In A Post-Republic America: The Decline of Christianity?

 

When the populace begins to distrust the institutions upon which society is built, the time is not long off when there will be some sort of change, possible violent or not, but there's little doubt that significant change is on the way. According to several recent polls, trust in our key institutions are at record lows with little data to indicate any significant improvement.

The most fundamental institution affecting Americans is religion. In the preceding generations, one could argue the society, and especially the family unit, revolved around organized religion. According to a Gallup poll, just 32% of Americans said they had a great deal or a lot of trust in religion. 36% said that had "some" confidence while 33% had little or none.

According to the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College, some 70% to 84% of all churches are seeking a decline in membership. A Pew survey conducted two years ago indicated that the fastest growing religious category in the U.S. was "none". The report also said that if "unaffiliated" was a religion, it would be the largest in the United States.  If the present trend continues, it will reach a de facto majority status by 2070.

However, among those who hold to some sort of faith, non-dogmatic "spiritualism" comprises the largest chunk of the unaffiliated. Of those who adhere to dogmatic Christian religious institution, the Church of Latter Day Saints or Mormons are the fasting growing. The largest growing non-Christian religious institution in the United States is Islam. By 2040, Islam is expected to be the second largest religious institution in America.

As an aside, Mormonism is on track to become the largest Christian religion, the Churches of Christ, Assemblies of God, and the Catholic Church are the runners up. It's worth noting that all three of the Protestant churches and the Catholic churches are considered socially conservative although most are registered Democrat, leaving about one third registered Republican.

Liberal churches on the other hand are showing the fastest decline in membership. Churches regarded as being "liberal" or "progressive", some of which include the United Churches of Christ, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Episcopal, and the Methodists. This is most notably due to their stance on issues like gay marriage and LGBQT rights, abortion, and women in the pulpit. 

The massive increase in immigrants from Latin America as well as Africa and Asia will spur the growth for the Catholic Church in the United States. Whether they will continue to register Democrat while remaining socially conservative remains to be seen. 56% are registered Democrat while 28% are Independent and 14% are Republican, although many are switching to Independent. 

Incidentally, the majority of immigrants---61%---are settling in just five states, Texas, Florida, California, New York and New Jersey. It's worth noting that four of these, New York, Texas, Florida, and California, also have the highest number of Electoral College votes which, in our antiquated "winner-take-all" electoral system, determines the winner of the Presidency and not the popular vote. 

Globally, by 2050 there will be approximately the same number of Muslims as there are Christians. In India, which now has the largest population of any nation, Hinduism will remain the majority religion but not by much. Islam will make up a large minority. In fact, because of the large Indian population, by 2050, there will be more Muslims just in India than in all of Indonesia. In Europe, Muslims will comprise at least 10% of the total population with the majority living in Western Europe.

Buddhism will hold its hold globally and remain about the same size, although its number will grow in the United States. The majority of Buddhists in America are converts, with the majority being white and former Protestant. By 2050, Buddhism will be the 10th largest population group by religion. Buddhism tend to lean Democrat in significant numbers.  

While Judaism, which is predominantly Left leaning in the U.S., will likely grow worldwide, it will no longer be the largest non-Christian religion in the United States. That honor, as stated above, will go to Islam. Politically, however, it will make little difference since they both tend to vote Democrat  with 68% of Muslims and 64% of Jews being registered Democrat. 

It's worth mentioning that while agnostics, atheists, and Humanist currently make up a significant segment of the "unaffiliated" in the United States (as well as in France and Germany), their numbers are projected to decline globally. Folk religion and neo-paganism (such as native African, Nordic and Wiccan)  will also continue to enjoy a resurgence globally, especially in the United States, although their numbers will not keep pace with the growing world population and thus their overall percentages will decline.

In our increasingly technological and sterile world, you would think that religion everywhere would be in decline. Various polls, however, show that the majority of Americans side with religion over science. In fact, just 29% of those polled by Pew in a 2019 study said they would always or most always trust science over religion. 40% of Americans believe solely in Creationism while 33% believe in evolution under the direction of a divine influence or plan. Note too that this percentage is fairly consistent globally among Christians and non-Christians religions that follow some form of established dogma.

So, what's the future of religion, particularly Christianity, in the United States? In 1990, 90% of all Americans identified as Christian. By 2050, that number is expected to be 54%, and within 50 years, it's expected to be just 46% while those who identify as secular will rise from around 30% now to 52% by then. Liberal leaning churches will decline, with many closing their doors for good.

The largest non-Christian religion will be Islam, replacing Judaism for the first time, and smaller size congregations will gradually replace the mega-church (which are often half jokingly referred to as "Six Flags over Jesus" or "Churchmarts"). Many services in the future will take place in private residences, harkening back to early Christianity when services were often led by women who were in charge of the home. 

Christianity will also likely be more racially and ethnically diverse than at any time in American history. Services conducted in multiple languages along with a sharing of cultures.  They will also likely be conservative, creating possibly a new schism in the form and function of Christianity itself. 

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The fasting growing US religious affiliation? 'None', poll says

The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections2010 - 2050

Modeling the Future of Religion in America

U.S. Religious Groups and their political leanings

What is the Future of Religion in America?

The Future of Liberal Christianity

Is There a Future For Progressive Christianity in America?

 

 

 

 

Media and Print Endorsements: Providing Bread and Circus Coverage for Fun and Profit

 Another Opinion has published this article in one form or another  every election cycle since 2001 as a public service. Why? Because we now live in a world where independent thought is no longer considered "politically correct". We're expected to toe the line dictated to us by the Status Quo. America is no longer a Republic. It's a Corporatocracy run a super rich Oligarchy.

There are just 5 of these corporations that control 96+% of all media content---TV, movies, video games, radio, publishing, newspapers and so on.  This means they have the ability to directly influence your opinions by controlling and spinning what you watch, read, or hear.  They keep you entertained, distracted, and confused. Bread and Circuses. They also try to influence who you vote for by their so-called "endorsements".

We have a problem with this. We believe you should make your own decisions based on your own research regardless of who you ultimately vote for. Independent thought  is important for our present if we are to have a future. Please consider sharing this article. Thank you.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

 

Media and Print Endorsements: Providing Bread and Circus Coverage for Fun and Profit

There was a time when the news media (particularly newspapers) were the ever vigilant "crusaders" of public interest, albeit self-appointed and as often as not, the creators of their own hype (see "Yellow Journalism"). However, society and technology grew up. Today, we have instant access to information the world over, and with it, the ability to do own investigation of candidates and the issues which are important to us.

For years, I campaigned for the release of unedited transcripts of candidate interviews  and full disclosure of the interviewer's names and their political affiliations especially when it came to newspaper "endorsements".  The public has a right to know exactly what a candidate said and in what context, what their positions are, as well as the identity of those making the "endorsement" and their  political leaning.

I've been a community organizer and political activist for over 40 years.  Too many times over those years I've come across candidates who were misquoted, misattributed,  or instances  where the "correct" answer  was inserted while gaffs were  removed on behalf of certain individuals. In fact, I've been a victim of these manipulations.  

 Today, a relatively small handful of news outlets are recording and making public these interviews unedited and providing the facts behind their research in a timely fashion. They are also providing unbiased information regarding both side of key issues, particularly those that will be appearing on the ballot. To those brave few actual journalists and editors, bravo to you!  

However, not all are providing full disclosure of the names and political registration or leaning of the interviewers making the endorsements nor are they disclosing the criteria by which the endorsements are made. Those remains hidden behind a false veneer of make believe "integrity".  You, the voter, have a right to know if an "endorsement" on an issue or candidate is honest and fair or is being made with a political or economic bias.  

As I have done for decades, I've urge all voters to take a few minutes to do their own research and make their own decision before casting their vote. Using a Voter Guide is one such resource for you to consider.  You can check out a candidate's or issue's website, or do a general search on the internet. You'll find out a lot more than just reading or listening to a biased review or opinion.

As an aside, if you're looking at a political party's website or that of an endorsing organization, bear in mind that they are writing from their point of view. Any endorsements or opinion they make are to serve their interests, not necessarily yours.  Always understand the political slant of any source.

If you find that you happen to be in agreement with a candidate or issue, fine. Then support that individual or issue as a volunteer,  or with a financial contribution, or simply with your vote. But whatever you, do so as an informed voter. Don't let anyone think or decide for you. Never surrender your vote.

I would also suggest that candidates or those representing an issue who are being interviewed for  an endorsement, and especially by the news media, to be sure and write down the names of those conducting the interview. Ask if they will be making the endorsement. If not, who will?  Also ask when their endorsement is expected to be announced. If you're being recorded for TV or radio, ask when it will be aired.

 Finally, when being interviewed for an endorsement, don't be afraid to ask for their stance on any issue they ask you about or what their political affiliation is. If they refuse to tell you, note that too. You may want to make all this public once the interview is over in order to keep everyone "above board" and honest. Keep it factual and to the point. Leave any personal opinions or animosity out it. If your campaign depends on their recommendations, then you, your supporters and the voters deserve to know what to expect.

The role of the media, regardless of its format, is to present the facts in a impartial, balanced and fair manner. It is not to attempt to manipulate or sway public opinion to suit its own political or economic  agenda, even if they think it's "for your own good".  Only you can decide what's in your own best interests.  

Organizations, including business associations and unions, have a specific agenda. It's in their interests to make endorsements. It is not the job of the media. It should have no agenda. Remember  too that endorsements are merely personal opinions and not always the most informed ones at that! Think for yourself. Do your own research.  And then vote.  America is counting on you to help keep it free.

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Gimme Some Truth: America's Loss of Trust In The Media

Do you trust the news? If you're like most Americans, the answer is an emphatic "no". Would it surprise you to know that according to a poll released in January of this year, 60% of those surveyed believe the media is all about pushing a political ideology rather than reporting facts? Well, it's true. The majority of Americans no longer trust mainstream media, and it's getting worse.

There was a time, not all that long ago, where we would regularly tune in to watch Walter Cronkite, Edward R Murrow, Howard K Smith, Frank Reynolds, John Chancellor, and of course, Huntley and Brinkley for our news.  Max Robinson, Roger Mudd, Peter Jennings, Eric Sevareid, or Paul Harvey told us what was happening in the world without coloring it with their personal political opinions.

These were journalists with integrity. They reported the facts without distortion. We counted on them to tell us the truth. When they conducted investigative reports, it was to get to the crux of what was happening, not to push a political agenda or conduct character assassinations.  Of course, those days are long gone.

Today, the media divides us instead of bringing us together. The aforementioned poll, conducted by Edelman, a global communications firm, seems to bear that out. According to the poll, in 2020 73% of Democrats trusted the media compared with just 30% of Republicans, because it allegedly leaned Left.

Now, here we are in early 2021, just past one of the most contentious presidential campaigns in recent history, and only 57% of Democrats believe what they are hearing. Interestingly, the "trust" factor rose slightly for Republicans, 18% now believe what they're being told. Meanwhile only 35% of Independents (America's largest political bloc) had zero trust in the media.

Another poll, conducted by Gallup, says that 84% of Americans blame the media for America's deep political and social divide. To make matters worse, the same polls said that 86% of Americans believed that mainstream media was politically biased. Nearly half---49%---thought the bias was highly significant while 37% described at as a "fair amount".

The poll went on to say that 80% of those surveyed believed the media distorted the news toward a specific political viewpoint. 54% added that reporters "misrepresented the facts" while 28% thought that the "facts" were made up entirely to justify the political slant of the story! 

In delving into the racial divide, 60% of blacks felt that racial and ethnic diversity should be a priority when presenting the news compared to only 35% of whites. 55% of Hispanics feel the media misunderstood them, as did Asians and Native Americans, by reinforcing stereotypes or presenting topics of little or no interest to them.

When we jump to the age divide, only 19% of those under age 30 were favorable of mainstream  media. Only 44% of those 65 and older were. So, with so much distrust of mainstream media, where are people turning to for their news?

According to the Pew Research Center, 55% of adults get their news from social media sites; 28% of them admitted that social media provided them with the majority of their news.  But does that mean they trust social media?

88% thought that social media platforms deliberately influenced the slant of the news. 62% of those surveyed saw that as a problem. How much of a problem? Well, 53% of Democrats and Left leaning Independents saw it as issue affecting the validity of the story. So did 75% of Republicans and conservative Independents.

I would say those are some pretty significant numbers, which means while over half of all adults are getting at least some of their news from social media on a regular basis, although their trust of that source isn't any necessarily better than mainstream media.

What's particularly disconcerting is that while 85% of Millennials (those born between 1981 and 1995) expect to vote, the information they're receiving from social media is often considered to be incomplete, misleading, or outright false, and the same is trending true for Gen Z, the generational demographic just behind the Millennials. 

Why is that? Probably because the same major communications companies which own mainstream media also own the social media networks, which means they're peddling the same song and dance, just in a different format. Remember that only six corporations own 96%+ of all media outlets. That includes television and radio stations, newspapers, movie and entertainment companies, video game development, music companies, and social media platforms.

So, which social platforms are getting the most "me time"? Facebook receives about 52% of all hits while YouTube and Twitter ranked second and third with 28% and 17% respectively. LinkedIn (which is more of business oriented site), Reddit, and Snapchat rounded out the top five with under 10% each.

However, due to increased claims of censorship, many dissatisfied customers are jumping ship. Most are going to MeWe, Gab, Rumble, QubeTV, and Parler. As an aside, several social media companies joined together and attempted to deplatform Parler for refusing to go along with their "guidelines" aimed at controlling (and restricting) content, particularly conservative content. My understanding is that Parler weathered the storm thanks to its conservative subscribers and is again back up and running. Create a niche, and someone will fill it.

Millennials are the largest demographic since the Babyboomers, so there's no doubt that media corporations are paying attention to them. They want to influence their outlook on the world, and that especially includes politics as well as products.

As a political segment, the majority of Millennials lean Left. About 70% of them want a socialistic America. The few who lean Right, tend to be more of the libertarian variety (small "L"). Over all, neither have any use for either of the two corporate owned party. So, where are they getting their news?

The majority of them (about 54%+) are getting their daily dose of news from social media as well. Most of them have turned off and tuned out mainstream media. The top social media sites for the "Gen Y" crowd is Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter. Interestingly (and concerningly), 60% admit they pay attention to celebrities, personalities, and other so-called social media "influencers" to help shape their opinions on events. 

The generation coming up behind the Millennials, known as "Gen Z" (born after 1996), are showing themselves to be every bit as Left leaning as their older brothers and sisters; 64% describe themselves as "socialist". 78%+ say that current events are important to them and they want to be informed. However, they too put no trust in the mainstream media, choosing to rely primarily on social media. Of course, all this has created a potentially serious problem, not just for them, but for our society.

With those on the Left and Right side of the political spectrum increasingly get their news from distinct sources, we're starting to see competing camps develop.  Television and radio used to bring us together as a society, whether we were listening to Jack Benny or watching Bonanza, we were still getting our news from a small handful of sources, and those were politically impartial. The programming on ABC wasn't all that much different than from NBC or CBS, including the news.

While today there are countless sources for the news, they are all mostly owned by one of six companies and each follow a certain political agenda, even if it's not blatant. They may pretend to be "progressive" to attract a younger audience (and revenue), they remain neo-fascist at their political core.

The media and the political establishment have no intentions of letting the Millennials  or Generation Z have their way when it comes to political, but do we really want fascism in any form? At present, it doesn't matter if you pick from "red" unsweetened Kool-Aide or artificially sweetened "blue" Kool-Aid. You still get the Kool-Aide. Some of us, however, have chosen no Kool-Aide at all.

Regardless, those on either side of the political divide are increasingly insulated from each other within a ideological information bubble, thus reducing our ability to communicate and empathize with each other. We're starting to speak a different language.

We hide behind a veneer of artificial politeness called "political correctness" which mutes us rather than permitting us to speak openly to each other. While our words may be similar, the meanings are starting to blur. We must speak freely so long as we speak honestly if this nation is to survive. 

We must demand that the media once again seek out the highest common good as it once did. Divided we're easier to control and manipulate. That's the name of the game in any authoritarian regime.  Ours is no different. Did we really expect it would be? Perhaps our loss of trust in the media is justified, but what about our faith in each other? We must never lose that. 

New Poll: Media Trust at an All-Time Low  

Gallup poll finds 84% of Americans say media is to blame forUS political divide

 

Gallup: People With No Trust in News Media Hits Record

Black, Hispanic, and white adults feel the news mediamisunderstands them, but for very different reasons

Parler has been booted by Apple, Amazon, and Google

 

Do You Have a Right to Work?

Let's say that you like working on cars. Cars are your life. There never has been any question of where you wanted to work---the local auto plant in town. The money and benefits are great, and what's better, they're hiring. So you fill out an application. After a few days, you get a phone from the plant's human resource department and set up an interview. She wants to hire you. An appointment is made to come down and see the company physician for a quick physical. The human resources manager asks you to come back in for an orientation.

At the orientation, you go over the various procedures like safety issues, clocking in and out. Then comes the shocker. You're told that you are required to join a union in order to work there, but you're not interested in joining a union. You're told that the plant is a "closed shop", meaning that in order to secure employment there, you have to join the union. You tell her you're not interested in a union; you just want to work on the car or truck assembly line. At that point, a union representative is brought in to talk with you.

You politely listen as she explains that the union has been in place since the 1950's; that the union would protect your job in case something should happen; that they would provide you with a shop steward in the event of performance issues or any hearings; the union would negotiate on your behalf---collectively---pay raises, health and other benefits, your hours, and job safety issues. All you need do is sign the union card and agree to have the union dues automatically deducted from your salary. Easy peasy.

After the union representative finishes speaking, you politely explain that you don't have any interest in joining a union. You are aware of your responsibilities, and as an adult, take full responsibility for your actions. Furthermore, you are quite capable of speaking for your self should you get into any trouble. The representative explains that without their steward, you could run the risk of being taken advantage of (implying that you couldn't trust the company).

The union representative reminds you that unions have been at the forefront of child labor laws, women's suffrage, job safety, voter

registration, and even the Civil Rights movement. Those were all powerful and important issues, but each has been addressed by the federal government and are now laws. What about wages and benefits? Unions have been out in front in protecting wages, limiting hours, and securing benefits for their members. That's true, however, those too have been largely addressed by various federal laws. As for negotiating wages, over the past decade or so, unions across the country, have negotiated away much of benefits they had fought for over years, which has also included pay cuts, reductions in worker seniority and are only just now getting some of those back. Besides, the company has offered a retirement package before the company unionized, and offers a similar package at its non-union plant.

At this point that the union representative is getting agitated. She adds that the union also has a political education committee which would act on your behalf by endorsing candidates and making political contributions. Where does that money came from you ask, and she says that it is automatically deducted from your paycheck. Ok then, who selects which candidate or issues your money gets directed to? As it turns out, it isn't you. The committee would make that decision for you. What about the candidates they endorse, do you get a say? Not directly, but you do get a vote. However, the final decision is made by the committee. In some cases, only the political election committe makes the decision and in others, only the union president decides. But, you explain, you aren't partial to either of the two parties, but who were some of the candidates they endorsed in the past?

As it turns out, all were of a specific political party, and few if any of them, support the same issues as you. Accordingly, you point out that it made more sense if you donated to whom you wanted rather than have a portion of your salary going to individuals you didn't agree with. Besides, it didn't make any sense to dig deeper into your pocket to donate to those candidates you agree with; it was like you were working against yourself.

After a few polite closing remarks, you're informed that either you sign the union card or don't get the job. At that point she leaves. Funny, you think, wasn't that the company's decision to make? You could see her speaking with the HR manager outside the door. A few minutes later, the HR manager enters and asks if you have any questions, otherwise you were free to leave. You told you can start as soon as you turn in the signed union card. You mention that you did have a couple of questions.

How is it that you answered a company job announcement; filed out an company application; interviewed with company personnel; went to a company doctor; but in order to accept a job that you really wanted--- that you had studied hard for in school---spending countless hours after and before school; that would hopefully be your life's work---you had to join an organization that you weren't the least bit interested in, not to mention an organization which would not support your views politically in order to work there? In fact, you're told that they, not the company, decides who works there based on whether you sign the union card or not. Two words---closed shop. A closed shop means simply that in order to work there, you had to join the union whether you wanted to or not, and you have to abide by their rules and pay their dues.

Closed shops came about during the heyday of union membership---the late 1940's and early 1950's. Within the past few decades, many companies have sought to circumvent closed shops by moving the company to either states which had "right-to-work" laws, meaning that individuals can't be compelled to join unions, or the plants were closed and work shipped off to countries where workers are paid sweat shop wages with no benefits and they had little or no rights whatsoever.

So there you have it folks. Although the story was entirely fictional, the situation is real. Is it better to join the union, where the jobs of everyone is more or less protected, or take a chance? Some can certainly fight back or negotiate their own pay, but many can't. In some cases the costs of wages, benefits, and protecting unproductive workers have proven to be too much and companies have closed or moved. Unions essentially negotiated themselves out of a job. Many companies have retirement or 401k programs. Much of what unions championed down through the years are now laws, with workers having recourse through OSHEA (including its "Whistleblower Program"), the Labor Department's Wage and Hour division, the Equal Employment and Opportunity Commission (EEOC), plus various State and local agencies.

On the political side, instead of looking for themselves, unions have been in bed with one political party since the 1930's instead of playing each party off each other. Also, instead of supporting the best candidate for the rank and file, they nearly automatically endorse just the one party's candidate even if that particular individual doesn't even support unions! And let's not forget that in many cases, the member doesn't even have any say so where their money goes, which is often on issues or individuals they completely disagree with, meaning they have to dig deeper in their pockets to support the cause or candidate they want, and heaven help them if they actively support then non-union endorsed candidate or even put out their yard sign! Currently, some unions are pushing for amnesty for illegal immigrants since many are employed in mow skill and mostly unionized jobs. Amnesty would open the door for them to join the unions, and thus add desperately needed dues to the union's coffers. However, the influx would create more demand for jobs than there are available jobs, thus driving down wages and benefits while driving up unemployment.

What do you think? As corporations have become more feudalistic and some, like banks and oil companies, have essentially taken over governments like ours, have unions become passé? Have they outlasted their usefulness? Certainly big business would like for to think so. Unions have traditionally balanced the scale of power. Of course, unions aren't perfect. Some became corrupt through their Mafia involvement while for others, it became hard to distinguish union management from corporate management, especially when looking at their salaries! Unions have been at the apex in many social issues that we now take for granted. They were responsible for a vibrant middle class and growing economy, and as unions have declined, so as the middle class and so has America overall; so much that we face the largest disparity in income since just before the Great Depression, but then this isn't 1929 and the American economy is no longer the largest or strongest.

There are of course alternatives to unions, such as worker owned companies (co-ops), employee associations, employee-managements boards where employees and management elected representatives to a special board on a rotating membership basis which deals with employee related issues such as work conditions, complaints, and worker innovations. In addition, there's been a trend in business to create a more horizontal hierarchy and empowering employees, not to mention occasional outings, ongoing surveys, and workshops. I served as an employee liaison with management at several companies where I worked, including in an Assistant Vice President role working on projects to improve morale, productivity, and efficiency; a happy workplace is a productive workplace, at least that was the idea.

Right now, certain groups (primarily conservative and pro-business) are pushing for "Right to Work" laws, with Wisconsin having just recently enacted such a law. Proponents claim that "Right to Work" makes companies more competitive and gives workers more options, which they cite as being critical in today's global marketplace. Opponents, however, refer to the effort as "Right to Work for Less" and claim that without union representation, workers will be taken advantage of, have less job security, and will eventually be forced to take cuts in pay and benefits without any recourse except walking out and trying to find another job when jobs are hard to come by. In addition, unions point out that in "Right to Work" states, they'll be forced to cover non-union employees which they can't financially afford to do; such a move could ultimately bankrupt many unions. Unions are already having to compete, directly and indirectly, with companies and workers overseas who aren't unionized and earn pennies on the dollars and often without any benefits or even basic health and safety regulations while management and Wallstreet investors pocket the difference. Proponents, however, cite lower costs of living standards which justify the lower wages and benefits aren't something workers don't deemed as important.

Many on the political Right look at unions as "communist" or "socialist" (their two favorite terms) and champion the idealistic individual concept of popular Americana myth, while those on the Left see unions as an entre into the middle class, a better life for themselves and their children, along with the possibility of a college education. This is especially true among minorities. They see unions as a means to having good health care and providing for a decent retirement while working in a safe environment. Some of the principal goals unions have fought for, such as safe jobs or a means to fight against employer harassment or discrimination, are now federal laws and give workers some legal recourse. Certainly popular opinion has swung against unions in recent decades. Historically, union participation peaked in the early 1950's and has been in a steady decline ever since with only 11.3% of the workforce being unionized (about 6.6% of private employees and approximately 35.9% of public employees). Running near parallel, the purchasing power of the middle class has declined as union membership has dropped.

So, what do you think dear reader? Do you have an unobstructed "right to work" or is their strength in numbers? In which direction does the future look brightest for ordinary individuals amid the global marketplace and increasing competition for fewer jobs, Citizens United and the demise of our democratic republic, the 1% oligarchy versus a declining middle class and the widening income disparity?


Unionfacts.com
https://www.unionfacts.com/cuf/vitals