An open letter to the richest in U.S.

T

he very people you rely on to produce your wealth will be used to bring about your downfall and the demise of the democratic freedoms you enjoy. If the repetitive lessons of history teach us anything, whole systems of government are ripped down and shredded by a disenfranchised populace — a populace more than often lead by unscrupulous leaders taking advantage of the disparity in lifestyle of the poorest among us.

You can turn the clock back to Greek, Roman, Middle Ages to see these lessons played out, or you can take a look at America’s own history starting with our revolution; a revolution caused by the disparity of wealth, prestige, and power over those working to secure a new land. Turn the clock forward and look at the Russian Revolution or the rise of the National Socialist Party in Germany in the ‘30s. Oh, yes, I can hear you groan, not that Nazi argument again… but what have you actually learned that time in history or do you assume you know it all? To reduce the rise of the Nazi powerbase solely based on anti-Jewish sentiment and vilification is to misunderstand the poverty of 90% of the population, currency devalued through rampant inflation, and squalid hunger for 25% of the population when seen against the prestige and wealth of the upper class at the time — that disparity became an easy target for Hitler claiming to represent the common man. After all, “Nazi” is the shortened version of National Socialism (actual socialism which it never was). Nazi industrialists used that pretense of caring to further their own grip on power and wealth, sided with the Nazi party under the guise of providing paid work to those in need and cemented German fascism that took a World War to stop.

Are not the Frick family, the Farber, Krupp, Thyssen, Bayer, Siemens, Daimler-Benz, and BMW’s Quandt families and companies still leading entities even though they were the pillars of funding and support of the Nazi regime? Oh, no, they claim they “learned” their lesson… but the wealth of those at the top now exceeds the ratio in earning comparing richest to poorest of 1933.

The greater the disparity of wealth between the richest in a country mirrors the slow demise of the middle class and reduction of earnings for all laborers. After the U.S. Supreme Court’s disastrous ruling that “Corporations Are People Too,” thereby unchaining their financial limits for contributions, America has seen a sudden rise in evangelical-like politicians claiming to want to “uplift” the common struggling families. Trump’s supporting elite included health companies, casinos, real estate moguls, most on Wall Street, oil and gas owners, big pharma, and since he claimed to represent “real Americans” (just as the Nazi party represented “real” Germans, meaning not Jews), Trump raised and still raises small donations from millions of the poorest Americans desperate to reclaim what they felt they had lost.

Have they lost anything? Absolutely. Take the average GM worker. In 1980 the pay was $21 per hour on average. A sedan cost back then $6,000 (Chevy Citation). The same worker today makes $35 on average per hour, and a Chevy Malibu costs $24,000 today. Wage went up 65%, the cost of a sedan went up 400%. And the same inflation is reflected in housing, clothing, food, energy, and so on. See those middle-class workers tumble down the financial pecking order? Any wonder they are feeling disenfranchised? Oh, and meanwhile the head of GM made $250,000 in 1980 and the same job today pays $2,300,000, an increase of 920%.

The issue is not how much the CEO makes, it is about the disparity, the powerbase afforded by that disparity, the political meddling towards fascism and corruption that such disparity breeds. However, I am sure if you talked with the CEO of a company like GM or Walmart, you would learn they are proud Americans, believers in democracy and the Constitution. Why wouldn’t they as that system made them and Wall Street wealthy? And so it did also for the Farber, Krupp, Thyssen, the Frick family, Bayer, Siemens, Daimler-Benz, and BMW’s Quandt families.

Are the 2022 disenfranchised still easy pickings for a fascist scoundrel who will lead them on an anti-democratic path? Absolutely – and remember they have followed several for 6 years now.

How can we change that course of our future and save the democracy?

Until the very wealthy realize that the wealth they command comes from the workers, that all the money in the world cannot save them or their industry or their families with the coming upheaval as another crazier, less inept, leader steps into Trump’s shoes – well, until then we can only observe as history repeats itself again.

Peter Riva, a former resident of Amenia Union, now resides in New Mexico.