Americans are waking up to a country that is rigged against them. Eggs cost $5 a carton. The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment exceeds $1,700. Household debt has surged to an average of $105,000. Despite working harder than ever, we find ourselves stuck in a cycle of labor with little reward — and no eggs to show for it. The reality we must face is stark: we are living in an oligarchy.
Today, America is enduring what can only be described as a “Second Gilded Age,” where wealth inequality mirrors the extremes of the first, when Rockefeller built empires on the backs of immigrants. Back then, industrial magnates wielded their vast wealth to control the political system, preventing reform efforts. Today, nearly the same socioeconomic circumstances persist. The top 10% of Americans control 67% of the nation’s wealth, while the bottom 50% hold a mere 2.5%.
This growing wealth divide entrenches America’s class-based caste system. Jeff Bezos, a modern-day industrial magnate rebranded as a tech mogul, sustains this hierarchy by keeping his workers impoverished while indulging in lavish luxuries like yachts and caviar. Meanwhile, his employees, who earn a mere $20 per hour, are more than twice as likely to be injured on the job as workers at other companies. Bezos’ fortune, built on this exploitation, epitomizes the essence of oligarchy.
For wealth inequality to breed oligarchy, the wealthy elite must control federal policy. It’s easy to say, “But wait, Connor, we vote! We have the power!” But how can that be true when Elon Musk sits next to Donald Trump in the Oval Office, dismantling the federal bureaucracy and firing thousands of American workers? Notice who Trump turns to for policy advice: it’s not my uncle, who was laid off from the GM plant. It’s not my aunt, a nurse in inner-city Cleveland. It’s not me, a broke college student. It’s Musk, the world’s richest man, who spent $270 million on Trump’s campaign. Meanwhile, we can barely afford groceries, let alone a campaign donation.
The oligarchy is not confined to one party. Each election offers the illusion of choice, but, regardless of who is in office, American life remains difficult. The Democrats point to queer rights or reproductive freedom as proof of their progressivism, but remember when George Floyd died? They knelt for eight minutes. Heroes!!!! Just kidding, we still have no police reform, no ban on qualified immunity. Kamala Harris, who championed the “worker,” raised more corporate donations than Trump, collecting nearly $700 million from corporate donors. The same tech giants shaping Trump’s policies funded Harris’ campaign to ensure their interests were safeguarded, regardless of which party held power.
Let’s be clear: the Democratic Party is not unaware of the oligarchy it helps perpetuate. Their failure to connect with the working-class communities they claim to champion has been a key factor in their electoral defeats. As a Democratic voter, I spoke with the College Democrats of Notre Dame about this disconnect. They acknowledged that “the influence of big money in American politics is a hindrance to our democracy.” Some politicians — those who, by not being racist, fall under the Democratic umbrella — have signed the No Corporate PAC pledge to distance themselves from this system. Yet, at the institutional level, the Democratic Party remains largely driven by the money it can raise from donors.
Now, we have to live with the consequences. But, this isn’t to say we’re totally screwed. After the first Gilded Age, we had the Progressive Era — a time defined by regulating corporations in the interests of workers and introducing reforms that sought to restore balance to the economy. History offers a blueprint. We need a new era of progressivism, one that fights for a more equitable distribution of wealth, dismantles the corporate stronghold on politics and pushes for policies that protect the most vulnerable in society.
The oligarchy may seem insurmountable, but it’s been toppled before — and with collective action, political courage and a shift in priorities, it can be toppled again.
Connor Marrott is a senior from Cleveland, Ohio His writing has appeared in the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Cincinnati Enquirer. He serves on the board of SoildarityND and is always eager to discuss any and all ideas. You can contact Connor at cmarrott@nd.edu.
