In an editorial on Friday, Nov. 18, The Recorder noted that “many in the Pioneer Valley who have expressed anger, fear and frustration” have begun to take proactive actions to counteract the Trump agenda which, among other things, threatens a number of vulnerable populations in our community. Franklin County CPR (Continuing the Political Revolution), a new and rapidly growing organization, applauds these actions but also wants to promote the social, political and economic agenda outlined in Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign.
It is time for the 99 percent to take back our country.
We must make it crystal clear that the vast majority of Americans are at the mercy of multinational corporations, predatory health insurance companies, banks that are allegedly ‘too big to fail’ and a national government with skewed priorities. This social, political and economic reality brought us Donald Trump, but might just as easily have brought us Bernie Sanders had the Democratic Party not so heavily tipped the scales for its anointed candidate. The majority of Trump voters were voting for radical change in Washington. They, and indeed, most of us, are frightened by the loss of good-paying jobs and furious and fed up with the 1 percent of the population who completely control our economy and our government.
The Democratic Party can no longer be the party of aristocrats. Faith that the Democratic Party represents all of us has been shattered. At their peril, the leadership of the Party chose a standard bearer who was too close to Wall Street and to the policies of the past, and this has led to their downfall. It will be up to us to either take control of the Democratic Party and restore it as the party of the people, the big tent party where all are welcome and all have a voice, or build a new party that represents our values. For now, we must fight, organize and locally elect those who will carry out our vision for the future.
The xenophobic, racist, misogynistic Trump is not the answer. We expect that many Trump voters will be disappointed when good-paying jobs do not stream back to their communities, when rust belt towns decimated by the loss of good jobs do not see those same companies returning to revitalize their communities, when the costs for health insurance do not become suddenly affordable, when environmental degradation is not addressed, and when corporate money is not removed from the political process.
Although Trump prevailed in the Electoral College, voters supported progressive policies at the state level. Minimum wage increases passed in all four states where it was promoted, and proposed cuts to the minimum wage were defeated in both states where they were proposed. Two states passed initiatives to repeal the horrendous Citizens United decision that allows the wealthy to, in effect, buy elections.
Here in Massachusetts, we defeated the billionaires promoting expanded charter schools and were one of several states to legalize marijuana. People want positive change that improves the quality of their lives in the economic, political and social spheres.
We are all in the same sinking boat: Trump voters, Clinton voters, nonvoters. We need to work together on issues like campaign finance and health care reform, immigration reform, workers’ rights, protection of the environment, civil rights and social justice. We need to shift our national priorities by putting people before profits. We must expand public services that provide for basic needs like health care, energy, food, housing, and decent jobs.
This is not rocket science. It is how many democratic societies function. There are numerous countries with single payer health coverage, one of which you can drive to in less than six hours. We know that employers and employees with strong unions can work together, as they do in Germany, where up to half of the seats on boards of directors are held by workers. We know that parents can have reasonable paid parental leave, as they do in all EU countries. We know that higher education can be provided at little or no cost; the Washington Post lists seven countries where even Americans can attend college for practically nothing (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2014/10/29/7-countries-where-americans-can-study-at-universities-in-english-for-free-or-almost-free/).
FCCPR is a membership organization that you can join for as little as $10 per year. We have more than 100 members after having been in existence for barely three months. We have set up task forces to work on many of the issues mentioned above. In conjunction with other local, regional and national organizations, we can, and will address the gross negligence and inequalities propagated by a corporate, capitalist system that puts profits before people. Join us!
Read more at fccpr.us, where you can learn about upcoming information sessions in Greenfield, Montague and Shelburne Falls, and where you can also become a member.
David Greenberg is co-chair of Franklin County CPR. He lives in Colrain.