It’s long been known that US capital and government have worked hand in hand to ensure the system works for them. Particularly, we can point to the Citizens United decision of 2010 which gifted corporations unfettered access to make campaign donations. The removal of this vital safeguard essentially guaranteed the rise of someone like Elon Musk during a presidential campaign. While individual contributions are strictly limited, our system allowed Musk (through his America PAC) to donate roughly $250 million to the Trump campaign, according to some estimates. This does not include the hundreds of millions donated by oil barrens and other billionaires. After Trump’s victory, we saw the ultra-wealthy stand behind him at his eerie indoor inauguration. The dark money controlling our government for decades was suddenly under the brightest spotlight for all to see.

Why is this so Damaging?

To put it simply, corporate money has no legitimate place in politics. Its very existence nullifies the individual donors and prevents any real grassroots movements from sprouting. If every private citizen was able to chip in $100 to a new campaign, it would take 25 million donors to reach Elon Musk’s contribution alone. it’s clear to see that no amount of normal people can compete with the purchasing power of billionaires.

Whether we like it or not (we don’t), Trump found enough votes to put himself at the top once again. There was a democratic system where over 150 million cast their ballots. While many question the legitimacy of his win due to rampant efforts by Republicans to suppress voters, he still technically followed the rules for the most part. That brings us to Musk.

Everything Donald Trump does is in his own interest, but that doesn’t mean he won’t make concessions. He’s a transactional politician: “You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours”. We saw Musk’s end of the deal play out during the 2024 campaign. He paid the $250 million price tag, and now we’re seeing what he’s gaining in return. Unlike real government agencies, Musk’s project “DOGE” has no real governmental authority. Congress had no say in its creation, and Trump seems to be sidestepping the legislative branch at every opportunity. Why then, was Elon Musk given access to the US Treasury through which $6 trillion worth of federal payments flow through? A private citizen (Musk) is ransacking federal offices without any sort of congressional approval and compromising the security of every single American. He must be stopped.

Where are the Democrats?

America is in a tumultuous place politically. Again, grassroots movements have largely been thwarted by corporate interests. That leaves Americans to rely on the two existing parties. As we know, the Republicans have been completely taken over by Trump’s influence, so we can expect them to be fully complicit in his illegal activities. That leaves us with the Democrats.

As it stands, the Democratic Party has no real leader. There’s no one we can look to for answers in this trying time. Lack of a clear message or goal has plagued the Democrats since the end of the Obama era. This is largely thanks to corporate donors as well. The obvious line of attack would be to denounce billionaires and corporate interference in politics. So why are people like newly elected DNC chair Ken Martin saying that Democrats need to work with “good billionaires”?

The two parties in this country are also two sides of the same coin. Ultimately, they are beholden to the capitalists and the billions of dollars funneled into our political system via lobbying. If they try to attack Trump for corruption, he can turn around and point to the millions taken by Democrats from the likes of Big Pharma and AIPAC. Almost all of our representatives do it, Trump is just loud and proud about it. Essentially, Trump faces no opposition from American institutions.

What Do We Do Now?

We’ve reached end-stage capitalism: all regulations and bureaucratic systems in the US will be rendered useless with the aim of maximizing profits. Rather than innovating or helping workers be more productive, the capitalists are cutting costs by gutting the regulatory state. These institutions (EPA, CDC, FAA, etc.) are in place to protect the American people and ensure a certain standard of living. Countless casualties will follow as a result of Trump’s ultimate crusade for profit.

One silver lining of Trump and Musk taking a sledgehammer to our government is that we will have a chance to rebuild once the dust settles. It’s become increasingly clear that the Democrats are not up to the challenge of resisting the oligarchal takeover of the nation and are in many ways aligned with the billionaire class. It’s time to return to the days of the American government working for the average person, not against.

There’s not a lot of action to be taken right now that will largely change things. We need to come together as workers and unite against the ultra-wealthy. It’ll take time, but eventually, a mass movement of American workers can cause enough disruption to give us a seat at the table. In the meantime, help your local community, look out for one another, and remember that a few powerful people cannot stop the masses who share a common goal.