The Fight We Can't Ignore
Fascism isn’t the root of the problem. It’s the rotten fruit of a broken system.
We’ve reached a dangerous point in America.
Social media and online echo chambers are turning disagreements into cult-level dogma. Different points of view aren’t debated anymore — they’re weaponized, fueling rage and hate between us.
Meanwhile, politicians on the right keep fanning the flames.
They gerrymander their states to consolidate power, suppress the voting rights of their own people, and wink at — or outright encourage — growing right-wing violence (the DOJ has already flagged this as one of the biggest terror threats we face).
And when it comes to policy? They’re not helping their people. They’re helping corporations and billionaires move even more money upward, while their own constituents are left holding the bag.
And what about the left?
Too often, politicians who are supposed to fight for us roll over. Some are complicit in corruption. Others sacrifice entire communities — trans people, immigrants, minorities — for political expedience.
I want to be clear here: my societal leanings are left.
I believe in protecting people, expanding opportunity, and lifting everyone up.
But it’s hard for me to politically call myself a Democrat, given how often the party has failed to show real courage — especially during the current Trump administration.
Yes, there are exceptions. Leaders like AOC, Jasmine Crockett, Bernie Sanders, Chris Van Hollen, and a handful of others are fighting the good fight. But they are far too few.
All of this is happening while the basics of American life are becoming harder by the day.
Food prices are up. Housing is unaffordable. For the first time in decades, unemployment has outpaced hiring.
And it isn’t just the economy. Our Constitutional rights are under attack.
Free speech. The right to protest. Even due process.
Friends and neighbors are being taken away by masked men without judicial warrants. That should chill every single one of us to the bone.
Yes, fascism and white Christian nationalism are the threats we face. But here’s the truth: they are symptoms of something deeper.
A government that was meant to be by the people, for the people has stopped being for the people.
I want to be clear: I am not calling for overthrowing the government. Far from it. But I am calling for massive change.
If we are going to continue as a society — if we want our kids to inherit something better than what we’ve got — then we need politicians who represent us. Who fight for our needs. Who stop wasting time with culture war distractions while handing out favors to corporations and billionaires.
Think about this: the top 1% in America now holds more than a third of the nation’s wealth (source).
That isn’t just inequality. That’s theft, codified into policy.
I was raised to believe that if you work hard, keep your head down, and save your money, you’ll live a good life — and your kids will live an even better one.
I was raised to believe in the rising tide that lifts all boats.
And I was raised to believe that sometimes people need a hand up, because life isn’t fair.
But as I’ve gone through life, I’ve seen just how unfair the system really is.
And I’ve seen how, in many states, it’s been deliberately rigged to funnel more and more money upward, leaving the rest of us scrambling for scraps.
That has to change.
Not with empty slogans. Not with tired culture war fights. But with a real vision of a better future.
We need leaders who can paint that vision and back it up with action — so that people don’t just believe things are improving, they feel it in their own lives.
If we don’t, other countries will eat our lunch. And we’ll be left fighting for crumbs at our own table.
This series, published each Sunday, is my attempt to chart a way forward.
Next, we’ll look at what we must require from politicians on the left — a new baseline that no leader should fall beneath.
After that, I’ll dive into the messaging we need to win more people over — focusing on kitchen table issues like jobs, healthcare, and the economy.
And then, we’ll talk about what it takes to actually build a movement that wins.
We can’t afford to sit back. The future of this country is on the line.
👉 If this resonates with you, subscribe now to The Pathfinder Chronicles so you don’t miss the rest of this series. Together, we can fight back — and fight forward.