It’s time. The gerontocracy cannot continue. I just watched two old men embarrass themselves on national television. Sure, as a committed liberal, I think President Biden did marginally better if only because he wasn’t spewing proto-fascist lies and fear mongering to whip up his supporters into a frenzy. But Biden wasn’t exactly sharp, either, and did not have the ability to call out Trump on his BS.
But it’s not just the presidential race. Chuck Grassley is 90 years old and still has four more years in the Senate. Nancy Pelosi is 84. Mitch McConnell is 82 and freezes more than an old iPhone. At least the latter two were willing to get out of leadership. At this point, I’m just glad Jimmy Carter (99, in hospice) isn’t considering a run.
We often criticize Baby Boomers (and rightly so). Forget that, the generation that needs our ire now is the Silent Generation. For a generation known for being silent, they’re sure refusing to give up the mic. It’s time though. They’ve been around enough. Come on, Senator Grassley, surely 8 terms are enough. Nancy Pelosi won her first House term in 1986. I’m a full-fledged attorney and I was negative 8 back then. Step down. Pass the baton. You’ve done your duty, now go home. The president when I was born is younger than both presidential candidates. That shouldn’t be the case.
That said, it’s time for my generation to step up. Let’s go millennials. Let’s take the reins of this country. It’s going to require hard work. Maybe a phone call or two – I know, I know, it sucks. It’s time to be a little abrasive. Embrace the cringe. Most of us at the very least lean left. It’s time to make the country do that, too.
How? Get involved. Run for office, any office. Join a campaign. Talk to your friends. Get them to vote. Get them to get involved. Become a political force. And once we win one election, immediately focus on the next. Push for change in the party, too. In 2024, I am committed to vote for the Democrats regardless of who they are. But you can be damn sure that I’ll be pushing for young leaders in the Democratic Party going forward.
The Democratic Party needs to embrace the change, too. Current policies are not working for young people. Whether true or not, we feel like we have less say, less influence and are getting less for more work. We are loaded with college debt that the Silent Generation and the Baby Boomers said would be our ticket to prosperity. Instead, we’re met with rising house prices, inflation, and whatever the hell the Republican Party is doing.
The Democratic Party needs to become the party of the working class. How? Recognize the humanity of everyone, even those you disagree with. I’m not saying that people should have carte blanche to be racists or bigots. But recognize that they often do not see themselves that way. Educated compassionately rather than with scorn. The latter only makes them double down.
But more importantly, learn what culture wars are worth fighting. Sometimes you just have to call things out as being crazy and let that be it. You can’t swat away every insane theory with logic and the ongoing discussion both causes people to become entrenched in their opinion and makes that topic last in the zeitgeist. Also, constantly bring up the issues that are clear winners. Abortion. Healthcare. Democracy.
The message also needs to be economic. Inflation hurt and there’s little we can do about that now. But Democrats should be pushing for policies that benefit the common man. Raise taxes on the wealthy. The “golden age” in the eyes of many Americans is the post-war economic boom. In 1950, the highest marginal tax rate was 84.357%. In 1960, it was 91%. I’m not saying we need to be at that level, but doesn’t 37% seem a little low in that context?
But it’s not just about tax. Income inequality is skyrocketing. The rich are getting richer. The working class is becoming more marginalized. And with inflation causing prices to rise, people living from paycheck to paycheck are finding it harder to do. I’m spit balling ideas here. But what if any corporation that had one employee make at least 250x another had to pay a tax equal to 50% of its profits?
That means that a company that had an employee making annualized minimum wage in my state, Illinois couldn’t have an executive bringing home more than $7.3 Million without paying tax on 50% of its profits (which would have to be adjusted somehow so they can’t just pay execs more and say there is no profit). I’m sure we can think of loopholes, but I’m not writing legislation right now. The point is that something like this would likely raise the lower end salaries while limiting the top end salaries.
The Democratic Party needs to be pushing policies like this. The country isn’t working for a lot of Americans. People are getting sick of politics. People view the parties as two sides of the same coin. That’s a dangerous place to be when one party is hellbent on destroying democracy. It’s time for change. It’s time for new faces, new voices, and new policies designed to help the everyday American. It’s time for a party of real people who fight for real change. Real people, real change.
But it’s not just the presidential race. Chuck Grassley is 90 years old and still has four more years in the Senate. Nancy Pelosi is 84. Mitch McConnell is 82 and freezes more than an old iPhone. At least the latter two were willing to get out of leadership. At this point, I’m just glad Jimmy Carter (99, in hospice) isn’t considering a run.
We often criticize Baby Boomers (and rightly so). Forget that, the generation that needs our ire now is the Silent Generation. For a generation known for being silent, they’re sure refusing to give up the mic. It’s time though. They’ve been around enough. Come on, Senator Grassley, surely 8 terms are enough. Nancy Pelosi won her first House term in 1986. I’m a full-fledged attorney and I was negative 8 back then. Step down. Pass the baton. You’ve done your duty, now go home. The president when I was born is younger than both presidential candidates. That shouldn’t be the case.
That said, it’s time for my generation to step up. Let’s go millennials. Let’s take the reins of this country. It’s going to require hard work. Maybe a phone call or two – I know, I know, it sucks. It’s time to be a little abrasive. Embrace the cringe. Most of us at the very least lean left. It’s time to make the country do that, too.
How? Get involved. Run for office, any office. Join a campaign. Talk to your friends. Get them to vote. Get them to get involved. Become a political force. And once we win one election, immediately focus on the next. Push for change in the party, too. In 2024, I am committed to vote for the Democrats regardless of who they are. But you can be damn sure that I’ll be pushing for young leaders in the Democratic Party going forward.
The Democratic Party needs to embrace the change, too. Current policies are not working for young people. Whether true or not, we feel like we have less say, less influence and are getting less for more work. We are loaded with college debt that the Silent Generation and the Baby Boomers said would be our ticket to prosperity. Instead, we’re met with rising house prices, inflation, and whatever the hell the Republican Party is doing.
The Democratic Party needs to become the party of the working class. How? Recognize the humanity of everyone, even those you disagree with. I’m not saying that people should have carte blanche to be racists or bigots. But recognize that they often do not see themselves that way. Educated compassionately rather than with scorn. The latter only makes them double down.
But more importantly, learn what culture wars are worth fighting. Sometimes you just have to call things out as being crazy and let that be it. You can’t swat away every insane theory with logic and the ongoing discussion both causes people to become entrenched in their opinion and makes that topic last in the zeitgeist. Also, constantly bring up the issues that are clear winners. Abortion. Healthcare. Democracy.
The message also needs to be economic. Inflation hurt and there’s little we can do about that now. But Democrats should be pushing for policies that benefit the common man. Raise taxes on the wealthy. The “golden age” in the eyes of many Americans is the post-war economic boom. In 1950, the highest marginal tax rate was 84.357%. In 1960, it was 91%. I’m not saying we need to be at that level, but doesn’t 37% seem a little low in that context?
But it’s not just about tax. Income inequality is skyrocketing. The rich are getting richer. The working class is becoming more marginalized. And with inflation causing prices to rise, people living from paycheck to paycheck are finding it harder to do. I’m spit balling ideas here. But what if any corporation that had one employee make at least 250x another had to pay a tax equal to 50% of its profits?
That means that a company that had an employee making annualized minimum wage in my state, Illinois couldn’t have an executive bringing home more than $7.3 Million without paying tax on 50% of its profits (which would have to be adjusted somehow so they can’t just pay execs more and say there is no profit). I’m sure we can think of loopholes, but I’m not writing legislation right now. The point is that something like this would likely raise the lower end salaries while limiting the top end salaries.
The Democratic Party needs to be pushing policies like this. The country isn’t working for a lot of Americans. People are getting sick of politics. People view the parties as two sides of the same coin. That’s a dangerous place to be when one party is hellbent on destroying democracy. It’s time for change. It’s time for new faces, new voices, and new policies designed to help the everyday American. It’s time for a party of real people who fight for real change. Real people, real change.