First of all, capitalism has been an economic force that has lifted more people out of poverty than any other system ever created. The opportunities it provides allow each of us to forge our own economic paths in life. And when you step into it, capitalism’s competition, its relentless drive to maximise profit at the lowest possible cost, has produced innovations once thought unthinkable. Those innovations built upon themselves and helped turn this nation into a thirty-trillion-dollar economic powerhouse.

However, when certain wealthy capitalists allow greed to eclipse responsibility and view innovation as an inconvenience rather than a necessity, the government has had to intervene with policies designed to protect people, workers, the environment, and the economy. In response, those same wealthy actors use their money to influence elections and the officials who win them, shaping the very policies meant to hold them accountable. Their ambition isn’t merely to maximise profit without limit; it is to push for rules that stifle competition outright.

Capitalism and our democracy are under attack from these individuals. They know that a strong government, controlled by the people and composed of the people, is the only force capable of keeping their greed in check. That is why they have spent hundreds of billions of dollars, particularly over the past sixty years, to influence policy, weaken oversight, and undermine civics education and critical thinking. These are the very skills that teach citizens to judge leaders by what they *do*, not what they *say*, and that threatens the power these interests seek to preserve. Project 2025 is essentially their playbook for entrenching that influence and dismantling the safeguards that keep them accountable.

And the truth is, they are winning this fight. Their success in preventing the teaching of civics has allowed the belief to spread that the president walks on water, armed with a magic wand to fix every problem the moment they take office. When that inevitably fails to occur, people become disappointed, then frustrated, and finally apathetic. And that apathy is precisely what these wealthy interests rely upon, for the fewer people who understand the system and participate in it, the easier it becomes for them to maintain control.

Protecting and participating in fair, free elections is essential to a government by the people, for the people, and of the people, a government strong enough to protect competition and foster the innovations that reduce costs and safeguard workers, communities, the environment, and the economy as a whole. When capitalism operates without corruption and unchecked greed, competition creates jobs, and those jobs generate the revenue required to build and maintain the infrastructure of the twenty-first century: modern transportation systems, a well-educated and well-trained workforce, a healthy population from birth through old age, and the ability for individuals to retire with dignity and respect.

We do not have the liberty to wait, nor the luxury of resting upon our morals. President Trump’s election has opened the chicken coop to the foxes, and they are tearing through the henhouse, dismantling the policies established since the Great Depression that protected us from crony-capitalist greed, corruption, and exploitation. I cannot overstate how pivotal the 2026 elections will be in preserving what remains, not only at the federal level but in our state and local contests as well.

Then, in 2027 and 2028, we must elect leaders, not only nationally but especially in our state and local governments, who are committed to defending democracy and capitalism regardless of party. Leaders who will repair the damage, restore accountability, and establish lasting safeguards to prevent this from happening again, at least for another century. Because as we are witnessing, history repeats itself when its lessons are either forgotten or deliberately concealed from future generations.

We must fight back, and it begins with educating voters. We need a TikTok-style Schoolhouse Rock that is lively, engaging, and focused on teaching the civic basics, such as the simple truth that the president is only one of 535 elected federal officials, not a lone superhero capable of shaping policy on their own. Lasting change comes from controlling the legislative branch, where members can serve for generations, and from recognising the immense power the United States Senate holds over judicial and administrative appointments that shape policy long after any president leaves office. State and local elections must also take priority, for they affect our daily lives far more directly and determine the very structure of our democracy.

Above all, we must teach people to tune out the crony-capitalist messaging machine and evaluate leaders by their actions, not their words. The truth is found in voting records, sponsored legislation, donor lists, and the real-world impact of the policies they support. Their actions will always reveal the true story.

This is the path back to a government that genuinely represents the people it serves and to an economy that thrives without allowing greed to go unchecked. It begins with us, with educating, engaging, explaining, and refusing to surrender our democracy. 



“Why vote when nothing changes?” This is not apathy; it is the trap crony capitalists use to keep you powerless, all while they chase profit at any cost, harming workers, communities, the environment, and the economy. We need a TikTok-era Schoolhouse Rock to push back against that mindset.