The American economy is not surviving on economic performance, but on taxes paid by its importers and consumers.

New polling indicates that the American public views Democrats as “out of touch,” “woke”, and “weak," at the very time Trump is crashing the economy.

You can find part one and part two of this three-part series by clicking on the link provided

In a report by senior staff writer at The Hill, Amie Parnes, on 11th July, she reports:

The Democratic Party’s credibility with voters has plummeted even further since the 2024 election, raising alarm bells as the party looks to rebuild ahead of the midterms and the next presidential election, according to a poll obtained by The Hill.

The poll, conducted between May and June by Unite the Country, a Democratic super PAC, showed voters perceived the Democratic Party as “out of touch,” “woke” and “weak.”

You don’t have to be a political strategist to see that the party remains in the weeds and rudderless. Of course, a statement like this will attract incoming, because I have learned in my time commentating on US politics, that it is sacrosanct as a liberal voice to criticise the Democratic Party. Let me assure you that delusion is not a strategy, no more than is blind loyalty.

We can argue all day about the election being fixed in November, and the stupidity of the voting public for voting for a fascist. It does not change a thing. We are where we are, and almost six months after inauguration day, there appears to be no plan, no dynamic leadership, but above all, absolutely no vision. Make that make sense as the DNC is now holding out the begging bowl again.

Let’s deal with the reality: elections are a business. Right now, as you read this, strategists, political operatives, Ad agencies, and the whole election industrial complex are gearing up to take the donations of hard-working Democrat supporters and profit from them in the name of rescuing democracy. This will be done with little regard for providing value for money services, and these individuals receive compensation regardless of who wins or loses. Performance pay plays no part in the process. It’s brutal, but it’s true, and Republicans will be doing the same. Corporate interests are lining up on the sidelines, evaluating which politicians will best serve their interests, and their decisions to donate will have nothing to do with social values or democracy; instead, they will be driven by what is good for business.

What’s wrong with Democrats writing to those on their donor list with a plan and a vision, instead of just holding out the begging bowl? The arrogance of the political class is breathtaking. They have had time since November to have conversations with their supporters on which to build a shared vision for the future. Instead, they left it to a handful of true representatives to fight on their own, void of leadership.

I’m not sure if elections in America have ever been about what’s best for the people, but in this moment, the people aren’t even a consideration, I’m afraid. The argument goes that you can’t change the world unless you control the levers of change, and nobody can argue with that. But the US has now normalised the poor and the vulnerable, while turning a blind eye to a vast, ever-increasing wealth gap, and allowing the obscenely rich to abdicate their responsibility to society, which has enabled them to accumulate wealth far beyond what they could ever spend in ten lifetimes of opulent overindulgence.

Let me be clear, I don’t have a problem with wealth. The aspiration to acquire wealth is an important contributor to creating a functioning society. The rich will tell you, while sitting on the deck of their yacht, that if you work hard, you too can be rich. Were that the case, a single mom working three jobs would be driving a Porsche to work. Hard work does not dictate your wealth in America today. According to a 2016 Survey of Consumer Finances, it is estimated that the top 10% inherit around 37% of their wealth, and for the top 1% this rises to 41%.

We can debate the issue of fairness, but when has life ever been fair? My argument is not with the acquisition of wealth, it’s with the exploitation of the vulnerable to acquire it. It is here where the political parties should diverge. Historically, it has been assumed that the Democratic Party represents the working class while celebrating the middle class as the aspirational goal for that working class. The assumption being that the rich are more than capable of looking after themselves, while meeting their responsibilities to the society that has delivered their wealth. Oh, if only so.

Somewhere along the way, the Democratic Party abandoned the working class, opting instead to focus on the middle class, with the rich becoming the new aspirational goal. This has left the working class with a minimum wage of $7.25, which has been in place since 24th July 2009. In an Economic Policy Institute piece updated on May 15th this year, they note:

A rising tide should lift all boats. When the economy expands, everybody should reap the rewards. This outcome can either be guaranteed by smart and compassionate policy choices or subverted by policymakers choosing a different path. EPI’s Productivity-Pay Tracker shows a shift toward the latter: Since the late 1970s, our policy choices have led directly to a pronounced divergence between productivity and typical workers’ pay. But it didn’t have to be this way. A large majority of U.S. working families could have had significantly higher incomes today if policymakers had made different choices.

It is better when visualised in the chart below

I don’t want to get too deep into the weeds, as this will become a very long piece, but the point I am trying to make is that both parties have failed the working class for decades, as they have aided and abetted the growth of the wealth gap. The key takeaway is that the working class were cut adrift by the Democratic Party, which went in pursuit of the middle class. If you don’t believe me, listen to every Kamala Harris stump speech in the 2024 campaign; it’s dominated by references to the middle class, with little to no reference to the working class.

These were the very people screaming at Democrats, saying we aren’t feeling the benefit of the economy you are telling us is booming, because we can’t afford to put food on the table. Nobody was listening, except a convicted criminal in a red hat who was telling them, “Elect me and I’ll bring grocery prices down on day one.” Democrats knew he was lying, but when you feel like you’ve been abandoned and you can’t feed your kids, desperation kicks in. I believe it was this block of votes that caused significantly contributed to the loss in November.

To add insult to injury, Democrats then told those voters, “You deserve what you get now because you were stupid enough to vote for Trump.” For some reason, they then don’t understand why their polling favorability numbers are in the toilet. Denial of the truth is not a strategy; it’s a recipe for continued failure. As of September 2024, 186.5 million Americans were registered to vote, and just 47% have declared a party affiliation. The majority of voters now consider themselves independents. As a result, more Americans identify as independents (40%) than as Democrats (29%) or Republicans (30%).

I can guarantee you that Democratic strategists are crunching the numbers and rubbing their hands with glee, anticipating a significant return of the Hispanic vote and a reactivation of minority communities to the Democratic fold. There will be an assumption that, as the economy deteriorates, this will also see the return of low-income voters who switched to Trump in 2024. It goes back to my assessment that any victory will be attributed to Trump's failure, rather than the Democrats' vision. This assumes, of course, that elections will indeed take place again.

I believe that if Trump has not made it impossible for free and fair elections to take place in 2028, Democrats will have a historic opportunity to change America for the better. A real chance for change. My concern is that I lack confidence in their ability to have a clear vision, and the economy will be so severely damaged that it will be challenging to implement the change needed.

Just as the nation must speak out about what Trump is doing, Democratic activists and voters need to be telling the Democratic Party that this is no time for the same old same old strategies. This is a time for a bold vision that delivers hope for the millions now left behind without hope. For the return of ethical foreign policy and a shared vision of the future, working with US allies to stand up against thugs and those who would threaten the stability of the international rule of law. Just as the government can only operate with the consent of the people, the Democratic Party can only function with donations from its supporters. If they can manage without supporter donations, then you have your proof that dark money is running the party.

Let me be clear, I’m not here to beat up on the Democratic Party. Like it or not, they are the only game in town. They stand between tyranny and a better tomorrow. The aim here is to say that this is the moment to tell the party what the grassroots expect, and not to settle for a pat on the head and a ‘We know best” answer. On the upside, Democrats have some exceptionally talented legislators who do support a bold vision moving forward. Still, the big problem is that they are being held back by establishment Democrats who have fed from the gravy train for far too long and are just offering a self-preservation agenda. That, for me, is a significant problem that needs to be addressed immediately.

There is nothing wrong with incumbent legislators having to pitch their vision for the next Congress and to make the commitments required to prevent a primary challenge. I would even support a forum in which prospective primary challengers can pitch their vision, too. It’s time to run ‘People First Democrats. ’ Nobody should get a free ride. This is about the future of America, not the preservation of the failed status quo.

Be in no doubt, Trump will fail, because nothing about his agenda has the economic legs to succeed. I believe, ironically, it will be his signature mass deportation policies that will be his undoing, because the financial cost will drag the economy to its knees. Tariffs will soon begin to have a tangible impact on everyday Americans as inflation rises and the prices of consumer goods increase. Global trading partners are already rewiring global trading routes to exclude the US. The US is slowly bleeding out on the global economic stage.

The dollar is losing value at an alarming rate, but I suspect this is a deliberate attempt by Trump and his cabal to pressure the Fed into lowering interest rates, given the $9.3 trillion of debt the US will be forced to renegotiate this year. Trump is rolling the dice on multiple fronts, looking for an economic win. I’m here to tell you that there isn’t one to be had. Today, in a piece in the Telegraph by Melissa Lawford, US Economics correspondent, which you can read with my compliments free of the paywall. She writes:

America’s economy is facing the highest chance of recession since the depths of the Covid crisis as Donald Trump’s tariffs blitz hammers households.

The probability that the US economy falls into recession over the next 12 months has soared to 47.6pc from 33.2pc in March, according to Moody’s Analytics.

This is the highest reading since April 2020, when the US economy was wracked by the pandemic and shrunk by nearly a fifth.

It’s a point I have made repeatedly: the US is a consumer-driven economy. Consumer sentiment is the whole ball game, and Trump’s TACO agenda is the most significant unforced economic error in modern US history—a mistake for which everyday Americans will pay a hefty price.

The report goes on:

Moody’s calculation is based on a machine-learning algorithm that assesses existing economic data and lead indicators such as unemployment insurance claims, new building permits and Treasury yields – a model that correctly predicted the last nine recessions with several months’ lead time.

In my view, the writing is on the wall, and broader global resistance to Trump’s continued extortion attempts reasserts a sense of inevitability for me.

There has never been a better time for Democrats to present voters with a bold vision for hope based on rescuing America from economic and social tyranny. But all I see are begging emails saying ‘Give us your money and then we’ll come up with a plan”. It costs zero dollars to formulate a proposition for your supporters to share your vision and get behind it. Excuse me if my faith batteries are running low at this moment. I think it’s time for a ‘People First Democratic’ revolution.

You can find part one and part two of this three-part series of posts by clicking on the provided links

This footnote will appear on each of my posts moving forward, to encourage those who can afford it to consider becoming paid subscribers.

THIS IS NOT A GUILT TRIP for those who can’t afford it. My content will ALWAYS remain free regardless of your ability to contribute. Your support and engagement with my work are just as important, so please feel no pressure because there is none.

This campaign moving forward requires mission-critical visual messaging, such as my short film about Peter Thiel and those in the shadows who are running the show. These are expensive to create and can only be produced with the help of funding derived from paid subscribers.

My hope is that you will view this as an opportunity to become a stakeholder in what I do, helping to keep people informed at this critical point in history, because truth does matter.