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Second Gilded Age

The anti-union-right wingers have capitalized on how to vilify any one who stands in their way to get richer and gain more power. In the 1980s, Ronald Reagan succeeded in making liberals feel ashamed of the word “liberal” and fearful of being associated with socialism. When that worked so well, the GOP started vilifying the word “union” in as many ways as unions drive up the costs of construction, that unions are just corporations and all union leaders’ want is your money in the form of dues. This effort worked so well they convinced unsuspecting workers to vote against their own best interests. Today, the workers are starting to see through all the rhetoric of the anti-working establishment. The teachers have started a new trend by winning higher wages and other benefits. Now, there are others feeling like they can win higher wages, such as $15 to $24 an hour. This will, in turn, be a good thing for elections turn outs to put the right people in office who will support workers, workers rights and needs. Just because a candidate has a “D” by their name doesn’t mean they support workers. Workers fought and won in 1920s so called the Gilded Age when all was stacked against workers and I believe that the workers of the 1900s to 2000s will win in the fight of this second Gilded Age. The progressive agenda must rise to the challenge to update and own liberalism by supporting the traditional negative rights represented in the first ten amendments of the Constitution with a set of positive rights. We will argue that without a living wage, adequate housing, effective healthcare and basic education. The traditional negative rights have no real substance so the question is, “Are you for the workers who want a better life and support the 5Gs: good health, good jobs, good schools, good families and good neighborhoods?” If so, vote and vote smart, and do not listen to what some of the talking heads who are paid by think tanks or radio station or television station owned by a corporation, such as Sinclair, that is anti-union and anti-workers.

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