[rad-green] A Biden-Trump Election Is a Win-Win for Wall Street and a Loss for Our Democracy

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*https://www.commondreams.org/views/2020/03/18/biden-trump-election-win-win=
-wall-street-and-loss-our-democracy
<https://www.commondreams.org/views/2020/03/18/biden-trump-election-win-win=
-wall-street-and-loss-our-democracy>Common
Dreams          March 18, 2020A Biden-Trump Election Is a Win-Win for Wall
Street and a Loss for Our Democracy*


*So what can be done at this point?by Kenneth Peres*

[image: Former Vice President Joe Biden greets guests during a campaign
stop at the RiverCenter on October 16, 2019 in Davenport, Iowa. (Photo:
Scott Olson/Getty Images)]

*Former Vice President Joe Biden greets guests during a campaign stop at
the RiverCenter on October 16, 2019 in Davenport, Iowa. (Photo: Scott
Olson/Getty Images)*

It is clear now that Biden will be the Democratic nominee for president in
2020 barring unforeseen circumstances. And the differences between Biden
and Trump will be played up by both sides. And, yes, there are many
differences between Biden and Trump especially in terms of social and
cultural issues, judicial nominations, the administration of executive
departments and agencies, and taxes and regulations. There will also be
significant differences in temperament, rhetoric, tone and consistency.
However, throughout the coming campaign there will not be much discussion
by the candidates or the media about a key issue: Power. And this is a big
omission because in our society power is concentrated in the hands of the
few thousand corporate executives and billionaires who inhabit Wall Street
to the detriment of the many millions of workers and small businesspeople
who inhabit Main Street. In the following analysis I will examine the
coming general election and its aftermath in terms of its impact on the
existing power structure of the U.S. political economy. Specifically, I
will focus on the crisis of our democracy; Wall Street=E2=80=99s view of the
Biden-Trump contest as a win-win for Wall Street (and its unified
opposition to Sanders); what to expect from a Biden or a Trump presidency;
and what can be done by progressives to continue the struggle for justice
and democracy.
The Crisis of Democracy and the Reality of Plutocracy

The political discourse in the 2020 presidential campaign is replete with
crises. The latest and immediately most serious is the Coronavirus crisis.
But there are many other crises that have gotten some attention including
health care, prescription drugs, the middle east, income inequality and
taxation =E2=80=93 while the climate crisis as well as the possibility of a=
 nuclear
catastrophe have not gotten the attention, they deserve even though they
threaten our very existence.  But there is another crisis that is never
really mentioned at all =E2=80=93 the crisis of our democracy. The reality =
is that
our democracy is succumbing to an overwhelming tide of plutocracy =E2=80=93=
 the
rule of the wealthy, the corporate-Wall Street-billionaire elite.
Unfortunately, Biden and Trump actually represent and are tied to the
interests of the plutocrats. Only Sanders has proposed an all-out assault
that would limit the power of Wall Street and expand the power of Main
Street. In a very real sense, the primary and general elections represent
not just a choice between candidates but a choice between reclaiming our
democracy or reinforcing the plutocracy.

We usually think of democracy in terms of voting. If the adult citizens of
a country can vote for a number of candidates, then we call it a
democracy.  Voting is important both in terms of who qualifies to vote and
who is allowed to vote. And there is much discussion during this election
season about who exactly is qualified to vote and whether they are even
allowed to vote. However, voting is a necessary but not sufficient
condition for a democracy. The other key ingredient to a democracy can be
summed up in one word: Power. Who has it and who doesn=E2=80=99t have it? W=
ho sets
the rules for the functioning of the political-economic system? Who makes
the underlying decisions that determine not only the policies of a nation,
but also which groups obtain the benefits and which groups suffer the
losses? Unfortunately, in relation to the bottom-line issue of power =E2=80=
=93 the
U.S. is not really a democracy; it is a plutocracy =E2=80=93 the rule of the
wealthy. That is not just my opinion. A Princeton University study
<https://scholar.princeton.edu/sites/default/files/mgilens/files/gilens_and=
_page_2014_-testing_theories_of_american_politics.doc.pdf>
that
examined 20 years-worth of data (1981-2002) concluded, =E2=80=9CThe central=
 point
that emerges from our research is that economic elites and organized groups
representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on
U.S. government policy, while mass-based interest groups and average
citizens have little or no independent influence.=E2=80=9D

I have previously analyzed the process through which corporations and
billionaires dominate our political economy through a system of legalized
corruption in which they basically purchase the allegiance of politicians
by investing billions of dollars in campaign contributions; obtain
favorable legislation by spending billions more in lobbying; and ensure
that the legislation is supported by pro-corporate judges who have been
appointed by those same politicians (see here
<https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/10/15/legalized-political-corrupti=
on-so-much-bigger-trump-journey-7-charts>
, here
<https://www.commondreams.org/views/2017/06/16/wrong-way-economics-trumps-r=
oadmap-corporate-domination>
 and here
<https://www.commondreams.org/views/2017/06/05/roadmap-destruction-trump-ca=
canomics-and-rhetoric-national-capitalism>).
Both Biden and Trump are products of and continue to rely on this system of
legalized corruption that institutionalizes a plutocracy as opposed to a
real democracy.
A Biden-Trump Election is a Win-Win for Wall Street

On the Republican side, the plutocrats are comfortable with Trump. The
problem was the Democratic side of the ledger.  The plutocrats did not like
Warren, but they hated Sanders. Their goal was to defeat Sanders at any
cost and to select a Democratic candidate on which they could depend.
Buttigieg
<https://www.commondreams.org/views/2020/02/17/buttigieg-wall-street-democr=
at-beholden-corporate-interests>
rose
and then fell. Bloomberg
<https://www.commondreams.org/views/2020/03/01/here-are-10000-words-detaili=
ng-why-bloomberg-embodies-everything-wrong-us>
spent
a lot of money, rose and then fell. Biden
<https://www.commondreams.org/views/2020/02/23/joe-biden-serves-wall-street=
-not-main-street>
was
really their last chance. A Biden-Trump election was the plutocrats=E2=80=
=99 dream
scenario.

Biden Is A Product and Supporter of the Plutocracy. Biden has been and
continues to be a willing participant in the system of legalized
corruption. He has always relied on donations from Wall Street and the
billionaire donor class and he has returned the favor by supporting
policies that aide Wall Street to the detriment of Main Street. (See this
article for a detailed analysis of Biden
<https://www.commondreams.org/views/2020/02/23/joe-biden-serves-wall-street=
-not-main-street>
and
his relationship to Wall Street and billionaires).

   - Biden Relies on Wall Street and Billionaires. Wall Street has always
   supported Biden. According to the Center for Responsive Politics
   <https://www.opensecrets.org/> the entire finance capital sector
   (Finance, Insurance and Real Estate) has been the largest business sector
   contributor to Biden=E2=80=99s various senatorial and his 1988 and 2008
   presidential campaigns.  Between 1990-2007, this sector invested $6.87
   million in Biden. And that support has continued for his 2020 presidenti=
al
   campaign. The finance capital sector=E2=80=99s investment in Biden is ju=
st behind
   its investment in Trump and much greater than its investment in any other
   Democratic candidate. In terms of small donors, Biden has raised $25.3
   million or 37% of total funding from small donors =E2=80=93 much less th=
an Sanders.

According to the Center on Responsive Politics
<https://www.opensecrets.org/2020-presidential-race/sector-totals?sector=3D=
F>,
the Financial Sector as a whole (Finance, Insurance and Real Estate) has
invested $47.2 million in the 2020 presidential election so far. Of this
total, $10.3 million or 22% has gone to Trump; $10.1 million or 21% has
gone to Biden and just $2.8 million or 6% has gone to Sanders. And it is
clear that Biden is due for a massive increase in funding
<https://deadline.com/2020/03/joe-biden-super-tuesday-hollywood-fundraiser-=
sherry-lansing-1202874312/>
following
Super Tuesday. These figures are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg and
will soon explode; after all, the Financial Sector invested $338 million in
the 2016 presidential election.

Biden also relies on billionaires. According to an updated Forbes article
<https://www.forbes.com/sites/michelatindera/2020/03/02/biden-no-longer-com=
peting-with-buttigieg-now-has-most-billionaire-donors-by-far/#7a5c9cc36e83>
as
of January 2020, sixty-six billionaires have given to Biden=E2=80=99s campa=
ign.
Most of these billionaires are from the financial capital sector. Also,
expect Biden to pick up the backing of the 94 billionaires who previously
supported Buttigieg and Klobuchar =E2=80=93 the two candidates who suspende=
d their
campaigns and endorsed Biden immediately before Super Tuesday. In addition,
there is a Super Pac that supports Biden called =E2=80=9CUnite the Country.=
=E2=80=9D Super
PACs can legally spend unlimited amounts of money and can buy ads to
support or oppose particular candidates. They are not supposed to be
controlled by or tied directly to campaigns. According to the Center for
Responsive Politics, Unite the Country spent $8.9 million as of March 5,
2020. The finance/insurance/real estate sector accounted for $5 million or
56% of the total raised by this PAC. All these figures will increase
substantially in the near future

   - While Biden speaks of change =E2=80=93 He literally promised Wall Stre=
et and
   billionaire donors that =E2=80=9Cnothing will fundamentally change=E2=80=
=A6 if I win this
   nomination, I won=E2=80=99t let you down. I promise you.=E2=80=9D In his=
 first campaign
   speech
   <https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/us/joe-biden-pledges-to-rebuild-m=
iddle-class-america-1.3875585>
delivered
   to a largely union crowd in Pittsburgh, Biden stated =E2=80=9CLet me say=
 this
   simply and clearly, and I mean this: The country wasn=E2=80=99t built by=
 Wall
   Street bankers, CEOs and hedge fund managers. It was built by you. It was
   built by the great American middle class.=E2=80=9D In an interview
   <http://www.nbcnews.com/id/35204056/ns/msnbc-andrea_mitchell_reports/t/b=
iden-its-high-time-we-help-main-street/#.XlFxBRNKj64>,
   Biden stated, =E2=80=9CIt=E2=80=99s high time we helped Main Street.=E2=
=80=9D His website is full
   of plans to increase taxes on the wealthy, enhance Social Security, expa=
nd
   government social services and get tough on Wall Street.

All these statements and plans sound very progressive.  But based on past
policies and current statements, it is apparent that Wall Street does not
have to worry much about Biden actually delivering on his anti-Wall Street
rhetoric. As detailed in a previous article
<https://www.commondreams.org/views/2020/02/23/joe-biden-serves-wall-street=
-not-main-street>,
Biden has supported and often led the fight for legislation that further
consolidated the financial industry, eliminated laws that had curbed Wall
Street=E2=80=99s penchant for excessive speculation, and increased protecti=
ons for
banks while eroding protections for consumers. And he supported trade deals
that benefitted Wall Street and other big corporations while eliminating 4
million U.S. jobs primarily held by union manufacturing workers.
Conversely, he is culpable for the failure to pass legislation that would
have helped strengthen unions and protect the rights of consumers.

And Biden even admitted all of this when he gave a wink and a nod to Wall
Street and the billionaires at an elite fundraiser in NY City last year. Bi=
den
stated
<https://www.huffpost.com/entry/joe-biden-wont-demonize-the-rich_n_5d09ac63=
e4b0f7b74428e4c6>
=E2=80=9CThe
truth of the matter is, you all, you all know, you all know in your gut
what has to be done. We can disagree in the margins, but the truth of the
matter is it=E2=80=99s all within our wheelhouse and nobody has to be punis=
hed. No
one=E2=80=99s standard of living will change, nothing would fundamentally c=
hange=E2=80=A6I
need you very badly. I hope if I win this nomination, I won=E2=80=99t let y=
ou down.
I promise you.=E2=80=9D

Biden=E2=80=99s Plans for Voting Rights and Economic Democracy are Vague, L=
imited
and Lack Credibility.  Unlike other candidates, Biden has not proposed any
specific plan to enhance voting rights. His approach to expanding the power
of workers is weak when compared to Sanders. And his strategy to implement
his program depends on Republicans. Biden=E2=80=99s plans and strategy are =
not
reassuring for those who care about limiting the plutocracy and expanding
democracy.

   - Vague pronouncements about voting rights. Biden=E2=80=99s website cont=
ains
   many plans. However, there is one striking omission =E2=80=93 restoring =
and
   expanding voting rights.  Biden=E2=80=99s website includes only the foll=
owing vague
   statement about voting rights, =E2=80=9CWe must strengthen our democracy=
 by
   guaranteeing that every American=E2=80=99s vote is protected. We=E2=80=
=99ve got to make it
   easier =E2=80=94 not harder =E2=80=94 for Americans to exercise their ri=
ght to vote,
   regardless of their zip code or the color of their skin, and make sure we
   count every voter=E2=80=99s voice equally.=E2=80=9D In another section, =
Biden promises to
   =E2=80=9Cto empower the Department of Justice
   <https://joebiden.com/governmentreform/> to enforce voting laws and rest=
ore
   the Voting Rights Act <https://joebiden.com/AmericanLeadership/>. Adam
   Eichen, in an article in Jacobin Magazine
   <https://www.jacobinmag.com/2020/03/joe-biden-voting-rights-2020-electio=
n>,
   puts all this into context: =E2=80=9CIn a political climate plagued by v=
oter
   suppression and extreme partisan gerrymandering
   <https://www.jacobinmag.com/2019/09/why-the-right-hates-voting-rights>,
   it is imperative that every Democratic presidential candidate pledge to
   pursue policies that strengthen our democracy. If the past decade has
   revealed anything, combatting right-wing politics requires fair elections
   and diverse voter turnout. Many Democrats have risen to the challenge.
   Almost all of the remaining major candidates have released comprehensive
   democracy platforms. Their plans, though varying in strength, include
   concrete policies to end gerrymandering and empower voters. Joe Biden,
   however, stands alone. Though he has provided a detailed campaign
   finance reform plan <https://joebiden.com/governmentreform/> =E2=80=94 w=
hich,
   encouragingly, includes public financing of elections =E2=80=94 his webs=
ite is
   scandalously vague on the topic of the franchise.=E2=80=9D This lack of =
specificity
   calls into question a promise that Biden made in a December 2019 op ed =
=E2=80=9Cif
   I am elected president, I will make voter protection a foundation of my
   administration.=E2=80=9D
   - Limited proposals for economic democracy and lack of credibility. Like
   most of the other Democratic candidates, Biden has presented a plan to
   expand the ability of workers to join unions if they so desire. His
   website <https://joebiden.com/empowerworkers/> includes plans that other
   candidates supported such as allowing workers to join a union if a major=
ity
   sign cards authorizing the union to represent them; banning state
   Taft-Hartley laws that prohibit unions from collecting dues or comparable
   payments from all workers who benefit from union representation that uni=
ons
   are legally obligated to provide; and ensuring that federal dollars do n=
ot
   flow to employers who engage in union-busting activities, participate in
   wage theft, or violate labor law.  These would be important achievements.
   However, there are two problems. First, Biden=E2=80=99s view of expandin=
g the
   rights of workers is very limited relative to Sanders proposals. Sanders
   proposes a significant expansion of the rights of =E2=80=9Cat will=E2=80=
=9D employees by
   only allowing employers to fire them for =E2=80=9Cjust cause=E2=80=9D i.=
e., their work
   performance, as opposed to almost any other reason as currently allowed.
   Also, Sanders includes provisions to require corporations to include wor=
ker
   elected members of the board.  These proposals would establish a more
   balanced power dynamic within corporations. Second, he lacks credibility=
 in
   any effort to expand workers=E2=80=99 power because he is culpable in th=
e failure
   of the Obama administration to pass the Employee Free Choice Act
   <https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2009/07/-card-check-is-as-=
good-as-dead-binding-arbitration-lives/21513/>
in
   2009 which included a number of Biden=E2=80=99s current campaign proposa=
ls and the
   failure to pass Labor Law Reform
   <https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/may/02/joe-biden-is-no-f=
riend-of-unions>
in
   1978
   - Biden says that he will depend on a Republican =E2=80=9Cepiphany=E2=80=
=9D to get his
   program passed. At a fund raiser in November, Biden stated
   <https://www.foxnews.com/media/joe-biden-republicans-epiphany-trump>,
   =E2=80=9CWith Donald Trump out of the way, you=E2=80=99re going to see a=
 number of my
   Republican colleagues have an epiphany. Mark my words. Mark my words=E2=
=80=A6 It=E2=80=99s
   going to take two things: One is somebody who in fact, knows how to reach
   across the aisle and get things done=E2=80=A6" This is almost identical =
to
   statements made by President Obama
   <https://www.politico.com/blogs/politico44/2012/06/obama-republican-feve=
r-will-break-after-the-election-125059>
during
   his 2012 reelection campaign, "I believe that If we're successful in this
   election, when we're successful in this election, that the [Republican
   right wing obstructionist] fever may break, because there's a tradition =
in
   the Republican Party of more common sense than that. My hope, my
   expectation, is that after the election, now that it turns out that the
   goal of beating Obama doesn't make much sense because I'm not running
   again, that we can start getting some cooperation again." Well, the
   Republicans =E2=80=9Cfever=E2=80=9D did not break in 2012 as predicted b=
y Obama and
   Republicans won=E2=80=99t experience an =E2=80=9Cepiphany=E2=80=9D in 20=
20 as predicted by Biden.

Biden Was the Final Choice of the =E2=80=9CNever Bernie=E2=80=9D Plutocrats=
. The plutocrats
(Wall Street, corporate executives and the very wealthy) along with their
media and political allies wanted to defeat Sanders at all costs because he
not only provides a striking contrast to the corporate-supported Biden and
Trump but also a living, breathing alternative to the plutocracy.

   - Sanders did not play Wall Street=E2=80=99s donor game. We all know how=
 the
   =E2=80=9Cpolitics-as-usual game in played =E2=80=93 politicians rely on =
Wall Street and
   billionaire donors to finance their campaigns and, in return, Wall Street
   and billionaire donors expect those same politicians to pass their speci=
al
   interest legislation. Sanders has raised $134.1 million in total donatio=
ns.
   Small donors (those who give less than $200) form the backbone of Sander=
s=E2=80=99
   fundraising accounting for $74 million or 56% of all donations. Wall Str=
eet
   has provided just 2% of Sanders total funding. Not one billionaire has
   donated to Sanders campaign.
   - Proven Track Record. The plutocrats know that Sanders would follow
   through on his promises to limit their power and expand the power of
   workers. Rolling Stone
   <https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/taibbi-bernie-s=
anders-banks-732633/>
published
   an article by Mike Taibbi examining Sanders decades long fight against W=
all
   Street. Sanders has also proposed significant increases in the regulatory
   protections of workers, consumers, clean air and water and to make
   polluters pay the costs of the pollution they cause. And Sanders has a l=
ong
   history of attempting to expand the rights of voters, minorities, LGBTQ,
   and workers. Oh, and don=E2=80=99t forget the trillions of dollars of ta=
x increases
   on Wall Street, corporations and billionaires that he has proposed to fu=
nd
   the Green New Deal; free public pre-school through college education;
   universal health care and much more.
   - Mass Mobilization. Most troubling of all was that Sanders promised to
   get his program enacted through the mass mobilization of millions of
   workers. This is the last thing that the plutocrats would like to see =
=E2=80=93 an
   educated, mobilized and activated citizenry focused on ending the
   privileges of the plutocracy
   - Biden was the Final Choice of the Democratic Primary Voters. The
   driving question in the Democratic primaries appears to have been =E2=80=
=9CWho can
   win =E2=80=93 Who can beat Trump.=E2=80=9D For almost all Democrats =E2=
=80=93 and an untold
   percentage of independents =E2=80=93 both Biden and Sanders would be bet=
ter than
   Trump. It is debatable which of the two is stronger or weaker against
   Trump. Each has strengths and weaknesses. And don=E2=80=99t believe the =
so-called
   pragmatists and pundits when they talk about electability =E2=80=93 they=
 got it all
   wrong in 2016 with Trump vs Clinton in the general election and Trump vs
   all the Republican primary candidates; they got it wrong in 2008 with
   Clinton vs Obama in the primaries; they got it wrong in 2004 with Kerry =
vs
   Bush; and they got it wrong in 2000 with Gore vs Bush. The pundits and
   media have determined that Biden is the most electable candidate =E2=80=
=93 partly
   based on their analyses and partly on their position as part of the
   corporate media. The =E2=80=9Cestablishment=E2=80=9D consolidated their =
forces and
   undertook a well-coordinated and all-out offensive against Sanders.
   Obviously, they were victorious as the majority of the Democratic
   electorate since Super Tuesday determined that Biden had the best chance=
 to
   beat Trump. This judgment may or may not pan out in the general election.
   Indeed, an article in The Intercept
   <https://theintercept.com/2020/03/11/joe-biden-democratic-primary-voters=
-nomination/>
is
   entitled, =E2=80=9CDemocratic Voters Played Pundit in Picking Joe Biden.=
 History
   Suggests They Are Bad at That Game.=E2=80=9D

In sum, Biden checked all the boxes for Wall Street and the billionaires:
he relied on their donations; he proved his loyalty by supporting and
championing pro-Wall Street policies over a number of decades; he promised
that he would remain loyal as president and not really implement any
significant limits on Wall Street or expansions of power to workers and
progressives; and he was the alternative to Sanders.  The consensus among
the plutocrats: Biden is their man.

Trump Also is a Product and Supporter of the Plutocracy. It is obvious why =
Wall
Street supports Trump
<https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/12/2/20970521/trump-administr=
ation-achievements>
as
do many billionaires

   - He has delivered trillions of dollars to Wall Street and the
   billionaires in the form of massive tax cuts and subsidies; eliminated a=
nd
   eroded regulations on Wall Street as well as the regulations covering ma=
ny
   of its corporate clients such as the oil and gas sector; weakened labor
   unions; packed the courts with pro-business judges; privatized public
   assets; eroded social safety net programs; and is attempting to cut Soci=
al
   Security and Medicare. Trump=E2=80=99s embrace of the Corporate (and Wal=
l Street)
   agenda was detailed in a previous article (Wrong Way Economics: Trump's
   Roadmap for Corporate Domination
   <https://www.commondreams.org/views/2017/06/16/wrong-way-economics-trump=
s-roadmap-corporate-domination>
   )
   - Trump uses the rhetoric of the insurgent but implements the policies
   of the corporate establishment. Trump uses the language of the insurgent
   to attack the elites that he says are out to get him. He promises to =E2=
=80=9Cdrain
   the swamp,=E2=80=9D attacks the mainstream media a =E2=80=9Ctrue enemy o=
f the people,=E2=80=9D and
   targets a growing number of institutions including the government=E2=80=
=99s
   intelligence agencies, the media, foreign allies, the Department of
   Justice, establishment politicians, scientists and the Congressional Bud=
get
   Office. But, irrespective of and often in direct contradiction to his
   rhetoric, Trump=E2=80=99s bottom-line policies overwhelmingly benefit the
   plutocrats =E2=80=93 his billionaire and corporate executive comrades.  =
There have
   been some hiccups such as the tariff wars. But all in all, Wall Street
   seems very pleased with Trump
   - Wall Street and the billionaire elite have expressed their pleasure by
   showering Trump with money, lots of money. For example, in June 2019, Tr=
ump
   raised $25 million in just 24 hours
   <https://www.thedailybeast.com/wealthy-donors-boost-huge-fundraising-hau=
l-for-trump-campaign-and-rnc>
in
   Florida including $6 million from online donors; $8 million through
   phone-banking, and, $10.8 million, the largest chunk, from high-dollar
   Republican National Committee donors. Trump Victory, a joint fundraising
   committee for the Trump campaign and the RNC, announced that
individual donors
   can now give up to $580,600 each to support Trump=E2=80=99s
   <https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/01/15/wealthy-donors-now-a=
llowed-give-over-half-million-dollars-each-support-trumps-re-election/>
reelection.
   Sheldon Adelson, a billionaire who made his initial fortune owning casin=
os,
   has pledged to spend $100 million to reelect Trump.  And there are a num=
ber
   of PACs
   <https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/president-donald-trumps-big-money-suppo=
rters/story?id=3D63162927>
created
   to funnel money from rich people to Trump=E2=80=99s campaign. According =
to
   calculations based on data from the Center for Responsive Politics
   <https://www.opensecrets.org/2020-presidential-race>, Trump has raised
   $111 million or 51% of his total from small donors and $34 million from =
Big
   Business. Trump leads all candidates in the amount of money raised from
   business, Wall Street and small donors. That is quite a feat. In terms of
   money, Trump will be a formidable candidate.

Wall Street sees a Biden-Trump Election as a Win-Win. Wall Street and the
billionaire class are all in for Biden. For example, the stock market was
in freefall because of the spread of the coronavirus. From February 19th
through February 28, the S&P 500 fell almost 432 points or 12.8%. It
recovered a bit on March 2nd but fell again on March 3rd.  But on March
4th, the market posted a strong gain of almost 127 points or 4.2%. This
miraculous recovery =E2=80=93 an event that actually stopped a significant =
decline
in the stock market at least temporarily =E2=80=93 was none other than the =
result
of the Super Tuesday Democratic Party primaries. The stock market was
elevated because the political life of Joe Biden (a tried and true Wall
Street ally) was resurrected, and the Sanders juggernaut was blunted.  A NY
Times headline
<https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/04/business/stock-markets-today.html> read,
=E2=80=9CStocks Surge as Biden Leads Super Tuesday Results: Health care sto=
cks led
the gains, as investors reacted to the latest Democratic primary results.=
=E2=80=9D
The article quoted one Wall Street insider, =E2=80=9CCompared with Mr. Sand=
ers, Mr.
Biden=E2=80=99s =E2=80=98proposed tax rises are relatively modest, he suppo=
rts light touch
regulation and he would pursue a much softer line on tariffs,=E2=80=99 Mich=
ael
Pearce, an economist at Capital Economics wrote to clients. =E2=80=98The pr=
ospect
of a Biden-Trump showdown would be a clear positive for the markets, and
probably a small plus for the economy too=E2=80=99 (bold added).=E2=80=9D N=
ote that the
emphasis was on the Wall Street market, with a possibility that the general
economy (and thus everyone else) might benefit by a little, but maybe not.
The Victory of the Plutocrats=E2=80=94What to Expect From the Next President

Wall Street, the corporate elite and the billionaire donors got their dream
contest=E2=80=94Biden vs Trump=E2=80=94an election in which they win no mat=
ter which
candidate is elected. The question now is what to expect from a re-elected
Trump or a newly elected Biden.

What to Expect if Trump is Re-elected. The re-election of Trump would be a
victory not only for the plutocrats but also open the possibility of an
autocracy

   - Corporate Agenda. Trump will continue to implement what I call
the =E2=80=9Ccorporate
   agenda
   <https://www.commondreams.org/views/2017/06/16/wrong-way-economics-trump=
s-roadmap-corporate-domination>=E2=80=9D
   of increasing the profits, wealth and income flowing to big corporations
   and the billionaire donors by decreasing their taxes; increasing the
   de-regulation of laws and rules that protect the public (air, water, foo=
d,
   drugs, labor, etc.); cutting Social Security, Medicare and social progra=
ms
   in general; privatizing and corporatizing our public assets such as land
   and public services such as education
   - Rhetoric of National Capitalism. Trump will implement the corporate
   agenda in a way that further divides the nation by using what I
call the rhetoric
   of national capitalism
   <https://www.commondreams.org/views/2017/06/05/roadmap-destruction-trump=
-cacanomics-and-rhetoric-national-capitalism>.
   Trump expertly pits =E2=80=9Cus=E2=80=9D (white, American born, heterose=
xual, Christian)
   against the =E2=80=9Cother=E2=80=9D (everyone else) by instilling fear a=
nd hate
   - Legalized Corruption. Through this system, Wall Street, the corporate
   elite and the billionaire class purchase the allegiance of politicians by
   investing billions of dollars in campaign contributions; obtain favorable
   legislation by spending billions more in lobbying; and ensure that the
   legislation is supported by pro-corporate judges who have been appointed=
 by
   those same politicians. (See the following article for a detailed
   explanation of our system of legalized corruption
   <https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/10/15/legalized-political-corru=
ption-so-much-bigger-trump-journey-7-charts>
   )
   - The Movement towards Autocracy. There are many articles examining how
   Trump is paving the way to an autocracy =E2=80=93 examples include his e=
xpansion
   of the president=E2=80=99s power
   <https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/06/the-strangest-thin=
g-about-trumps-approach-to-presidential-power/562271/>,
   subversion of the system=E2=80=99s checks and balances
   <https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/02/checks-and-balances-t=
rump-has-swept-away/606013/>,
   initiation of a war on government
   <https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/the-trump-administrations=
-war-on-the-government-is-an-autocratic-attempt>,
   application of official power to further his own interests
   <https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/oct/17/trump-autocrat-co=
ngress-judiciary-democracy>,
   and even his embrace and admiration of autocrats around the world
   <https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/07/01/we-get-it-mr-preside=
nt-youre-into-autocracy/>
   .

What to Expect if Biden is Elected. Yes, Biden would be a significant
improvement over Trump - especially if the Democrats actually win the
Senate and keep the House. And stating the obvious, Biden will also be much
more sensitive to pressure from progressives than Trump.

   - Light Touch Regulation and Mild Tax Increases on the wealthy. In the
   words of the previously quoted Wall Street insider, =E2=80=9CCompared wi=
th Mr.
   Sanders, Mr. Biden=E2=80=99s =E2=80=98proposed tax rises are relatively =
modest, he supports
   light touch regulation and he would pursue a much softer line on tariffs=
.=E2=80=9D
   - Biden will not =E2=80=93 and never has =E2=80=93 challenged the power =
of Wall Street
   and the billionaire donor class. The previous quote of Biden at a
   fundraiser tells us all we need to know, =E2=80=9CWe can disagree in the=
 margins,
   but the truth of the matter is it=E2=80=99s all within our wheelhouse an=
d nobody
   has to be punished. No one=E2=80=99s standard of living will change, not=
hing would
   fundamentally change=E2=80=A6I need you very badly. I hope if I win this
   nomination, I won=E2=80=99t let you down. I promise you.=E2=80=9D
   - Biden will appoint members of the Wall Street elite to powerful
   positions in his administration. Senator Warren famously used the
   phrase, =E2=80=9Cpersonnel is policy=E2=80=9D to show how a policy can b=
e supported or
   subverted by staff and officials. Thus, the choice of staff and nominees
   for important positions are critical for an executive to implement his/h=
er
   policies. If you want a progressive policy, then appoint progressives. If
   you want a conservative policy, the appoint conservatives. If you want a
   pro-Wall Street policy than appoint Wall Street insiders. Biden=E2=80=99=
s close
   economic advisors
   <https://prospect.org/power/writing-2020-candidates-policies/> include,
   Eric Mindich, a former Goldman Sachs partner, Peter Scher of JP Morgan, =
Don
   Graves of KeyBank and Larry Summers, the former Treasury Secretary who is
   infamous for spearheading some of the major financial deregulation
   <https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/12/larry-summers-rec=
ord-discar-fed-chairmanship>
initiatives
   of the Clinton administration.  Other names mentioned as possible Treasu=
ry
   Secretary candidates are Jamie Dimon, the chair and CEO of JP Morgan Cha=
se
   and Anne Finucane, vice chair of Bank of America. It is clear that Biden
   will not only pick Wall Street insiders to key economic positions in his
   administration but will never veer far from the policies favored by the
   Wall Street plutocrats.
   - Biden will not =E2=80=93 and never has =E2=80=93 attempted to empower =
workers, women
   and minorities to create their own movement. As detailed in a previous
   article
   <https://www.commondreams.org/views/2020/02/23/joe-biden-serves-wall-str=
eet-not-main-street>,
   Biden has been an agent for Wall Street and the billionaires to the
   detriment of the millions of workers and small businesspersons who inhab=
it
   Main Street.  Under a Biden presidency, the vast transfer of income and
   wealth from workers to Wall Street and the billionaires will continue. As
   previously discussed, Biden is culpable for the failure to pass legislat=
ion
   in 2009 and 1978 that would have aided workers to exercise their right to
   organize and collectively bargain.
   - The hope is that Biden will be pressured to do some things that make
   peoples=E2=80=99 lives better and that progressives use this period to
   strengthen the movement to actually win elections in the future
   - The fear is that millions of workers will grow ever more frustrated, t=
he
   Democratic Party will lose even more credibility, our institutions will
   lose legitimacy and the forces of autocracy will continue to grow =E2=80=
=93
   creating the conditions for an even more dangerous version of Trump in t=
he
   future.  Yes, Biden would be better than Trump =E2=80=93 but that is a l=
ow bar
   given the challenges we face as a nation, a species and inhabitants of t=
he
   earth =E2=80=93 and it is a low bar compared to the Sanders alternative.

What Can Progressives Do To Strengthen Democracy?

A Sanders victory for the Democratic nomination and the possible victory in
the general election would have been profound. This would have constituted
a deeper level of what it would mean to =E2=80=9Cwin.=E2=80=9D And from thi=
s level a win
would mean the ability to openly discuss and attempt to address the major
issues of our time: which candidate will best be able to help lead the
fight for an effective democracy over our existing plutocracy; address the
climate crisis on a scale proportional to the crisis itself rather than
seeking totally inadequate incremental changes;  create the conditions for
peace over war, justice over the oppression of classes, races and genders;
and ensure that the richest nation in world history can provide everyone
with a good public education; quality health care; adequate shelter; a
clean and healthy environment; provide women with the ability to determine
their own reproductive decisions; and ensure that all citizens can not only
to be able to vote but to also have a real role in determining the
decisions that significantly affect their lives =E2=80=93 not as privileges
afforded to the few but as rights enjoyed by all. In these terms, only one
candidate would even attempt to accomplish these goals; only one candidate
would actually mobilize millions to accomplish these goals; only one
candidate would fight the plutocracy and empower workers; only one
candidate is actually feared by the plutocrats and their political and
media allies =E2=80=93 and that candidate is Bernie Sanders. And that=E2=80=
=99s why the
plutocrats and their political and media allies wanted to defeat Sanders.

So, what can progressive do now? Here are some ideas to begin a discussion
about next steps.

Help Defeat Trump and If That Fails =E2=80=93 RAISE HELL. Bernie Sanders
<https://www.cnsnews.com/article/national/cnsnewscom-staff/bernie-sanders-t=
rump-racist-sexist-homophobe-xenophobe-and>
crystalized
the approach of many progressives towards Trump when he stated, =E2=80=9CLe=
t me
begin by reiterating what I have said from Day One of this campaign, and
that is that Donald Trump is the most dangerous president in the modern
history of our country and he must be defeated=E2=80=A6 In my view, he is a=
 racist,
a sexist, a homophobe, a xenophobe and a religious bigot and he must be
defeated, and I will do everything in my power to make that happen.=E2=80=
=9D But
what if Biden loses? Or what if Biden wins and the Republicans continue to
control the senate, do not experience the =E2=80=9Cepiphany=E2=80=9D predic=
ted by Biden
but, instead, engage in the same strategy of near-total obstructionism they
utilized against Obama after they won a senate majority in the 2010
elections. Each of these scenarios would be depressing. But each would also
herald the moment that progressives must galvanize and unite to oppose
Trump and/or an obstructionist senate at every moment. This means constant
demonstrations, occupations and coordinated actions and events against
Trump and his political allies here, there and everywhere. In the words of
the movement, =E2=80=9CNo Justice, No Peace.=E2=80=9D

Pressure Biden at Every Turn, at Every Moment as a Candidate and as
President if He Wins. Biden will be susceptible to pressure from
progressives. He is a weak candidate whose primary reason for support was
that he could defeat Trump.  He may or may not be able to defeat Trump. But
the Democrats chances rely on creating more turnout for Biden than the
Republican turnout for Trump. And to do this he needs progressives to not
only vote for him and support him but to get out the vote of others. This
is not a plea for making nice. It is a plea for tough love =E2=80=93 Biden =
has to
do more than mouth platitudes while we have to make sure that he commits to
keeping his promises =E2=80=93 and to expand the breadth of those promises =
as much
as possible.

Pressure Biden to keep his promises =E2=80=93 and to loudly and directly le=
t him
know when he fails to do so both during the campaign and, if he is elected,
throughout his administration. Just take a look at his website for his many
promises <https://joebiden.com/>. He promises to expand voting rights, get
private money out of federal elections, expand workers=E2=80=99 rights and =
the
power of unions, create a public option for Obamacare, protect the right of
women to control their own reproductive decisions, counter the effects of
racism and bigotry, and protect the rights of the LGBTQ community.

Pressure Biden to expand his agenda to include important planks of Sanders
democracy program. There are a number of Sanders=E2=80=99 proposals that sh=
ould be
included in Biden=E2=80=99s plans. This will be difficult since these propo=
sals are
directly opposed by Biden=E2=80=99s billionaire and Wall Street investors. =
But that
is part of political drama in which we find ourselves

   - Expand the power of voters and democracy. As stated, Biden is very
   vague on this subject which means that he probably won=E2=80=99t do anyt=
hing to
   follow through if he becomes president. Conversely, Sanders was very
   specific. His website contains specific plans to =E2=80=9Cend racist vot=
er
   suppression and partisan gerrymandering=E2=80=A6 secure automatic voter
   registration for every American over 18=E2=80=A6 abolish burdensome vote=
r ID laws=E2=80=A6
   make election day a national holiday=E2=80=A6.pass a constitutional amen=
dment that
   makes clear that money is not speech and corporations are not
   people=E2=80=A6replace corporate funding and donations from millionaires=
 and
   billionaires with public funding of elections that amplifies small-donor
   donations=E2=80=A6=E2=80=9D The Sanders website also includes specific p=
roposals that
   provide substance for each of these programmatic goals. Nothing vague he=
re.
   Progressives should push Biden to be more specific so that he can be held
   accountable if he becomes president
   - Expand the power of workers. Both Sanders and Biden have promised to
   expand the ability of unions to organize and collectively bargain, though
   Biden, as previously discussed, lacks credibility here. But there is
   another very important proposal unique to Sanders that would allow
   employers to fire =E2=80=9Cat will=E2=80=9D employees only for =E2=80=9C=
just cause,=E2=80=9D i.e., their
   performance on the job. As an article in Vice
   <https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/7x5799/elizabeth-warrens-new-labor-p=
lan-is-good-bernie-sanders-is-better>
states,
   =E2=80=9CThe overwhelming majority of American workers are employed "at =
will,"
   which means that they can be fired for basically any reason, regardless =
of
   performance on the job. If your boss doesn't like your shirt, or your
   politics, or your favorite sports team, they can fire you. Theoretically,
   workers enjoy certain protections that allow them to organize unions
   <https://www.nlrb.gov/rights-we-protect/enforcement-activity/protected-c=
oncerted-activity>
or
   combat racial and gender discrimination. But in the modern American
   workplace, the balance of power so favors employers that these protectio=
ns
   are rarely enforced in practice.=E2=80=9D Most union workers are protect=
ed by =E2=80=9Cjust
   cause=E2=80=9D provisions in their contracts. =E2=80=9CAt will=E2=80=9D =
employees are not protected
   at all.  This Sanders proposal would represent a major expansion of
   workers=E2=80=99 rights. Biden should be pressured to adopt this positio=
n =E2=80=93 though
   he would resist since it would really upset his donors

Progressives should decisively oppose the nomination of any Wall Street and
corporate officials for key governmental positions. Progressives should
attempt to prevent the nomination of any Wall Street connected individual
to any major position in a Biden administration. Indeed, no corporate
connected individual should be nominated for any position that has any
direct or indirect relationship with the industry from which he/she has
served. Robert Kuttner in The American Prospect
<https://prospect.org/economy/biden-do-not-reappoint-list-economic-policy-a=
dvisers/>
identifies
other individuals that progressives should organize against if Biden wins.
Furthermore, progressives should support the Anti-Corruption and Public
Integrity Act
<https://www.warren.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Master%20Summary%20of%20Anti%2=
0Corruption%20Act%20-%20FINAL.pdf>
introduced
by Senator Warren that would, among other things, end the revolving door
through which congressional staffers and elected officials become corporate
lobbyists and corporate officials and/or lobbyists become congressional or
executive department staff or officials.

Organize and Mobilize. One of the most significant features of the Sanders
strategy to get his
programs passed or at least considered is probably what worried the
plutocrats the most =E2=80=93 Mass Mobilization. An In These Times
<https://inthesetimes.com/features/Bernie-Sanders-presidency-climate-mobili=
zation.html>
article
captures this element of what a Sanders presidency would have entailed,
=E2=80=9CSanders understands that change at this scale will require mass mo=
vements
to pressure Congress and every level of government=E2=80=94and to change th=
eir
composition. Americans isolated and atomized by cutthroat capitalism must
engage in massive collective action. His political program isn=E2=80=99t ju=
st
about policy, then, but about the capacity of ordinary people to
participate in democracy. This disruption includes, critically, his plans
to facilitate direct participation
<https://berniesanders.com/issues/workplace-democracy/> in decisions from
our workplaces to our energy systems, shifting the balance of power in our
society. No one contends that Sanders alone will spark, let alone be, a
mass movement. The Sanders campaign slogan, =E2=80=9CNot Me. Us.,=E2=80=9D =
conveys
precisely that. Sanders, as he puts it
<https://theintercept.com/2019/10/20/bernie-sanders-ocasio-cortez-rally-int=
erview/>,
is =E2=80=98gonna be organizer-in-chief.=E2=80=99=E2=80=99

It would have been relatively easy for progressives to coalesce with a
President Sanders leading the charge. But that is not going to happen. The
challenge for the progressive movement now is how to do this without
Sanders being president. There are a number of models that could be
considered for such a strategy and examples of similar strategies currently
being utilized by progressives

Mobilize Within the Democratic Party. The Tea Party provides a model for
this strategy even though it was focused on the Republican Party. The Tea
Party basically functioned as the shock troops for the right-wing of the
right-wing Republican Party. The Tea Party utilized direct action and
running primary opponents against any Republican official who did not toe
the line on specific policies such as shrinking the size of government by
simultaneously cutting taxes and cutting social programs. The Tea Party was
formed in 2009 to directly oppose the Obama administration and to purge
moderate Republicans. The Tea Party was primarily funded by the Koch
brothers, the libertarian/Republican billionaires who made their money in
oil and gas. Quite a few Tea Party-supported politicians won their
elections and rose to leadership positions in congress. The Tea Party
successfully changed the internal dynamics of the Republican Party and
formed one of the most powerful caucuses within congress. Ultimately, the
Tea Party itself faded from the scene after they basically won =E2=80=93 the
Republican Party became a uniformly right-wing =E2=80=9Cconservative=E2=80=
=9D party and
Trump was elected president.

Initial forays into the =E2=80=9Cmobilize within the Democratic party=E2=80=
=9D strategy
have been launched by groups such as Justice Democrats
<https://www.justicedemocrats.com/home>, Our Revolution
<https://www.ourrevolution.com/>, the Working Families Party
<https://workingfamilies.org/>, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
<https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/21/us/politics/aoc-democrats.html> who
have all endorsed and supported progressive candidates against corporate
Democrats, including incumbents. This strategy drives the corporate
Democrats crazy. Indeed, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
announced a new policy to blacklist
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/democratic-leaders-stand-firm-on-=
incumbent-favor-rule-rebuff-liberal-cries-of-blacklist/2019/04/02/117a7714-=
54bd-11e9-8ef3-fbd41a2ce4d5_story.html>
any
consultants or firms that do business with any candidate that challenges a
Democratic incumbent in a primary. The =E2=80=9Cestablishment=E2=80=9D Demo=
crats realize
that =E2=80=9Cprimarying=E2=80=9D incumbents is an effective means to move =
the =E2=80=9Cparty=E2=80=9D in a
progressive direction. After all, it worked for the Tea Party which gladly
accepted that the short-term loss of some incumbents in favor of the
long-term gain represented by the election of more supportive politicians.
Running progressive candidates in the primaries and general elections is a
medium and long-term strategy that cannot be judged just in terms of
whether the candidates initially win or not. This effort marks an
investment in building a grass roots base of activists and a progressive
leadership that has experience running in elections.  This strategy
requires a lot of work and money; however, it should be expanded =E2=80=93 =
and
progressive groups should combine and coordinate their efforts

Mobilize Outside the Democratic Party. Occupy Wall Street (OWS) exploded on
the scene in September 2011. The popular slogan of the OWS, =E2=80=9CWe are=
 the
99%,=E2=80=9D succinctly referred to the great gap between the wealthiest 1=
% and
the rest of the population.  And the term, Occupy Wall Street, as well as
the actual occupation of public spaces across the U.S.- including Zuccotti
Park in NY City=E2=80=99s financial district - directly targeted the instit=
ution
most linked to the inequality of a system based on wealth, income and
power.  Young people formed the initial surge of activists for OWS but it
gained support from older people, some unions and other progressive groups.
The general program of OWS is remarkably similar to the Sanders 2020
platform: more balanced distribution of income and wealth, more and better
paid jobs, bank reform, curtailment of Wall Street speculation, and
forgiveness of student loan and mortgage debt. The OWS movement was great
at galvanizing support, changing the terms of political debate and
energizing thousands and thousands of people. However, it also had
weaknesses that limited its long-term existence; primarily, it lacked an
institutional base like unions or a political party to insure its survival
over time. The OWS movement did not disappear; instead, in the words of an
article in The Atlantic
<https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/06/the-triumph-of-occupy=
-wall-street/395408/>,
=E2=80=9Cit just splintered and regrouped around a variety of focused cause=
s.=E2=80=9D

The Red for Ed teachers=E2=80=99 movements of 2018 provide another example =
of a
movement outside of the political party system. The Red for Ed movement
involved many thousands of teachers who walked off their jobs in West
Virginia, Oklahoma, Arizona, and Kentucky. These states had all
significantly cut school funding over a period of years so that teachers
were burdened with low pay, very high teacher to student ratios, and no
money for the resources they needed for their students. In 2018, they
walked off the job in these =E2=80=9Cred=E2=80=9D republican-dominated stat=
es and forced
the republican governors and legislators to begin to address the issues.
In 2019, the teachers uprising spread to Oakland California, Chicago
Illinois and even Dedham Massachusetts. The teachers in each of these
instances by and large had the support of their communities.

Movements like Occupy Wall Street and Red for Ed were not the result of
long-term planning. Instead, they were sparked by some initial event and
then took off. Though they were not planned way in advance, they later
became more organized and centralized. Progressives can=E2=80=99t create su=
ch a
spark that will mobilize many thousands. But progressives can create a
political infrastructure that could be used to support such movements when
they arise.  At the most basic level, this infrastructure begins with the
creation of personal ties between individual activists in common struggle =
=E2=80=93
for example, those working on the Sanders and Warren campaigns. It requires
these activists to stay in touch. And it requires groups who support each
other in solidarity to keep in touch and offer mutual support when needed =
=E2=80=93
such as civil rights, environmental, and peace groups supporting unions on
strike. Or unions supporting the struggles of other groups.  Such mutual
support not only creates a level of trust but also an infrastructure of
solidarity that can be utilized when needed.

The challenge just might be how to combine the outside-the-party fervor and
focus of the Occupy Wall Street movement with a progressive version of the
inside-the-party fervor and focus of the Tea Party. Senator Sanders was
able to do both in his 2020 campaign.  Now it is up to us to figure out how
to develop this combination without a presidential candidate who could more
easily galvanize and focus the activities of millions of supporters and
thousands of activists throughout the country. It is a difficult challenge,
but it can be done; after all, the Tea Party arose without the leadership
of the Republican Party establishment =E2=80=93 it just targeted the existi=
ng cast
of Republican elected officials. Nor did Occupy Wall Street have the
support of President Obama - the occupiers just organized and mobilized.
Conclusion

Wall Street and the billionaires are fine with Biden and they are fine with
Trump =E2=80=93 even though Trump represents a real threat to our democracy=
 in
terms of leading us further down the road to autocracy. But Biden will
continue to lead us down the road of a plutocracy (rule by the wealthy
elite). Wall Street really doesn=E2=80=99t care which of these two roads is=
 taken.
Wall Street is very clear that Sanders is the enemy because he has tried
and will continue to try to limit their power and expand the power of Main
Street. To Wall Street, a Biden vs Trump election is a win-win. And Wall
Street and the billionaire elite =E2=80=93 as well as their political and m=
edia
allies =E2=80=93 have done everything in their power to prevent the possibi=
lity of
a Sanders victory in the primaries.

This fundamental lack of distinction between Trump and Biden in the eyes of
Wall Street does not bode well for the long-term health of our democracy
and the working class.  Both Trump and Biden will continue to enact
policies that will increase the flow of income and wealth going to
corporations, Wall Street and the billionaire donor class =E2=80=93 as has =
been the
case for the past 45 years under both Democrat and Republican
administrations. Trump has proven that he will try to speed this process as
much as possible. But, so will Biden - as proven by his support for the
deregulation of the financial sector, the Bankruptcy Bill of 2005, a
balanced budget amendment, anti-worker/pro-corporate trade deals, and
proposed cuts to Social Security and social programs to reduce the federal
debt.  Biden is a tried and true life-long friend of Wall Street =E2=80=93 =
to the
detriment of Main Street and working families across the U.S.

However, there are important distinctions between Biden and Trump from the
perspective of progressives.  Biden may be a plutocrat, but he is not an
autocrat. And Biden is vulnerable in some ways to pressure by progressives
as opposed to Trump who will try to destroy progressives at every level.
The fear is that =E2=80=93 even if Biden is elected - a continuation of the
pro-plutocrat policies that have dominated our politics for 45 years will
make the millions of workers and small businesspeople who inhabit Main
Street even more frustrated and angry, de-legitimize the entire political
system, and create an even stronger possibility that our plutocracy could
become an autocracy as people search for real change.

Progressives thus face an enormous challenge. We have to defeat Trump but
be able to pressure Biden to embrace policies that favor working people
over billionaires =E2=80=93 something that he and has not really done befor=
e. But,
more importantly, we must continue to build power by expanding the
progressive movement. The defeat of Sanders was a blow because he was the
only real threat to Wall Street=E2=80=99s domination of our political econo=
my and,
in terms of the remaining candidates, the only one who actually attempted
to significantly limit the power of the plutocrats, expand the power of
workers and set us back on the road to democracy. We may have missed an
historic opportunity that may not appear again. But that depends on us =E2=
=80=93
not on any one candidate.  Our challenge now is not only to defeat Trump
but to generate a mass progressive movement to continue the struggle for
justice and democracy. Now is the time to follow the advice given by Joe
Hill, a labor organizer, leader and songwriter, before he was executed by
the state of Utah in 1915: =E2=80=9CDon=E2=80=99t Mourn, Organize!=E2=80=9D

Kenneth R. Peres <https://www.commondreams.org/author/kenneth-peres> retired
as chief economist of the Communications Workers of America. Formerly, he
served as economist for the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, the Montana House
Select Committee on Economic Development, and the Montana Alliance for
Progressive Policy. Ken has held teaching positions at the University of
Montana, St. John's University, Chief Dull Knife College, and the City
University of New York. He obtained a PhD in economics from the New School
in New York City.

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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div class=3D"gmail_default"><b><font face=3D"georgia, ser=
if" color=3D"#000000"><a href=3D"https://www.commondreams.org/views/2020/03=
/18/biden-trump-election-win-win-wall-street-and-loss-our-democracy" target=
=3D"_blank">https://www.commondreams.org/views/2020/03/18/biden-trump-elect=
ion-win-win-wall-street-and-loss-our-democracy</a><br><br><font size=3D"4">=
Common Dreams=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 March 18, 2020</font><br><b=
r><font size=3D"6">A Biden-Trump Election Is a Win-Win for Wall Street and =
a Loss for Our Democracy<br></font><font size=3D"4"><br></font></font></b><=
/div><div class=3D"gmail_default"><b><font face=3D"georgia, serif" color=3D=
"#000000"><font size=3D"4">So what can be done at this point?</font><br><br=
><font size=3D"4">by Kenneth Peres</font></font></b></div><div class=3D"gma=
il_default"><font face=3D"georgia, serif" color=3D"#000000"><br></font><div=
 style=3D"font-size:17px;box-sizing:inherit"><div style=3D"box-sizing:inher=
it"><div style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><div style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><fo=
nt color=3D"#000000" face=3D"georgia, serif"><img src=3D"https://www.common=
dreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_large/public/views-article/joe_bid=
en_medicare_for_all_0.jpg?itok=3DoLNT0GkQ" width=3D"472" height=3D"247" alt=
=3D"Former Vice President Joe Biden greets guests during a campaign stop at=
 the RiverCenter on October 16, 2019 in Davenport, Iowa. (Photo: Scott Olso=
n/Getty Images)" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;border:0px;margin-right:0px"><=
/font></div></div></div></div><div style=3D"font-size:12px;box-sizing:inher=
it;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:ini=
tial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:in=
itial;padding:5px 10px"><div style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><div style=3D"box=
-sizing:inherit"><p style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px"><font color=3D"=
#000000" face=3D"georgia, serif"><b style=3D"background-color:rgb(255,255,2=
55)">Former Vice President Joe Biden greets guests during a campaign stop a=
t the RiverCenter on October 16, 2019 in Davenport, Iowa. (Photo: Scott Ols=
on/Getty Images)</b></font></p></div></div></div><div style=3D"font-size:17=
px;box-sizing:inherit"><div style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><div style=3D"box-=
sizing:inherit"><div style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><p style=3D"box-sizing:in=
herit"><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"georgia, serif">It is clear now that=
 Biden will be the Democratic nominee for president in 2020 barring unfores=
een circumstances. And the differences between Biden and Trump will be play=
ed up by both sides. And, yes, there are many differences between Biden and=
 Trump especially in terms of social and cultural issues, judicial nominati=
ons, the administration of executive departments and agencies, and taxes an=
d regulations. There will also be significant differences in temperament, r=
hetoric, tone and consistency. However, throughout the coming campaign ther=
e will not be much discussion by the candidates or the media about a key is=
sue: Power. And this is a big omission because in our society power is conc=
entrated in the hands of the few thousand corporate executives and billiona=
ires who inhabit Wall Street to the detriment of the many millions of worke=
rs and small businesspeople who inhabit Main Street. In the following analy=
sis I will examine the coming general election and its aftermath in terms o=
f its impact on the existing power structure of the U.S. political economy.=
 Specifically, I will focus on the crisis of our democracy; Wall Street=E2=
=80=99s view of the Biden-Trump contest as a win-win for Wall Street (and i=
ts unified opposition to Sanders); what to expect from a Biden or a Trump p=
residency; and what can be done by progressives to continue the struggle fo=
r justice and democracy.</font></p><h3 style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><span s=
tyle=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"georgia, serif"=
>The Crisis of Democracy and the Reality of Plutocracy</font></span></h3><p=
 style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"georgia, seri=
f">The political discourse in the 2020 presidential campaign is replete wit=
h crises. The latest and immediately most serious is the Coronavirus crisis=
.=C2=A0 But there are many other crises that have gotten some attention inc=
luding health care, prescription drugs, the middle east, income inequality =
and taxation =E2=80=93 while the climate crisis as well as the possibility =
of a nuclear catastrophe have not gotten the attention, they deserve even t=
hough they threaten our very existence.=C2=A0 But there is another crisis t=
hat is never really mentioned at all =E2=80=93 the crisis of our democracy.=
 The reality is that our democracy is succumbing to an overwhelming tide of=
 plutocracy =E2=80=93 the rule of the wealthy, the corporate-Wall Street-bi=
llionaire elite. Unfortunately, Biden and Trump actually represent and are =
tied to the interests of the plutocrats. Only Sanders has proposed an all-o=
ut assault that would limit the power of Wall Street and expand the power o=
f Main Street. In a very real sense, the primary and general elections repr=
esent not just a choice between candidates but a choice between reclaiming =
our democracy or reinforcing the plutocracy.</font></p><p style=3D"box-sizi=
ng:inherit"><font face=3D"georgia, serif" color=3D"#000000">We usually thin=
k of democracy in terms of voting. If the adult citizens of a country can v=
ote for a number of candidates, then we call it a democracy.=C2=A0 Voting i=
s important both in terms of who qualifies to vote and who is allowed to vo=
te. And there is much discussion during this election season about who exac=
tly is qualified to vote and whether they are even allowed to vote. However=
, voting is a necessary but not sufficient condition for a democracy. The o=
ther key ingredient to a democracy can be summed up in one word: Power. Who=
 has it and who doesn=E2=80=99t have it? Who sets the rules for the functio=
ning of the political-economic system? Who makes the underlying decisions t=
hat determine not only the policies of a nation, but also which groups obta=
in the benefits and which groups suffer the losses? Unfortunately, in relat=
ion to the bottom-line issue of power =E2=80=93 the U.S. is not really a de=
mocracy; it is a plutocracy =E2=80=93 the rule of the wealthy. That is not =
just my opinion. A=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://scholar.princeton.edu/sites/defa=
ult/files/mgilens/files/gilens_and_page_2014_-testing_theories_of_american_=
politics.doc.pdf" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decor=
ation-line:none" target=3D"_blank">Princeton University study</a>=C2=A0that=
 examined 20 years-worth of data (1981-2002) concluded, =E2=80=9CThe centra=
l point that emerges from our research is that economic elites and organize=
d groups representing business interests have substantial independent impac=
ts on U.S. government policy, while mass-based interest groups and average =
citizens have little or no independent influence.=E2=80=9D</font></p><p sty=
le=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><font face=3D"georgia, serif" color=3D"#000000">I=
 have previously analyzed the process through which corporations and billio=
naires dominate our political economy through a system of legalized corrupt=
ion in which they basically purchase the allegiance of politicians by inves=
ting billions of dollars in campaign contributions; obtain favorable legisl=
ation by spending billions more in lobbying; and ensure that the legislatio=
n is supported by pro-corporate judges who have been appointed by those sam=
e politicians (see=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/=
10/15/legalized-political-corruption-so-much-bigger-trump-journey-7-charts"=
 style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:none" =
target=3D"_blank">here</a>,=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://www.commondreams.org/vi=
ews/2017/06/16/wrong-way-economics-trumps-roadmap-corporate-domination" sty=
le=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:none" targ=
et=3D"_blank">here</a>=C2=A0and=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://www.commondreams.or=
g/views/2017/06/05/roadmap-destruction-trump-cacanomics-and-rhetoric-nation=
al-capitalism" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decorati=
on-line:none" target=3D"_blank">here</a>).=C2=A0 Both Biden and Trump are p=
roducts of and continue to rely on this system of legalized corruption that=
 institutionalizes a plutocracy as opposed to a real democracy.</font></p><=
h3 style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><span style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><font co=
lor=3D"#000000" face=3D"georgia, serif">A Biden-Trump Election is a Win-Win=
 for Wall Street</font></span></h3><p style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><font fa=
ce=3D"georgia, serif" color=3D"#000000">On the Republican side, the plutocr=
ats are comfortable with Trump. The problem was the Democratic side of the =
ledger.=C2=A0 The plutocrats did not like Warren, but they hated Sanders. T=
heir goal was to defeat Sanders at any cost and to select a Democratic cand=
idate on which they could depend.=C2=A0=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://www.commond=
reams.org/views/2020/02/17/buttigieg-wall-street-democrat-beholden-corporat=
e-interests" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decoration=
-line:none" target=3D"_blank">Buttigieg</a>=C2=A0rose and then fell.=C2=A0<=
a href=3D"https://www.commondreams.org/views/2020/03/01/here-are-10000-word=
s-detailing-why-bloomberg-embodies-everything-wrong-us" style=3D"box-sizing=
:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:none" target=3D"_blank">Bl=
oomberg</a>=C2=A0spent a lot of money, rose and then fell.=C2=A0<a href=3D"=
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2020/02/23/joe-biden-serves-wall-street-=
not-main-street" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decora=
tion-line:none" target=3D"_blank">Biden</a>=C2=A0was really their last chan=
ce. A Biden-Trump election was the plutocrats=E2=80=99 dream scenario.</fon=
t></p><p style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><font face=3D"georgia, serif" color=
=3D"#000000"><span style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;font-weight:700">Biden Is A =
Product and Supporter of the Plutocracy.</span>=C2=A0Biden has been and con=
tinues to be a willing participant in the system of legalized corruption. H=
e has always relied on donations from Wall Street and the billionaire donor=
 class and he has returned the favor by supporting policies that aide Wall =
Street to the detriment of Main Street. (See this article for a=C2=A0<a hre=
f=3D"https://www.commondreams.org/views/2020/02/23/joe-biden-serves-wall-st=
reet-not-main-street" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-d=
ecoration-line:none" target=3D"_blank">detailed analysis of Biden</a>=C2=A0=
and his relationship to Wall Street and billionaires).</font></p><ul style=
=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><li style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;list-style-type:non=
e;padding:0px 0px 5px"><font face=3D"georgia, serif" color=3D"#000000">Bide=
n Relies on Wall Street and Billionaires. Wall Street has always supported =
Biden. According to the=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://www.opensecrets.org/" style=
=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:none" target=
=3D"_blank">Center for Responsive Politics</a>=C2=A0the entire finance capi=
tal sector (Finance, Insurance and Real Estate) has been the largest busine=
ss sector contributor to Biden=E2=80=99s various senatorial and his 1988 an=
d 2008 presidential campaigns.=C2=A0 Between 1990-2007, this sector investe=
d $6.87 million in Biden. And that support has continued for his 2020 presi=
dential campaign. The finance capital sector=E2=80=99s investment in Biden =
is just behind its investment in Trump and much greater than its investment=
 in any other Democratic candidate. In terms of small donors, Biden has rai=
sed $25.3 million or 37% of total funding from small donors =E2=80=93 much =
less than Sanders.</font></li></ul><p style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><font fa=
ce=3D"georgia, serif" color=3D"#000000">According to the=C2=A0<a href=3D"ht=
tps://www.opensecrets.org/2020-presidential-race/sector-totals?sector=3DF" =
style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:none" t=
arget=3D"_blank">Center on Responsive Politics</a>, the Financial Sector as=
 a whole (Finance, Insurance and Real Estate) has invested $47.2 million in=
 the 2020 presidential election so far. Of this total, $10.3 million or 22%=
 has gone to Trump; $10.1 million or 21% has gone to Biden and just $2.8 mi=
llion or 6% has gone to Sanders. And it is clear that Biden is due for a=C2=
=A0<a href=3D"https://deadline.com/2020/03/joe-biden-super-tuesday-hollywoo=
d-fundraiser-sherry-lansing-1202874312/" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;backgr=
ound:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:none" target=3D"_blank">massive increase =
in funding</a>=C2=A0following Super Tuesday. These figures are just the tip=
 of the proverbial iceberg and will soon explode; after all, the Financial =
Sector invested $338 million in the 2016 presidential election.</font></p><=
p style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><font face=3D"georgia, serif" color=3D"#0000=
00">Biden also relies on billionaires. According to an updated=C2=A0<a href=
=3D"https://www.forbes.com/sites/michelatindera/2020/03/02/biden-no-longer-=
competing-with-buttigieg-now-has-most-billionaire-donors-by-far/#7a5c9cc36e=
83" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:non=
e" target=3D"_blank">Forbes article</a>=C2=A0as of January 2020, sixty-six =
billionaires have given to Biden=E2=80=99s campaign. Most of these billiona=
ires are from the financial capital sector. Also, expect Biden to pick up t=
he backing of the 94 billionaires who previously supported Buttigieg and Kl=
obuchar =E2=80=93 the two candidates who suspended their campaigns and endo=
rsed Biden immediately before Super Tuesday. In addition, there is a Super =
Pac that supports Biden called =E2=80=9CUnite the Country.=E2=80=9D Super P=
ACs can legally spend unlimited amounts of money and can buy ads to support=
 or oppose particular candidates. They are not supposed to be controlled by=
 or tied directly to campaigns. According to the Center for Responsive Poli=
tics, Unite the Country spent $8.9 million as of March 5, 2020. The finance=
/insurance/real estate sector accounted for $5 million or 56% of the total =
raised by this PAC. All these figures will increase substantially in the ne=
ar future</font></p><ul style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><li style=3D"box-sizin=
g:inherit;list-style-type:none;padding:0px 0px 5px"><font face=3D"georgia, =
serif" color=3D"#000000">While Biden speaks of change =E2=80=93 He literall=
y promised Wall Street and billionaire donors that =E2=80=9Cnothing will fu=
ndamentally change=E2=80=A6 if I win this nomination, I won=E2=80=99t let y=
ou down. I promise you.=E2=80=9D In his=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://www.irishti=
mes.com/news/world/us/joe-biden-pledges-to-rebuild-middle-class-america-1.3=
875585" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decoration-line=
:none" target=3D"_blank">first campaign speech</a>=C2=A0delivered to a larg=
ely union crowd in Pittsburgh, Biden stated =E2=80=9CLet me say this simply=
 and clearly, and I mean this: The country wasn=E2=80=99t built by Wall Str=
eet bankers, CEOs and hedge fund managers. It was built by you. It was buil=
t by the great American middle class.=E2=80=9D In an=C2=A0<a href=3D"http:/=
/www.nbcnews.com/id/35204056/ns/msnbc-andrea_mitchell_reports/t/biden-its-h=
igh-time-we-help-main-street/#.XlFxBRNKj64" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;bac=
kground:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:none" target=3D"_blank">interview</a>,=
 Biden stated, =E2=80=9CIt=E2=80=99s high time we helped Main Street.=E2=80=
=9D His website is full of plans to increase taxes on the wealthy, enhance =
Social Security, expand government social services and get tough on Wall St=
reet.</font></li></ul><p style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><font face=3D"georgia=
, serif" color=3D"#000000">All these statements and plans sound very progre=
ssive.=C2=A0 But based on past policies and current statements, it is appar=
ent that Wall Street does not have to worry much about Biden actually deliv=
ering on his anti-Wall Street rhetoric. As detailed in a=C2=A0<a href=3D"ht=
tps://www.commondreams.org/views/2020/02/23/joe-biden-serves-wall-street-no=
t-main-street" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decorati=
on-line:none" target=3D"_blank">previous article</a>, Biden has supported a=
nd often led the fight for legislation that further consolidated the financ=
ial industry, eliminated laws that had curbed Wall Street=E2=80=99s penchan=
t for excessive speculation, and increased protections for banks while erod=
ing protections for consumers. And he supported trade deals that benefitted=
 Wall Street and other big corporations while eliminating 4 million U.S. jo=
bs primarily held by union manufacturing workers. Conversely, he is culpabl=
e for the failure to pass legislation that would have helped strengthen uni=
ons and protect the rights of consumers.</font></p><p style=3D"box-sizing:i=
nherit"><font face=3D"georgia, serif" color=3D"#000000">And Biden even admi=
tted all of this when he gave a wink and a nod to Wall Street and the billi=
onaires at an elite fundraiser in NY City last year.=C2=A0<a href=3D"https:=
//www.huffpost.com/entry/joe-biden-wont-demonize-the-rich_n_5d09ac63e4b0f7b=
74428e4c6" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decoration-l=
ine:none" target=3D"_blank">Biden stated</a>=C2=A0=E2=80=9CThe truth of the=
 matter is, you all, you all know, you all know in your gut what has to be =
done. We can disagree in the margins, but the truth of the matter is it=E2=
=80=99s all within our wheelhouse and nobody has to be punished. No one=E2=
=80=99s standard of living will change, nothing would fundamentally change=
=E2=80=A6I need you very badly. I hope if I win this nomination, I won=E2=
=80=99t let you down. I promise you.=E2=80=9D</font></p><p style=3D"box-siz=
ing:inherit"><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"georgia, serif"><span style=3D=
"box-sizing:inherit;font-weight:700">Biden=E2=80=99s Plans for Voting Right=
s and Economic Democracy are Vague, Limited and Lack Credibility.=C2=A0</sp=
an>=C2=A0Unlike other candidates, Biden has not proposed any specific plan =
to enhance voting rights. His approach to expanding the power of workers is=
 weak when compared to Sanders. And his strategy to implement his program d=
epends on Republicans. Biden=E2=80=99s plans and strategy are not reassurin=
g for those who care about limiting the plutocracy and expanding democracy.=
</font></p><ul style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><li style=3D"box-sizing:inherit=
;list-style-type:none;padding:0px 0px 5px"><font face=3D"georgia, serif" co=
lor=3D"#000000"><span style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;font-weight:700">Vague pr=
onouncements about voting rights.</span>=C2=A0Biden=E2=80=99s website conta=
ins many plans. However, there is one striking omission =E2=80=93 restoring=
 and expanding voting rights.=C2=A0 Biden=E2=80=99s website includes only t=
he following vague statement about voting rights, =E2=80=9CWe must strength=
en our democracy by guaranteeing that every American=E2=80=99s vote is prot=
ected. We=E2=80=99ve got to make it easier =E2=80=94 not harder =E2=80=94 f=
or Americans to exercise their right to vote, regardless of their zip code =
or the color of their skin, and make sure we count every voter=E2=80=99s vo=
ice equally.=E2=80=9D In another section, Biden promises to =E2=80=9Cto=C2=
=A0<a href=3D"https://joebiden.com/governmentreform/" style=3D"box-sizing:i=
nherit;background:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:none" target=3D"_blank">empo=
wer the Department of Justice</a>=C2=A0to enforce voting laws and=C2=A0<a h=
ref=3D"https://joebiden.com/AmericanLeadership/" style=3D"box-sizing:inheri=
t;background:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:none" target=3D"_blank">restore t=
he Voting Rights Act</a>. Adam Eichen, in an article in=C2=A0<a href=3D"htt=
ps://www.jacobinmag.com/2020/03/joe-biden-voting-rights-2020-election" styl=
e=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:none" targe=
t=3D"_blank">Jacobin Magazine</a>, puts all this into context: =E2=80=9CIn =
a political climate plagued by=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://www.jacobinmag.com/2=
019/09/why-the-right-hates-voting-rights" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;backg=
round:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:none" target=3D"_blank">voter suppressio=
n and extreme partisan gerrymandering</a>, it is imperative that every Demo=
cratic presidential candidate pledge to pursue policies that strengthen our=
 democracy. If the past decade has revealed anything, combatting right-wing=
 politics requires fair elections and diverse voter turnout. Many Democrats=
 have risen to the challenge. Almost all of the remaining major candidates =
have released comprehensive democracy platforms. Their plans, though varyin=
g in strength, include concrete policies to end gerrymandering and empower =
voters. Joe Biden, however, stands alone.=C2=A0Though he has provided a det=
ailed=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://joebiden.com/governmentreform/" style=3D"box-=
sizing:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:none" target=3D"_bla=
nk">campaign finance reform plan</a>=C2=A0=E2=80=94 which, encouragingly, i=
ncludes public financing of elections =E2=80=94 his website is scandalously=
 vague on the topic of the franchise.=E2=80=9D This lack of specificity cal=
ls into question a promise that Biden made in a December 2019 op ed =E2=80=
=9Cif I am elected president, I will make voter protection a foundation of =
my administration.=E2=80=9D</font></li><li style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;list=
-style-type:none;padding:0px 0px 5px"><font face=3D"georgia, serif" color=
=3D"#000000"><span style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;font-weight:700">Limited pro=
posals for economic democracy and lack of credibility.</span>=C2=A0Like mos=
t of the other Democratic candidates, Biden has presented a plan to expand =
the ability of workers to join unions if they so desire. His=C2=A0<a href=
=3D"https://joebiden.com/empowerworkers/" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;backg=
round:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:none" target=3D"_blank">website</a>=C2=
=A0includes plans that other candidates supported such as allowing workers =
to join a union if a majority sign cards authorizing the union to represent=
 them; banning state Taft-Hartley laws that prohibit unions from collecting=
 dues or comparable payments from all workers who benefit from union repres=
entation that unions are legally obligated to provide; and ensuring that fe=
deral dollars do not flow to employers who engage in union-busting activiti=
es, participate in wage theft, or violate labor law.=C2=A0 These would be i=
mportant achievements. However, there are two problems. First, Biden=E2=80=
=99s view of expanding the rights of workers is very limited relative to Sa=
nders proposals. Sanders proposes a significant expansion of the rights of =
=E2=80=9Cat will=E2=80=9D employees by only allowing employers to fire them=
 for =E2=80=9Cjust cause=E2=80=9D i.e., their work performance, as opposed =
to almost any other reason as currently allowed. Also, Sanders includes pro=
visions to require corporations to include worker elected members of the bo=
ard.=C2=A0 These proposals would establish a more balanced power dynamic wi=
thin corporations. Second, he lacks credibility in any effort to expand wor=
kers=E2=80=99 power because he is culpable in the failure of the Obama admi=
nistration to pass the=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://www.theatlantic.com/politics=
/archive/2009/07/-card-check-is-as-good-as-dead-binding-arbitration-lives/2=
1513/" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:=
none" target=3D"_blank">Employee Free Choice Act</a>=C2=A0in 2009 which inc=
luded a number of Biden=E2=80=99s current campaign proposals and the failur=
e to pass=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/ma=
y/02/joe-biden-is-no-friend-of-unions" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;backgrou=
nd:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:none" target=3D"_blank">Labor Law Reform</a=
>=C2=A0in 1978</font></li><li style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;list-style-type:n=
one;padding:0px 0px 5px"><font face=3D"georgia, serif" color=3D"#000000"><s=
pan style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;font-weight:700">Biden says that he will de=
pend on a Republican =E2=80=9Cepiphany=E2=80=9D to get his program passed.<=
/span>=C2=A0At a fund raiser in November,=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://www.foxne=
ws.com/media/joe-biden-republicans-epiphany-trump" style=3D"box-sizing:inhe=
rit;background:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:none" target=3D"_blank">Biden s=
tated</a>, =E2=80=9CWith Donald Trump out of the way, you=E2=80=99re going =
to see a number of my Republican colleagues have an epiphany. Mark my words=
. Mark my words=E2=80=A6 It=E2=80=99s going to take two things: One is some=
body who in fact, knows how to reach across the aisle and get things done=
=E2=80=A6&quot;=C2=A0This is almost identical to statements made by=C2=A0<a=
 href=3D"https://www.politico.com/blogs/politico44/2012/06/obama-republican=
-fever-will-break-after-the-election-125059" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;ba=
ckground:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:none" target=3D"_blank">President Oba=
ma</a>=C2=A0during his 2012 reelection campaign, &quot;I believe that If we=
&#39;re successful in this election, when we&#39;re successful in this elec=
tion, that the [Republican right wing obstructionist] fever may break, beca=
use there&#39;s a tradition in the Republican Party of more common sense th=
an that. My hope, my expectation, is that after the election, now that it t=
urns out that the goal of beating Obama doesn&#39;t make much sense because=
 I&#39;m not running again, that we can start getting some cooperation agai=
n.&quot; Well, the Republicans =E2=80=9Cfever=E2=80=9D did not break in 201=
2 as predicted by Obama and Republicans won=E2=80=99t experience an =E2=80=
=9Cepiphany=E2=80=9D in 2020 as predicted by Biden.</font></li></ul><p styl=
e=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"georgia, serif"><s=
pan style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;font-weight:700">Biden Was the Final Choice=
 of the =E2=80=9CNever Bernie=E2=80=9D Plutocrats.</span>=C2=A0The plutocra=
ts (Wall Street, corporate executives and the very wealthy) along with thei=
r media and political allies wanted to defeat Sanders at all costs because =
he not only provides a striking contrast to the corporate-supported Biden a=
nd Trump but also a living, breathing alternative to the plutocracy.</font>=
</p><ul style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><li style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;list-s=
tyle-type:none;padding:0px 0px 5px"><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"georgia=
, serif"><span style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;font-weight:700">Sanders did not=
 play Wall Street=E2=80=99s donor game.</span>=C2=A0We all know how the =E2=
=80=9Cpolitics-as-usual game in played =E2=80=93 politicians rely on Wall S=
treet and billionaire donors to finance their campaigns and, in return, Wal=
l Street and billionaire donors expect those same politicians to pass their=
 special interest legislation. Sanders has raised $134.1 million in total d=
onations. Small donors (those who give less than $200) form the backbone of=
 Sanders=E2=80=99 fundraising accounting for $74 million or 56% of all dona=
tions. Wall Street has provided just 2% of Sanders total funding. Not one b=
illionaire has donated to Sanders campaign.</font></li><li style=3D"box-siz=
ing:inherit;list-style-type:none;padding:0px 0px 5px"><font face=3D"georgia=
, serif" color=3D"#000000"><span style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;font-weight:70=
0">Proven Track Record.</span>=C2=A0The plutocrats know that Sanders would =
follow through on his promises to limit their power and expand the power of=
 workers.=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-fe=
atures/taibbi-bernie-sanders-banks-732633/" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;bac=
kground:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:none" target=3D"_blank">Rolling Stone<=
/a>=C2=A0published an article by Mike Taibbi examining Sanders decades long=
 fight against Wall Street. Sanders has also proposed significant increases=
 in the regulatory protections of workers, consumers, clean air and water a=
nd to make polluters pay the costs of the pollution they cause. And Sanders=
 has a long history of attempting to expand the rights of voters, minoritie=
s, LGBTQ, and workers. Oh, and don=E2=80=99t forget the trillions of dollar=
s of tax increases on Wall Street, corporations and billionaires that he ha=
s proposed to fund the Green New Deal; free public pre-school through colle=
ge education; universal health care and much more.</font></li><li style=3D"=
box-sizing:inherit;list-style-type:none;padding:0px 0px 5px"><font color=3D=
"#000000" face=3D"georgia, serif"><span style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;font-we=
ight:700">Mass Mobilization.</span>=C2=A0Most troubling of all was that San=
ders promised to get his program enacted through the mass mobilization of m=
illions of workers. This is the last thing that the plutocrats would like t=
o see =E2=80=93 an educated, mobilized and activated citizenry focused on e=
nding the privileges of the plutocracy</font></li><li style=3D"box-sizing:i=
nherit;list-style-type:none;padding:0px 0px 5px"><font face=3D"georgia, ser=
if" color=3D"#000000"><span style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;font-weight:700">Bi=
den was the Final Choice of the Democratic Primary Voters.</span>=C2=A0The =
driving question in the Democratic primaries appears to have been =E2=80=9C=
Who can win =E2=80=93 Who can beat Trump.=E2=80=9D For almost all Democrats=
 =E2=80=93 and an untold percentage of independents =E2=80=93 both Biden an=
d Sanders would be better than Trump. It is debatable which of the two is s=
tronger or weaker against Trump. Each has strengths and weaknesses. And don=
=E2=80=99t believe the so-called pragmatists and pundits when they talk abo=
ut electability =E2=80=93 they got it all wrong in 2016 with Trump vs Clint=
on in the general election and Trump vs all the Republican primary candidat=
es; they got it wrong in 2008 with Clinton vs Obama in the primaries; they =
got it wrong in 2004 with Kerry vs Bush; and they got it wrong in 2000 with=
 Gore vs Bush. The pundits and media have determined that Biden is the most=
 electable candidate =E2=80=93 partly based on their analyses and partly on=
 their position as part of the corporate media. The =E2=80=9Cestablishment=
=E2=80=9D consolidated their forces and undertook a well-coordinated and al=
l-out offensive against Sanders. Obviously, they were victorious as the maj=
ority of the Democratic electorate since Super Tuesday determined that Bide=
n had the best chance to beat Trump. This judgment may or may not pan out i=
n the general election. Indeed, an article in=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://thein=
tercept.com/2020/03/11/joe-biden-democratic-primary-voters-nomination/" sty=
le=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:none" targ=
et=3D"_blank">The Intercept</a>=C2=A0is entitled, =E2=80=9CDemocratic Voter=
s Played Pundit in Picking Joe Biden. History Suggests They Are Bad at That=
 Game.=E2=80=9D</font></li></ul><p style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><font color=
=3D"#000000" face=3D"georgia, serif">In sum, Biden checked all the boxes fo=
r Wall Street and the billionaires: he relied on their donations; he proved=
 his loyalty by supporting and championing pro-Wall Street policies over a =
number of decades; he promised that he would remain loyal as president and =
not really implement any significant limits on Wall Street or expansions of=
 power to workers and progressives; and he was the alternative to Sanders.=
=C2=A0 The consensus among the plutocrats: Biden is their man.=C2=A0</font>=
</p><p style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><font face=3D"georgia, serif" color=3D"=
#000000"><span style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;font-weight:700">Trump Also is a=
 Product and Supporter of the Plutocracy.</span>=C2=A0It is obvious why=C2=
=A0<a href=3D"https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/12/2/20970521/tr=
ump-administration-achievements" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px=
 0px;text-decoration-line:none" target=3D"_blank">Wall Street supports Trum=
p</a>=C2=A0as do many billionaires</font></p><ul style=3D"box-sizing:inheri=
t"><li style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;list-style-type:none;padding:0px 0px 5px=
"><font face=3D"georgia, serif" color=3D"#000000"><span style=3D"box-sizing=
:inherit;font-weight:700">He has delivered trillions of dollars</span>=C2=
=A0to Wall Street and the billionaires in the form of massive tax cuts and =
subsidies; eliminated and eroded regulations on Wall Street as well as the =
regulations covering many of its corporate clients such as the oil and gas =
sector; weakened labor unions; packed the courts with pro-business judges; =
privatized public assets; eroded social safety net programs; and is attempt=
ing to cut Social Security and Medicare. Trump=E2=80=99s embrace of the Cor=
porate (and Wall Street) agenda was detailed in a previous article (<a href=
=3D"https://www.commondreams.org/views/2017/06/16/wrong-way-economics-trump=
s-roadmap-corporate-domination" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px =
0px;text-decoration-line:none" target=3D"_blank">Wrong Way Economics: Trump=
&#39;s Roadmap for Corporate Domination</a>)</font></li><li style=3D"box-si=
zing:inherit;list-style-type:none;padding:0px 0px 5px"><font color=3D"#0000=
00" face=3D"georgia, serif"><span style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;font-weight:7=
00">Trump uses the rhetoric of the insurgent but implements the policies of=
 the corporate establishment.</span>=C2=A0Trump uses the language of the in=
surgent to attack the elites that he says are out to get him. He promises t=
o =E2=80=9Cdrain the swamp,=E2=80=9D attacks the mainstream media a =E2=80=
=9Ctrue enemy of the people,=E2=80=9D and targets a growing number of insti=
tutions including the government=E2=80=99s intelligence agencies, the media=
, foreign allies, the Department of Justice, establishment politicians, sci=
entists and the Congressional Budget Office. But, irrespective of and often=
 in direct contradiction to his rhetoric, Trump=E2=80=99s bottom-line polic=
ies overwhelmingly benefit the plutocrats =E2=80=93 his billionaire and cor=
porate executive comrades.=C2=A0 There have been some hiccups such as the t=
ariff wars. But all in all, Wall Street seems very pleased with Trump</font=
></li><li style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;list-style-type:none;padding:0px 0px =
5px"><font face=3D"georgia, serif" color=3D"#000000"><span style=3D"box-siz=
ing:inherit;font-weight:700">Wall Street and the billionaire elite have exp=
ressed their pleasure by showering Trump with money, lots of money.</span>=
=C2=A0For example, in June 2019,=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://www.thedailybeast.=
com/wealthy-donors-boost-huge-fundraising-haul-for-trump-campaign-and-rnc" =
style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:none" t=
arget=3D"_blank">Trump raised $25 million in just 24 hours</a>=C2=A0in Flor=
ida including $6 million from online donors; $8 million through phone-banki=
ng, and, $10.8 million, the largest chunk, from high-dollar Republican Nati=
onal Committee donors. Trump Victory, a joint fundraising committee for the=
 Trump campaign and the RNC, announced that individual=C2=A0<a href=3D"http=
s://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/01/15/wealthy-donors-now-allowed-g=
ive-over-half-million-dollars-each-support-trumps-re-election/" style=3D"bo=
x-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:none" target=3D"_b=
lank">donors can now give up to $580,600 each to support Trump=E2=80=99s</a=
>=C2=A0reelection. Sheldon Adelson, a billionaire who made his initial fort=
une owning casinos, has pledged to spend $100 million to reelect Trump.=C2=
=A0 And there are a=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/preside=
nt-donald-trumps-big-money-supporters/story?id=3D63162927" style=3D"box-siz=
ing:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:none" target=3D"_blank"=
>number of PACs</a>=C2=A0created to funnel money from rich people to Trump=
=E2=80=99s campaign. According to calculations based on data from the=C2=A0=
<a href=3D"https://www.opensecrets.org/2020-presidential-race" style=3D"box=
-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:none" target=3D"_bl=
ank">Center for Responsive Politics</a>, Trump has raised $111 million or 5=
1% of his total from small donors and $34 million from Big Business. Trump =
leads all candidates in the amount of money raised from business, Wall Stre=
et and small donors. That is quite a feat. In terms of money, Trump will be=
 a formidable candidate.</font></li></ul><p style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><f=
ont face=3D"georgia, serif" color=3D"#000000"><span style=3D"box-sizing:inh=
erit;font-weight:700">Wall Street sees a Biden-Trump Election as a Win-Win.=
</span>=C2=A0Wall Street and the billionaire class are all in for Biden. Fo=
r example, the stock market was in freefall because of the spread of the co=
ronavirus. From February 19th through February 28, the S&amp;P 500 fell alm=
ost 432 points or 12.8%. It recovered a bit on March 2nd but fell again on =
March 3rd.=C2=A0 But on March 4th, the market posted a strong gain of almos=
t 127 points or 4.2%. This miraculous recovery =E2=80=93 an event that actu=
ally stopped a significant decline in the stock market at least temporarily=
 =E2=80=93 was none other than the result of the Super Tuesday Democratic P=
arty primaries. The stock market was elevated because the political life of=
 Joe Biden (a tried and true Wall Street ally) was resurrected, and the San=
ders juggernaut was blunted.=C2=A0 A=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://www.nytimes.co=
m/2020/03/04/business/stock-markets-today.html" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit=
;background:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:none" target=3D"_blank">NY Times h=
eadline</a>=C2=A0read, =E2=80=9CStocks Surge as Biden Leads Super Tuesday R=
esults: Health care stocks led the gains, as investors reacted to the lates=
t Democratic primary results.=E2=80=9D The article quoted one Wall Street i=
nsider, =E2=80=9CCompared with Mr. Sanders, Mr. Biden=E2=80=99s =E2=80=98pr=
oposed tax rises are relatively modest, he supports light touch regulation =
and he would pursue a much softer line on tariffs,=E2=80=99 Michael Pearce,=
 an economist at Capital Economics wrote to clients. =E2=80=98The prospect =
of a Biden-Trump showdown would be a clear positive for the markets, and pr=
obably a small plus for the economy too=E2=80=99 (bold added).=E2=80=9D Not=
e that the emphasis was on the Wall Street market, with a possibility that =
the general economy (and thus everyone else) might benefit by a little, but=
 maybe not.</font></p><h3 style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><span style=3D"box-s=
izing:inherit"><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"georgia, serif">The Victory =
of the Plutocrats=E2=80=94What to Expect From the Next President</font></sp=
an></h3><p style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"geo=
rgia, serif">Wall Street, the corporate elite and the billionaire donors go=
t their dream contest=E2=80=94Biden vs Trump=E2=80=94an election in which t=
hey win no matter which candidate is elected. The question now is what to e=
xpect from a re-elected Trump or a newly elected Biden.</font></p><p style=
=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"georgia, serif"><sp=
an style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;font-weight:700">What to Expect if Trump is =
Re-elected.</span>=C2=A0The re-election of Trump would be a victory not onl=
y for the plutocrats but also open the possibility of an autocracy</font></=
p><ul style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><li style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;list-sty=
le-type:none;padding:0px 0px 5px"><font face=3D"georgia, serif" color=3D"#0=
00000"><span style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;font-weight:700">Corporate Agenda.=
</span>=C2=A0Trump will continue to implement what I call the =E2=80=9C<a h=
ref=3D"https://www.commondreams.org/views/2017/06/16/wrong-way-economics-tr=
umps-roadmap-corporate-domination" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0=
px 0px;text-decoration-line:none" target=3D"_blank">corporate agenda</a>=E2=
=80=9D of increasing the profits, wealth and income flowing to big corporat=
ions and the billionaire donors by decreasing their taxes; increasing the d=
e-regulation of laws and rules that protect the public (air, water, food, d=
rugs, labor, etc.); cutting Social Security, Medicare and social programs i=
n general; privatizing and corporatizing our public assets such as land and=
 public services such as education</font></li><li style=3D"box-sizing:inher=
it;list-style-type:none;padding:0px 0px 5px"><font face=3D"georgia, serif" =
color=3D"#000000"><span style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;font-weight:700">Rhetor=
ic of National Capitalism.</span>=C2=A0Trump will implement the corporate a=
genda in a way that further divides the nation by using what I call the=C2=
=A0<a href=3D"https://www.commondreams.org/views/2017/06/05/roadmap-destruc=
tion-trump-cacanomics-and-rhetoric-national-capitalism" style=3D"box-sizing=
:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:none" target=3D"_blank">rh=
etoric of national capitalism</a>. Trump expertly pits =E2=80=9Cus=E2=80=9D=
 (white, American born, heterosexual, Christian) against the =E2=80=9Cother=
=E2=80=9D (everyone else) by instilling fear and hate</font></li><li style=
=3D"box-sizing:inherit;list-style-type:none;padding:0px 0px 5px"><font face=
=3D"georgia, serif" color=3D"#000000"><span style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;fon=
t-weight:700">Legalized Corruption.</span>=C2=A0Through this system, Wall S=
treet, the corporate elite and the billionaire class purchase the allegianc=
e of politicians by investing billions of dollars in campaign contributions=
; obtain favorable legislation by spending billions more in lobbying; and e=
nsure that the legislation is supported by pro-corporate judges who have be=
en appointed by those same politicians. (See the following article for a de=
tailed explanation of our system of=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://www.commondream=
s.org/views/2019/10/15/legalized-political-corruption-so-much-bigger-trump-=
journey-7-charts" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decor=
ation-line:none" target=3D"_blank">legalized corruption</a>)</font></li><li=
 style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;list-style-type:none;padding:0px 0px 5px"><fon=
t face=3D"georgia, serif" color=3D"#000000"><span style=3D"box-sizing:inher=
it;font-weight:700">The Movement towards Autocracy.</span>=C2=A0There are m=
any articles examining how Trump is paving the way to an autocracy =E2=80=
=93 examples include his=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://www.theatlantic.com/politi=
cs/archive/2018/06/the-strangest-thing-about-trumps-approach-to-presidentia=
l-power/562271/" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decora=
tion-line:none" target=3D"_blank">expansion of the president=E2=80=99s powe=
r</a>, subversion of the system=E2=80=99s=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://www.theat=
lantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/02/checks-and-balances-trump-has-swept-away/6=
06013/" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decoration-line=
:none" target=3D"_blank">checks and balances</a>,=C2=A0 initiation of a=C2=
=A0<a href=3D"https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/the-trump-admin=
istrations-war-on-the-government-is-an-autocratic-attempt" style=3D"box-siz=
ing:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:none" target=3D"_blank"=
>war on government</a>, application of=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://www.theguard=
ian.com/commentisfree/2019/oct/17/trump-autocrat-congress-judiciary-democra=
cy" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:non=
e" target=3D"_blank">official power to further his own interests</a>, and e=
ven his embrace and=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics=
/2019/07/01/we-get-it-mr-president-youre-into-autocracy/" style=3D"box-sizi=
ng:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:none" target=3D"_blank">=
admiration of autocrats around the world</a>.</font></li></ul><p style=3D"b=
ox-sizing:inherit"><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"georgia, serif"><span st=
yle=3D"box-sizing:inherit;font-weight:700">What to Expect if Biden is Elect=
ed.</span>=C2=A0Yes, Biden would be a significant improvement over Trump - =
especially if the Democrats actually win the Senate and keep the House. And=
 stating the obvious, Biden will also be much more sensitive to pressure fr=
om progressives than Trump.</font></p><ul style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><li =
style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;list-style-type:none;padding:0px 0px 5px"><font=
 color=3D"#000000" face=3D"georgia, serif"><span style=3D"box-sizing:inheri=
t;font-weight:700">Light Touch Regulation and Mild Tax Increases on the wea=
lthy.</span>=C2=A0In the words of the previously quoted Wall Street insider=
, =E2=80=9CCompared with Mr. Sanders, Mr. Biden=E2=80=99s =E2=80=98proposed=
 tax rises are relatively modest, he supports light touch regulation and he=
 would pursue a much softer line on tariffs.=E2=80=9D</font></li><li style=
=3D"box-sizing:inherit;list-style-type:none;padding:0px 0px 5px"><font colo=
r=3D"#000000" face=3D"georgia, serif"><span style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;fon=
t-weight:700">Biden will not =E2=80=93 and never has =E2=80=93 challenged t=
he power of Wall Street and the billionaire donor class.</span>=C2=A0The pr=
evious quote of Biden at a fundraiser tells us all we need to know, =E2=80=
=9CWe can disagree in the margins, but the truth of the matter is it=E2=80=
=99s all within our wheelhouse and nobody has to be punished. No one=E2=80=
=99s standard of living will change, nothing would fundamentally change=E2=
=80=A6I need you very badly. I hope if I win this nomination, I won=E2=80=
=99t let you down. I promise you.=E2=80=9D</font></li><li style=3D"box-sizi=
ng:inherit;list-style-type:none;padding:0px 0px 5px"><font face=3D"georgia,=
 serif" color=3D"#000000"><span style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;font-weight:700=
">Biden will appoint members of the Wall Street elite to powerful positions=
 in his administration.</span>=C2=A0Senator Warren famously used the phrase=
, =E2=80=9Cpersonnel is policy=E2=80=9D to show how a policy can be support=
ed or subverted by staff and officials. Thus, the choice of staff and nomin=
ees for important positions are critical for an executive to implement his/=
her policies. If you want a progressive policy, then appoint progressives. =
If you want a conservative policy, the appoint conservatives. If you want a=
 pro-Wall Street policy than appoint Wall Street insiders. Biden=E2=80=99s=
=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://prospect.org/power/writing-2020-candidates-policie=
s/" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:non=
e" target=3D"_blank">close economic advisors</a>=C2=A0include, Eric Mindich=
, a former Goldman Sachs partner, Peter Scher of JP Morgan, Don Graves of K=
eyBank and Larry Summers, the former Treasury Secretary who is infamous for=
 spearheading some of the major=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://www.theguardian.com=
/commentisfree/2013/aug/12/larry-summers-record-discar-fed-chairmanship" st=
yle=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:none" tar=
get=3D"_blank">financial deregulation</a>=C2=A0initiatives of the Clinton a=
dministration.=C2=A0 Other names mentioned as possible Treasury Secretary c=
andidates are Jamie Dimon, the chair and CEO of JP Morgan Chase and Anne Fi=
nucane, vice chair of Bank of America. It is clear that Biden will not only=
 pick Wall Street insiders to key economic positions in his administration =
but will never veer far from the policies favored by the Wall Street plutoc=
rats.</font></li><li style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;list-style-type:none;paddi=
ng:0px 0px 5px"><font face=3D"georgia, serif" color=3D"#000000"><span style=
=3D"box-sizing:inherit;font-weight:700">Biden will not =E2=80=93 and never =
has =E2=80=93 attempted to empower workers, women and minorities to create =
their own movement.</span>=C2=A0As detailed in a=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://ww=
w.commondreams.org/views/2020/02/23/joe-biden-serves-wall-street-not-main-s=
treet" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:=
none" target=3D"_blank">previous article</a>, Biden has been an agent for W=
all Street and the billionaires to the detriment of the millions of workers=
 and small businesspersons who inhabit Main Street.=C2=A0 Under a Biden pre=
sidency, the vast transfer of income and wealth from workers to Wall Street=
 and the billionaires will continue. As previously discussed, Biden is culp=
able for the failure to pass legislation in 2009 and 1978 that would have a=
ided workers to exercise their right to organize and collectively bargain.<=
/font></li><li style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;list-style-type:none;padding:0px=
 0px 5px"><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"georgia, serif"><span style=3D"bo=
x-sizing:inherit;font-weight:700">The hope is that Biden will be pressured =
to do some things that make peoples=E2=80=99 lives better</span>=C2=A0and t=
hat progressives use this period to strengthen the movement to actually win=
 elections in the future</font></li><li style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;list-st=
yle-type:none;padding:0px 0px 5px"><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"georgia,=
 serif"><span style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;font-weight:700">The fear is that=
 millions of workers will grow ever more frustrated,</span>=C2=A0the Democr=
atic Party will lose even more credibility, our institutions will lose legi=
timacy and the forces of autocracy will continue to grow =E2=80=93 creating=
 the conditions for an even more dangerous version of Trump in the future.=
=C2=A0 Yes, Biden would be better than Trump =E2=80=93 but that is a low ba=
r given the challenges we face as a nation, a species and inhabitants of th=
e earth =E2=80=93 and it is a low bar compared to the Sanders alternative.<=
/font></li></ul><h3 style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><span style=3D"box-sizing:=
inherit"><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"georgia, serif">What Can Progressi=
ves Do To Strengthen Democracy?</font></span></h3><p style=3D"box-sizing:in=
herit"></p><div style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"></div><p style=3D"box-sizing:i=
nherit"><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"georgia, serif">A Sanders victory f=
or the Democratic nomination and the possible victory in the general electi=
on would have been profound. This would have constituted a deeper level of =
what it would mean to =E2=80=9Cwin.=E2=80=9D And from this level a win woul=
d mean the ability to openly discuss and attempt to address the major issue=
s of our time: which candidate will best be able to help lead the fight for=
 an effective democracy over our existing plutocracy; address the climate c=
risis on a scale proportional to the crisis itself rather than seeking tota=
lly inadequate incremental changes;=C2=A0 create the conditions for peace o=
ver war, justice over the oppression of classes, races and genders; and ens=
ure that the richest nation in world history can provide everyone with a go=
od public education; quality health care; adequate shelter; a clean and hea=
lthy environment; provide women with the ability to determine their own rep=
roductive decisions; and ensure that all citizens can not only to be able t=
o vote but to also have a real role in determining the decisions that signi=
ficantly affect their lives =E2=80=93 not as privileges afforded to the few=
 but as rights enjoyed by all. In these terms, only one candidate would eve=
n attempt to accomplish these goals; only one candidate would actually mobi=
lize millions to accomplish these goals; only one candidate would fight the=
 plutocracy and empower workers; only one candidate is actually feared by t=
he plutocrats and their political and media allies =E2=80=93 and that candi=
date is Bernie Sanders. And that=E2=80=99s why the plutocrats and their pol=
itical and media allies wanted to defeat Sanders.</font></p><p style=3D"box=
-sizing:inherit"><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"georgia, serif">So, what c=
an progressive do now? Here are some ideas to begin a discussion about next=
 steps.</font></p><p style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><font face=3D"georgia, se=
rif" color=3D"#000000"><span style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;font-weight:700">H=
elp Defeat Trump and If That Fails =E2=80=93 RAISE HELL.</span>=C2=A0<a hre=
f=3D"https://www.cnsnews.com/article/national/cnsnewscom-staff/bernie-sande=
rs-trump-racist-sexist-homophobe-xenophobe-and" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit=
;background:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:none" target=3D"_blank">Bernie San=
ders</a>=C2=A0crystalized the approach of many progressives towards Trump w=
hen he stated, =E2=80=9CLet me begin by reiterating what I have said from D=
ay One of this campaign, and that is that Donald Trump is the most dangerou=
s president in the modern history of our country and he must be defeated=E2=
=80=A6 In my view, he is a racist, a sexist, a homophobe, a xenophobe and a=
 religious bigot and he must be defeated, and I will do everything in my po=
wer to make that happen.=E2=80=9D But what if Biden loses? Or what if Biden=
 wins and the Republicans continue to control the senate, do not experience=
 the =E2=80=9Cepiphany=E2=80=9D predicted by Biden but, instead, engage in =
the same strategy of near-total obstructionism they utilized against Obama =
after they won a senate majority in the 2010 elections. Each of these scena=
rios would be depressing. But each would also herald the moment that progre=
ssives must galvanize and unite to oppose Trump and/or an obstructionist se=
nate at every moment. This means constant demonstrations, occupations and c=
oordinated actions and events against Trump and his political allies here, =
there and everywhere. In the words of the movement, =E2=80=9CNo Justice, No=
 Peace.=E2=80=9D=C2=A0</font></p><p style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><font colo=
r=3D"#000000" face=3D"georgia, serif"><span style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;fon=
t-weight:700">Pressure Biden at Every Turn, at Every Moment as a Candidate =
and as President if He Wins.</span>=C2=A0Biden will be susceptible to press=
ure from progressives. He is a weak candidate whose primary reason for supp=
ort was that he could defeat Trump.=C2=A0 He may or may not be able to defe=
at Trump. But the Democrats chances rely on creating more turnout for Biden=
 than the Republican turnout for Trump. And to do this he needs progressive=
s to not only vote for him and support him but to get out the vote of other=
s. This is not a plea for making nice. It is a plea for tough love =E2=80=
=93 Biden has to do more than mouth platitudes while we have to make sure t=
hat he commits to keeping his promises =E2=80=93 and to expand the breadth =
of those promises as much as possible.</font></p><p style=3D"box-sizing:inh=
erit"><font face=3D"georgia, serif" color=3D"#000000"><span style=3D"box-si=
zing:inherit;font-weight:700">Pressure Biden to keep his promises =E2=80=93=
 and to loudly and directly let him know when he fails to do so both during=
 the campaign and, if he is elected, throughout his administration.</span>=
=C2=A0Just take a look at his website for his=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://joebi=
den.com/" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decoration-li=
ne:none" target=3D"_blank">many promises</a>. He promises to expand voting =
rights, get private money out of federal elections, expand workers=E2=80=99=
 rights and the power of unions, create a public option for Obamacare, prot=
ect the right of women to control their own reproductive decisions, counter=
 the effects of racism and bigotry, and protect the rights of the LGBTQ com=
munity.=C2=A0</font></p><p style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><font color=3D"#000=
000" face=3D"georgia, serif"><span style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;font-weight:=
700">Pressure Biden to expand his agenda to include important planks of San=
ders democracy program.</span>=C2=A0There are a number of Sanders=E2=80=99 =
proposals that should be included in Biden=E2=80=99s plans. This will be di=
fficult since these proposals are directly opposed by Biden=E2=80=99s billi=
onaire and Wall Street investors. But that is part of political drama in wh=
ich we find ourselves</font></p><ul style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><li style=
=3D"box-sizing:inherit;list-style-type:none;padding:0px 0px 5px"><font colo=
r=3D"#000000" face=3D"georgia, serif"><span style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;fon=
t-weight:700">Expand the power of voters and democracy.</span>=C2=A0As stat=
ed, Biden is very vague on this subject which means that he probably won=E2=
=80=99t do anything to follow through if he becomes president. Conversely, =
Sanders was very specific. His website contains specific plans to =E2=80=9C=
end racist voter suppression and partisan gerrymandering=E2=80=A6 secure au=
tomatic voter registration for every American over 18=E2=80=A6 abolish burd=
ensome voter ID laws=E2=80=A6 make election day a national holiday=E2=80=A6=
.pass a constitutional amendment that makes clear that money is not speech =
and corporations are not people=E2=80=A6replace corporate funding and donat=
ions from millionaires and billionaires with public funding of elections th=
at amplifies small-donor donations=E2=80=A6=E2=80=9D The Sanders website al=
so includes specific proposals that provide substance for each of these pro=
grammatic goals. Nothing vague here. Progressives should push Biden to be m=
ore specific so that he can be held accountable if he becomes president</fo=
nt></li><li style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;list-style-type:none;padding:0px 0p=
x 5px"><font face=3D"georgia, serif" color=3D"#000000"><span style=3D"box-s=
izing:inherit;font-weight:700">Expand the power of workers.</span>=C2=A0Bot=
h Sanders and Biden have promised to expand the ability of unions to organi=
ze and collectively bargain, though Biden, as previously discussed, lacks c=
redibility here. But there is another very important proposal unique to San=
ders that would allow employers to fire =E2=80=9Cat will=E2=80=9D employees=
 only for =E2=80=9Cjust cause,=E2=80=9D i.e., their performance on the job.=
 As an article in=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/7x5799=
/elizabeth-warrens-new-labor-plan-is-good-bernie-sanders-is-better" style=
=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:none" target=
=3D"_blank">Vice</a>=C2=A0states, =E2=80=9CThe overwhelming majority of Ame=
rican workers are employed &quot;at will,&quot; which means that they can b=
e fired for basically any reason, regardless of performance on the job. If =
your boss doesn&#39;t like your shirt, or your politics, or your favorite s=
ports team, they can fire you. Theoretically, workers enjoy certain protect=
ions that allow them to=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://www.nlrb.gov/rights-we-prot=
ect/enforcement-activity/protected-concerted-activity" style=3D"box-sizing:=
inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:none" target=3D"_blank">org=
anize unions</a>=C2=A0or combat racial and gender discrimination. But in th=
e modern American workplace, the balance of power so favors employers that =
these protections are rarely enforced in practice.=E2=80=9D Most union work=
ers are protected by =E2=80=9Cjust cause=E2=80=9D provisions in their contr=
acts. =E2=80=9CAt will=E2=80=9D employees are not protected at all.=C2=A0 T=
his Sanders proposal would represent a major expansion of workers=E2=80=99 =
rights. Biden should be pressured to adopt this position =E2=80=93 though h=
e would resist since it would really upset his donors</font></li></ul><p st=
yle=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><font face=3D"georgia, serif" color=3D"#000000">=
<span style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;font-weight:700">Progressives should deci=
sively oppose the nomination of any Wall Street and corporate officials for=
 key governmental positions.</span>=C2=A0Progressives should attempt to pre=
vent the nomination of any Wall Street connected individual to any major po=
sition in a Biden administration. Indeed, no corporate connected individual=
 should be nominated for any position that has any direct or indirect relat=
ionship with the industry from which he/she has served. Robert Kuttner in=
=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://prospect.org/economy/biden-do-not-reappoint-list-e=
conomic-policy-advisers/" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0px;te=
xt-decoration-line:none" target=3D"_blank">The American Prospect</a>=C2=A0i=
dentifies other individuals that progressives should organize against if Bi=
den wins. Furthermore, progressives should support the=C2=A0<a href=3D"http=
s://www.warren.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Master%20Summary%20of%20Anti%20Corr=
uption%20Act%20-%20FINAL.pdf" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0p=
x;text-decoration-line:none" target=3D"_blank">Anti-Corruption and Public I=
ntegrity Act</a>=C2=A0introduced by Senator Warren that would, among other =
things, end the revolving door through which congressional staffers and ele=
cted officials become corporate lobbyists and corporate officials and/or lo=
bbyists become congressional or executive department staff or officials.</f=
ont></p><p style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><font face=3D"georgia, serif" color=
=3D"#000000"><span style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;font-weight:700">Organize an=
d Mobilize.</span>=C2=A0One of the most significant features of the Sanders=
 strategy to get his<br style=3D"box-sizing:inherit">programs passed or at =
least considered is probably what worried the plutocrats the most =E2=80=93=
 Mass Mobilization. An=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://inthesetimes.com/features/Be=
rnie-Sanders-presidency-climate-mobilization.html" style=3D"box-sizing:inhe=
rit;background:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:none" target=3D"_blank">In Thes=
e Times</a>=C2=A0article captures this element of what a Sanders presidency=
 would have entailed, =E2=80=9CSanders understands that change at this scal=
e will require mass movements to pressure Congress and every level of gover=
nment=E2=80=94and to change their composition. Americans isolated and atomi=
zed by cutthroat capitalism must engage in massive collective action. His p=
olitical program isn=E2=80=99t just about=C2=A0policy, then, but about the =
capacity of ordinary people to participate in democracy. This disruption in=
cludes, critically, his plans to facilitate direct=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://=
berniesanders.com/issues/workplace-democracy/" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;=
background:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:none" target=3D"_blank">participati=
on</a>=C2=A0in decisions from our workplaces to our energy systems, shiftin=
g the balance of power in our society. No one contends that Sanders alone w=
ill spark, let alone be, a mass movement. The Sanders campaign slogan, =E2=
=80=9CNot Me. Us.,=E2=80=9D conveys precisely that. Sanders, as he=C2=A0<a =
href=3D"https://theintercept.com/2019/10/20/bernie-sanders-ocasio-cortez-ra=
lly-interview/" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decorat=
ion-line:none" target=3D"_blank">puts it</a>, is =E2=80=98gonna be organize=
r-in-chief.=E2=80=99=E2=80=99</font></p><p style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><fo=
nt color=3D"#000000" face=3D"georgia, serif">It would have been relatively =
easy for progressives to coalesce with a President Sanders leading the char=
ge. But that is not going to happen. The challenge for the progressive move=
ment now is how to do this without Sanders being president. There are a num=
ber of models that could be considered for such a strategy and examples of =
similar strategies currently being utilized by progressives</font></p><p st=
yle=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><font face=3D"georgia, serif" color=3D"#000000">=
<span style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;font-weight:700">Mobilize Within the Demo=
cratic Party.</span>=C2=A0The Tea Party provides a model for this strategy =
even though it was focused on the Republican Party. The Tea Party basically=
 functioned as the shock troops for the right-wing of the right-wing Republ=
ican Party. The Tea Party utilized direct action and running primary oppone=
nts against any Republican official who did not toe the line on specific po=
licies such as shrinking the size of government by simultaneously cutting t=
axes and cutting social programs. The Tea Party was formed in 2009 to direc=
tly oppose the Obama administration and to purge moderate Republicans. The =
Tea Party was primarily funded by the Koch brothers, the libertarian/Republ=
ican billionaires who made their money in oil and gas. Quite a few Tea Part=
y-supported politicians won their elections and rose to leadership position=
s in congress. The Tea Party successfully changed the internal dynamics of =
the Republican Party and formed one of the most powerful caucuses within co=
ngress. Ultimately, the Tea Party itself faded from the scene after they ba=
sically won =E2=80=93 the Republican Party became a uniformly right-wing =
=E2=80=9Cconservative=E2=80=9D party and Trump was elected president.=C2=A0=
<br style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><br style=3D"box-sizing:inherit">Initial f=
orays into the =E2=80=9Cmobilize within the Democratic party=E2=80=9D strat=
egy have been launched by groups such as=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://www.justic=
edemocrats.com/home" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-de=
coration-line:none" target=3D"_blank">Justice Democrats</a>,=C2=A0<a href=
=3D"https://www.ourrevolution.com/" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:=
0px 0px;text-decoration-line:none" target=3D"_blank">Our Revolution</a>, th=
e=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://workingfamilies.org/" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit=
;background:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:none" target=3D"_blank">Working Fa=
milies Party</a>, and=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/21/us=
/politics/aoc-democrats.html" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0p=
x;text-decoration-line:none" target=3D"_blank">Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez</a>=
=C2=A0who have all endorsed and supported progressive candidates against co=
rporate Democrats, including incumbents. This strategy drives the corporate=
 Democrats crazy. Indeed, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee a=
nnounced a new policy to=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://www.washingtonpost.com/pow=
erpost/democratic-leaders-stand-firm-on-incumbent-favor-rule-rebuff-liberal=
-cries-of-blacklist/2019/04/02/117a7714-54bd-11e9-8ef3-fbd41a2ce4d5_story.h=
tml" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0px;text-decoration-line:no=
ne" target=3D"_blank">blacklist</a>=C2=A0any consultants or firms that do b=
usiness with any candidate that challenges a Democratic incumbent in a prim=
ary. The =E2=80=9Cestablishment=E2=80=9D Democrats realize that =E2=80=9Cpr=
imarying=E2=80=9D incumbents is an effective means to move the =E2=80=9Cpar=
ty=E2=80=9D in a progressive direction. After all, it worked for the Tea Pa=
rty which gladly accepted that the short-term loss of some incumbents in fa=
vor of the long-term gain represented by the election of more supportive po=
liticians. Running progressive candidates in the primaries and general elec=
tions is a medium and long-term strategy that cannot be judged just in term=
s of whether the candidates initially win or not. This effort marks an inve=
stment in building a grass roots base of activists and a progressive leader=
ship that has experience running in elections.=C2=A0 This strategy requires=
 a lot of work and money; however, it should be expanded =E2=80=93 and prog=
ressive groups should combine and coordinate their efforts</font></p><p sty=
le=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><font face=3D"georgia, serif" color=3D"#000000"><=
span style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;font-weight:700">Mobilize Outside the Demo=
cratic Party.</span>=C2=A0Occupy Wall Street (OWS) exploded on the scene in=
 September 2011. The popular slogan of the OWS, =E2=80=9CWe are the 99%,=E2=
=80=9D succinctly referred to the great gap between the wealthiest 1% and t=
he rest of the population.=C2=A0 And the term, Occupy Wall Street, as well =
as the actual occupation of public spaces across the U.S.- including Zuccot=
ti Park in NY City=E2=80=99s financial district - directly targeted the ins=
titution most linked to the inequality of a system based on wealth, income =
and power.=C2=A0 Young people formed the initial surge of activists for OWS=
 but it gained support from older people, some unions and other progressive=
 groups. The general program of OWS is remarkably similar to the Sanders 20=
20 platform: more balanced distribution of income and wealth, more and bett=
er paid jobs, bank reform, curtailment of Wall Street speculation, and forg=
iveness of student loan and mortgage debt. The OWS movement was great at ga=
lvanizing support, changing the terms of political debate and energizing th=
ousands and thousands of people. However, it also had weaknesses that limit=
ed its long-term existence; primarily, it lacked an institutional base like=
 unions or a political party to insure its survival over time. The OWS move=
ment did not disappear; instead, in the words of an article in=C2=A0<a href=
=3D"https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/06/the-triumph-of-occ=
upy-wall-street/395408/" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0px;tex=
t-decoration-line:none" target=3D"_blank">The Atlantic</a>, =E2=80=9Cit jus=
t splintered and regrouped around a variety of focused causes.=E2=80=9D<br =
style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><br style=3D"box-sizing:inherit">The Red for E=
d teachers=E2=80=99 movements of 2018 provide another example of a movement=
 outside of the political party system. The Red for Ed movement involved ma=
ny thousands of teachers who walked off their jobs in West Virginia, Oklaho=
ma, Arizona, and Kentucky. These states had all significantly cut school fu=
nding over a period of years so that teachers were burdened with low pay, v=
ery high teacher to student ratios, and no money for the resources they nee=
ded for their students. In 2018, they walked off the job in these =E2=80=9C=
red=E2=80=9D republican-dominated states and forced the republican governor=
s and legislators to begin to address the issues.=C2=A0 In 2019, the teache=
rs uprising spread to Oakland California, Chicago Illinois and even Dedham =
Massachusetts. The teachers in each of these instances by and large had the=
 support of their communities.</font></p><p style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><f=
ont color=3D"#000000" face=3D"georgia, serif">Movements like Occupy Wall St=
reet and Red for Ed were not the result of long-term planning. Instead, the=
y were sparked by some initial event and then took off. Though they were no=
t planned way in advance, they later became more organized and centralized.=
 Progressives can=E2=80=99t create such a spark that will mobilize many tho=
usands. But progressives can create a political infrastructure that could b=
e used to support such movements when they arise.=C2=A0 At the most basic l=
evel, this infrastructure begins with the creation of personal ties between=
 individual activists in common struggle =E2=80=93 for example, those worki=
ng on the Sanders and Warren campaigns. It requires these activists to stay=
 in touch. And it requires groups who support each other in solidarity to k=
eep in touch and offer mutual support when needed =E2=80=93 such as civil r=
ights, environmental, and peace groups supporting unions on strike. Or unio=
ns supporting the struggles of other groups.=C2=A0 Such mutual support not =
only creates a level of trust but also an infrastructure of solidarity that=
 can be utilized when needed.</font></p><p style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><fo=
nt color=3D"#000000" face=3D"georgia, serif">The challenge just might be ho=
w to combine the outside-the-party fervor and focus of the Occupy Wall Stre=
et movement with a progressive version of the inside-the-party fervor and f=
ocus of the Tea Party. Senator Sanders was able to do both in his 2020 camp=
aign.=C2=A0 Now it is up to us to figure out how to develop this combinatio=
n without a presidential candidate who could more easily galvanize and focu=
s the activities of millions of supporters and thousands of activists throu=
ghout the country. It is a difficult challenge, but it can be done; after a=
ll, the Tea Party arose without the leadership of the Republican Party esta=
blishment =E2=80=93 it just targeted the existing cast of Republican electe=
d officials. Nor did Occupy Wall Street have the support of President Obama=
 - the occupiers just organized and mobilized.</font></p><h3 style=3D"box-s=
izing:inherit"><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"georgia, serif">Conclusion</=
font></h3><p style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"g=
eorgia, serif">Wall Street and the billionaires are fine with Biden and the=
y are fine with Trump =E2=80=93 even though Trump represents a real threat =
to our democracy in terms of leading us further down the road to autocracy.=
 But Biden will continue to lead us down the road of a plutocracy (rule by =
the wealthy elite). Wall Street really doesn=E2=80=99t care which of these =
two roads is taken. Wall Street is very clear that Sanders is the enemy bec=
ause he has tried and will continue to try to limit their power and expand =
the power of Main Street. To Wall Street, a Biden vs Trump election is a wi=
n-win. And Wall Street and the billionaire elite =E2=80=93 as well as their=
 political and media allies =E2=80=93 have done everything in their power t=
o prevent the possibility of a Sanders victory in the primaries.=C2=A0</fon=
t></p><p style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"georg=
ia, serif">This fundamental lack of distinction between Trump and Biden in =
the eyes of Wall Street does not bode well for the long-term health of our =
democracy and the working class.=C2=A0 Both Trump and Biden will continue t=
o enact policies that will increase the flow of income and wealth going to =
corporations, Wall Street and the billionaire donor class =E2=80=93 as has =
been the case for the past 45 years under both Democrat and Republican admi=
nistrations. Trump has proven that he will try to speed this process as muc=
h as possible. But, so will Biden - as proven by his support for the deregu=
lation of the financial sector, the Bankruptcy Bill of 2005, a balanced bud=
get amendment, anti-worker/pro-corporate trade deals, and proposed cuts to =
Social Security and social programs to reduce the federal debt.=C2=A0 Biden=
 is a tried and true life-long friend of Wall Street =E2=80=93 to the detri=
ment of Main Street and working families across the U.S.=C2=A0</font></p><p=
 style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"georgia, seri=
f">However, there are important distinctions between Biden and Trump from t=
he perspective of progressives.=C2=A0 Biden may be a plutocrat, but he is n=
ot an autocrat. And Biden is vulnerable in some ways to pressure by progres=
sives as opposed to Trump who will try to destroy progressives at every lev=
el. The fear is that =E2=80=93 even if Biden is elected - a continuation of=
 the pro-plutocrat policies that have dominated our politics for 45 years w=
ill make the millions of workers and small businesspeople who inhabit Main =
Street even more frustrated and angry, de-legitimize the entire political s=
ystem, and create an even stronger possibility that our plutocracy could be=
come an autocracy as people search for real change.</font></p><p style=3D"b=
ox-sizing:inherit"><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"georgia, serif">Progress=
ives thus face an enormous challenge. We have to defeat Trump but be able t=
o pressure Biden to embrace policies that favor working people over billion=
aires =E2=80=93 something that he and has not really done before. But, more=
 importantly, we must continue to build power by expanding the progressive =
movement. The defeat of Sanders was a blow because he was the only real thr=
eat to Wall Street=E2=80=99s domination of our political economy and, in te=
rms of the remaining candidates, the only one who actually attempted to sig=
nificantly limit the power of the plutocrats, expand the power of workers a=
nd set us back on the road to democracy. We may have missed an historic opp=
ortunity that may not appear again. But that depends on us =E2=80=93 not on=
 any one candidate.=C2=A0 Our challenge now is not only to defeat Trump but=
 to generate a mass progressive movement to continue the struggle for justi=
ce and democracy. Now is the time to follow the advice given by Joe Hill, a=
 labor organizer, leader and songwriter, before he was executed by the stat=
e of Utah in 1915: =E2=80=9CDon=E2=80=99t Mourn, Organize!=E2=80=9D</font><=
/p></div></div></div></div><div style=3D"font-size:17px;box-sizing:inherit;=
margin:50px 0px"><div style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><div style=3D"box-sizing=
:inherit;margin:0px 0px 10px"><div id=3D"m_-7016705207987351881gmail-cdream=
s-profile-11356" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><div style=3D"box-sizing:inhe=
rit"><div style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;float:left;margin:4px 12px 10px 0px">=
<div style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><div style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><div st=
yle=3D"box-sizing:inherit"></div></div></div></div><div style=3D"box-sizing=
:inherit"><div style=3D"box-sizing:inherit"><div style=3D"box-sizing:inheri=
t"><p style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 1em;font-size:0.9em"><font=
 face=3D"georgia, serif" color=3D"#000000"><a href=3D"https://www.commondre=
ams.org/author/kenneth-peres" style=3D"box-sizing:inherit;background:0px 0p=
x;text-decoration-line:none" target=3D"_blank"><span style=3D"box-sizing:in=
herit;font-weight:700">Kenneth R. Peres</span></a>=C2=A0retired as chief ec=
onomist of the Communications Workers of America. Formerly, he served as ec=
onomist for the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, the Montana House Select Committee=
 on Economic Development, and the Montana Alliance for Progressive Policy. =
Ken has held teaching positions at the University of Montana, St. John&#39;=
s University, Chief Dull Knife College, and the City University of New York=
. He obtained a PhD in economics from the New School in New York City.</fon=
t></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>

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