'Unsustainable': Bernie Sanders urges Americans to 'fight back' against the corporate 'ruling' class

02 September 2022

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is concerned about an emerging class in the United States and how it could ultimately create more economic problems for the working class.

In a new op-ed published by The Guardian, Sanders offered a brief overview of the 2022 financial scope in America. "Three multibillionaires own more wealth than the bottom half of American society – 160 million Americans. This is unsustainable," Sanders wrote.

Sanders sounded off with concerns about the much-needed discussions that are not being had among lawmakers due to the actions of the ruling class. "We know how important these issues are because our ruling class works overtime to prevent them from being seriously discussed," he wrote.

"They are barely mentioned in the halls of Congress, where most members are dependent on the campaign contributions of the wealthy and their Super Pacs," Sanders added. "They are not much discussed in the corporate media, in which a handful of conglomerates determine what we see, hear and discuss."

The independent lawmaker also shed light on the growing income and wealth gap driving financial inequality across the United States.

"We now have more income and wealth inequality than at any time in the last hundred years. In the year 2022, three multi-billionaires own more wealth than the bottom half of American society – 160 million Americans. Today, 45% of all new income goes to the top 1%, and CEOs of large corporations make a record-breaking 350 times what their workers earn.

"Today, half of our people live paycheck to paycheck and millions struggle on starvation wages. Despite a lifetime of work, half of older Americans have no savings and no idea how they will ever be able to retire with dignity, while 55% of seniors are trying to survive on an income of less than $25,000 a year."

Sanders further highlighted the starkly different lifestyles average Americans have lived during the pandemic compared to ultra-rich billionaires. "During this terrible pandemic, when thousands of essential workers died doing their jobs, some 700 billionaires in America became nearly $2tn richer."

Invoking the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Sanders stressed the importance of fighting back against "corporate greed."

"Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was right when he said 'We must recognize that we can’t solve our problem now until there is a radical redistribution of economic and political power' in America. That statement is even more true today," he wrote.

"Let us have the courage to stand together and fight back against corporate greed. Let us fight back against massive income and wealth inequality. Let us fight back against a corrupt political system," Sanders added. "Let us stand together and finally create an economy and a government that works for all, not just the 1%."

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