Welcome to the “New” United States! You know, the land of the “free”—as long as you’re not dark-skinned or born to non-citizen parents. Oh, and get this: Mississippi’s new vibe? Bounty hunters for immigrants. Yeah, you read that right. Progress? More like regress. Meanwhile, mega-corporations are swimming in cash while the rest of us are out here trying to make rent. And guess who’s backing this mess? Politicians funded by those very corporations. Shocker.
Let’s talk about the rich boys’ club—Zuckerberg, Bezos, Musk—you know, the usual suspects. They stand there grinning at presidential inaugurations that cater to their every whim. Why worry about “accountability” when you basically own the game?
Fun fact time! By 2023, the richest 1% controlled a mind-blowing 32% of the country’s wealth. Meanwhile, the bottom half of Americans? They scraped by with just 2.5%. (Ouch.) Minimum wage? Still stuck at $7.25/hour in way too many places, while CEOs pocket 324 times more than their average worker. How’s that for fair? (Hint: it’s not.) Most folks are one medical bill away from bankruptcy because, oh yeah, affordable healthcare is still just a dream.
Throwback to the Good Ol’ Days of Fighting Monopolies
Once upon a time, the U.S. actually fought against corporate greed. In 1890, we got the Sherman Antitrust Act to break up monopolies and keep markets competitive. Remember Standard Oil? John D. Rockefeller’s empire got smacked down in 1911. Fast forward to 1984, and AT&T was forced to split up its monopoly over phone services. Yeah, we used to care about this stuff.
But now? Laws like these are basically collecting dust. Today’s corporate giants—Amazon, Google, Meta—use their billions to dodge rules and crush competition. (Ever try finding an alternative to Amazon? Good luck.)
The Howard Hughes & Pan Am Drama
Let’s dish about Howard Hughes, the OG eccentric billionaire. He dominated aviation with TWA and dabbled in Hollywood, breaking all kinds of antitrust rules along the way. And Pan Am? It ruled the skies, backed by cozy government deals, until it crashed (figuratively) in 1991. Lesson learned? Monopolies are fragile and eventually come crashing down—if someone bothers to challenge them.
Now Back to the Mess We’re In
Today, Congress is supposed to protect us from corporate greed, but let’s be real—it’s more like a VIP lounge for the rich. Thanks to the Citizens United ruling in 2010, corporations can spend unlimited cash on elections, disguising greed as “free speech.” Billionaires are basically buying policies while the rest of us get breadcrumbs.
And let’s not forget the rise of authoritarian vibes. Mass pardons for January 6 rioters? Yikes. Democracy feels more like a hobby than a priority these days.
What’s Next?
Here’s the tea: unless we get a Congress that actually works for us—raising wages, busting monopolies, and bringing back antitrust enforcement—this cycle of greed and inequality will keep spinning. Fingers crossed the next four years bring some real change. Until then? Keep your receipts and stay loud. ✊