This Saturday, March 28, people will be mobilizing in No Kings! No Billionaires! demonstrations across the country. Most of the focus will be on the actions of Trump and his administration. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of reasons for people to demonstrate their anger and opposition to the attacks we are facing.
We are always living in a time of war – a class war. It is a war of the billionaires on working people around the world. That war has now reached a greater magnitude.
We are seeing the unchecked power of this system unleashed without limits: an ongoing genocide in Gaza; a massive war on the people of Iran; a war on Lebanon that has displaced over a million people; in sub-Saharan Africa, people are facing massive starvation and internal wars as corporations strip those lands of valuable minerals; and the Cuban people are facing whatever devastating blow the U.S. politicians have in store.
In the U.S., the poorer you are and the darker your skin, the more severe the attacks. The social programs that tens of millions of people depend on and are funded by our tax dollars are under attack. They were already inadequate and now essential services are being stripped even further. Healthcare through Medicaid; food through SNAP; funding for public schools and school lunch programs; public housing and more. Government agencies that monitor and protect the environment, evaluate food and water safety, set public health standards, and even fund scientific research have been severely weakened.
The result has been even deeper poverty for many. More people are living paycheck to paycheck and going deeper into debt. Most haven’t seen wage increases that keep up with inflation, and with energy, utility, and food prices rising, there’s no room to cut back.
For younger people, the future looks bleak. A college education is no guarantee of a future, other than massive debt for many after graduation. Cuts in programs and increasing control over what is and isn’t taught mean that education is becoming more of an indoctrination than an encouragement to develop the skills to think, analyze, and prepare to meet the challenges ahead. This is especially true with people depending on AI for what are accepted as answers.
What quality of life will we have in the coming decade? A recent president said that “we are addicted to oil.” “We” are not addicted to oil. It is the billionaires who are! They have invested trillions of dollars in oil production, that is the basis of production of most things we need, from food to medicine, clothes, and transportation. Most of this could be replaced with newer, less harmful technologies. But they would rather see the destruction of our Earth’s ecosystems than the dismantling of their system that guarantees the continued flow of oil and profits.
For these reasons and many more, this is a time when great changes are possible. The question in front of us is, who will lead the way? It should be us – the majority. We do the work that keeps society running. We need to break through the isolation and divisions that keep us apart. Saturday, March 28, is an opportunity to begin to do that.
This Saturday we can ask our family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and classmates – to join us. It is an opportunity to express ourselves, whether by making a sign to carry, or connecting with people we don’t know. With millions in the streets, we can reaffirm our humanity and feel our power. We can take a step towards making the changes we need.
It can seem like a big task, but turning away from it is a sure way to end up with a future none of us wants. It’s one of those times when we all have something to do. No one can do everything, but each of us can do something. Saturday can be a start.
