As of November 4, 2024, people are still casting their votes, and we might not know who officially won the presidential election for weeks. With so much uncertainty, it’s important to look beyond just who wins or loses. The months leading up to this election have been filled with many promises from candidates. But how many of these promises are real?
The Democrats have promised us increased abortion access, better healthcare, the protection of voter rights, and increased protections for traditionally marginalized groups of people. These promises aren’t made because they genuinely care about making our lives better – they’re made to get our votes. And like elections of years past, many of these pledges will fade away once the president is in office.
On the other side, candidates like Trump and Vance have used scare tactics, claiming they will protect us from imaginary threats posed by immigrants and so-called criminals. They lean into racism, sexism, and anti-trans rhetoric to stir up fear, shifting the blame for our society’s problems onto the very people who are most harmed by this society’s inequalities. This kind of politics isn’t new; it’s a strategy designed to divide us and distract us from the real issues affecting our lives.
Both candidates promise a strong economic plan. But what they mean is profits for the businesses and the rich while the rest of us are exploited for our labor.
Why do we keep falling for election promises, as if we’re somehow surprised when they vanish the moment the votes are counted? It’s the same trick, every time.
The truth is, the president is just a manager of a system that serves the interests of the wealthy elite – the banks, big corporations, and the ruling class. Take a look at people like Elon Musk, who openly backs policies that benefit his business and his wealth. Billionaires pour millions into these campaigns because they know, regardless of who wins, their interests will be secured. Those who have remained neutral during this election – like Jeff Bezos, who refused to let The Washington Post endorse a candidate – know their wealth won’t be affected either way. Even when politicians keep a campaign promise, it is because of a calculated plan for their interests, not for ours. These politicians are not our representatives, and we cannot rely on them to bring the change we need.
Fortunately, we don’t need to rely on the political class. Regular, working class people hold a different form of power. The kind of change we need isn’t in their hands – it’s in ours. We must decide what we need and deserve and take action to achieve it. Start by talking with those around you – coworkers, friends, neighbors – about what matters. Organizing often begins with just a few committed individuals. When others join in, we can build struggles that create real change.
Throughout history, powerful social movements are what have won us rights. Look at the Civil Rights Movement, the Women’s Movement, or the Gay Liberation Movement. The victories achieved for these populations weren’t handed down by politicians; they were won by ordinary people coming together to demand justice and equality; by people who refused to leave their futures in the hands of someone else. That’s how change happens – through mobilization in our workplaces, communities, schools, and on the streets.
We are the ones who can organize and build these movements, who can stand up, struggle, and strike for what we deserve. Beyond that, we must take these movements further than they have gone before to secure a future worth living in. We already run every part of this society that matters – from the hospitals to the factories, from the transit systems to the schools. As those in the Civil Rights Movement said, “We are the ones we are waiting for!” Their election is over, our work starts now.
