Capitalism and its pursuit of profits have corrupted our health care system, resulting in the most expensive system in the world, but one that delivers poor outcomes. Three elements have driven this corruption: corporate consolidation, private equity, and privatization.

Eighty-eight large corporations with over $105 billion in profits paid no federal income tax in 2025. Many large, profitable companies’ employees rely on government-subsidized health insurance and food assistance to survive. This adds hundreds of billions to the annual federal budget deficit.

President Trump and his regime don’t care about you and aren’t protecting your health, safety, or financial security. Here are some examples of actions they have taken that put you at risk.

Billionaires are already spending big on 2026 election campaigns. Most of this money flows through PACs and goes to Republicans. The DNC and state Democrats should ban PAC money from their primaries because it distorts election results, perverts policies, and drowns out working people’s voices.

Democrats should be taking steps now to lay the ground work for electoral successes and policy making in the future. Running against Trump is not enough; Democrats need to state what they are for. They should ban super PAC and dark money from their primaries and support progressive policies.

Democracy requires fair taxation. The current U.S. tax system is unfair. Given the huge inequalities in wealth, wealth and transfers of it need to be taxed directly. Wealth taxes are essential to re-establishing a fair tax system and reducing economic inequality.

Democracy requires fair taxation. The current U.S. tax system is unfair. Increased progressivity of individual and business income tax rates, especially on income from wealth (versus work), is one essential piece of re-establishing a fair tax system and reducing economic inequality.

Democracy requires a government that fosters people’s freedom. Its resources must come from fair taxation. Oligarchs cut taxes and undermine democracy to consolidate their power. Economic inequality has bred discontent and distrust of government and democracy, an opening for authoritarianism.

American oligarchs have spent 45 years and billions of dollars undermining democracy and skewing government policy. We need to stand up to Trump and corporate CEOs. They depend on us, their customers and voters. We did so with the reaction to their pulling the Jimmy Kimmel show off the air.