Dramatic Wealth Distribution trends, 1962 — 2016.
Most of the studies on wealth distribution charts I was able to find ended in 2016. A few, like above, ended as recent as 2022. The ones which include the trends since 1980 or before and 2016 all agreed on this disturbing trend towards plutocracy and oligarchy.
Theses trends have apparently gotten even worse since 2016, which may be behind the lack of recent ones being made available because of their damning nature.
If anyone finds more recent studies in this regard, please feel free to post them in the comments section.
An Unmistakable Connection to Politics
Bernie during a 2025 speech in Detroit.
The reason why I’m focusing on these unmistakable facts is that I believe it is perhaps the most important cause, among many other factors, which is that a foolhardy and bigoted fascist like Donald Trump was selected by America’s oligarch billionaires to run again — and win — the Presidency yet a second time. Despite his obvious criminal behavior and grifting record, treasonous behavior, backward bigotry and loyalties to Vladimir Putin.
Exposing America Oligarchy
Senator Bernie Sanders was able to talk openly and address these tendencies in his recent tour of the country. Speaking about oligarchy taking over America openly and about the need for class struggle and why and how we got to this terrible point in our history.
But Bernie is an independent who caucuses with the Democratic Party, but is not bound by the perspective of the Chuck Schumer Centrist wing, and can therefore be more blunt about our present reality.
Another chart showing the trends from 1990 to 2020 from the Federal Reserve.
The Centrists must avoid saying many of the things Bernie can say when he speaks truth to power. Why is that so? Because during the years that wealth distribution rose to oligarchic levels, Democrats controlled both the presidency and sometimes even both houses.
Now I’m not about to try and sell you the false notion that the two parties are the same in practice or in character. But at this time of unprecedented crisis unity of action is paramount.
Avoiding a Class Perspective?
There are reasons why more of a class perspective on the crisis will be avoided by Centrists like Schumer. And it’s not because it’s bad politics for America at large.
It’s only bad politics for Centrists, which based the 2024 campaign on spending nearly a billion dollars on the presidential race alone, much of it for turn out the vote rallies, without realizing that they were mostly preaching to a choir of their own supporters and not reaching many of the millions of Americans who never vote or follow politics doled out by the main stream, Republican friendly media. Add together what those running for the House or Senate spent and you’ll get a final figure near another two billion dollars!
A Long Economic Decline for Workers
Many American voters have experienced a long term dramatic decline in their share of the country’s wealth that’s being produced. For every voter that loved Trump for his cruelty and bigotry, there was one who falsely believed myth that he could help them out financially and another who foolishly believed foul mouthed dictators can get things done better that a paralyzed Congress.
Democratic Presidents since 1980
Jimmy Carter 1978 — 81,
Bill Clinton 1993 — 2001,
Barack Obama 2009 — 2017,
Joe Biden 2021 — 2025.
Since 1980 the two parties have controlled the presidency about equally, 22 years for the Democrats, 23 for the Republicans. For the both Houses and the Presidency trifecta however, the Democrats have held that trifecta for only 5 years out of 45 possible years.
Both Parties Back Market Capitalism
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During the period of 1980 — 2025, the wealth distribution data has moved significantly toward the upper 5% and 1%, regardless of who was in power.
No significant decreases were noted in this trend over 45 years, even during the few years the Democrats managed to hold the trifecta (Presidency, House, Senate). Things did appear to level off during Clinton’s 8 year reign, but the rise to oligarchic levels failed to decline significantly in any years during the period of 1980 — 2025.
One can surmise that factors other than which Party controlled government were at play, which is in my opinion, the increasing dominance of market capitalism’s influence on government, legislation, production, economic policy, trade and, of course, the market itself.
Today’s Electoral Opposition to Fascism
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer
The Democrats today encompass the only significant electoral opposition to Trump/Musk led fascism. Virtually the entire Republican Party has submitted to backing fascism and the oligarchy, with the few that do not successfully driven out of the Party or resigned.
It should also be recognized that the Democratic Party has been an endorser of the same poorly regulated and controlled market capitalist system, now in an advanced monopoly stage, that has been driving the move towards fascism. One cannot deny the inherent contradictions this situation presents.
How Capitalism can Evolve into Fascism
Unregulated and poorly regulated market driven monopoly capitalism, as well as related imperialist systems and the rise of fascism in parts of Europe and Asia, all played significant roles in creating the factors leading to WWII. An endorsement of global market capitalism today is an invitation to repeat the horrors of WWII, which could possibly end human civilization as we’ve come to know it. It cannot be denied that it has played a major role in making oligarch rule a global problem and giving birth again to fascist and dictatorial movements as developed in the 1930s. This movement is now centered in the United States and Russia.
When we look for the enemies of peace, progress, and humanity we need to look no further than our own backyards. Trump and his supporters are masking the driving forces within us that are leading to a cataclysmic explosion of irrational and violent measures and behavior by the fascists.
Unspoken Words
Progress depends on Truth.
I mentioned Bernie earlier because he has spoken the words the American people most need to hear, which is the truth about who and what is driving this crisis. The old guard Democratic leadership is at a crossroads presented by Trumpian Fascism.
You cannot defeat fascism without identifying its causes. Something the Centrist leadership dare not say, even with the current disasters falling upon the country.
That Trump was birthed by the dramatic, some would say scandalous, accumulation of tremendous wealth into a hand full of individuals under market driven monopoly capitalism. Ones who can influence and control society and buy political influence and power, and corrupt all that they touch.
I suspect this played out in some fashion, pressuring Schumer’s last minute flip to persuade his faction of Senators to vote for close cloture on the budget, thereby passing the rotten Republican budget bill. This goes well beyond whether that was ultimately a good or bad decision.
It goes back to very real Party differences and a desire by some elected officials to fight Trump/Musk more openly and militantly. The Republicans pull this budgetary extortion whenever they think they can get away with it, knowing the Democratic leadership will fold under pressure from its big financial backers.
Substantial Capitalist Reforms are Essential to Defeat Fascism
Reform demonstration, 100 hundred years ago.
Yes, I’m not a fly on the wall that can observe how these decisions get made, but there’s enough behavioral evidence to strongly suspect there are big money pressures and strong internal differences.
Yes, we need unity of purpose now, and a Democratic opposition with real teeth, but that will not happen easily, the differences go far beyond Schumer’s waffling. They go towards having real representation in decision making and leadership roles for loyal progressives and supporters.
One which acknowledges the need for real, substantial economic reforms to negate factors that got us into this crisis in the first place. I’m not at all certain the Centrists would ever endorse serious reforms.
Fascism Must be Ripped Out From its Roots
Collapse of the Roman empire painting.
Chief among them are: wealthy individual tax and corporate tax reforms, special taxes on billionaires, tackling the health care system mess and reducing costs, undoing Trump damage, ending gerrymandering and other practices to discourage voting, restoration of anti-bias, anti-racist legislation, lifetime voter registration, restoring regulations to protect the environment, increase and improve social security, repeal of Citizens United, increasing employment and wages, enforcement of existing market regulations, global warming prevention investment, and much more.
All Empire Come to an End, More Quickly in Modern Times
A pipe dream you say? The fact that someone as corrupt, biased, dumb and dictatorial as Donald Trump could be twice elected president screams out for America to wake up before she winds on the dust heap of history as another collapsed empire like Rome, Carthage, Russia, Persia or Mongolia. []
