It is no secret to any casual observer of American domestic and international political affairs that the current state of national politics is poor at best. Inflation which reached levels not witnessed in decades in the fall of 2022 continues to be a major problem for working class families across the country, helping to hurt the already struggling middle class. At the southern border, millions of illegal migrants have entered the nation since January 2021 when the president Joe Biden entered the oval office. These migrants, completely unaccounted for, are being willingly let into the nation after being “detained”, and without any identification, way of paying taxes, or any legal requirements to their existence are worsening the economic difficulties of American citizens by helping to keep wages stagnant. Over 60% of Americans are estimated to still be living paycheck to paycheck, and a trend that has been occurring since the 1990s continues; the cost of living continues to rise and prices increase but wages are basically stagnant.
The American working class is fed up, tired of the continuously declining quality of life in the country. Millions of jobs in manufacturing have been lost since NAFTA was signed in 1994, and the power of trade unions like the UAW (United Auto Workers) has diminished. The UAW went on strike in September, and over 5000 workers have subsequently been laid off by the companies since it began; the strike is still largely ongoing.
Healthcare workers are also amongst the most overworked and unfairly compensated individuals in the nation, especially following the COVID 19 pandemic. Following the UAW, 75,000 Kaiser Permanente employees also commenced a strike, which is being called the largest by health care workers in American history. The strike was intended to begin as a three day affair and was carried out after union leaders told company officials it would occur if a new contract was not reached by last Wednesday.
