If I Ran For President…

Part 7: End the Class War

The ultra-rich have been riding our backs for so long, we’ve forgotten what this country can do when the working class leads. There was a time when the top tax rate was 91%, and in that time, we built the interstate system, launched people to the moon, and invested in ourselves like we actually believed in the future, and still had enough spirit to dream big. But the wealthy weren’t interested in that future. They didn’t want a country that worked. They wanted a country they could own. So they bought the government, rewrote the rules, and have been bleeding the country dry ever since. Which is why the Seventh point of the Platform for 2028 is:

END THE CLASS WAR

No middle class taxes for 10 YEARS, with new, simple tax brackets:

0% – $0–$250,000

5% – $250,001–$1,000,000

10% – $1,000,001–$10,000,000

50% – $10,000,001–$50,000,000

75% – $50,000,001–$100,000,000

90% – $100,000,001–$500,000,000

99% – $500,000,001–$999,999,999

100% – $1 Billion and up

That’s right. The middle class finally gets a goddamn break.

For decades, the ultra-wealthy have shrugged off their responsibilities. They’ve lobbied against participating in the society that made them rich. They want all the spoils, but none of the upkeep. They destroy our roads with their freight trucks, pollute our oceans with their cargo ships, and clog our skies with more cargo and luxury flights to nowhere. All to squeeze a few extra dollars out of a system they already own.

Remember when tobacco companies buried the truth about cigarettes causing cancer? That same playbook is being run right now by fossil fuel companies, who knew they were destroying the climate, and not only said nothing, they actively lobbied to stop anyone from doing anything about it.

Or take General Motors. Their faulty ignition switches were linked to at least 124 deaths and 274 injuries. GM employees knew about it. They warned leadership. And GM responded by denying the problem and delaying the recall for years because it would costs too much to fix. In 2015, CEO Mary Barra even admitted, “People were hurt and people died in our cars.” And what happened? Nobody went to jail. GM was fined $900 million, like it was just another line item on a spreadsheet. Turns out, corporations are a person, and that person gets off scot-free every time.

It’s obvious: left to their own devices, the rich will hoard all the profit no matter what, and let the rest of us rot to pay a cheap one time fine. For 40 years, they’ve been using money to fund politicians that will vote to cut taxes on the rich, and then using that money to buy the government. Every single Republican president since Reagan has protected or expanded tax breaks for the rich, and the entire party is funded by rich billionaires. If they ever need a Democrat or 10? They can afford those too.

And what do the rich do with all that wealth and power? They get more, because they always want more. When buying politicians isn’t enough, they buy the government, fire everyone, mine all of our data, gut all of our agencies, and disappear to profit. Speaking of which, has anyone seen Elon lately?

The fact is, the wealthy have had their cake, eaten it, and now are now they’re coming for your crumbs too. It’s time for us to take the cake back.

We’re going to end billionaires as we know them, and return what they stole. The last 40 years have been a one-way transfer of wealth: from us to them. Add up all the Reagan, HW, W, and trump tax breaks and you’d equal the debt. So let’s reverse them. In fact, let’s go further.

Let’s use the Golden Rule!

Treat others the way you want to be treated, right? Well, the rich have shown us how they want to be treated: take everything you can, and keep going. Who are we to argue?

So here’s the deal: all profit over $1 billion gets taxed at 100%. Oh btw, that includes corporate profits too, since corporations are people, didn’t you know? The rest is the rest, but no taxes for the middle class, and no more billionaires!

This country has a lot of hard, expensive work to do. Rebuilding roads, upgrading infrastructure, tackling climate collapse, restoring public trust; it’s all going to take money. A LOT of money. Do you know anyone who has a lot of money?

Oh that’s right. Billionaires.

And finally, a pledge: If you agree with this vision, consider upgrading your subscription to $5 a month. With your help, I can leave my current money making job, and my full time focus will be on popularizing these ideas through substack. I also have other ideas, like hosting a podcast centered on the process of trying to get politicians on said podcast to talk about these ideas, and then a separate podcast for the successes, maybe something like the Accountability Hour and then An Hour with Your Congressperson, and basically make YOU all my full time job. I’ll never put this substack behind a paywall, and I’ll limit these requests to these posts regarding the Platform. This is purely voluntary so no worries if you can’t help with money, I get it! Just share everywhere you can, and that will be enough! Because this isn’t just a dream- it’s a call to arms. If you’re tired of empty promises and billionaire bootlicking, put your money where your rage is. Five bucks a month to start a movement.

“It has to start somewhere, it has to start some time, what better place than HERE? What better time than NOW?”

-RATM