Hollow Promises: Disillusionment with Mainstream Politics
Dalton Nolan
4/13/2025
For many, the current state of US politics is shocking. What appeared to be a well-functioning democratic system of checks and balances has now come under serious threat from the ascension of Donald Trump and Elon Musk into the halls of power. If one was to listen to the mainstream discourse, the current state of democracy in America is unsettling, with everything from public services being dismantled at alarming rates, marginalized communities once more facing the violence of the state, the economy continuing to spiral in chaos for everyday working people, and our rights and freedoms unravelling as we speak. All of these are indeed serious issues warranting our concern; however, this narrative, concocted by liberal institutions, wholly ignores the reality of the situation: all of this was bound to happen. Our current predicament is the result of our electoral system, including both political parties, and its intimate relationship with our present economic system. Over the last decade and a half, the problems of our society have only gotten worse, regardless of whether a Democratic or Republican president has taken the helm, leading many to accurately conclude that neither political party represents the interests of the vast majority of working and oppressed people. This realization has only mounted over the last few months since the election of Trump as president, with the support bases of both Democrats and Republicans lighting a fire under their political teams in ways we haven’t seen in a long time. It is clear: People are tired of the status quo.
Are we surprised by this conclusion? The supposed “well-functioning democratic system of checks and balances” of America was never made by or designed for the working class or marginalized communities—the existence of the electoral college, the unyielding presence of money in politics, and the regular disregard both political parties have for any policy initiative that would actually benefit working and oppressed people. Both political parties are two sides of the same coin. Both parties serve the interests of the owning class and support the same policies—both support imperialist wars abroad, support the continued genocide against the Palestinian people, fight to maintain the American empire, cut regulations and offer bailouts to corporations, allow the encroachment of climate change to continue unabated, respond to political and social struggles (regardless if they’re peaceful) with severe state repression and violence. The only difference between the parties is the tactics they use to market themselves to the working class.
This is the reality of our “democracy,” yet working people were able to ignore these glaring contradictions if it appeared that their elected officials were at least able to provide them with some measure of stability and comfort. This, however, is no longer possible, and frankly, never was. All over the country, the scraps both political parties offer are not enough anymore. The contradictions in society are worsening by the day, and working people are suffering more and more for it, experiencing the worst the American Nightmare has to offer. In the last few years, we have seen a shift in the way working people view their political parties, and it is becoming more apparent by the day.
The Democratic Party
Being disconnected from issues that impact the working class is integral to the behavior of the Democratic Party. Though they are not the “Left,” the Democrats for a while really wanted everyone to believe they were and that they were fighting for the “little guy.” For decades, the Democrats have made a literal killing on presenting themselves as being the progressive option by saying they liked Gay people and that they believed in Civil Rights for all. This progressive-sounding rhetoric didn’t carry into economic language, with Democrats essentially just parroting the same talking points as Republicans with only minor modifications here and there to make it sound like they were thinking about marginalized communities. In this, the Democrats are the masters of slogans, phrases, and wordplay, with them more concerned with a photo op than actually addressing the issues affecting working and oppressed people. In short, all words, no actions when it matters. Instead, Democrats say one thing and do another.
This makes the Democrats the “wolves in sheep's clothing,” with them hiding behind their rosy language when they decide to act like Republican-lite. Contrary to the narrative they have crafted for themselves, the Democrats are no friends of anyone but the owning class, as can be seen from their recent history—not enshrining Roe v. Wade, intensifying immigration and deportation efforts, defanging and controlling the Labor Movement, and allowing Trump (their boogeyman) into office all in the name of protecting “democracy.” The clearest example of the Democratic Party as a servant of the owning class has been its full-throated support for Israel and its genocide against the Palestinian people, with the supposed “arsenal of democracy” used against Palestine.
The genocide of the Palestinian people was the first major event to shake trust and support in the Democratic Party. The wanton campaign of eradication being waged by Israel with full support from even the “left” within the Democrats led to many choosing to vote uncommitted in the primary election, i.e., they would vote for the Party but none of the candidates. Though insignificant in the grand scheme of things and immaterial, it is one of the earliest displays of people breaking with the Party. This would only escalate, as the previous actions and inactions of the Party, especially after the election, placed them in the crosshairs of working people. Despite months of campaigning, millions upon millions of dollars spent on political advertisements, and thousands of proclamations that this is the “most important election of our lifetime,” the Democrats have effectively returned to “business as usual.”
While the Trump administration continues to threaten the wellbeing of all working and oppressed people, the Democrats are doing nothing. Sure, they’re condemning and criticizing this administration's actions, sending strongly worded letters, with Cory Booker even having a 24+ hour filibuster to raise awareness about the state of the country, but that’s it. For months, Democrats warned of the encroachment of the far-right, but when it has arrived, the Democrats welcomed it into the halls of power and did nothing to substantially fight against it. As expected, folks are enraged by the lack of action by the Democrats and have cried out in unison for them to do something. This has caused some division in the Democratic Party, with the “left” being more vocal, but whether this is controlled opposition to calm their voters is irrelevant, as the Party will never allow its “left” to come to power as we saw back in 2016. Even if the “left” came into power, the Democrats would still seek to operate “business as usual” (i.e., pro-corporate agenda, imperialist warmongering, etc.), just with more lip service to social programs. What the last few months have shown us and what we will continue to see moving forward is a widening chasm between the Democratic Party and its slice of the working class. As the Democrats expectedly continue to be partners to the Republicans and dutiful servants of the owning class, their flimsy progressive mask will give way to more and more people who will choose to abandon the Party.
The Republican Party
Republicans are very similar to Democrats in that they are masters of slogans, phrases, and wordplay, but unlike Democrats who choose to appeal to marginalized peoples and pay lip service to systemic issues, Republicans choose a different tract. For a long time, the Republicans have generally appealed to sections of the working class who carry explicit chauvinist attitudes, reactionary ideals, and who long for the “American Dream.” By drenching themselves in this language, the Republicans present themselves as the “reclaimers” of a “lost way of life,” a way of life they promise they can return to the people, and many are keen to accept it. The crippling effects of capitalism hit everyone, some more than others, leaving folks confused and suffering, so when the Republicans arrive promising the return to an imagined paradise, it's hard to not buy into it. This is especially true when the Democrats are keen to dismiss this section of the working class as backwards hillbillies and provide nothing of substance to address their issues.
Yet, as the Democrats, the Republicans are not friends of working people, no matter how much they present themselves as down-to-earth small townsfolk. The program of the Republican Party is one that is avidly pro-corporate and anti-working class. Ever since their establishment, the Republicans have been in bed with corporations and have been some of the major drivers of a pro-corporate agenda. Under Republican leadership, labor regulations are repealed, the rights and protections for marginalized communities are put into question, and, generally, the welfare of all working and oppressed people become worse, even for the people who voted for them. And now, as the contradictions within society worsen, the Republicans are speedrunning into the far-right, with their Party platform coming closer and closer to blatant fascism, a trend that we see around the world. This has manifested in a relentless campaign against anything “progressive” or “woke,” which includes things such as DEI or consumer protections against companies trying to screw over consumers. Needless to say, the Republicans are a threat to working class interests, especially since, unlike the Democrats, the Republicans are willing and do take action to ensure their goals are met.
Despite the Party’s popularity among the more rural and conservative sections of the working class, its grip is slipping. Even before the start of Trump’s second term, Republican voters were suspect of him and were concerned about what it meant for the country. This has only escalated with the post-election high finally wearing off and Republican voters seeing the world the Party is building, and they don’t like what they see. The renegade actions of DOGE and Elon Musk in “cutting wasteful spending,” the threats to social safety nets that many Americans (regardless of political affiliation) rely on, and the increasing anti-Democratic actions taken by Trump are causing many sections of the working class to question the Party, it’s actions, and it’s direction. Across the country, town halls are seeing Republican voters grill the Party about its actions and what those actions mean for them and their families. To be sure, there are people who are fully behind Trump and the Party no matter what (no different for the Democrats), but what we’re seeing is that the word of Republicans is no longer good enough, especially when it's contradicted by actions the Party takes that actively harm working people. None of this even begins to point out the blunders that Trump has had with his tariffs or the leaking of the Signal group messages.
Time will only tell what Trump’s administration will do next, but we can be sure that as the actions of this administration continue to harm more and more sections of the working class, more Republican voters will start to question and, hopefully, abandon the Party.
The Path Forward
As we can see, many Americans are tired of mainstream politics, tired of the hollow words, and tired of everything getting worse and worse. This is a hopeful sign in the struggle for our collective liberation, but it’s not enough. Without a clear alternative to the status quo, people are left with just two options: continue to vote and hope the next guy is better, or admit defeat. Many working people have already accepted that they can’t change anything, with them retreating into their own spaces and trying to find as much comfort as possible while the world around them falls apart. This means that as both parties lose support, more workers will join the ranks of the doomers. With all the confusion and suffering going on in the world, it is entirely understandable that people would choose doomerism. However, doomerism is not the answer. Doomerism doesn’t stop any of our suffering, with each of us still affected by whatever capitalism throws at us, meaning that we can’t just “escape” from this reality. So, what’s the alternative? The alternative is to build power for the working class! This power-building takes a variety of different forms, all of which are deeply interconnected to one another and necessary in the struggle for our collective liberation. Such power-building efforts include building a militant Labor movement, developing the political education of all working people, creating alternative institutions that challenge capitalism, establishing fighting working class organizations, etc. All of these efforts, all a part of the class struggle, culminate in the creation of a working class party!
A working class party, defined by its adherence to a class struggle perspective and composed of revolutionaries steeped in history, theory, organizing principles, and organizational work, is the head of a militant working class movement. Through its understanding of theory and work, the disparate social, political, and economic struggles of all working and oppressed people are coalesced into a collective program, framed in a coherent and cohesive picture of exploitation and oppression under capitalism, for our collective liberation. Through it, the myriad of working class organizations and their efforts can be joined together, serving as a vehicle for the revolutionary imperative to replace our current economic system with one of, by, and for working people. Through it, we can finally secure meaningful reforms to improve the material conditions of those suffering and, ultimately, wage a revolution to establish a new society where the days of exploitation and oppression are left in the dustbin of history where they belong. In essence, the working class party is the vanguard of the working class struggle, and through it, a world for working and oppressed people is possible.
In the absence of a working class political party, it is up to all of us to create the building blocks for that party. This means reading theory, connecting with other working people, spreading class consciousness, starting a union, making your union more militant, starting or joining a working class organization, etc., etc. The work before us is plentiful, but the organizers are few. For those not currently involved in the movement, for those who are anxious or confused on where to begin: start small. You don’t need to jump in headfirst, but you do need to take the first step by reading/watching/listening to theory, talking with your fellow working people, or attending an event hosted by a local working class organization. The Louisville Workers Brigade continues to educate, support, and unite left-progressive forces in our community, and we welcome anyone and everyone to join us. As always, please do not hesitate to reach out if we can assist you in any way.
The next four years under Trump will be difficult for many sections of the working class, and the work before us in creating a working class political party will be not easy; however, we know that nothing is getting better for any of us. The political parties will never serve the interests of working people and cannot be reformed to do so. The Democrats will continue to promote hollow phrases but provide nothing, Republicans will continue to bring misery upon the entire working class, and exploitation and oppression under capitalism will continue on and on…unless we do something about it. This is the time to break from the establishment parties and to build working class power in our unions, schools, communities, workplaces—everywhere! This is the time to read theory, build connections with all sections of the working class, and spread class consciousness! This is the time to join a working class organization to fight against our eroding material conditions and to build the bedrock for a militant working class struggle! This is the time to build a working class party and struggle for our collective liberation! A better world is possible; all we must do is take the first step.