Plan B – If Democrats Aren’t Doing Anything Behind the Scenes

As we all know, Republicans control the House, the Senate, and the presidency. Yet instead of creating an effective opposition against fascism, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries openly admitted, “It’s their government. What leverage do we have? We are going to try to find bipartisan common ground on any issue.” This response is both infuriating and revealing. Rather than fulfilling their duty to defend democratic principles, Democrats have chosen to smile, promise bipartisanship, and effectively hand over power to a self-proclaimed dictator.

It’s now more clear than ever; it’s time for a plan B. Our democracy doesn’t deserve to crumble in silence.

We need a political party that truly represents the average American. My proposal is a Labor Party—one that isn’t focused on partisan divides but on addressing the shared struggles of working people. The messaging must transcend labels like “Democrat” or “Republican,” avoiding divisive rhetoric that alienates people. Instead, we must unite around a common enemy: billionaires, major corporations, and the forces that want to keep the status quo.

Our current system is broken and corrupt, and people across the political spectrum are angry. Republicans have weaponized this anger by promising change, even if it’s rooted in fascist policies. They capitalize on frustrations by targeting scapegoats like immigrants, falsely claiming that deportations will improve lives. In response, Democrats villainize these voters as hateful and racist (which they are) rather than addressing the deeper struggles that fuel their anger. People are living paycheck to paycheck, feeling hopeless, and being abused by late-stage capitalism, and Democrats are not offering an alternative.

Why a Labor Party?

A Labor Party would focus on economic justice, understanding that the economy is what most voters care about. Millions of Americans don’t prioritize issues like racism, women’s rights, or even democracy, as unfortunate as that is. This party would concentrate on what resonates most—people’s livelihoods—while also subtly addressing broader issues through equitable policies.

The party’s core principles would include:

• Fair wages

• Universal healthcare

• Affordable education

• Retirement security

• Tax fairness and corporate accountability

• Addressing Climate Change

But this isn't just a party for 9-to-5 workers. It’s for everyone who contributes to society: caregivers, students, retirees, and those unable to work due to illness or disability. Labor, at its heart, is about all forms of societal contribution. The focus would be on uplifting people, not just propping up corporations.

Historically, labor movements have secured benefits that everyone enjoys, like weekends, child labor laws, and minimum wage protections. By championing similar causes, this party could reframe the narrative away from socialism and toward pragmatism—emphasizing how markets and profits can coexist with protections for workers and social equality.

Addressing the Current System

While these policies are arguably what the Democratic Party stands for, their lack of action and movement toward the right has proven otherwise. For example, they blocked AOC from the oversight committee due to seniority, and they refused to allow Bernie to run in 2016 and 2020, despite his policies being popular across both sides of the political spectrum. When opportunities for unity arise, Democrats often fail to seize them. Take Luigi, the alleged UnitedHealthcare CEO killer—his actions sparked rare common ground between the right and left. But instead of using this moment to push for universal healthcare, most Democrats (with the notable exceptions of AOC and Bernie) remain silent, issuing only statements denouncing violence and emphasizing our police state. The party claims to support universal healthcare, but when the failures of the current system are laid bare for all to see, they offer no solutions. They do not position themselves as fighters for working-class people while billionaires dominate their campaigns.

Institutionalists like Pelosi and Schumer are entrenched in the system, and waiting for them to change their minds or pass away isn’t a luxury we can afford. They fight to preserve institutions, not to enact systemic change. If they won’t fight for us, then we can no longer fight for them.

Furthermore, Democrats are failing to stand up for democracy or protect the freedoms they were elected to uphold. They didn’t conduct a recount despite Trump’s interference in past elections. They didn’t install a Department of Justice that aggressively pursued justice for Trump’s actions, including stealing national security documents and potentially selling them to adversaries. They allowed Trump, an insurrectionist, to tweet about annexing our allies, threaten our freedom of speech, and advocate for dismantling our national security. And yet, the Democrats remain silent. They’re handing him the keys to power without challenge. They aren’t doing anything to protect us, even though we voted for them to do exactly that. Democrats cling to the status quo, believing the system will somehow fix itself. But that’s not how it works. Our system is broken and has led us toward fascism. Unless we exploit legal loopholes as Republicans do, nothing will change, and we’ll continue our downward spiral into fascism. The status quo is not integrity; it’s weakness.

Democrats are controlled opposition, insulated from the real consequences that everyday people face. They tell us to fight, but all I hear is that their hands are tied. If they won’t fight for us, we won’t fight for them. They can join us, but the days of blind allegiance are over. If we continue to let them disappoint us, our democracy will fall—and as an American, we cannot let that happen.

Unity Beyond the Two-Party System and a Path Forward

Unity cannot happen within our current two-party system. For many Republicans, the terms “Democrat” and “socialist” have become slurs, and for many Democrats, Republicans are rightfully seen as a hate group. We can no longer afford to be trapped in this binary. What we need is something new, something that transcends party lines—an approach that brings people together around shared struggles and hopes for a better future.

A Labor Party could channel bipartisan frustration into a message that emphasizes how fighting oligarchy benefits everyone—not just workers, but all Americans. This isn’t about aligning with Democrats or Republicans. It’s about dismantling corruption, combating misinformation, and fighting for democracy itself.

The Labor Party would channel bipartisan anger toward the true culprits: oligarchs and unchecked corporate greed. The party would hammer home messages like:

• “This is what happens when you give tax cuts to the rich—they don’t care about you.”

• “Every dollar hoarded by billionaires could improve lives, fund public goods, or tackle crises like climate change.”

• “Extreme wealth concentration isn’t just unethical—it’s destabilizing society.”

The party would advocate reallocating resources, such as addressing wasteful Pentagon spending, to benefit working-class Americans. Through progressive taxation, stronger regulations to prevent monopolies and support for unions, the Labor Party could offer tangible, systemic solutions.

Some specific goals for this Labor Party could include:

• Banning insider trading for public officials

• Ensuring non-millionaires can run for office

• Requiring transparency, like pay stubs, from candidates

• Overturning Citizens United to curb corporate influence

• Ensuring our new party is entirely crowd-funded

Billionaire Myth-Busting

Critics may argue that billionaires earn their wealth through hard work, but the truth is more complicated:

• Billionaires rely on workers, public infrastructure, and societal systems to amass wealth.

• Many exploit loopholes, avoid taxes, and underpay employees while opposing unions.

• Philanthropy, while helpful, often allows billionaires to dodge taxes and maintain control over wealth that could fund democratically decided public programs.

Billionaires fund campaigns, lobby for favorable policies, and dominate markets, undermining democracy. Their extreme wealth creates vast disparities in opportunities and power, destabilizing society in the long run.

Addressing the Fuck Around and Find Out Movement

We could tell MAGA supporters to “fuck around and find out,” but we’ve been saying the same thing for over a decade: these oligarchs and Republican politicians don’t care about them. Their policies are hateful, racist, misogynistic, and bigoted. It’s incredibly frustrating that many MAGA supporters won’t care about this hatred until those policies directly affect them.

But I’ve realized that I vote for the betterment of our country. I vote for people to have food on their tables, to keep a roof over their heads, to hold onto their generational farmland, and so much more. I even vote for policies that improve their lives, and I refuse to stoop to their level. Despite our differences, we live in the same system, and I fight for the American community as a whole—including populations like them.

Statistically, MAGA supporters tend to be less educated. Many, particularly in regions like Appalachia, have lost their Union jobs as factories moved abroad, leaving them resentful and impoverished. Decades of right-wing propaganda—on the news and in their churches—have only deepened these issues, with messages telling them they’d “burn in hell” if they didn’t vote Republican.

Still, I won’t lower myself to their level by telling MAGA supporters to “fuck around and find out” when they eventually realize that the oligarchs have exploited them too. While not everyone will come to this realization, some will, and when they do, I will choose to be the bigger person in the fight against fascism.

Consequences of a Third Party

I know what you’re thinking: “Third parties just split the vote.” But let’s challenge that narrative. The Democrats are already losing. They alienated the working class, lost the trust of their base, and refuse to change. We cannot wait for them to fight the oligarchy—we must fight it ourselves.

While there are other third-party groups with similar ideas, like the Democratic Socialists or the Working Families Party, their messaging misses the mark. The term “socialism” is still too polarizing in much of America due to decades of propaganda. So is the term “leftist,” even among liberals. Similarly, the name “Working Families Party” isolates young voters, single people, and even upper-middle-class individuals who don’t identify as working class, even though they are.

Fascism Breaking Systems

Fascism thrives on the destabilization of democratic norms and the exploitation of vulnerabilities within our democratic system—an alarming reality that has clearly unfolded in America. Capitalism, without proper regulation, has allowed billionaires to exploit loopholes in the tax system, further deepening inequality. The enactment of Citizens United paved the way for unchecked corporate influence, eroding the foundations of democracy. Simultaneously, America's failure to hold the Confederacy accountable or provide reparations for the atrocities of slavery has perpetuated systemic injustices. Today, economic instability and political polarization have created fertile ground for authoritarianism. Trump's evasion of accountability serves as a glaring catalyst, exposing the fragility of our constitutional system, the dismantling of checks and balances, and the looming threat of centralized power.

But this is not a moment for defeatism. Fascism, as destructive as it is, can also serve as the catalyst for resistance and the restructuring of a broken political system. It is painful and unjust that so many must suffer for the broader population to recognize the need for change, but this recognition also fuels collective action. Now is the time to fight to ensure that the disaster does not spiral further, to confront injustice head-on, and to rebuild a democracy that is equitable, resilient, and reflective of its people. By resisting oppression and uniting against authoritarianism, we have the chance to reclaim and transform the systems that failed us.

Starting Locally: The Bottom-Up Approach

We start at the local level. This bottom-up approach is what made movements like MAGA so successful. They’ve targeted rural areas with propaganda and ensured that their candidates are present in every election, big or small. Democrats, on the other hand, often neglect these smaller races, leaving the door open for others to take control. MAGA supporters have strategically placed their people in key positions, like election judges and vote counters. They’ve also influenced gerrymandering to ensure that voting districts are drawn in their favor.

To counter this, we must be just as involved in the details—emphasizing our working-class narrative and goals. We need to ensure that our presence is felt from local races all the way to the national stage. The Democrats claim to represent the working class, but they rake in millions from corporations and lobbyists. Republicans have been so successful at propaganda that, even though they give tax breaks to the wealthy, they convince the working class it benefits them.

Democrats can either join us or be against us. And right now, they are against us. So we need to target their seats, take back power from the corporate-backed elites, and make them fear the people who voted for them.

A Call for Action: It’s Time to Fight

This isn’t just rhetoric—it’s a call for action. We need our own Project 2025 to lay out a clear plan for dismantling our corrupt system. We need people—teachers who understand the value of education, accountants who can ensure financial transparency, web designers who can build a digital presence, marketers who can spread the message, data analysts who can help guide policy decisions, and lawyers who understand the Constitution. Everyone has a role to play. And I’m just a girl reading a call to action with anxiety who has never posted a single video on TikTok after years of being on it. We need to help each other build a true third party, and not on behalf of the Republicans and Democrats, but on behalf of us.

Collaboration with local unions is key to building momentum. We need leaders like Bernie Sanders, AOC, Katie Porter, and Jasmine Crocket, who have shown a commitment to fighting for working people. We need new faces to the movement and to work with grassroots movements like Indivisible and MoveOn, which the DNC actively fights against.

To the DNC: thoughts and prayers. You’ll need them because you won’t be getting many votes next time.

Like Democrats say, “We must stay in the fight. Every one of us.” We may not continue to fight for the Democrats, but we will start to fight for us.

The only way forward is hope. Some may call this delusional, but we must choose to remain “delusional” and keep fighting—because what do we have to lose? We can’t afford to give up. They want us to be scared, to accept whatever crumbs they offer us. But we must stand firm. It’s not just about us—it’s about our children and the future of this country.