The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.
– Alice Walker
We don’t have long in this world. Or as Johnny Cash would say, “Sooner or later God’ll cut you down.” So, what will we do with the time that we have? What will we do with the light we have?
We should seek to make a better us, a better society, a better nation, and a better world. Abraham Lincoln famously said, “The ballot is stronger than the bullet.” Then, he was shot dead as a show of political theater (literally in a theater, by an actor). Did his assassination make him wrong? Mao Zedong said, “Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.” Does Lincoln’s assassination make Zedong right? I don’t think so. I believe we can create change without violence.
The rapid consolidation of wealth in America is not inevitable. The removal of the barrier between wealth and power is not inevitable. These are the direct result of deliberate choices—policy decisions, corporate practices, and societal norms—that have prioritized the interests of the wealthy over the needs of the many. Reversing this trend will require equally deliberate action, guided by a commitment to fairness and shared prosperity.
For business and public sector leaders, addressing wealth inequality is not just a moral imperative; it’s an economic necessity. A more equitable distribution of wealth fosters greater consumer spending, innovation, and social stability—a win for everyone. The question is not whether we can afford to act, but whether we can afford not to.
We must remember that it is Democracy, not Imperialism, that made America great. To make it great again, we need wealth distribution more than we need anything else. We need to focus on economic democracy. So let’s design policies that spread power and wealth among us all. This is the path to a stronger America. This is the hope for American Democracy.