Caught Between Democracy and Oligarchy,
Here’s What Gives Me Hope
Robert Reich / MoveOn
(July 1, 2025) — Dear fellow MoveOn member:
There is no middle ground between oligarchy and democracy. And right now, our nation is at a crossroads between the two.
On the one hand, we have corrupt oligarchs and their minions, like Stephen Miller. It’s not enough for Miller to orchestrate Donald Trump’s deportation agenda. Miller recently disclosed he has up to $250,000 of stock in Palantir, the shady data firm ICE uses to target and round up immigrants.1 He’s cashing in on his own cruelty.
On the other hand, we have fighters like Zohran Mamdani who are standing up to oligarchy and fighting to make New York City affordable for working people. His laser focus on the cost-of-living crisis in New York (which can similarly be felt in other parts of the country) resonated deeply with working-class voters. It’s no wonder that billionaires and corporations spent a fortune trying to defeat him.
I know which country I want to live in. I bet that you do too.
And Here’s What Gives Me Hope: We Aren’t Alone
Just a few months ago, 3 million people flooded the streets declaring “Hands Off!” And just a few weeks ago, 5 million people — from small towns to big cities across the country — took part in the “No Kings” protest.
It’s inspiring. It’s hope-inducing. An initial spark.
But it’s not enough. Yet. Defeating oligarchy takes strong, sustained, and strategic organizing. And that’s exactly why MoveOn is so critical to the progressive movement.
For 26 years, MoveOn’s millions of members — who live in every state, every congressional district, and every corner of the country — have been using cutting-edge technology and grassroots people power to organize against oligarchy and right-wing extremism.
This targeted and powerful work requires resources. And we don’t just need to keep organizing, we need to ratchet up our efforts to another level. Which is why I am asking you: Will you donate to MoveOn to help build the movement we need to defeat the oligarchs and extremists?
One estimate found that Trump’s proposed cuts to Medicaid could result in more than 16,000 preventable deaths annually.2
And how do Republican politicians respond?
Senator Mitch McConnell cruelly says, “They’ll get over it.”3
Senator Joni Ernst callously responds, “We all are going to die.”4
Trump’s bill would make devastating cuts to the social safety net in exchange for tax cuts that predominantly benefit the super-rich. This is why the oligarchs stood alongside him at his inauguration.
Oligarchs and authoritarians throughout history have understood that their greatest enemy is an organized citizenry. That’s why they work so hard to make us feel isolated and powerless. But we are not powerless when we stand together.
The path forward won’t be easy. But I’ve seen the power of organized resistance before. More than 55 years ago, I participated in the movement against the Vietnam War—a movement that ultimately ended the war and caused a once-powerful president to resign.
Today, we will prevail because we are relearning that same basic truth: We are the leaders we’ve been waiting for.
Can you chip in to help MoveOn build the movement we need to protect our democracy from Trump’s oligarchy?
Thanks for all you do,
Robert Reich
Sources:
- “Stephen Miller Owns Up to $250,000 in Palantir Stock, Report Finds,” Truthout, June 24, 2025
- “Medicaid cuts could result in more than 16,000 preventable deaths annually,” Stat, June 16, 2025
- “Ky. Gov. Beshear, Democrats slam McConnell for saying people will ‘get over’ Medicaid cuts,” ArcaMax, June 24, 2025
- “Sen. Ernst’s ‘We’re all going to die’ response leads Democrat Scholten to Launch Challenge,” Dakota News Now, June 2, 2025
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