The rise of Donald Trump has forced his fellow oligarchs out into the open. Oligarchs are business leaders and groups who wield incredible economic and political power. Big business has sought to capture our governments for the last 50 years, starting with the Powell Memorandum of 1971 and capping it with Project 2025. The endgame is here.

What to do? Start by dropping exploitative social media (starve the beast and improve your mental health). Whenever you can, shop at local small businesses instead of box stores and online giants. Switch credit cards from national banks, especially those which gave us the Great Recession, to local banks with a stake in the community. Subscribe to good, unbiased journalism, considering who owns the news source. When you vote, know who’s funding the candidates’ campaigns. Support unions. Do not buy a certain brand of EV. Most of all, build community locally, supporting groups such as Kearsarge Neighborhood Partners.

And heads up: Elon Musk has given them access to all the sensitive information on every single American. Also, it’s their intention to eliminate regulations (i.e. the rules and laws that protect citizens, consumers, workers, minorities, clean air and water). Trickle down, corporate welfare, ALEC, massive economic inequality, union-busting, the vanishing middle class, socialized losses and privatized profits, Citizens United, corruption, unsustainable use of natural resources, government by the wealthy for the wealthy. We’ve seen it all. Time to cowboy up!

Allan MacDonald

New London