For those of us who are not part of the MAGA movement, the past month or so since Trump took office has been one shocking development after another. Whole agencies such as US AID are being dismantled. Somehow the richest man in the world is in direct control of our government. Our international relations are in a state of upheaval. It goes on and on.

This is all part of the plan to reshape our society, and the onslaught of decisions and headlines that the Trump Whitehouse is creating is an example of what is called Shock Doctrine. Naomi Klein has written a rich and thorough history of its use through the 20th and 21st centuries. So I won’t go into it right now. But what is important is that Shock Doctrine tactics are a weapon being used in a much larger attack.

This attack is coming from the billionaire class, and I would call it a class war but really only one side is actually fighting. So maybe we should call it a class offensive.

In simple terms, the rich are in competition with us for pretty much everything. Especially now with extreme wealth being amassed at the top of society. They use this wealth to compete with us in the political sphere to control politicians. They compete with us in the housing market by buying up properties for rent. They compete with us in getting their kids into prestigious educational institutions and careers. They increasingly compete with us more and more in all spheres of our lives due to the extreme wealth they are able to invest.

This class offensive has always been present in our society, but it was always in the background. But now it is open, and it is brazen. They are not hiding their punches, they are just swinging haymakers in hopes of a knockout win.

But there is no real pushback from those of us on the receiving end of this class offensive. And I have a hard truth about that potential pushback. It’s too late. The billionaires have already won. They have control, and their ultimate goals are far darker than what many people realize. This is their game, they own the ball, the referees, and the court.

If we play their game, we lose. If we fight within the system, we lose. The only way to win is to play a completely different game. The way out of this mess is to build a new system that puts humans at the center, rather than wealth.

An economy structured around cooperative businesses, mutual aid, and community wealth would be vastly superior to our current one. And this is a very achievable goal, there are working examples around the world which I will discuss in future blogs.

This new society will need teachers, scientists, engineers, researchers, doctors, carpenters, plumbers, and even bankers. But what it can’t have is billionaires and vast wealth inequality. Without us, what can the rich really do? If we don’t play their game, they lose.

To make this happen it is going to take work. It is going to take time. We’re all going to have to get involved with each other, work with each other, and build the future we want together. I’m not saying give up politics completely, but at this point it should be seen as a rearguard action as we transition into something new.

It may seem a bold and radical solution. But I think all of us know deep down that we need something new. Something more human.