The year 2020 has become this century’s 1932. After over a decade of continuous growth, America has come face to face with the greatest financial calamity since the Great Depression. With an unpopular incumbent running for reelection, the Democrats have seemingly the greatest opportunity to bring about long lasting societal change since the enactment of the New Deal.
However, instead of choosing Franklin Roosevelt, the party went with John Nance Garner. Former Vice President Joe Biden, chosen for his moderate positions and pragmatic attitude, is a far cry from a revolutionary candidate that fits in with the revolutionary times we are living in. In playing it safe, the main political opposition in our country may have blown its shot to address the deepest issues in American society that have been laid bare by the coronavirus pandemic and the economic fallout caused by it.
Unemployment claims have skyrocketed into the tens of millions. A countless number of businesses have shuttered, many for good. In a nation already riddled with class and racial inequalities, an untold number of Americans with inadequate healthcare and empty bank accounts will find themselves more lost and downtrodden than ever before. The Biden campaign’s response? Releasing an advertisement that, instead of promising increased healthcare coverage or a plan to get America back to work, lambasted President Trump for letting in too many foreigners into the country during the pandemic.
Add in the fact that Biden has made Larry Summers, the man who pushed for the financial deregulation that caused the economic crash of 2008, his economic advisor, and it’s going to be a long six months until November. Welp, we can always wait for a Henry Wallace to run in 2024.
