Letter: Progress doesn’t come with polite appeals to those in power

While the call to “bury hateful rhetoric and learn to work together” sounds admirable, it overlooks a fundamental truth: under capitalism, such unity is largely impossible. Yes, capitalism has pulled some individuals out of poverty, but it has systemically kept the majority in it—by design. It relies on a “reserve army of labor,” a pool of unemployed and underemployed workers used to drive down wages and suppress demands for better conditions. When a worker demands fair treatment, they’re told someone else will do the job for less.

Progress has never come from polite appeals to those in power. The New Deal, civil rights victories, desegregation, even opposition to the Vietnam War—none of these came from “working together” with the ruling class or those who share their ideals. They were concessions won through sustained agitation, protest, and direct action by those who had nothing else to lose.

Let’s not forget that this country was built by enslaved people. Our wages are little more than ration cards that keep us just comfortable enough to survive, not thrive. Our democracy gives us limited choices filtered by those in power, with alternative voices excluded through ballot access laws and media blackouts. Our land isn’t truly ours—it can be seized at any time, as residents facing the Mid-States Corridor know all too well.

“Hateful rhetoric” has always existed in America—but it’s historically been directed at the poor, the working class, and the marginalized. What we’re witnessing now is not a rise in hate, but a rise in awareness. People are realizing the American Dream is, in fact, a dream—unattainable for many under the current system. And they’re beginning to fight back.

Calls for unity are hollow without justice. Real peace requires real change—and that starts by confronting the capitalist system that divides and exploits us. We welcome you and anyone else willing to learn with us at our monthly meetings.

Find us on Facebook by searching Dubois County People’s Coalition or email us at dcpeoplescoalition@gmail.com

Derek Andrews
Dubois County People’s Coalition