Let’s get real for a minute.
Class struggle isn’t just some academic debate or an old idea out of a dusty history book. It’s not theory - it’s my life, your life, and honestly, the lives of nearly everyone I know. Especially right now, in the middle of whatever you want to call this mess - late-stage capitalism, decline, a dumpster fire in slow motion.
I’m tired. You’re probably tired too. But pretending this isn’t happening doesn’t make it go away.
What Are We Even Talking About?
At its core, class struggle is pretty simple. There are people who own - the bosses, the corporations, the folks with vacation homes and stock portfolios and private healthcare. And then there’s the rest of us: the ones who work, hustle, scrape by, and just hope to cover rent before the next curveball hits.
People with power want more profit. That means:
Lower wages
Fewer benefits
More control
Less oversight
People like me (and probably you) want a life with a little dignity:
A paycheck that covers the bills
Healthcare that doesn’t bankrupt us
Safe jobs that don’t wreck our bodies
Some actual time to breathe, maybe even see our families
Guess what? Those two things will never fully line up. And lately, it feels like that gap’s become a canyon.
Late-Stage Capitalism: The Squeeze Is On
You want numbers? Fine, here they are:
The top 10% in America now own about 70% of all the wealth.
The top 1% - just a sliver of people - have more money than the entire bottom 90% put together.
Most people I know? Living paycheck to paycheck. Over 60% of Americans are right there with us.
We’re working harder, longer hours - 47, 50, even 70 a week if you’re in healthcare or the gig world - and for what? Wages haven’t really grown since the ‘70s, if you count inflation. Half the people around me are working two jobs just to stay in place.
Childcare? Try $15,000 a year, per kid. Medical debt? Still the number one reason for bankruptcy. Rent is up 20% just since COVID, and don’t even get me started on the “dream” of buying a home.
Why I Refuse to Stay Quiet
Here’s what really pisses me off:
This isn’t bad luck. It’s not because we “don’t work hard enough.” It’s the system doing exactly what it was built to do - make the rich richer, and keep the rest of us scrambling.
And every time I stay quiet? The people on top take that as a green light.
I don’t complain - they cut my benefits.
I stay divided from my neighbors - they jack up the rent.
I get too exhausted to fight - they cash another bonus.
We’re told to blame immigrants, “woke” kids, each other - anyone but the folks actually running the show. It’s classic misdirection.
So What Do We Do?
Class struggle doesn’t have to mean Molotov cocktails or storming the Bastille. It’s as basic as:
Supporting unions, or at least not trash-talking them
Voting for stuff that actually helps workers
Pushing for real public goods - healthcare, housing, education
Calling out the real villains: corporate greed and political corruption
It means organizing, even if it’s just in your building, your workplace, your neighborhood. It means refusing to let them divide us, distract us, wear us down.
Last Word
Here’s what I’ve learned, and maybe you already feel it too:
Class struggle isn’t something I signed up for. It’s something I’m living through every day. You are too, whether you see it or not.
You can look away, but it’s not going to leave you alone.
And if we keep our heads down and play nice?
They’ll take it all.
So yeah - I’m going to keep talking about class struggle.
Because if we don’t fight back, who will?
