A New Gilded Age: Corporate Power and Socialism in the 21st Century

Abstract

Building on the author’s experience and accumulated knowledge from years as a left activist, this essay articulates the similarities between our current moment and the original Gilded Age of the late 19thand early 20thcenturies. The conclusion presented here is that when there is extreme wealth inequality, increased exploitation, and attempts to normalize oppression and bigotry, resistance emerges. This is precisely what we have been seeing around the world, most notably in the US. The eventual successes or failures of the developing socialist movement will be determined by how well we learn from history, rearticulate our theories, and learn through our on-going struggles.