2026 marked another record year for heat, confirming that the age of climate change is fully upon us. We saw it coming but quietly hoped the effects might not be as severe as predicted. Yet, as it turns out, climate scientists were painfully accurate in their warnings. They also outlined solutions, but those calls to action were largely ignored by those in power.

Then there’s the exponential rise of AI. Experts continue to warn us: its progress is staggering. Of course, some of that is marketing hype, but no one disputes that its impact on jobs and the economy will be profound. The problem? No one knows exactly what that impact will look like. A decade ago, few could have imagined AI chatbots capable of answering almost any question in the world.

So, with these monumental crises looming, it’s reassuring to know we have leaders who prioritize our best interests, right? Not quite. The United States is no longer considered a democracy by standard definitions. Meanwhile, oligarchs – some of them like Musk gone fully insane and evil – are betting on democracy’s collapse and the permanent establishment of an oligarchy – one where they consolidate even more power and wealth.

Their vehicle for this is Donald Trump and the Republican Party, who have abandoned any pretense of working toward a better society for Americans. Instead, they serve corporate interests, the state of Israel, and the billionaire class.

Are the Democrats any better? Unfortunately, the current leadership leaves much to be desired. They still refuse to acknowledge that the political donor system is destroying their country and continue to rake in the stinking corporate and billionaire dollars. Policy is for sale in America with both the Democrats and the Republicans. However, a new wave of Democratic Socialists, including figures like New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, is gaining momentum.

November will be a pivotal month for America and the world. If Democrats can reclaim the House and the Senate, they could halt many of Trump’s most extreme actions and impulses. Better yet, they could begin investigating and subpoenaing the Trump regime for its corruption and its many horrific crimes.

My bet is that Trump’s loss in November will be overwhelming and the Democrats will gain control of the House and probably even the Senate. But here’s the real concern: What will the Democrats do next? We already know what Trump and the Republicans will do: they’ll deny the Democrats’ victory and obstruct them at every turn. The uncertainty lies in how the Democrats will wield their power afterward.

If they continue with their usual middle-of-the-road approach, we’re in serious trouble. The people will grow even more desperate, and we’ll still lack the leadership needed to confront the defining challenges of our time. To defeat the oligarchs, we need the largest pro-democracy movement in history – one that can install and sustain the leadership required to guide us through these dark times.

There are glimmers of hope: in Hungary with the defeat of Orban, in New York with Mamdani, and now in Michigan, where progressive Abdul El-Sayed won the Democratic primary. America will have a revolution. The question is whether it will be an oligarchic one or a return to democracy. Time will tell.