Newsweek Discovers 'Gilded Age' But Misses the Point
Newsweek's critique of Trump’s 'Golden Age' as a 'Gilded Age' is astute, yet conspicuously avoids the broader implications. The term 'Gilded Age' historically describes an era of vast wealth concentration and staggering inequality, often driven by unchecked corporate power and political corruption—a structural problem far predating, and extending beyond, any single administration. Focusing solely
on Trump makes for easy, surface-level criticism, neatly sidestepping the uncomfortable truth that both parties have overseen policies that exacerbate this wealth gap for decades, from tax cuts for the rich to the erosion of unions, the deregulation of finance, and the relentless expansion of military budgets at the expense of social programs. (Remember when Biden’s tax cuts for the rich were just
Trump’s, but with prettier packaging?) The media industrial complex, in its constant chase for individual villains, often overlooks the systemic rot. The 'Golden Age' mythology, whether peddled by Trump or subtly implied by others, consistently distracts from the fact that for many Americans, it’s always been more tin-plated than gold, regardless of who's in the White House. The 'Gilded Age' isn't
a Trump innovation; it's practically America's default setting now. One might wonder if the media prefers criticizing personalities over profits because, well, money talks.