Punch a Fascist in the Face: Examining the Origin of Captain America and His Meaning in a 21st Century Context

By Eric Gabourel

February 8, 2025

Fascist and the Propaganda Machine

The ever-lurking specter of fascism is emerging from the shadows. Oligarchs have gained control of our country, their identities exposed by the list of top political donors in our two-party system. This small elite, armed with an overwhelming concentration of wealth, has purchased disproportionate political influence.

By buying elections, billionaires have, in effect, led a coup d’état and overthrown American democracy. They now serve as de facto presidents and congressional leaders. Advocates of extreme privatization now exercise dominance over public policy. They are restructuring the Justice Department and plan to use it to create more loopholes for themselves—and as a weapon against their critics.

The oligarchs have carefully constructed a propaganda machine that has convinced the very working people they subdue that their actions are carried out in their best interest. By appealing to subtle, age-old prejudices held by the populace and mirroring the illusions of evangelical theocracy, they have crafted a false image of themselves as the titans of freedom. While kneading their dough of deception, they have also woven in the message that privatization and deregulation are democratic causes. The principal tool the oligarchs have used to exert influence and normalize their rise to power is the mainstream media—both liberal and conservative.

Via the mainstream media—radio, television, and the press—the oligarchs have successfully divided and conquered the populace. They have convinced working people that they are the saviors against other working people that they have effectively villainized. All of this while the oligarchs themselves remain the true architects of the demise of the working class people that voted for them.

A basic tactic straight out of the fascist handbook is to shift the blame onto minorities for the downfall of society. Some of the caricatures they employ is depicting entire groups of people as criminals, sexual deviants, communists, or terrorists—despite these portrayals being far from reality. By carefully deploying this strategy, they have crafted a false narrative that has convinced voters to vote in a coup d’état—at the peril of their own well-being.

As Native Americans (Latinos) are being arrested in unprecedented numbers, the stock price of the private prison company GEO Group has more than doubled since the billionaires took office. They have already rescinded an order aimed at moving the government away from private prisons. Coincidentally, Pam Bondi, the billionaires' nominee for Attorney General, previously lobbied for GEO Group.

In the past few weeks, the billionaire elites have fired the head of the U.S. Coast Guard, Linda Fagan, the first woman to lead a branch of the U.S. armed forces. Her dismissal came as the White House ordered employees in all federal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) offices to be placed on administrative leave, effective immediately—demonstrating that a monolithic policy of exclusion is now in effect. This move has left the nation's top positions to be filled exclusively by those within the exclusionary social club of privilege.

The billionaire elite have revoked the 1965 Equal Employment Opportunity Act, which banned discrimination in hiring. By revoking Executive Order 11246, they have ended affirmative action and anti-discrimination rules for federal contractors. The new order also discourages DEI initiatives in private companies with government contracts and calls for investigations. This marks a major shift away from decades of affirmative action.

While freezing the advancement of civil rights, the oligarchs have granted pardons to the January 6th insurrectionists. This includes members of the neo-fascist militias, the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys. The Proud Boys are an unapologetic neo-Nazi organization that has expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler. One of the Proud Boys insurrectionists was even wearing a "Camp Auschwitz" shirt during the storming of the Capitol.

Then there is the pointed executive order regarding birthright citizenship—expelling scapegoats who have allegedly created society's problems. The Nazi Party, the epitome of fascism's historical display, was able to rally an entire population by blaming all their problems on Jews. The result was pogroms, concentration camps, and ethnic cleansing.

Creatives in an Age of Social Collapse

As the fascist Nazi regime began to invade other countries and execute Jews, two Jewish creatives in the United States would begin to challenge their narrative of Aryan supremacy. Comic book creators Joe Simon (born Hymie Simon) and Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg) would create Captain America and his trusty sidekick, Bucky Barnes. Steve Rogers first appeared in his own self-titled comic book in 1941. On the cover, Cap is decking Hitler right in the face! The cover of Captain America #1 set a tone for Cap and Bucky that would persist throughout the war. Captain America and Bucky became the poster boys for thwarting the advance of fascism—by punching fascist in the face.

Captain America #1 was written in the context of events leading up to his first appearance in 1941. In 1933, German President Paul von Hindenburg appointed Adolf Hitler as Chancellor of Germany. This was also the year the Dachau Concentration Camp was opened to house political prisoners. The camp was initially created to intern fascist political opponents, which included communists, social democrats, Romani, homosexuals, and Catholic priests.

Between 1933 and 1941, Hitler established a totalitarian regime by eliminating political opposition through the “Night of the Long Knives” purge, effectively becoming the sole leader of Germany as “Führer.” Hitler even eliminated Ernst Röhm and the Sturmabteilung (SA), the Nazis' paramilitary organization, known as the "Brownshirts." There was to be no challenge to his rule.

In 1938, Hitler annexed Austria through a political maneuver, marking the first major territorial expansion of Nazi Germany. He gained control of the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia and later occupied the rest of the country. After orchestrating book burnings and leading a successful media campaign to sway the German populace, Hitler invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. This invasion marked the beginning of World War II.

On June 22, 1941, Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa, a massive invasion of the Soviet Union, aiming to conquer vast territories in Eastern Europe. The invasion initially succeeded but eventually stalled in December 1941, just 12 miles short of Moscow.

Hitler’s genocidal campaign in the East resulted in the deaths of millions of people. In August 1941, Nazi authorities sealed off the Kovno ghetto, which held around 30,000 Jews. In the same year, Nazi authorities opened an internment and transit camp in Drancy, France. The list of atrocities committed by the Nazis against Jews is beyond the scope of this article, but I encourage you to read the Holocaust Encyclopedia to understand the extent of the horrors the Nazis inflicted in the same year Captain America #1 was published.

By 1941, Hitler effectively controlled most of Europe through military campaigns utilizing “blitzkrieg” tactics. Into this atrocious melee, Captain America burst onto newsstands to inspire resistance. There was no other way to confront the fascist threat. Conflict was inevitable, and the only way to tackle the fascist menace. 1941 demanded heroes to rise to the occasion.

Red Skull Incarnate

In Captain America #1, Joe Simon and Jack Kirby introduced a fictitious Nazi villain named the Red Skull. In his first appearance, his secret identity was George Maxon, though it would later be revealed that Maxon was a decoy and Johann Schmidt was the true Red Skull. On May 31, 1965, years after the war, the character's origin story was fully revealed in Tales of Suspense #66. In this issue, it is revealed that Schmidt was handpicked by Hitler to become the ultimate fascist. He was a bellhop whom Hitler encountered in a hotel, and Schmidt would be groomed directly by the fascist leader.

In Marvel's 2011 mini-series Red Skull: Incarnate, Johann Schmidt’s impoverished, working-class roots are explored. Like many working-class people today, Schmidt is portrayed as someone searching for meaning in a polarized society. Although he was taken in by a Jewish family and learned of their humanity, he ultimately found meaning in the Nazi Party.

Though Johann Schmidt is a fictitious character, he serves as a portrait of how societal polarization can sway isolated individuals into an ideology. While Hitler met his end in the Marvel canon, the Red Skull survived. In the Marvel ethos, he represents the ever-present threat of fascist dictatorship. In 1965, Jack Kirby and another Jewish creative, Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber), would also create Hydra.

In the Marvel universe, Hydra is a fascist organization that outlived the Nazi regime and still seeks to rule the world. As in reality, totalitarian fascism restlessly seeks to spread its influence across the globe. Some of Hydra's prominent leaders are former Nazi officer Baron Wolfgang von Strucker, Nazi genetic engineer Arnim Zola, and top Nazi scientist Baron Zemo. While it’s impossible for these characters to still be alive in 2025, their ideas don’t have human bodies, and their ideologies continue to permeate American society.

Hydra Manifest

The three wealthiest individuals in America now control more wealth than the bottom half of the nation's population. Despite this staggering concentration of wealth, they continue to grant themselves further tax cuts. The message they have crafted is that these tax cuts will "trickle down," creating jobs and raising wages but history has shown that this is never the case.

Instead, they amass fortunes and use their wealth to lobby for even more tax cuts. As if hundreds of billions were not enough, in their greed they leverage their influence to further build their multi-billion-dollar fortunes. They can easily afford to pay workers a living wage and foster prosperity, but instead, they pay millions of dollars in unpaid taxes into political campaigns of candidates who will grant them further tax cuts, enabling them to expand their already massive wealth. The three wealthiest Americans have seen their combined fortunes grow by over $233 billion since the November elections. By rigging the economy, they have created an endless cycle of corruption and wealth disparity.

This leaves the tax burden on an increasingly impoverished population. These taxes are then funneled into billions of dollars in U.S. government contracts and clean energy credits, used to support far-right extremists and interfere in the domestic politics of our closest international allies. One of the top billionaires has even shown support for Germany’s Neo-Nazi AfD (Alternative for Germany) party, appearing in a virtual address during the launch of the far-right party’s campaign ahead of Germany’s general election on February 23rd.

The de facto leaders have also slashed federal assistance to vital public programs that barely support the American people. Instead, taxpayer money is being used to launch rockets into space and provide military aid for illegal colonial expansions. In essence, they have created capitalism for the poor and socialism for the rich.

While their fortunes continue to grow, the minimum wage has not increased since 2009. With the federal minimum wage stuck at $7.25 an hour, many Americans face inadequate or no health care, overwhelming student debt, and are unable to afford a home or build financial security.

This New Gilded Age mirrors the wealth disparity of the late 1800s. American industry organized misery into sweatshops and asserted the right of capital to operate without restraints or conscience. While wealth during the Gilded Age was built through rapid industrialization, today’s wealth gap is driven by technology. This is evident in the fortunes of the three richest people in the country. One owns Meta, a social media empire. Another launches rockets into space, develops electric vehicles, and owns a social media platform. The third owns an online marketplace. This New Gilded Age demands the same response—namely, the resurgence of organized labor.

A New Age of Heroes

In fascism’s full manifestation, Captain America and Bucky had no choice but to confront the ideology with brute force. 1941 was a time for military action. Fascism had grown beyond infancy; by 1941, it had learned to walk, talk, and wield munitions. The only way forward was to physically strike fascists and halt their advance through military action.

Let the reader reflect and understand: war is the darkest manifestation of the human experience. To live through its grim actuality is to descend to the 9th realm of Dante’s Inferno. The sanctity of human life is rendered an abysmal abstract—a scream lost in a chasm of terror. It becomes a statistic, a mere number added to a tally. Valor and honor are ascribed to those who extinguish the last ember of hope in a child's eyes. Sulphur and brimstone ignite to snuff out the smoldering wick of a mother’s anguish. A symphony of despair is woven into the unyielding thread of destiny’s tapestry, played out on the 5 o’clock news.

A harvest of death should never be the first response. So how can we be the superheroes that the hour demands? The billionaire class was inaugurated on a day that celebrates a visionary who believed social change could be achieved through militant nonviolent resistance. Martin Luther King Jr. demonstrated that nonviolent resistance, when employed in a direct and organized manner, could be effective. His nonviolence took the form of strategic boycotts, sit-ins, strikes, marches, mass arrests, and civil disobedience, to name just a few of its tactics.

After the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed, King shifted his focus to addressing what he called the three evils institutionalized in America: racism, militarism, and economic exploitation.

In confronting militarism, King became one of the nation’s most ardent critics of the Vietnam War. Today, the U.S. maintains nearly 800 military bases in more than 70 countries and territories abroad. And while the U.S. may not be directly involved in a major conflict at this moment, our tax dollars continue to fund wars all over the globe. All while we are the only post-industrialized nation without universal healthcare. No longer can we stand by while billions of our hard-earned dollars are sent abroad in unwinnable, endless conflicts.

Labor in the Gilded Age

In the face of increasing immiseration, King chose to stand in solidarity with organized labor. Some of the last marches he participated in during 1968 were with sanitation workers striking for higher wages, better working conditions, and the right to form a union.

The billionaire class believes that their right to uncontrolled profits is a law of the universe, and that without maintaining this order, catastrophe will face the nation. History, however, shows us that the labor movement didn’t diminish the strength of the nation but actually enlarged it. By raising the living standards of millions, labor created a market for industry and lifted the entire nation to unprecedented levels of production. Those who attack labor forget these simple truths, but history remembers them.

During the Gilded Age (roughly 1870s–1900), the decisive response to the intolerable and dehumanizing conditions created by industrialization was the formation of labor unions. Workers could no longer wait for the charitable impulses of oligarchs. They fought for a share in the immense wealth that their labor produced.

One of the first major nationwide strikes in U.S. history was the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, sometimes referred to as the Great Upheaval. At the time, the workers were not represented by labor unions. The strike was sparked by wage cuts, which ultimately led to violent clashes between workers and federal troops. The strike showed the growing power of labor movements but also demonstrated the government's willingness to use force against them.

The Knights of Labor, formed in 1869, represented the interests of workers and became one of the nation’s first major national labor unions. It aimed to organize all workers—skilled and unskilled, regardless of race or gender. Their struggle with the oligarchs faced several setbacks, the most memorable being the Haymarket Affair of 1886.

In the same year as the Haymarket Affair, the American Federation of Labor (AFL) was formed. The AFL focused on skilled workers and pragmatic labor goals, such as higher wages, shorter work hours, and better working conditions. The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) was founded in 1890, and a remarkable hero emerged from the American Railway Union (founded in 1893) in Eugene V. Debs.

Eugene V. Debs (1855–1926) was a prominent American labor leader, socialist, and five-time presidential candidate. He began his career in the railroad industry and co-founded the American Railway Union (ARU) in 1893, organizing one of the first major industrial unions. Debs gained national attention during the Pullman Strike of 1894, where he led workers in a nationwide boycott of Pullman railcars, which resulted in federal intervention and his imprisonment. While in jail, he embraced socialism and later founded the Socialist Party of America. He ran for U.S. president five times between 1900 and 1920, once from prison after being jailed for opposing World War I under the Espionage Act. A powerful orator and advocate for workers' rights, Debs helped shape the American labor movement and socialist politics, influencing later progressive reforms.

Another notable organizing effort was the Homestead Strike of 1892. A strike at Andrew Carnegie’s steel plant in Homestead, PA, turned into a deadly battle between striking workers and Pinkerton detectives hired to break the strike. The Pinkertons were ultimately successful in a major defeat for organized labor.

Even in our very own city of New Orleans, significant organizing transpired among dockworkers. The complex dynamics of race, labor, and unionism among dockworkers in New Orleans during the late 19th and early 20th centuries reflect these struggles. Black and white dockworkers navigated segregation, economic exploitation, and labor organizing in one of the South’s most vital ports. The highlight of their efforts was the formation of biracial unions, such as the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), which briefly united workers across racial lines to fight for better wages and working conditions. However, racial tensions, employer strategies, and broader societal segregation ultimately undermined interracial solidarity.

Some of the key labor victories from the era include the momentum gained for the eight-hour workday, which led to eventual reforms in the Progressive Era. Labor Day was established in 1894 as a symbolic recognition of labor struggles after the Pullman Strike. Ultimately, we saw the formation of stronger unions. The AFL’s focus on skilled workers led to more sustainable union growth into the 20th century. The end of the Gilded Age set the stage for the Progressive Era (1890s–1920s), where more significant labor reforms were enacted, such as child labor laws and safety regulations.

The Economic Bill of Rights

Along with standing in solidarity with organized labor, before his assassination, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. prescribed that we add an Economic Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution. The bill included a constitutional amendment that enumerates a natural human right to be free from economic poverty, along with appropriate enforcement legislation.

In January of 1944, in a radio address to the nation, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt outlined an Economic Bill of Rights for the American people. He died three months later, and it was never implemented. Twenty-four years later, the Poor People's Campaign, organized by SCLC and Dr. King, picked up FDR's theme, presenting various versions of what an Economic Bill of Rights should contain and using the concept to educate the nation and its political leaders about the nature of poverty and the measures necessary to end it.

Though FDR didn’t see the bill enacted, his crown legislation was the creation of the New Deal. Labor unions played a crucial role in the creation of the New Deal (1933–1939) by advocating for workers' rights, influencing policy, and organizing mass movements that pressured the government to pass pro-labor legislation. During the Great Depression, widespread unemployment, wage cuts, and poor working conditions led to increased union activism, which ultimately shaped key labor policies within President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal programs.

Though the achievements of the New Deal are beyond the scope of this article, its importance for progress in America cannot be understated. Therefore, an outline will be provided to highlight key ways labor unions influenced the New Deal:

Grassroots Pressure & Strikes
- During the early 1930s, industrial workers across the country staged massive strikes, including the 1934 General Strikes in San Francisco, Minneapolis, and Toledo.
- These strikes demonstrated widespread discontent and forced the federal government to take labor demands seriously.

Passage of the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) (1933)
- Encouraged collective bargaining and set fair labor standards.
- However, its enforcement was weak, and it was later struck down by the Supreme Court in Schechter Poultry Corp. v. United States (1935).

Wagner Act (National Labor Relations Act) (1935)
- Strongly supported by the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO).
- Guaranteed workers' rights to unionize, bargain collectively, and strike.
- Established the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to protect workers from unfair labor practices.

Rise of the CIO & Industrial Unionism
- The Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO), led by John L. Lewis, pushed for the inclusion of industrial workers (especially in steel, auto, and mining industries) into the labor movement.
- The CIO organized major strikes, such as the 1936-37 Flint Sit-Down Strike, which helped secure union recognition at General Motors.

Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) (1938)
- Established the 40-hour workweek, a minimum wage, and overtime pay.
- Outlawed child labor in many industries.
- This was a direct result of union activism and lobbying efforts.

Labor unions transformed from a marginal force to a central pillar of American politics and economic policy under the New Deal. Their advocacy helped shape laws that provided job protections, improved working conditions, and strengthened the ability of workers to organize. The New Deal, in turn, solidified labor unions as a major force in 20th-century American politics.

Overall, the New Deal (1933–1939) was a series of programs and laws enacted to combat the Great Depression. It focused on relief (for the unemployed), recovery (economic stimulation), and reform (preventing future crises). Again, listing all of the legislation that defined it is beyond this article, but it would be remiss not to mention the Works Progress Administration (WPA) (1935), which created millions of jobs in construction, arts, theater, and literacy programs. Under its programs, the WPA also built roads, public buildings, and airports. One of the chief recreational areas I enjoyed growing up here in New Orleans, City Park, was created by the WPA. Another piece of legislation was the creation of the Social Security Act (1935), which established retirement pensions, unemployment insurance, and aid for disabled individuals and dependent children.

Ultimately, the New Deal showed how government intervention in the economy could safeguard workers and their well-being. Part of how the New Deal was accomplished was through higher taxes on wealthy individuals and corporations. The Revenue Act of 1935 (also called the "Wealth Tax Act") increased taxes on the rich, with the highest income tax bracket reaching 79%. Increased corporate taxes, inheritance taxes, and new excise taxes helped fund programs as well.

The Social Security Act of 1935 established payroll taxes to fund pensions, unemployment insurance, and disability benefits. Workers and employers both contributed a portion of wages to sustain the program. Taxing the ultra-rich was the way that wealth would trickle down from employers.

However, since the death of FDR, the billionaire class has used their extreme wealth to lobby Congress and undo the effectiveness of New Deal legislation. As in the Gilded Age, when labor unions organized to thwart the advance of wealth disparity, we must step up to meet the challenges of today. We need to seek to organize our workplaces. Already in a labor union? Lend your support to other workers seeking to form a union or working to obtain a union contract after the union is achieved.

Amazon warehouse workers, Starbucks baristas, and Tesla employees are waking up and organizing. Let us all follow suit and organize unions in our workplaces so that there is a more democratic distribution of wealth, security, and prosperity for all.

Resurrection City

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was not merely speaking about the need for an Economic Bill of Rights; he was actively organizing to make it a reality. King’s vision extended beyond rhetoric into direct action. His call for a multi-racial, militant nonviolent movement was embodied in the formation of Resurrection City, a temporary community in Washington, D.C., where activists would stage a massive sit-in until the Economic Bill of Rights was passed. King understood that meaningful change requires more than electing political leaders—it requires holding those already in power accountable through direct, organized pressure from the people. And in our time, the most urgent task before us is the overhaul of our tax code.

Reaganomics ushered in a devastating redistribution of wealth from the working class to the ultra-rich, deepening income inequality and undermining social welfare. The trickle-down theory, which promised that tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations would create jobs and raise wages, proved to be a lie—profits soared, but wages stagnated. The deregulation and privatization that followed weakened labor protections, eroded unions, and allowed corporations to exploit workers. Meanwhile, critical social programs like housing assistance and food aid were slashed, disproportionately harming the most vulnerable in society. Increased military spending drained resources that could have been used to fund universal healthcare, education, and infrastructure. Reaganomics didn’t create prosperity for all—it entrenched corporate power, fueled financial speculation, and set the stage for decades of economic insecurity for the working class.

What the hour demands is nothing less than a mass movement of working people organizing to reverse the legacy of Reaganomics. Just as the New Deal led to the creation of the Wealth Tax Act, so too must we push for legislation that demands a more democratic distribution of wealth. Some have proposed taxing all wealth beyond $999 million at a 100% rate. This bold idea may be a necessary step in challenging the grotesque concentration of wealth in the hands of a few.

Meanwhile, the oligarchs in charge of our government are exploiting loopholes to increase their own wealth at the expense of the American people. Take the carried interest loophole, which allows Wall Street to avoid paying its fair share of taxes—costing the U.S. government $18 billion each year. There was once rhetoric about closing this loophole, until Blackstone’s CEO became a top financial donor to the political machine that has entrenched these abuses of power.

Now, while the billionaire class works to extend tax cuts for the wealthiest among us—at a cost of $4 trillion—there’s no plan to lower costs for the working class or raise wages. Instead, the billionaire puppets in the House are considering slashing Medicaid to help finance these tax cuts. Privileged billionaires, who have no concern for the struggles of working people, should not be allowed to dictate policies that harm the majority of Americans. These billionaires couldn’t care less whether working families can make rent or buy groceries—so long as they continue to line their pockets with tax cuts.

At the same time, these same billionaires are advocating for tax hikes on working people, while repealing green energy tax credits, removing mortgage interest deductions, raising taxes on single parents, taxing students, and cutting credits for childcare. They are pushing massive cuts to essential programs like the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, Medicare, and SSI. In essence, their agenda is to make working families pay more so the ultra-rich can pay less.

We cannot ignore the corrosive influence of money in politics. Citizens United must be overturned. In the 2024 election cycle, just seven Republican billionaires contributed over $1 billion to Republican candidates, while seven leading Democratic billionaires contributed $245 million. When elections are bought by the super-rich, we are no longer living in a democracy—we are living in an oligarchy. It is time to overturn Citizens United and reclaim our democracy for the people, not for the billionaires.

The hour demands action. We must organize, unite, and fight for the passage of just legislation, including a fair tax code that reflects the needs of the many, not the greed of the few. The battle for economic justice is far from over, and it is up to us to continue the struggle that Dr. King began.

Conclusion

In his first appearance in Captain America #1, the Red Skull proclaimed that to implement the fascist agenda, wealth was the ultimate weapon—and the best way to amass that wealth was by undermining workers. This strategy hasn't changed. In recent days, the oligarchy has further entrenched its power by firing the general counsel and acting chair of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Now, the very agency tasked with protecting workers' rights to unionize is crippled, unable to function because it lacks a quorum. Meanwhile, corporations like Amazon and SpaceX are fighting in court to gut the agency entirely, further decimating the tools that workers have to organize.

The NLRB, established under the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 during FDR’s New Deal, has long been a cornerstone of workers' rights, ensuring the ability to organize and collectively bargain. But with the agency effectively sidelined, union certifications will be delayed, and corporations that fire workers or unleash other union-busting tactics will go unpunished. All of this is done to line the pockets of the oligarchs who already control far too much of the nation's wealth.

It’s clear that for billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, having more wealth than any two people on the planet isn’t enough. They want even more wealth, more power, and above all—complete control. This is the essence of funding fascism: to stifle workers’ rights, crush dissent, and monopolize everything. Their vision isn’t just to dominate industries—they aim to dominate entire societies.

In stark contrast, we must push for the passage of the PRO Act. Our nation's labor laws, rooted in a New Deal era, are woefully outdated and have become ineffective tools for workers to have their voices heard. But now, the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, the most significant worker empowerment legislation since the Great Depression, sits in the hands of the Senate. This bill is more than just a labor law reform—it's a piece of civil rights and economic stimulus legislation that would empower workers, revitalize communities, and stimulate the economy. It’s an essential step in building back better after the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic recession that followed.

But the fight for justice must also address one of the roots of oppression: racism. We cannot afford to overlook the deeply ingrained racial inequalities that permeate our labor systems and society. Labor unions must champion a multicultural, diverse leadership that represents the marginalized communities they serve. Unions led by a multi-ethnic coalition, especially those from the margins of society, could be the driving force that transforms this moment of crisis into a movement of hope, unity, and solidarity.

The true superheroes of our time are not those in capes and tights, but the ordinary people who rise up to fight the evil triplets of greed, racism, and fascism in all their manifestations. The battle ahead is immense, but as we stand up and take action, let’s remember: every punch against fascism requires not just the courage to act, but the strength to persist. So when you fight back, fight with everything you’ve got—put some real elbow grease into it! The time for change is now.

-Eric Gabourel