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Trump not only hasn’t delivered on his promises for workers; he’s joined the other side. It’s noaccident that workers in America have suffered stagnant wages and reduced benefits. It is the result of a systematic corporate campaign to crush unions, rig trading rules to benefit investors and roll back public regulations and investments Trump and the Republican Congress are now doubling down on that assault.

How can we tell when a democracy evolves into a plutocracy? Easy. We have a democracy when a political system can and does make a good-faith effort to address the problems average people face. In a plutocracy, on the other hand, the political system works diligently instead at protecting — and growing — the wealth of the already wealthy. By this simple standard, we live in a plutocracy. The latest slam-dunk evidence: the record of the decade since the Wall Street financial crash.

Labor Day recognizes the humanity of workers. It commemorates their year-long efforts with time off dedicated relaxation, family, friends, and barbeques. There’s no holiday for robots, raw materials, or the energy that animates the machines of manufacturing. Because,...

President Trump sold his tax scam to Congress and the American people by saying the average family would see a $4,000 pay raise from their employers. That was last October. It’s now Labor Day, and 96 percent of working Americans haven't seen a penny of this raise. Where did it go? Back in the pockets of big corporations.

Lawmakers who've made it a pastime to dis public schools: Take heed. Education issues have become particularly influential in the red states that experienced the teacher walkouts, including West Virginia, Kentucky, and Oklahoma, with incumbents being sent home and educators stepping up to run for and win elected office for the first time.