the cost of division the consequences of this manufactured division were catastrophic. the grassroots movement against financial elites lost momentum, unable to maintain the unity needed to effect real change. instead of organizing against the banks and corporations responsible for their suffering, people were consumed by identity-based conflicts deliberately stoked by the media. meanwhile, the financial elite emerged not only unscathed but stronger than ever. banks deemed too big to fail were bailed out with taxpayer dollars, their reckless practices rewarded rather than punished. regulations were watered down under the influence of lobbyists, and the systemic flaws that caused the crisis were left intact. as frederick douglass so aptly said, power concedes nothing without a demand. it never did and it never will. the failure to maintain a unified demand for accountability allowed the elite to consolidate their power, ensuring that the same systems of exploitation would continue to thrive.
United States