OpEd
By Mike Robinson
The United States is being systematically dismantled at the federal level in ways we have never seen before. The current Trump administration, fueled by billionaire influence and openly hostile to the foundations of our Constitutional Federation, is using untested and reckless methods to gut the very system that has sustained us for nearly 250 years.
As President Trump and Elon Musk themselves have suggested, this economic turbulence is not just expected—it is being engineered. They anticipate a prolonged market crash, and the people who will suffer most are the lower and middle classes, including families like mine.
The Republican leadership, now fully dominated by the wealthiest elite, has installed a cabinet filled with donors who literally purchased their positions. These individuals have no interest in serving the public—they serve only their own financial interests. Meanwhile, the institutions that once provided a buffer for working Americans, including veteran support programs and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, are being erased from major corporate policies. Wal-Mart, Amazon, and Target, once viewed as retailers for everyday Americans, have now fully aligned with this power shift, shutting out disabled veterans and abandoning any pretense of serving communities beyond their bottom line.
So what do we do?
We turn inward.
We resist.
We take control of our economic destiny at the local level by stepping away from the broken, manipulated system being imposed on us.
Barter, trade, and community-based micro-lending are not just survival strategies—they are revolutionary countermeasures.
Barter and Trade: Reclaiming Economic IndependenceFor centuries, communities have survived economic crises through direct exchange. Instead of feeding corporate giants who funnel their profits to the elite, we should engage in local bartering networks that cut out the need for inflated retail spending.
Local Food Exchanges: Farmers, gardeners, and small producers can trade surplus produce, eggs, or meat with neighbors in exchange for services like home repairs, childcare, or tutoring. Instead of handing money to a grocery chain that manipulates supply chains, we strengthen local agriculture.
Service Swaps: A mechanic might fix a car in exchange for home renovation work. A teacher might provide tutoring in exchange for home-cooked meals or childcare. These are real, tangible exchanges that keep wealth inside the community.
Digital Local Marketplaces: Online platforms, such as community Facebook groups or localized apps, allow for direct bartering and trading. We should invest in building and promoting these networks.
Micro-Lending: Financing Our Own Growth
The traditional banking system is designed to enrich the powerful. Interest rates fluctuate based on Wall Street’s whims, and small business owners often find themselves shut out from capital. Instead, we can build our own financial ecosystem.
Community Loan Pools: Groups of individuals contribute small amounts into a communal fund, which is then used to provide low-interest or no-interest loans to local businesses and entrepreneurs. This keeps capital within the community and supports real economic growth.
Credit Unions Over Banks: Unlike major banks that are increasingly tied to the administration’s policies, local credit unions operate with members’ interests in mind. By shifting our money away from predatory banking institutions, we weaken the financial levers of the elite.
Peer-to-Peer Lending: Digital tools allow us to loan directly to each other for everything from home repairs to startup costs, bypassing banks entirely. If we reapply best practices across regions, we can build a decentralized financial network that serves us, not them.
Boycotting the Corporate MachineOne of the most direct ways to resist is to refuse to participate in the manipulated economy. Instead of spending our hard-earned money at corporations that no longer serve us, we must deliberately support small, locally owned businesses.
Shop at independent stores, farmers’ markets, and co-ops. Every dollar spent locally is a dollar that stays in the community.
Avoid national retailers and online giants whenever possible. Companies like Amazon and Wal-Mart do not reinvest in communities. They exploit labor, destroy small businesses, and now actively reject programs that help disabled veterans and working-class Americans.
Support businesses that share our values. Find and promote businesses that hire locally, provide fair wages, and support veteran and community initiatives.
The Path Forward: Self-Sufficiency as Resistance
We are facing an economic war waged from the top down. The Trump administration and its billionaire allies are dismantling the federal structure not for the sake of governance, but for power. They expect us to sit back and wait for the fallout, dependent on their manipulated economy. But we have the ability—and the responsibility—to reject this future.
By turning to barter, trade, and community financing, we can build an economic system that works for us. This is not just about surviving the next crash. It’s about creating an independent, resilient, and locally controlled economic future. The federal government and corporate elite may have abandoned us, but we do not have to abandon ourselves.
Let’s turn their disruption into our revolution.