There are many ways to describe and to analyze what is happening in the federal government since Donald Trump was inaugurated. But the clearest and most consistent pattern is that the billionaires have taken over and have started to destroy anything that interferes with them becoming richer and richer. Their greed appears to know no bounds. I find this truly frightening.

The federal government’s role, at least since the 1930s, has included taxation, health care, education, human rights, democracy, health and safety regulations, and protection from the excesses of big business. The ultra-rich see each of these as limiting their pursuit of unlimited wealth. They are out to eliminate or disable all of them.

There are ongoing debates about ideology, efficiency, and power. These may be real and significant, but at the moment, they are serving primarily to distract us from the massive theft being carried out by the very wealthy.

The best description of this that I’ve found comes from social justice activist and writer Scot Nakagawa. He writes:

“What we are witnessing … is what happens when you let super billionaires take charge of government: they strip it for parts, rig the economy for themselves, and leave the rest of us to fend for scraps. What we’re seeing right now — the gutting of regulatory agencies, the privatization of public assets, and the consolidation of political and economic power by a handful of ultra-wealthy elites — is not just corruption. It is the deliberate restructuring of society into a corporate autocracy, where the richest rule unchecked and workers, consumers, and ordinary people have no say.”

“This is a heist. It’s a political coup wrapped in the language of efficiency and innovation — but it’s really about creating a system where Musk, Trump, and their billionaire class own everything, and the rest of us lose our rights, our economic security, and our ability to fight back.”

The rich are getting richer. Time magazine reported that in just the first two days of the Trumpadministration, the wealth of 15 fossil fuel billionaires went up more than $3 billion.

The Republican Congress has passed a budget resolution that calls for extending tax cuts that primarily benefit the wealthy (some $4.5 trillion over 10 years) and which calls for cutting $2 trillion from the budget, which will almost certainly come from Medicaid, food programs, and other programs that benefit those with middle and low incomes.

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It is unknown what billions Musk will reap in from his theft of data from the U.S. government, his dismantling of regulatory agencies that would limit his excesses, and the dropping of government actions against his previous violations of laws and regulations.

Again, this is a heist and the creation of a plutocracy (rule by the rich). Framing things in this way has several advantages. It taps into the broad public resentment against the super-rich. Polling shows that 67% of the public think billionaires should pay higher taxes. Nearly 3 out of 4 voters (73%) think billionaires have too much influence over federal government decisions, according to a poll in early February.

Framing the issue this way bridges political divides. Enriching billionaires is widely opposed by conservatives and independents, as well as liberals and progressives. Just when Trump is trying to divide us, this is potentially an issue around which many people can come together despite other political differences.

Bernie Sanders drew over 10,000 people for a rally outside Detroit on his “Stop Oligarchy” tour. He’s touring districts where Republicans narrowly won seats in Congress and thousands are turning out to hear him — to hear him say we don’t want government of, by, and for the billionaires.

Again quoting Nakagawa, “When we say ‘This is what happens when you let billionaires run the government,’ we turn this into a populist, unifying fight — not a left vs. right issue, but a people vs. elite oligarchs issue.”

Around the globe, and here in the U.S., autocrats are promoting climate-destroying fossil fuels and blaming immigrants. Their anti-climate moves directly profit the wealthy and undermine government regulation and communal responsibility. Blaming and attacking immigrants distracts the public from the harm being perpetrated by the billionaires. These policies are disastrous for both people and planet.

We need to keep coming together to fight billionaire rule. We need to fight for people, for economic, political and human rights. Every time I’ve managed to take some action, it has helped me feel less hopeless and more connected to others who are taking action. We can join rallies, protests, and economic boycotts, push our politicians to lead more boldly on this issue, spread the word on social media, support unions, and stand with all the vulnerable.

We don’t know exactly what it will take, but if we all take some action, there are more of us than there are of them.

Russ Vernon-Jones lives in Amherst and is a member of the Steering Committee of Climate Action Now. The views expressed here are his own. He blogs regularly on climate justice at www.russvernonjones.org and can be reached there.