How did this movement get past us?
In my previous article Our Structure is Conflict, I talked about the “structure” as envisioned by Paolo Calvi.
This political writer uses this term in a new way without a definition. I have come to this:
Structure: the underlying forces that force us into predetermined outcomes. We may believe that we can change things by acting in certain ways, but the structure will take us to the same place it was going to go anyway.
While I could be wrong about this definition, I think Paolo is onto something.
If my definition is correct, I will try to explain how I see “structure,” using The Powell Memo as an example.
The Powell Memorandum
This 1971 essay is 31 pages. It calls for American commerce to be more proactive in politics to further the cause of commerce.
This link gives a PDF of the original typewritten document, which is telling of its time:
Perhaps The Powell Memo’s most important paragraph is:
But independent and uncoordinated activity by individual corporations, as important as this is, will not be sufficient. Strength lies in organization, in careful long-range planning and implementation, in consistency of action over an indefinite period of years, in the scale of financing only through joint effort, and in political power available only through united action and national organization.
This formula, if implemented, is effective. We could substitute “corporations” for other entities, such as civil rights or environmentalism. Unity can be a powerful social/political force to shape society.
The Wikipedia article says:
The Powell Memorandum ultimately came to be a blueprint for the rise of the American conservative movement and the formation of a network of influential right-wing think tanks and lobbying organizations, . . .
This statement implies a structure of some kind. After the blueprint was revealed, a few hundred or a thousand believers somehow gathered in secret rooms to effect that blueprint. There was a master plan with willing soldiers to play their roles behind the scenes.
Today, some political pundits believe that Project 2025 is an extension of The Powell Memo. It is plausible that the USA could soon be an official oligarchy or a democracy façade for an oligarchy. The people behind the Powell memo would then be running the world. Just like the 1975 movie Rollerball predicted.
I have several objections to The Powell Memo being a master plan.
The Powell Memo was never a secret document. It was well known when published. Its architect later became a Supreme Court justice. It represented well-known views of the political right at the time, especially the fear of communism. Maybe The Powell Memo was inspired by how the Civil Rights movement was effective in the 1950s and 60s. Same mechanism, different goals.
The Powell Memo is indeed an economic manifesto. While it makes no overt mention of racism, misogyny, and Christian nationalism, those of us on the outside can justifiably speculate that The Powell Memo engineers have unofficially allied with these demographics to effect that manifesto.
Or maybe “played” is a better word than “allied.” This “playing” implies a deep understanding of social psychology to create these alliances. If the Powell people are indeed this smart, then why can’t the other side be just as smart?
The timing is too long. My understanding of the world is that altruistic and not-so-altruistic movements have a 15-year vision, at most. Many of these movements either die off or are morphed into something else. Why should The Powell Memo be above this social psychological force?
My political crystal ball, which is sometimes wrong, says the Democrats will win the presidency and Congress in 2028. Between the damage of Trump 2.0 administration and the usual Democratic political ineptness, the 2032 elections will return the Republicans to power, who will then finish the job of dismantling American democracy — with a more capable leader. If my prediction is correct, this means The Powell Memo is a plan that takes 62 years. This is far above our natural vision.
In 2016, The Powell Memo engineers were probably behind John Kasich and Jeb Bush as their preferred Republican candidates to win the Republican primary. Both had a history of accomplishment, spoke conservatism eloquently, and were electable, especially after eight years of Democratic rule.
Donald Trump could never have been part of the early Powell plan. He was too much of a known business failure and buffoon to be credible in politics.
When Mr. Trump threw his hat in the ring and resonated, all those Powell calculations were thrown out the window. If there were any Powell influencers in the Trump 1.0 administration, they found this president difficult to contain.
But the Powell people admired Trump’s persistence for power and the lock he had on 30% of Americans. Somehow, they figured out how to get him to sign on to much of Project 2025. So maybe they are that smart!
Not only has the Powell economic agenda sacrificed the struggle to reduce racism, misogyny, and Christian nationalism, it has also signed on to trade wars, silly wars, and bigger circuses.
If The Powell Memo is a bona fide movement, it does not look well managed. How it lasted 62 years is a mystery.
Is the Powell Memo a "Structure"?
Are there people in influential positions working to effect The Powell Memo?
Probably.
Is The Powell Memo a bona fide social/political force capable of adjusting the world to its vision?
They are trying. But if they really knew what they were doing, they could have implemented their plan much sooner.
Something else is happening.
The Real Reason
I will summarize the above article. Ever since human societies moved from hunter-gatherers to agriculturists, there has been an elite that constitutes 2% of the population. This elite makes the decisions, enjoys the comforts, and protects its position.
Hence, The Powell Memo is only a manifestation of our natural instinct to organize ourselves into the three Orwell classes: 2% elites, 13% elite supporters, and 85% proles. Therefore, The Powell Memo is not the mechanism that is eroding the middle class and democratic rights.
The mechanism is our collective instinct, which George Orwell showed us. It is the structure.
History of the Middle Class
Prior to WW2, even the best democracies had around 75% of their populations living in poverty or near poverty. Survival was the daily struggle for most of us. Yes, we could vote, protest, and speak. But those of us of average means in 2026 would not trade our lives for average means in 1926.
After WW2, economic conditions arose such that many of us could rise above a subsistence income. Effects of the New Deal and Marshall Plan, pent-up consumer demand, workers having more political powers, infrastructure development, etc. allowed many of us to save money and buy a house for ourselves. The middle class blossomed — and this happened mostly by accident, not by some master plan.
Since 1990, the middle class has been eroding. More people cannot get ahead like their parents got ahead.
If we want to keep a strong middle class, we will need a plan regardless of whether The Powell Memo or the Orwell Ratio is at play.
The New Plan
If we don't like where The Powell Memo or Orwell Ratio are taking us, I suggest that we build a new democracy. I have invented our new democracy.
In essence, Tiered Democratic Governance (TDG) has these main features. No political parties. Tiered indirect elections. Voting for good character and capacity for governance. A culture of consultative decision-making. An advisory board to guide the elected TDG institutions. You can get more details from the TDG website.
Unfortunately, the TDG is no easy fix. The early TDG builders will need to learn skills for TDG governance before it can assume authority and responsibility for managing society. I estimate that, after 1% of Americans are willing to spend 10 volunteer hours a month to build the TDG, it will take 20 years.
If The Powell Memo people have been working on their goal for 62 years, surely you can put in a similar effort for a 20-year goal.
If not, then I predict the Powell people will eventually win. Or maybe the Orwell Ratio reaches its natural conclusion. It doesn’t matter which mechanism is at play. It doesn’t matter whether citizens have the right to vote or not. Or the right to protest or not. Or the right to free speech or not.
Most of this article’s readers' great-grandchildren will be dirt poor.
Is this the legacy that you want?
Published on Medium 2026
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