Marianne Williamson has made leading people through personal transformation her career. As author of 13 books on transformational wisdom, she uses spirituality and psychology to help people tap into what it takes to change their lives for the better.
Now, 35 years into her career, Williamson wants to transform the country in the same way. She’s running for the Democratic nomination for president, and makes the case that with her career in working within systems and her understanding of social dynamics, her skills are the most aligned of all Democratic candidates with the country’s needs.
Williamson spoke to about 30 persons at the Welcome Center at Thomas Jefferson Gardens in Jefferson March 2, using polished public speaking skills and examples from history to draw a dire picture of what “unbridled capitalism” is doing to the country.
She immediately drew a parallel between the then-radical actions of Thomas Jefferson and other signers of the Declaration of Independence to end aristocracy in the Colonies, and the need now to change the course the country.
The country has self-corrected several times in its history, Williamson explained, correcting slavery with abolition, correcting the oppression of women with the women’s suffrage movement, and correcting institutionalized white supremacy and segregation with the Civil Rights Movement.
“Now we’ve gotten it wrong again,” she said. “We have swerved from our democratic principles. We’ve swerved from the better angels of our nature, both in terms of how our government functions and how our economy functions. Our government and our economy are in an unholy alliance in a way that basically means we, over the last 40 years, have reverted to an aristocratic system.”
She said through tax policies and other policies, “our government is now a handmaiden more than not, an advocate to a small group of multi-national corporate forces which form the new aristocracy of our day.”
Williamson labels our economic system as sociopathic, showing no responsibility for workers or the environment, but putting profits first. She calls it “subtle tyranny,” and said it’s “time for our generation to stand against economic tyranny.”
Historically, Americans have fought “unbridled capitalism when it’s not tethered to its ethical core,” she said, and cited child labor laws, labor unions, anti-trust laws and anti-monopoly laws. “We’re not the first generation to find ourselves at the effect of an assault against the foundations of our democracy. Let’s not be the first ones to wimp out on doing what it takes to make sure this country gets back on track.”
She describes herself as a progressive Democrat. She supports a $15 an hour minimum wage, universal healthcare, free college at state schools, and full student loan forgiveness wherever possible. “I want those things because I believe the whole point of democracy, as well as the way to a revitalized U.S. economy, is to unleash the spirit of the American people.”
One of her most progressive ideas is finding a way to pay reparation to black Americans affected by slavery prior to the Civil War. She says former slaves were never able to get a footing in the economy, and that’s the origin of race issues in America.
Williamson also faults the country for not taking better care of young people, for not putting their needs first. She would add a Cabinet level Department of Childhood and Youth. According to Williamson, millions of children are attending inadequate schools and are living with chronic trauma.
She concluded saying that many of the needed changes will take place with any Democrat president – rejoining the Paris Peace Accord and the Western Alliance, and “no more best friends with Russia and Saudi Arabia – but the country needs a “political visionary more than a political mechanic,” and that’s what she can offer.
More information is on her campaign website at www.marianne2020.com
