OXFORDSHIRE, United Kingdom — In the political events of 201, many wondered how Trump got elected, Joshua Graham Lynn was more concerned with the system that allowed for his victory.
Aside from the usual suspects — 40 years of wage stagnation and the 2008 financial crisis — Graham Lynn, speaking at BoF VOICES, cites the American government’s bipartisan “duopoly,” gerrymandering and round-the-clock campaign funding that has made politicians “entirely dependent on a tiny slice of the electorate.”
As a result of these practices, it has become near-impossible for the average American to push the needle on issues they care about. He argues that, as “the system that got [elected officials] in power is the one we’re asking them to fix,” the challenge of unrigging the system befalls grassroots, non-partisan cooperation, which his non-profit organisation RepresentUs facilitates. As evidenced by past reforms such as women’s suffrage and interracial marriage, the momentum behind state-level activity is what pushes political issues into the purview of federal law.
Graham Lynn concluded with a call to action specifically tailored the fashion industry and its influence over culture: “What I would ask of you as a group is to actually help us shape history. Take a chance… and I assure you that if you do, things will get better.”
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