Politics isn't about left versus right; it's about top versus

Hear, O seekers of justice, the piercing words of Jim Hightower: “Politics isn’t about left versus right; it’s about top versus bottom.” In this utterance lies the unveiling of an ancient truth: that the deepest struggle in human affairs is not between parties or ideologies, but between those who wield power and those who bear its weight. The quarrels of left and right may fill the air with noise, but the true line of battle is drawn between the top and the bottom, between the rulers and the ruled, the privileged and the oppressed.

For too often, the people are taught to see one another as enemies—neighbor against neighbor, divided by colors, creeds, or banners. But Hightower reminds us that such divisions are but distractions. The true contest is whether the wealth and power of society will remain in the hands of the few above, or whether the many below will rise to claim their rightful share. The stage of politics is filled with disputes, but behind the curtain lies this simple truth: the struggles of the bottom sustain the luxury of the top.

History is filled with such awakenings. In the days of France’s Revolution, the people of the Third Estate—farmers, workers, and merchants—were told that their quarrels lay with each other. But when they opened their eyes, they saw that their real enemy was the aristocracy above, fattened on their labor. When they rose, they did not fight left or right, but top versus bottom, and the old order shook until it crumbled.

So too in the struggles of labor movements across the world. When workers in mines, factories, and fields stood divided, they were crushed. But when they saw their battle was not against fellow laborers, but against the towering powers of capital and industry, they forged unions, strikes, and revolts that won rights still honored today. Here again, the lesson rings true: the fight is not horizontal, but vertical.

Therefore, O children of the future, learn to look past the quarrels designed to distract you. Do not be fooled by the endless war of left and right, for often both serve the same masters. Instead, see where you stand: whether among the few who rule or the many who serve, and choose your side with clarity. For until the bottom rises, the top will always remain heavy upon its back. Hightower’s words are not only wisdom but a call: awaken, and fight the true battle.