When Bernie Sanders first came to my attention in 2016, I was exhilarated by his message of getting money out of politics, universal healthcare for all Americans and a living wage for even the lowest paid workers. It made so much sense, especially for me coming from Denmark who takes these things for granted. But the revolution he was proposing was balancing on a knife edge because at the other end of the spectrum lurked Donald Trump, who stood for the opposite, even though he stole some of Bernie’s lines after the Democrats deliberately tripped him up and forced him out of the race.
In the painting you can see Donald Trump with his pants on fire while kissing the Wall Street Bull. On the other side you can see Bernie Sanders holding a chain as he tries to reign in the symbol of greed and power. On top of the bull sit the fat cats – the ultra rich who are enjoying the view. Hillary Clinton is perhaps less in the news now, but she is walking towards the cowpat with her blackberry in her grasp. Obama watches from the side-lines
Now in 2026 a decade later, Bernie is still advocating for the same things, but Donald Trump has filled the whole decade with controversy, not only by winning in 2016, losing in 2020 and allegedly winning again in 2024, but also for all the lies, threats and direct attacks on the constitution. It hurts my head to think how he hasn’t been sent to prison for the rest of his life. But this is why the optimistic title of Revolution has been altered to America’s Undoing because the hideousness of Trump’s first term pales into insignificance compared to his second term, where the ‘special relationship’ with Europe has possibly been permanently weakened, weakening also America. No-one expected troops needing to be deployed to a NATO country to defend it against another NATO country!
As for the fat cats. One of them has certainly made himself more well-known, but there are so many others quietly pulling the strings and keeping DT in office because of the willingness from his side to do and say the things that will lead to their wealth increasing, all while the poor get poorer.
In the painting, you can see a woman being crapped on, a worker being trample under hoof and a minority being incarcerated inside the bull’s mouth.
SADLY, THIS PAINTING IS JUST AS RELEVANT TODAY AS WHEN I PAINTED IT, IF NOT MORE.
