Today, unfortunately, American citizens against their better judgment, voted to elect Trump as our president. Further, this event, insultingly, took place on Martin Luther King Jr. Day—a day meant to honor a man who championed equality and justice for black Americans. To see the rise of Trump, flanked by his band of crony tech-bros—Zuckerberg, Bezos, and Musk—on such a day feels like a cruel mockery of the progress Dr. King fought for. 

Together, this American oligarchy promotes a reality where hate speech masquerades as "free speech" and the myth of meritocracy props up cis-straight-white-males and affluent individuals (including women indoctrinated to uphold this narrative) above everyone else. Have you watched Star Wars? Have you read “A Handmaids Tail”? They parade this so-called "golden age" while leading our democracy into decay. 

In this unsettling time, I felt compelled to revisit the song "Everything Counts" by Depeche Mode. This pop song is a critique of global capitalism and highlights the terrors of a system that prioritizes profit and power over humanity.

“Confidence taken in / By a suntan and a grin.”

When Depeche Mode wrote this lyric, they were describing a businessman on vacation—a man who, let’s be real, doesn’t truly have to work. He can travel the world — relax on the beach. Today, this image eerily mirrors the embodiment of Trump and his ilk.

“The grabbing hands grab all they can / All for themselves, after all.

It’s a competitive world”

(but only for those without the wealth to pay their way to the top).

“Everything counts in large amounts.”

These "large amounts" could represent our social capital or the hard-earned money drained from everyday Americans by the billionaire class—an illness in our democracy. These financially privilieged individuals should pay the same taxes as everyone else, yet they hoard wealth at the expense of society.

As Klypi, a persona I embody, I want to channel the hypocrisy I witness and confront the evils plaguing our reality. Through this character, I hope to amplify a voice of resistance and rally those who dream of a more egalitarian, open-minded, and accepting world.

Through fiction, through play, and through my love of art, I plan to do this.

Written by Depeche Mode
Recorded, produced, and mixed by AC Carter 
Mastered by Wyatt Blair