Year In Review 2022: Profiting from the “Culture War” that subsidizes Corporate Socialism

2022 began with Russia’s brutal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. The traumatic war crimes against the Ukrainian people the escalating humanitarian crisis has strained the global economy and every level of civilized society. While taking place a continent away, the war remains deeply felt across America and at home in the neighborhoods of Milwaukee.

2022 also continued a third year with the deadly COVID-19 coronavirus, but with the worst of the pandemic left behind from the previous two years. American Democracy remained imperiled, with weaponized politics undoing decades of Civil Rights work. But results from the midterm elections offered reasons for hope that America and its struggling economy could yet earn redemption.

While 2022 did not present the same risks of physical injury for reporting the local news as in previous years, the editorial staff of Milwaukee Independent experienced a new level of danger while witnessing the war in Ukraine first hand. As the first journalism team from Wisconsin to travel across Ukraine to report from Milwaukee’s Sister City of Irpin, in some ways the war came as a relief from the upheaval in America since 2016.

The Year In Review (YIR) series has evolved from a simple annual feature that highlighted top stories of the past 12 months. It has become a more summarized presentation of important themes packaged together for readers. This collection of editorial content presents the work of Milwaukee Independent over 2022, in a way that helps educate and inform the public who may have missed the stories originally, or want to see how the dots were connected on related subjects over the past year.

Free Market Myths: How the ultra-rich sustain control and a growing share of the nation’s vast wealth

Crime, inflation, and taxes: The false talking points used by Republicans to sway midterm voters

Poverty shaming: Why the ultra-wealthy perpetuate the rags-to-riches myth of being “self-made”

Corporate Socialism: How Federal policy went from regulating big business to heavily subsidizing it

Distracting from stolen wealth: Why the rightwing’s “Culture War” sounds so similar to Putin’s propaganda

Supporting Trump’s treachery continues even with detailed accounts of his seditious pursuit of power

Untethered from reality: Why the Big Lie has now become a central tenet of Republican dogma

Oligarchic economics joined with racist nationalism marks the ultimate failure of progressive politics

Republican Role Model: Why Trump followers are inspired to emulate Putin’s brutal ideology in America

This 2022 compilation continues to reflect the transformational mission of Milwaukee Independent, in a format that explores deeply personal issues and documents those inspirational stories that serve as an example for the community.