Brittany Kubicek is a Navy Veteran, engineer, and member of the Rhode Island Chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. Her time in the Navy showed her firsthand how our government always has money to oppress fellow workers around the world, but never enough money to give us a decent life at home. She joined the socialist movement in Rhode Island to change that.

The status quo hasn’t delivered for working-class Rhode Islanders. Regardless of whether a Democrat or Republican is in charge, the material reality is the same. The ruling class cuts taxes for corporations and landlords while our living costs skyrocket, bridges crumble, and hospitals close. To fight back, the working class needs its own movement, its own party, and its own elected representatives.

Brittany’s experience as an engineer has taught her how to analyze complex systems. She sees that the capitalist system we live under hasn’t failed — it is operating exactly as intended. In order for the few at the top to have incredible wealth, there must be exponentially more at the bottom who can’t afford to make ends meet. This is what keeps our entire system running: we are forced to work our entire lives under the threat of homelessness and death if we can’t find employment. We need a change. Socialism is that change. We need to revolutionize our economic system to put the workers in charge, not the capitalists.

This change will only happen when we democratize the workplace and create an economy that is of the people, by the people, and for the people. Workers built this state. Its time for us to run it.