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

Jim Hightower’s observation reframes the common understanding of political struggle. Instead of the familiar dichotomy of left-wing versus right-wing ideology, he suggests that the more pressing and enduring conflict is between those at the top of society and those at the bottom. By invoking “top versus bottom,” Hightower highlights issues of power, economic inequality, and class struggle, suggesting that society’s most profound divisions arise not from competing philosophies about governance or economics, but from vastly unequal distributions of wealth and influence.

In this analysis, “left” and “right” become less important than the positions of privilege and disadvantage. People at the top, those who possess significant wealth, political influence, and social capital, are juxtaposed with the “bottom,” representing those who lack access to these forms of power. Such framing exposes how debates over policy, rights, and values often mask the underlying issue: who controls resources and whose voices are heard. Frequently, conventional partisan politics can serve as a distraction from these deeper inequities, with both sides of the traditional spectrum sometimes serving similar interests at the top rather than addressing the needs of the broader population.

This perspective encourages a critical look at political institutions and movements. Structural inequalities, like disparities in income, access to education, and healthcare, are viewed as the real battlegrounds. When politics is understood as “top versus bottom,” issues such as social mobility, living wages, taxation, labor rights, and social safety nets take center stage. It invites citizens to question whether political solutions are genuinely aimed at lifting those at the bottom or simply maintaining current hierarchies.

Hightower’s framing urges a reevaluation of alliances and adversaries in the political domain. It calls for solidarity among ordinary people, emphasizing that a focus solely on ideological divisions can allow entrenched power structures to remain unchallenged. By shifting attention to systemic inequalities, this approach aspires to a more inclusive and equitable political discourse.