One leads to the other imo. Trump and Musk (particularly Musk) fit right into the oligarch model. They're just out loud about their awfulness while the ultra-wealthy nobility are real hush-hush about it with quiet lobbying and palm greasing.
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Not nesscarily. My own stepdad is an otherwise hard-left Democrat, but it wasn't long ago he believed 'hard work and med detox because its all in your head.' He would have supported ideas like RFK Jr's 'wellness farms'. Not sure what he thinks now, but its a mess of unresolved stuff.
Also fun fact, a lot of companies like programs like food stamps, because obviously the money goes to them via purchases. And Big Pharma of course wants to keep selling its blockbuster drugs. Big business hates the tariffs, but can't get Trump to back down.
That's the difference- Oligarchs are ultimately out for their wealth. Trump and his crazies will spite said wealth (like the tariffs) to impose their own distorted reality. Murdoch's own publications have been critical of Trump, because he's doing real market damage.
Totally true! My point is really that one leads to the other. Trump is seeking absolute control (autocrat) but doing so through businessman "clout" and financial backing (oligarch). Musk is more oligarch than autocrat, but both of them claim power on the basis of commonsense business acumen.
You can be an oligarch and still be an idiot. Both of them owe their current wealth to nepotism and wealthy connections that enabled them to profit off of the work of others. They're not business geniuses no matter how much they want to pretend they are.
They are very clearly pursuing their own interests, not those of the business world/other people, but that doesn't mean they aren't oligarchs first who are developing into autocrats. Forcing others out of business so they can privatize further and enrich themselves sounds about right to me.
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