The Democrats have been so taken in by the same "socialist/communist paranoia" that they have not even realised how far Right they have drifted in neoliberal policies that at the end of the day favour companies with the myth of trickle-down and will inevitably create an oligarchy?
Honestly now, I wish there were a better word for oligarchy than oligarchy (it sounds so innocuous) every time I come across it, without fail, I find myself having to look up definitions & comparing & contrasting it with the (oft confused) other two - truly, it really actually is all greek to me🧐💭🌱🕊️
This is just the culmination. The American political system has been warped and perverted for a long time , a pseudo democracy.
A system bought by billionaires to work for billionaires.
Res publica indeed.
It's odd because so many people won't know what an oligarchy is but when you explain it's dismissed as a conspiracy theory, which is really weird as that should appeal to Trump voters but doesn't.
I think it’s just harder to see the obscenity of that degree of wealth when you’re in the USA, especially when you’re up close like top tier politicians are (as in can’t see the wood for the trees).
It's rather true that centrist politicians have a tendency to underestimate the power of the oligarchy and overestimate the trust which the public has in politicians generally. They took things for granted so now they have to reflect on what the problem is.
Do i think that this dynamic would mean that we ourselves would see something occur regarding Reform UK? Well, yes. And that will be a warning shot to Labour delivered by the very public themselves, even if it is a protest.
Because they are part of it but is pretending they aren't and now as Trump is coming in it's Biden saying it's all on Trump and his mates (which is of course true but only 50% of the truth).
Same here in the UK.
Each to his own oligarchy I suppose. The two party system is to blame, preserving the status quo. Corruption of democracies by dark💲, corportate influence, representing the 0.1% who control the masses via disinfo. Which seems to be fine with Dems as long as their side is the one doing it & winning.
It’s becoming like it in the UK with very little difference as we have seen on Covid. No improvement from Labour on this and certainly not on climate change.
& just as we predicted before the GE too. What will it take for people to break out of their mass two party hypnosis, and Reform is not the answer anyone needs either, the right never are, despite them feeding into populism.
Because oligarchies are what happens to those foreign people over there, not to good, hard working salt of the earth Americans. Until you wake up and realise a misguided sense of superiority has led you down the garden path and into the brambles.
Hilarious really though when you think about it. The Dems have been busy taking money right left and centre from the ultra rich and as a result they’re as much to blame for this happening. They had a chance with Sanders and they just opted for more greed. Fools.
Sanders is wildly popular with his fans and wildly disliked by those who aren’t.
Donating is not the same as donating and being in power and using your software to spread division and lies.
Regardless of his popularity, he has some good ideas about wealth redistribution. The problem is most people still believe that they too can be a billionaire, when there’s more chance of winning the lottery. They’ve also been brainwashed to believe socialism and wealth taxes are dirty words.
Absolutely. I agree with a lot he says and he has been a tireless campaigner. Also sharp as a tack. Like Jeremy Corbyn with brains and acumen. However, like Corbyn, not really a leader but a protester.
Critical difference is Biden is saying it, not Democrats writ large. He, personally, is doing what he wants - including calling out "oligarchy" (of which the Ds are captured as well). Just as he, personally, decided: stay in the race, chose Kamala, cont'd uncond support of Israel, etc
I think in his mind, his win in 2020 gave him the impression he alone was the only person that can "right the path" of America. He was always deeply narcissistic (as all pols are) but this elevated it.
His failures will overshadow his successes, and calling out oligarchy from the top of the Dem party will exacerbate the party's own decline. Another example of being out of touch with reality
Because the American political system is built on corruption. Ridiculously long campaigns costing billions & a media milking every outrage along the way. Then there's Trump's coronation. Charles Windsor's cost £72m; Trump's gonna splash $200m. Billionaires all stroking each other's egos. Revolting.
Biden using the word "Oligarchy" long before he's left office, while Trump wasn't in power (again), might not have been the best move, as it could have been perceived as recognising Trump's power too much.
The word "Oligarchy" has been present more on social media recently. Biden is leaving. Some advisor suggested it'd be a good word to use, and his successor could be implicated as part of the Oligarchy without mentioning his name.
I don’t see a contradiction here. Corporate empty suits with no ideas, courage, charisma, or even direction is better than a gang of angry and power hungry fascists. But they are not a viable alternative anymore.
because it doesn't matter now. the next headline will probably be about Marines landing in Greenland and Copenhagen. after that no one will care about biden.
Reluctance to admit the USA is well on the path to becoming a failed state, perhaps. So much could have been done to avert this situation. Lots of warnings, clear evidence. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” John Stuart Mill, 1867. 1/
Trump is a terrible human being, but he is also a symptom of a failed state. It is as if everything bad about North American culture and human nature has been distilled, purified and infused into every cell of Agent Orange’s body, exuding toxicity. 2/
The offer of NATO expansion to Ukraine, maidan coup, indifference to crimes by the Kiev regime against it’s citizens, sabotage of the Istanbul Accords and war all enabling grotesque *money* and weapons to flow to Ukraine of which about half made it to the fighters was all about becoming oligarchs.
Twin fears: blackmail and assassination. Trump probably still has access to kompromat via David Pecker and will get more from intelligence agencies. And what was J6 but a threat of ongoing militia violence?
Did you think that would make a difference to voters? Who voted on the price of eggs? To the tens of millions who couldn't bother to vote? Who actively voted for Trump? To the "press" refusing to cover actual news?
Is it not because they walk this endless line of needing their money and conceding to their demands, whilst simultaneously railing against their worst attributes? Tip that balance wrong and they’re left penniless in a campaign which is surely worse?
Ever since the Clintons, the official policy of the Democratic Party has been neoliberalism, but they kept the social conscience rhetoric as a buffer. Hence, you can't even imagine Biden saying, "If you want to stop this garbage, join a union now!" Collective bargaining melts their scab brains.
He made the speech at his exit
Why he didn’t make it at the beginning?
A) Oligarchy didn’t exist 4 years ago and has taken over the US on his watch
Or
B) He was not allowed to say/do anything, because the party didn’t allow him to (remember - he was put there to prevent Bernie being the president)
That’s a distinction without a difference. Over the last decades profits have gone up while spending power has gone down. Cost of real estate & rent are up, borrowing is up, and life expectancy hasn’t kept up
In every conceivable way the economy has been steered in favor of the oligarchs
This has been going on since the reagonomics ie trickle down economics, which was the lie used to stop the wealthiest from contributing back to society
Maybe the tactics are slightly different between dems and gop, results and direction are the same
Partially because they are part of the oligarchy, as many have mentioned. Partially 'cos they know the people they need to reach are too ignorant to know what oligarchy means, too complacent to look it up, and wouldn't care even if they did know what it is
It would appear a lot of people are only saying what needs to be said when it’s too late but then there’s quite a few commentators who say oddly that this stuff coming out earlier would only have secured Trump more votes. US politics is very strange
Hopefully the left has learned it's lesson and will start fighting for economic equality rather than sociocultural diversity. Rights are ensured by access to labour rights and fair wealth distribution, not DEI measures on ivy league campuses.
The USA has been an oligarchy for a very long time. When did a working class president ever get elected? Politics there is a game for the rich for the benefit of the rich. It's where we are headed.
Wikipedia says of Carter, "His father was a successful local businessman who ran a general store and was an investor in farmland". If that's true he wasn't working class. It's true that some presidents have come from humble roots. None for about half a century at least.
Isn't this just a way of avoiding the term capitalist class? You are right that capitalism tends towards oligopoly but it is not possible to create a non-oligopolistic capitalism.
For everyone trying to say the dems are the same, there’s a big difference between billionaires donating to parties and billionaires being the party. Neither are good but one is demonstrably worse than the other.
Why do voters expect the Democratic party to wipe their ass for them? All of this was clear to millions who voted for Biden. If anyone didn't vote for Biden, it's on THEM.
Also, it is patently lazy and false to say Biden "did fuck all" in the last 4 years. That comment shows how clueless people are, and how they think POTUS should behave like Santa and bring them whatever they want.
It's hard to smite the hands that feed you, even when they feed your rivals more-so. Democracy needs to be based on suitably informed ballot boxes, not donation boxes.
Because they work for them and suddenly caring about things they pretended to believe and fight for when it’s too late is how they’ve operated for decades. Many Dems already are 110% onboard w/Trump policies they ran against
They’re drafting anti-fascism fundraising emails as we wait for chaos
lol...the disaffected 'working class hero' moaners in the comments. "Wahh...why didn't the Democrats save our kibitzing performative asses while we spent our time smearing their efforts."
So essentially, they know just how rotten, corrupt and dysfunctional US politics is, but they can’t really be bothered to engage with it in a meaningful way. It’s a bit late to announce it, while you’re out the door to retirement.
The problem: MAGA has no idea what an oligarchy is nor how badly it will affect them. I’m not sure anyone could explain it to them or would they understand if you did. A cult is a cult is a cult!
Comments
Same here in the UK. Labour are in denial. It’s a big mistake.
They need electoral reform, media reform and every guardrail they can create in 3 years to keep Musk out
The for profit motives of private & public initiatives are failing us in so many ways and everyone paying the least bit attention knows it.
It’s systemic change that’s needed. That starts with us.
A system bought by billionaires to work for billionaires.
Res publica indeed.
It's rather true that centrist politicians have a tendency to underestimate the power of the oligarchy and overestimate the trust which the public has in politicians generally. They took things for granted so now they have to reflect on what the problem is.
I believe that was something in play.
Same here in the UK.
https://youtu.be/2n3lVl0dZ9g?si=ahz1P1cN3Igx_Lle
It’s not exactly new.
But, dear reader, they won’t.
I thought he made some ironic comments given he raised and spent over $1bn to become president.
Donating is not the same as donating and being in power and using your software to spread division and lies.
At it's root, Oligarchy means "rule by the few", so it's less likely those who are part of the few, however 'good' they might be, will use that word.
Has Keir Starmer used it yet?
What if a Constitutional Monarchy is essentially an Oligarchy?
The word "Oligarchy" has been present more on social media recently. Biden is leaving. Some advisor suggested it'd be a good word to use, and his successor could be implicated as part of the Oligarchy without mentioning his name.
Democrats are cozy rich mofos
Why he didn’t make it at the beginning?
A) Oligarchy didn’t exist 4 years ago and has taken over the US on his watch
Or
B) He was not allowed to say/do anything, because the party didn’t allow him to (remember - he was put there to prevent Bernie being the president)
In every conceivable way the economy has been steered in favor of the oligarchs
Maybe the tactics are slightly different between dems and gop, results and direction are the same
#Plutocracy
https://electiontruthalliance.org/about-us
https://www.bostonreview.net/articles/the-case-for-abolishing-elections/
#UnitedStates
“Which president was the most blue collar working class?”
https://www.reddit.com/r/Presidents/comments/1coq572/which_president_was_the_most_blue_collar_working/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
They’re drafting anti-fascism fundraising emails as we wait for chaos