Forming? The oligarchy has been around since "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union," was first scrawled on parchment. It's just way out of fucking hand now.
That’s what capitalism is for. To concentrate money in a small group of people’s hands. It’s very cowardly of Biden to mention it on his way out the door after serving those oligarchs for his entire administration. Actually they helped him defeat Bernie and Trump.
I don’t recall Biden gifting the oligarchs $1.7 Trillion in tax breaks behind doors closed to democrats. So that’s a bit of a cheap shot. You might also recall he was absent a working congress who called the obstructionist President. So spare me
But why didn’t they push that message before the election?
Sad.
The oligarchy was already formed and now that they’ve fooled the voters they’re to sink their claws.
Forming? No, when the same families seek same offices back to back whether Bush Clinton, or Trump, you have an oligarchy. The members-only club is steered by major parties. To break it we requires simulataneous, nationwide primaries. Give widespread democratic access, not just early voters.
It will be based on lies my musk! He’s cheap and cannot achieve anything without deception! Shows the lousy businessman he is! He’s garbage! And it will be so widespread that he will be rejected! He is no American and he keeps showing he isn’t! He cares about himself not the people of this country!
Bernie Sanders has been talking about this for decades. He discussed it with Phil Donahue in 1981 (5:30 mark.) Some are just now noticing the oligarchy because It’s out in the open and led by psychotic incels.
Those who benefited the most here in the US USED TO BE expected to contribute the most back to help pay our National debt.. While I agree we can find ways to make our current system more efficient cutting needed programs to benefit the wealthy is NOT the answer..
I believe it is already formed. Now, as it fails do we get our democracy back or go the way of Hungary. Trump wasn’t speaking with Orban about goulash.
Biden has himself to blame for this. SVB bailout and BTFP enriched Sacks and Thiel. His SEC allowed Musk to commit securities fraud, charging him only this week. Yellens games with TGA and bill issuance propped stocks enriching Zuck, Bezos etc. Then they all supported Trump.
The biggest two are stay informed, which means not relying on SM to get your information. The 2nd is to make a fuss. Everytime your congressmen do something you hate or are going to vote for/against something you don’t/do want, you blast their phones.
Right now, for most of them, their priority is staying in power. And that means making sure they don’t rile their base too much. And this includes if your congressman is hard-right. A lot of GOP members reside over blue or purple districts. So if enough people call to the point they start to worry—
—they will reconsider. For example, two house dems voted for the trans ban. But they’re democrat! So why did they vote conservative? It’s because their people blasted their phones to tell them to vote for the trans ban. So they did.
Of course he's right, but he's leaving office having done nothing about it. He should've been doing speeches like this as fireside chats. What does it matter to say it on the way out as you have missed every opportunity that you had to stop these fascists and oligarchs from taking the country over?
Forming?? It’s here now!! Another rise of the Gilded Age. Adam, as always, thanks for speaking out on the issues of today!! Great respect for all that you do.
For the first time your allies are afraid of you. The US seems to be aligning with Russia and North Korea. As a Canadian, I am fearful, angry and disgusted although it is too late to be any of the above. It is like watching a freight train heading toward you and being unable to move.
American democracy crested in 1972 with the congressional approval of the Equal Rights Amendment. It’s ebbed ever since because government of, by, and for all the people scared the shit out of rich white men.
Friend, it started with Reagan. “Trickle down economics” meant the wealth hoarders get to keep their tax money and we all have to hope some crumbs slip through.
Right but we have always had rich people and they have always had an outsized influence on the gov and especially how laws are written. Of course things are worse today but somehow average citizens feel like billionaires are on their side. We will get fleeced over the next 4 yrs like never before.
Yes, we’ve always had rich people. And if you look at the numbers, Reagan dismantled what held the rich in check since the Great Depression. He lowered their tax rates and wages stagnated. They had more money to spread influence, and that got them so much more.
It got them influence over the SCOTUS in Citizens United decision. Influence over the Congress with continued tax cuts. Influence over the legacy media which runs only stories that their wealthy owners pre-approve.
I could say it started with military aid to Israel, which has been the longest-running profit-laundering scam in global history, but it started before that even, right..
Like many others here, Adam, I agree that you are WRONG on this. It's not "forming" at all. It's BEEN FORMED, and it's just closing the circle. Mostly brought to us by way of YOUR VERY OWN PARTY for the last 4 decades. The whining from the traditional GOP is only because they are locked out of it
Wonder why they fought so hard to make sure neither Biden or Harris won to keep the 50% tax breaks the GOP has given them since 1981
1980 top ind tax 70%- today 37%
1980 top Corp tax 46%- today 21% ( soon to be 15)..
They’re not fighting now. They’re Republicans Lite so who gives a fuck about how they fare in elections? You’re arguing for corruption in the party, lmao.
Sure. Keep your purity tests and expect republican control for decades. The system is already rigged against democrats. And no, the 2 parties are not the same
Yeah, Joe. We've been telling you this for years. Why didn't you do anything about it? Why'd you put that useless invertebrate worm Merrick Garland in as AG? Huh, Joe?
Biden should've been making this point loud and clear, right through the last four years. It's not just about doing the right stuff, but demonstrating every day that you're doing the right stuff.
Until we change the way we fund campaigns, this won’t change. Elected officials don’t represent us. They represent the entities who pay for their expensive campaigns.
He hired and never fired an attorney general who sat on evidence of an insurrection we all Watched on tv !!! Trump should have been in jail a year ago !
Boy Susie, you got that right. Given the January 6 outrage, Biden should’ve chucked the norms and told Garland to start the prosecution in February 2021. Trump would be in jail today. Better yet appoint Stewart Whitehead as Attorney General and stand back and watch the fireworks
That's quite clear. We need to get $ out of politics. Down with Citizens United. The American people need to sue, I guess. And make a lot of noise while doing so. I'd say we have standing if ever standing was had.
Rising authoritarianism worldwide inspired me to write an allegorical trilogy on the perils of fascism: 1) unnecessary war, 2) failed democracy & resulting climate crisis, & 3) racially-motivated subjugation. Check out The Antunite Chronicles. https://amazon.com/dp/B0B1JNBCTK?
The next phase ? Communism , the proletariats will rise and you and me will sit in some drinkin hole somewhere askin each other why Uncle Bernie is always talkin about protectin middle class yet at the same time branded a radical ...it will happen , Sir
Well he's the only one who can do anything about at this point. Anything and everything. Declassify what you have to declassify because in a few days, it won't matter.
I have to disagree…we have been an oligarchy for decades. Reagan’s trickledown was a big part of it, then Citizens United was overturned and pretty much sealed the deal. Buying elections. The oligarchs then were able to work towards a plutocracy which is where we are today.
I would like to see more people using the term "plutocracy" which is defined as "rule by the wealthy" instead of "oligarchy" which means "rule by the few" which is also correct but not as accurately descriptive.
An Oligarchy implies a central ruling authority by which wealth/power is distributed. We see this in Russia with Putin. He dictates who the oligarchs will be, not the other way around.
The U.S. is a textbook Plutocracy - the wealthy dictate who will hold office instead. An important distinction.
LOL, seriously Kinzinger? Haven't you read any US History books? Haven't you followed politics and the economy in the last 30 years? The oligarchy has always run the USA.
We need someone in office to tax those people. Taxation is the only way to slow them down. It really rips me off that I pay more taxes than Musk and Trump, while they live like they do.
Yep, it’s TRANSACTIONAL #TraitorTrump, his #GQP #SeditionCaucus & #Project2025 CONSPIRATORS bent on installing the “ultimate crony FA$CI$T BILLIONAIRE SWAMP OLIGARCHY” to mirror & even outreach Putin’s🇷🇺👺☠️🤑kleptocracy‼️
A convicted felon who led an INSURRECTION is going AGAIN break his OATH‼️
#14thNow
He did fail he killed half 1 million people by his negligence during Covid. He blew a hole in the federal deficit. Yet Fox and the other right wing media held him as a conquering hero. The same thing would happen again. Dems need a communicator and they need it fast
Forming? Dude the USA became an oligarchy about 50 years after it was founded. Carnegie, Rockefeller got it started and different people take over ever since. There's a reason big business and conservatives fight against regulation - it limits their control and influence
I don't think so. Does money have outsize influence in politics? Of course. Is there currently a regulatory system in place, tattered as it may be, and have all the nation's projects been privatized so public money is in private pockets? No, America is about to learn what the real deal looks like.
Depends what you call oligarchy. Has money had power? Yes. Did it completely control our regulatory systems and walk hand in glove with the entire political system? Americans are about to learn the difference between 2024 and 2025.
One scan of the $$ that’s influenced - some would say captured - the 🇺🇸 political system & regulatory landscape clearly demonstrates it’s been this way for decades. Trump’s first grift was tolerated despite the “checks & balances”. IMO difference will be it’s going to be on steroids. In the open.
I think a good chunk of it is he doesn’t want to be what everyone on the right wants Trump to be. If you’re asking him to go out of his role as president to stop Trump from being president, then how is that different from 2020 when Trump tried to do the same thing?
Problem is, people from both sides wanted the same thing: they didn’t want Biden or Biden’s protege to be president, full stop. So he’s listening to the will of the people, and stepping aside to give the majority who they wanted, which wasn’t him or his actions.
Not going to argue with not firing Garland, because that was definitely a failure to fire him. However, Biden could not intervene with prosecuting Trump. That would be a clear conflict of interest and why it had to be handled by the DOJ. Same reason he couldn’t interfere with his son’s case.
hey, if I am Biden, I say "go fuck yourself? I've gone way way way way beyond the call of duty, I could've retired from public service over 15 years ago
I've served in government more years than any president who's ever lived
go fuck yourself telling me I should've done more or challenged anything
Unfortunately, don't think the average voter has any better understanding of what "oligarchy" is than they have of "autocracy". And hence they don't understand the threat.
Comments
We admire you and want you with us.
Gonna need it.
People forgot that the first country the Nazis invaded was Germany.
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/citizens-united-explained
Has formed…
Eisenhower called out the military-industrial complex,
and Joe Biden warned of an oligarchy and a tech-industrial complex that are threatening our democracy.
Sad.
The oligarchy was already formed and now that they’ve fooled the voters they’re to sink their claws.
Musk is already threatening elected officials who refuse to bow down.
https://www.today.com/video/flashback-watch-bernie-sanders-today-interview-from-1981-1448099395517
https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/expert-insights/whole-ball-of-tax-historical-income-tax-rates
https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/federal/historical-corporate-tax-rates-brackets/
https://www.princeton.edu/~mgilens/idr.pdf
Unfortunately, MAGA will never understand that. Oligarchy is much too big of a word for them.
But I can't wait for the Trump macho photos of him being half naked riding a horse and his black belt martial arts prowess.
The oligarchy is formed, and it won the last presidential election😪🥶🥴
Are you people who have recently had power are so consumed by “normalcy bias” that you are running about two years behind where things actually are
https://bsky.app/profile/jimoberst.bsky.social/post/3lftfbxtcds2t
Is Mike Johnson the American Judas?
Should we call him President Trunt (combining Trump and *unt)?
Trump gave them license to spill.
Trump is the scab that ripped off the infection that's always been here, gave the malignant, misogynistic bigots and oligarchs free rein
It will eventually flip back, and will be as extremely different and galvanizing as....this app is compared with X 🙏
That’s where the masses get their info.
as I said here elsewhere, and as Joe Biden referenced in his speech, Eisenhower warned us about the military industrial complex
this is exactly what he was talking about
the corruptive influence of big money in politics
Not in two years, not in four. Not while MAGA exists. It's grown too big for The Orange Idiot, and is no longer led by anyone.
It's much like the fires in CA.
https://youtu.be/f6tYbUCGVd0
1980 top ind tax 70%- today 37%
1980 top Corp tax 46%- today 21% ( soon to be 15)..
https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/expert-insights/whole-ball-of-tax-historical-income-tax-rates
Remember #The3Rs
Instead he’ll find some other reason to blame the left while sending the last of his grocery money to Trump.
Wonder why our debt is so high?
https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/expert-insights/whole-ball-of-tax-historical-income-tax-rates
Biden should've been making this point loud and clear, right through the last four years. It's not just about doing the right stuff, but demonstrating every day that you're doing the right stuff.
Trump is sick of being a pocket change billionaire. He was to drain the Techbros and the US Treasury to be richer.
https://www.bopplaw.com
It’s not country order its
New World Wealth Order #NWWO
Surrender to Supreme Leader or …
The U.S. is a textbook Plutocracy - the wealthy dictate who will hold office instead. An important distinction.
We are already here my dude.
It's been formed.
A convicted felon who led an INSURRECTION is going AGAIN break his OATH‼️
#14thNow
Musk/Trump = "White Rule Dictatorship"
Read Plutocrats by Christia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister of Canada
And they pay less taxes than I do.
Your 🇨🇦 friends, family & neighbours are rooting for you! 👊
https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-echochambers-27074746
Going on the path of great mother Russia.
Just as" the master" intended.
I've served in government more years than any president who's ever lived
go fuck yourself telling me I should've done more or challenged anything
Dems suck at messaging.