Is America Now An Oligarchy?
Seems so, but what's the truth here?
In order to paint with some nuance up top in this post, go over to Google News right now and search “oligarchy” in the search bar. You will find three dozen articles claiming that America is currently an oligarchy. However, if you click into these articles, you will find that virtually all of them are written by left-leaning publications. So, it’s easy to make an argument that “history is written by the winners,” and so the current losers — i.e. the too-far-to-the-left-of-average-people Democratic party — are whining and saying it’s a rigged money game. While politics is absolutely a rigged money game and has been since even before Citizens United, the left side does it too. Kamala had more billionaire donors than Trump did, as one small example.
The idea of America as an oligarchy is nothing new. I think people said that back into the 1970s. In 2014, some academics got some mainstream press for saying the same thing.
If you define “oligarchy” as “a small group of people having control of a country,” then yes, we are an oligarchy in the sense that Jamie Dimon probably means more to most human existence than anyone wants to reasonably admit. If you want to bring in “a society dominated by the rich,” then yes, we are kinda an oligarchy. Here’s why I’d say “kinda.”
At this point, most white-collar work is basically busy work in the service of getting a few guys a few points richer. You can argue with that assumption, although I’d call it an assertion. Most white-collar work doesn’t matter anymore, hasn’t for a while, and that’s why the middle has been gutted for years. An “oligarch,” or just a “decently rich person,” does not care about Monica after Monica hits, say, $110,000 in salary. If Monica can be automated out, or that work can be done differently, and some of that $110,000 can go back to a founder/owner, that will happen. One of my ESPN buddies had a SDR-style job with a few other responsibilities, and the company he was at simply upgraded their Salesforce and laid him off. Easy peasy. And I’m sure his salary isn’t going back into more tools and a cooler office. It’s going to the founders.
The “oligarchy” thing triggers people because it seems to be against The American Dream, and because people who defend the status quo say, “Well, not everyone is destitute. Look at some HVAC company owners!” Indeed, but the definitions are off here. An oligarchy doesn’t mean that everyone is poor and 12 guys are rich. I guess it could mean that, but really it just means a government and market system largely controlled by and thus further benefiting the rich. I’d say America has that. Can a plumber make $600,000 in a big metro? Absolutely. I know one guy who actually does that. But can we still live in an oligarchy? Also absolutely.
I’ll just lay out some points quick:
It is impossible to get money out of politics at this point: What Trump does with Elon and others is just flashing it in our faces. You can’t remove money from politics. Guys with money want favors and a regulatory environment that suits them. They will spend to get it. Pretty simple.
The American Dream is not even about money anymore: I think a lot of people realize they won’t be rich, and sadly I think a lot of people these days realize their kids might not have a better life than they did, but it’s still a biological urge and babies are Birkin Bags in some communities, so I get it. In reality, the American Dream is about having on-demand convenience when you want it, I.e. I just said “on-demand” twice. Access to convenience makes you feel rich, even if you aren’t. That’s also why lower-middle-class people love cruise ships and all-inclusives. You feel like an oligarch, when ya ain’t.
We don’t even mind an oligarchy: Most people knew what they were getting with Trump — he’s been a public figure for 40 years, a candidate for nine, and always says the quiet part out loud — and they still voted for him en masse. It reminds me of the old story about George Washington. Even after the Revolutionary War, we were still ready to make Washington a king. We're ready to make Trump a king too — we just want eggs to feel cheaper. So I don’t even think people are bothered by the notion of an oligarchy, if they can feel successful. They know they will never be as conventionally-successful as Elon, but they’re OK with it.
Populism will be the norm for a while: If you can appeal to a person’s sense of personal achievement, even if you yourself are a billionaire that drives in shaded Suburbans with bodyguards constantly, you can “speak to the common man.” Again, we don’t mind oligarchy as long as we feel like we’re winning the Joneses or rat race.
Do I feel a little cringe seeing Trump have a posse at UFC and hugging Joe Rogan like they’re college bros? Sure. But this was the natural next step in the arc. We’re not quite fucked, but we’re all out here doing the best we can. I know I’m trying to.
The Biden/Harris campaign raised and spent more cash than the Trump campaign, so to focus on Trump (and his wealthy supporters) as the symbol of the American Oligarchy misses an essential point -- he came in second in the race for cash, but won the election anyway.
But the cash gap between Democrats and Republicans is not as large as the cash gap between [the two largest parties combined] and [all the other parties combined]. Together, Biden/Harris and Trump raised over three billion dollars. All the other parties combined raised a bit over 100 million dollars, and almost all of that was RFK Jr, who dropped out and endorsed Trump anyway.
The real oligarchy in the US is the two-party system and the billions it raises to finance the seesaw between the two parties, a seesaw that has become more finely balanced during the 21st Century.
The country was set up as an oligarchy from the beginning. Only white male landowners (and slave owners) really had full enfranchisement. You’re out of touch with basic historical facts if you don’t see this! The Revolution was instigated by colonial oligarchs who didn’t like not being able to run the show. Most people then were ok with the crown and loyal, but the colonial oligarchs flipped this. Just look at the obvious differences in governments, elections, parties, etc with any west European country where a modicum of social democracy was realized after ww2 and then eroded by neoliberalism. Consider why the populist and nationalist right is on the rise there too