General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhy Some Prefer Oligarchy and (🎶 What's Russia got to do, got to do with it? 🎶)
https://terikanefield.com/why-some-prefer-oligarchy/*snip*
How (and why) the Republican-Russian partnership came about
The Republicans hated the former Soviet Union because, in the former Soviet Union, the government owned all the nations resources and industries. The Republicans believe all (or almost all) resources and industries should be privatized.
When the Soviet Union broke up, the Russian Federation was established as a constitutional republic, but before democracy (and rule of law) could take hold, there was a wild rush to control (grab) the nations industries and resources. The people who successfully grabbed the resources and industries became billionaires. These new billionaires then hand-picked the nations leaders. (If you control everything, you can do that.)
The new Russian billionaires are usually called oligarchs, but basically theyre gangsters who got rich by stealing.
Now that a few wealthy people own all of Russias resources and pull the strings behind the scenes, lots of Republicans feel differently about Russia.
One way to understand people like Peter Thiel and Paul Ryan is that they believe a few wealthy people should control the nations resources and industries and they believe these billionaires should be able to pull the political strings. They offer a few theories for why this is good and sensible. One theory is the makers and takers theory which holds that a few clever people drive the economy with their innovation and business brilliance. These makers create jobs and wealth for a lower class of people called takers, who are generally depicted as lazy and immoral. The trickle-down theory similarly holds that if you remove regulations and let clever people do their thing without limitations, they will create wealth and jobs for everyone.
*snip*
gab13by13
(21,611 posts)is honestly an oligarchy right now.
Irish_Dem
(48,792 posts)People are just now realizing it.
Kid Berwyn
(15,245 posts)Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 September 2014
Martin Gilens and Benjamin I. Page
Abstract
Each of four theoretical traditions in the study of American politicswhich can be characterized as theories of Majoritarian Electoral Democracy, Economic-Elite Domination, and two types of interest-group pluralism, Majoritarian Pluralism and Biased Pluralismoffers different predictions about which sets of actors have how much influence over public policy: average citizens; economic elites; and organized interest groups, mass-based or business-oriented.
SNIP...
Who governs? Who really rules? To what extent is the broad body of U.S. citizens sovereign, semi-sovereign, or largely powerless? These questions have animated much important work in the study of American politics.
While this body of research is rich and variegated, it can loosely be divided into four families of theories: Majoritarian Electoral Democracy, Economic-Elite Domination, and two types of interest-group pluralismMajoritarian Pluralism, in which the interests of all citizens are more or less equally represented, and Biased Pluralism, in which corporations, business associations, and professional groups predominate. Each of these perspectives makes different predictions about the independent influence upon U.S. policy making of four sets of actors: the Average Citizen or median voter, Economic Elites, and Mass-based or Business-oriented Interest Groups or industries.
SNIP...
The central point that emerges from our research is that economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S. government policy, while mass-based interest groups and average citizens have little or no independent influence. Our results provide substantial support for theories of Economic-Elite Domination and for theories of Biased Pluralism, but not for theories of Majoritarian Electoral Democracy or Majoritarian Pluralism.
Continues...
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/perspectives-on-politics/article/testing-theories-of-american-politics-elites-interest-groups-and-average-citizens/62327F513959D0A304D4893B382B992B
KPN
(15,696 posts)worse. But I do think we are at a potential turning point Bidens Infrastructure Investment Act, student debt relief such as it is and recent labor advances. The Democratic Party gets it (finally been waiting 40 years for economic policy awakening myself) and so do more snd more of the voters. I think we will see power shifting more and more away from the oligarchs to mass organizations of economically average people . Maybe its wishful thinking on my part, but I see reason for optimism and tend to think not.
moondust
(20,045 posts)KPN
(15,696 posts)greed and arrogance fuel the "conservative" attack on the New Deal and liberal economics, but seldom do we see an article that point blank makes the case so well.
Irish_Dem
(48,792 posts)Irish_Dem
(48,792 posts)The oligarchs and corrupt politicians want permanent power and access to all US financial assets.
For power and wealth they will destroy democracy and rule of law.
orthoclad
(2,910 posts)Putin, Zuckerberg, Trump, Musk -- all members of the club. And we're not.
patphil
(6,278 posts)The rest of the population gets to experience the "crumbs from the table" lifestyle of the poor and powerless.
And the Republicans love it!
That life is better under a strong leader is the sucker deal the Republicans have so far successfully sold to their base.
The Republicans have sold the idea that life would be better if all those people their base doesn't like were somehow removed from the picture, and that conformity translates into security.
Of course by the time they realize that all the things they take for granted in the US would soon be gone in an authoritarian state, it would be too late to get them back.
The guns they love, and the freedom of movement and action they now enjoy, would be among the first to go.
A strong leader requires weak followers to insure his position.
FakeNoose
(33,030 posts)This book tells the story of Russia and how it evolved out of the Soviet Union into the crazy Putin-controlled oligarchy that it quickly became. Bill Browder was there in Moscow as an investment banker, almost from the getgo. Mr. Browder has a very interesting story to tell. If you've heard of the Magnitsky sanctions and wondered what that was all about, it's carefully explained in this book. He also authored a second book "Freezing Order," but I recommend that you start with "Red Notice."
It's not a difficult book, but it will shock the shit out of most Americans. That's all I can say. Mr. Browder also has a video or two posted on Youtube, I believe he gave interviews to British or American reporters. For his own safety he never reveals his whereabouts, since he gave up his American citizenship over 20 years ago. He's living somewhere in Great Britain now. Putin's agents are everywhere.
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