Without being hyperbolic, the remarkable dangers our civilized society faces are right in front of us with no signs of regressing. Perhaps more concerning, is the dearth of viable options to correct the downward spiral our society finds itself. Researchers Winters and Page (2009), and Page and Gilens (2014) describe America not as a democracy as many of us incorrectly believe, but an oligarchy – a society operated and directed according to the interests of a small segment of extremely wealthy and politically powerful individuals. While such assertions have been cast as an exaggeration by some in popular media, and are seldom discussed in the larger populace, what should be noticeable, however, is that American oligarchs, through their representatives (politicians) in government, do not govern according to needs or demands of the majority. And while it is popular every election cycle to hear from political operatives, “Don’t boo, vote!”, the reality is becoming depressingly clear that voting, along with traditional organizing are insufficient approaches to counter American oligarchy that is pushing us ever closer to catastrophe across every sector of American life from education to the environment.
(Typically the construction of essays such as this, first outlines a problem followed by a solution posited by the author. Here I’m afraid, I have no suggestion to offer as anti-democratic oligarchy, basis of this piece, appears solution-proof – resistant to even an engaged polity. That said, the questions posed below are not offered rhetorically, but because I see no way out of the mess that concentrated greed and the sustaining of power in the hands of the very few has bound hundreds of millions our fellow citizens.)
Here are examples of various sectors of public life where oligarchy has perverted all our best chances of prosperity in the name of maximizing profit and keep power, and using politics to achieve that end. Some questions that come to mind are:
What is to be done when vast the vast majority of the American populace wants Universal Free Healthcare, and despite campaign promises and elections, never come close to receiving that which they voted for – despite all the evidence that America’s healthcare system is the costliest and more inefficient in the developed world while leaving hundreds of million uninsured or underinsured?
That Americans overwhelmingly want universal healthcare as a right is no longer up for debate. Yet, we still don’t have it even as many people needlessly die because of it despite the nation having the money to support universal healthcare.
What is to be done when the vast majority of the American populace want tougher gun laws as most recognize the adoption of the 2nd Amendment (initiated by white fears of Black slave revolts) with their contemporary firearms of the 18th century – laborious muzzle loaded single shot muskets – are lightyears apart from today’s weaponry sold in major retail stores, gun shops, or online and readily available to anyone over 18? And that a “well-regulated militia” is not synonymous with any person with a pulse wanting to purchase a gun?
A plurality of Americans want tighter restrictions on the kinds of guns available to the public and the ease by which the public secures guns – this includes NRA members! Even the police want more regulations on gun ownership, and yet the opposite is happening. Recently a swath of Republican-ran states, rather than tightening oversight on gun ownership, removed all restrictions allowing anyone to purchase firearms and carry them on their person. Let’s thank the gun lobby and their purchased lawmakers who shamelessly hide behind the supposed virtues of the 2nd Amendment despite the streak of mass shootings taking place in our country right now.
What is to be done when the vast majority of the American populace want money out of politics along with the influence corporate and dark money yields through campaign donations and lobbying – and yet nothing blunting money’s role in politics ever sees the light of day?
Most Americans are fed up with money dictating politics. And yet despite bills being proposed to get Money’s influence out of politics altogether, or forcing lawmakers to disclose their donors, or forbidding lawmakers from retiring from public service and in turn working for lobbyists, all of those bills died – despite the clear wishes of the bulk of America’s 350M citizens.
What happens to the accurate conveyance of news, or a holistic coverage of meaningful stories when 90% of America’s media apparatus is controlled by only six media conglomerates? What happens when news is reduced to mere entertainment – what news people wish to consume – rather than what news is accurate and complete? What happens when “news” driven by “clicks” and “captions” are monetized in social media thereby rewarding the brash and the shocking, rather than information-driven content?
Donald Trump happens. Qanon happens. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Madison Cawthorn, Candace Owens, Matt Gaetz, Lauren Boebart happens. “Pastor” Greg Locke happens. Diamond and Silk happens. Kevin Samuels happens. The January 6th insurrection happens. Stop the Steal happens. Crusades against (non-existent) Critical Race Theory in schools happen. Targeting of LGBTQ students happens. Book Burnings happen.
In today’s attention economy, reality matters far less than viewership. Media outlets on cable news, as well as on social media are no longer tethered to the responsibility of yielding a more informed public linked through a commonly accepted set of facts – what matters is whether people are watching. Viewership yields higher ratings and thus more pricey commercial spots; monetized clicks ensure more exposure on social media which in turn encourages content providers (including politicians and entertainers) to produce and promote the most eye-catching material which, too often relies on shock value, hot-takes, and novelty rather than thoughtful, mature discussion.
What happens when it is illustrated time and time again that “law and order” only applies to those who lack the economic means to defend themselves in court, and those who are not rich white men?
This reality is as old as the nation itself. The criminal (in)justice system has always excused if not tacitly encouraged the criminal behavior affluent white men, while hypocritically taking harsh stances on non-white members of our society. Kyle Rittenhouse’s travel across state lines from Illinois to Wisconsin, acquiring a weapon and subsequently murdering two Black Lives Matter protesters and maiming a third, buoyed by monetary contributions well above $1M to secure a top-notch defense team, avoids conviction and rapidly becomes a star on the Right. Serial rapists Bowen Turner and Christopher Belter both avoided any jail time with the judge in Belter’s case asserting, “prison would be inappropriate” for the man who raped four teenagers. And we all remember the affluenza case of Ethan Couch drove under the influence and killed four people, injured nine, and avoided jail time because apparently, he didn’t know “boundaries” because of his affluent (and white) upbringing.
Meanwhile Black and Latino men are routinely jailed for small offenses like shoplifting, marijuana possession, and municipal fines. Crystal Mason was ruled to be jailed for five years for casting a provisional ballot while on supervised release; Pamela Moses was sentenced for six years in prison for trying to register to vote despite being given erroneous information from Tennessee election officials. Bruce Bartman, a white man from Pennsylvania voted himself, and then cast a ballot for his dead mother and granted probation.
Justice is blind and the scales are balanced…
What happens when well financed power-hungry white guys demonstrate, repeatedly, their willingness to behave immorally and unethically – though hiding behind the veil of the law and legality – to keep political power rather than share it with their constituents or relinquish it outright?
That America is hastily heading toward autocracy, we cannot ignore that such authoritarian rule does not occur without significant financial backing. It isn’t the working class, middle class, or the poor leading the efforts to de-democratize, but those of the most well-funded are. We further have to recognize that such political actors are not acting solely on their own volition but are supported by extremely wealthy backers like the Sackler Family, the Waltons (of Walmart), and the Koch Brothers to further protect their financial and political interests from public influence. And while certainly wedge issues and cultural conflicts are created to provide the imagery that public actors are looking out for the concerns of the American public, what takes place politically could be better understood when we recognize authoritarian and oligarchical politicians’ roles are to limit public influence on politics for the purpose of maximizing profits for the rich and power for the very few. The current crop of American conservative authoritarians bears little functional difference from corporate Democrats, aside from their unabashed willingness and efforts to limit and circumvent public participation. Republicans have shown a brazen and coordinated commitment to prevent persons of color and younger citizens from voting – blocking access to the franchise, while Democrats encourage broader participation in voting only to repeatedly not deliver on the platforms upon which they campaigned to appease their ultra-wealthy donor class. Both are horrible for our country.
What happens when corporate profit is placed before the health and survivability of the planet, and its inhabitants?
Every inch of the globe becomes a source of speculation and resource extraction with little regard for the living. Our planet today continues to boil despite officials at Exxon knowing our planet has been warming because of greenhouse gasses caused by fossil fuels since the early 1970s, and yet development of new oil fields, and gas lines has only increased even in places once deemed off-limits. Drilling for oil was set to take place in the arctic for the first time as recently as 2021 though, for the moment, it appears those efforts have stalled. Offshore drilling continues despite repeated and massive accidents resulting in the poisoning of marine life, and pollution of the world’s oceans. Rather than curtailing earth-harming behaviors, the fossil fuel industry paid its own legion of scientists and lobbyists to simply create a counter-argument to give the illusion that a warming planet is not due to harmful human activity.
The Amazon rainforest continues to be decimated in having its trees cut – despite the common knowledge that trees are vital to limiting the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. Loggers and miners who come into contact with secluded civilizations who call the Amazon home and indigenous environmental activists, have endured massacres by private security forces retained by logging and agribusiness companies.
Africa is endlessly exploited for its natural resources like precious stones, elements, and oil commonly resulting in civil war among already-desperate inhabitants – all initiated by powerful multinational corporations who in many respects are more powerful than entire nations themselves.
Human loss is what happens. Arctic glaciers and the continent of Antarctica literally melt causing the flooding of coastal cities – happens. Ever-worsening and more frequent natural disasters happen. The loss of precious wildlife and plant life happens.
And what happens when vast swaths of the American populace are far too gullible or motivated by hate to understand their barriers to economic prosperity or happiness aren’t “illegal” immigrants; aren’t part of the LGBTQ+ community; aren’t followers of Islam, Jewish-Americans, or atheists; aren’t women and, aren’t Black, Latino, or AAPI people?
We end up with legions of angry and hateful people who are also highly motivated. These folks have been conditioned to believe those who do not abide by their narrow way of life, who do not look like them, or who come from somewhere else are the sources of their problems. After all, having a perceived enemy one can see and readily identify is much easier to direct the focus on one’s ire than to something that seems less tangible, abstract. Even accurately assessing that America’s system of government exists to serve the interest of only the richest and most powerful leaves many with no one accessible to target or confront. Motivating ignorant people to engage in conflict against others, as opposed to a concept, is much easier and presumably more satisfying in the short term, albeit far less productive. And yet corporate media, directed by the superrich, thrive by keeping significant portions of Americans fighting amongst ourselves while diverting our focus away from their oligarchic exploitation of us – no matter who sits in political offices.
What happens when people conclude that addressing their grievances and concerns democratically through voting, demonstrating, organizing, showing up at meetings, writing to-the-editor, ceases to be a viable approach to achieve solutions?
Typically and frustratingly, a common response to a public policy problem is: folks have to “get educated…get organized…vote…then hold politicians accountable”. What I’ve noticed and learned however, is that we likely are long past the point where this is a sufficient approach. Environmental activists since the 1970s have been extraordinarily organized in their resistance efforts to protect wildlife, and rebuff the fossil fuel industry’s goals of expanding drilling and fracking. The Women’s Reproductive Rights Movement has been similarly active politically and engaged in efforts to protect women’s access to legal and safe abortions, and yet anti-aborition legislation is passing at warp speed across vast swaths of the country. Even more recently, Civil Rights groups have gone door-to-door, held demonstrations and even hunger strikes aimed at protecting the right to vote for all Americans, and yet anti-voting legislation and rampant gerrymandering continues unabated. What I’m left with here, is that I have no publicly-acceptable suggestions to put forth that gets us out of the current quagmire we’re in. It is important, however, to remove the rose colored glasses and blind allegiance to the idea that the “long arc [does] bend toward justice”, but accurately assess where we are and what the problem is, and recognize that the oft-refrained solutions are insufficient responses to the issue of oligarchy that confronts us today.
The clear and present danger to our society’s survival is hyper-concentration of wealth that bends politics and policy to its will so that the wealthy can accumulate more – even if “more” results in more people remaining underinsured or uninsured; or forced to reside on a boiling and buring planet; forced to live in a xenophobic nation filled with ignorant hate-mongers due to “news” media driven by profit; forced to live with rage and fear-filled pistol-packers – and inevitably, die because of all of it – the common motivator and sustainer of such a system is greed among extremely wealthy. Most concerning of it all however, is that at present, there seems to be no answer for this problem yet we all will certainly suffer the consequences.
