We are all being played — Republican, Democrat, independent, nones and nonvoters.
Democracies have three interests to balance: government (the state), the people and the oligarchy (the elites). For 200 years the American experiment has done a pretty good job (at least for white people) thanks to the aim and elasticity of our founding structures, and our glacial progress toward equality.
Since 1980, the power and money in America has consistently moved away from the people and the government to the oligarchs. (An oligarch is an extraordinarily wealthy person who is part of a small group holding power.) Oligarchs bribe politicians and regulators, and fund think tanks and lobbyists so they can make more money more easily. Think bailouts, income inequality, and looser environmental laws.
This November’s election is not about political parties. It is about whether our democracy or our oligarchy becomes stronger.
