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They understand just fine. They’re the oligarchs.
by CPLX 1y ago
They understand just fine.
They’re the oligarchs.
- Aloisius 1y agoIf they were actually oligarchs, they'd have already done what they want. Conflating some wealthy people who have, at best, mild influence over the government, with actual oligarchs in an oligarchy is... rhetorical nonsense. I get how it happened. We started referring to wealthy Russians in the 90s who actually wielded substantial control over government similar to oligarchs and we continued to refer to them as such even after they lost any semblance of political power, but still.
- KPGv2 1y ago[flagged]
- lurk2 1y agohttps://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
- Aloisius 1y agoYou mean the guy the administration smeared as an ineffective, incontinent drug addict and who had to duck out because of the harm to his companies? The guy who promised trillions in cuts an managed to deliver almost none? The guy who is now railing against the budget bill and being ignored by those actually in power? His power is nothing compared to actual oligarchs in real oligarchies in history. The Thirty Tyrants could pass laws, sit in judgement and execute anyone they wanted for any reason (and did). They controlled every aspect of Athens. Musk got some people to retire early, got some people fired (often temporarily), was overruled by the judiciary and the administration regularly and was generally ineffectual. Calling him an oligarch is extreme hyperbole.
- MentatOnMelange 1y agoHe was given unprecedented power over federal agencies by the president after giving the largest political donation in US history. He had more power than many people will real roles and functions. The fact he appears not to have accomplished much with it says more about his competence as a leader than the nature of oligarchy.