Return of The New Age Robber Barrons or Connect the Oligarchical Dots
The Wisconsin Supreme Court Election presented us with some interesting developments that tell us about the state of our democracy and especially the role of money in our elections. And the developments are troubling at best. It’s as if the major political parties have abandoned the notion of establishing good public policy positions and instead rely on misleading and or exaggerated dark money advertisements that appeal to emotional “red meat” sensations of low information voters.
In the uptake of the Citizens United decision by the United States Supreme Court during the Obama Administration, the “Money is Speech” ruling opened the floodgates of unlimited money into political campaigns. The Wisconsin Supreme Court race set records for the amount spent on an election, particularly for a nominally nonpartisan election (which we voters knew was in fact, partisan).
This brings us to our main point, which is the influence of Oligarchs on our democracy. We know for example, that we actually don’t live in a real democracy but a representative democracy, where representatives are elected to speak on our behalf in our multitiered governmental structure. What is the implication of having no limits on how much money can be spent on electoral races? Folks who are incredibly wealthy can put their finger on the scales of elections by purchasing extremely expensive media time.
Campaigns last for years leading up to an election-the Wisconsin Supreme Court election cost 10’s of Millions of dollars. I don’t know why Billionaire Musk’s reported $10 million didn’t produce the desired outcome.
Perhaps it was pathetic display in Green Bay posing with a Cheesehead Hat and giving a million bucks to two (obviously partisan) individuals and one hundred bucks to everyone who signed his petition to impeach Federal Judges who weren’t onboard with Trump’s Agenda.(Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025).
Whether this signals a sea change in the electorate’s support for the Regime’s policy prescriptions or it’s a one off remains to be seen. I believe the Jury is still out. I leave analysis on its implications to the likes of James Carville and other pundits. What should concern us all is the extreme concentration of power and wealth in the hands of a few individuals, whether Robber Barrons of olden times or the current class of Oligarchs.
What are the dots we need to connect? For starters, the goal of the Oligarch is never wealth by itself. Wealth is merely a means to an end. The end goal is power. Legitimate government is an impediment. Dismantling the checks and balances of democratically elected and appointed governmental officials is key. Extrajudicial behavior usually follows – the deportation of foreign Nationals by Immigration Officials (ICE) without any determination of their guilt or innocence, is another dot. It’s part of the scapegoating scheme to create an “enemy” against which those not immediately effected, can vent their frustrations and anxieties. We’re seeing in real time what the deterioration of democratic institutions looks like. The bold attempts to rewrite history by eradicating legislative enactments like Civil Rights Acts of the 1960s and the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution, are in full force. The open embrace of White Supremacy under the guise that White Americans have somehow been discriminated against, is yet another example of turning the historical record on its head. George Orwell would find these examples familiar and indicative of where our society stands at this time. The open embrace of fascism, racism and perpetual chaos is part and parcel of the tactics used by the Regime to endear itself to “the base” and keep the populace divided and emotionally unbalanced. Now that we’ve connected the dots, what remedies are required to beat back the forces of anti-democratic Regime and its Oligarchic backers? The face of the Regime is just that, a front for the power brokers behind the scheme. We’re beginning to see what resistance looks like. There are only two ways to react to assaults on our basic rights. Flight of fight. I’ve always and continue to advocate for fight. Resistance at all levels from everyone, especially working-class people, is essential to stem the flow of the fascist and racist takeover of our democracy. A failure to take this monster on frontally guarantees it will succeed. There are measures other actors can take to ensure that resistance is adequate. Elected Officials especially Legislators need to step up and do their part. Many have been inexplicably silent in the face of repressive measures. It’s important to hold these folks accountable. Labor Unions need to do their part and make sure they are engaging in acts of getting into “Good Trouble”. This also goes for Non-Profit Organizations like the NAACP, and likeminded Social Justice groups. The push back must be broad based and consistently applied. These are my prescriptions for combatting the peril in which we find ourselves. To do anything less than massively resist will ensure we the Oligarchy will succeed in subverting our democratic institutions forever.