Timothy Snyder Speaks, ep. 3: What is Oligarchy?
Summary
Timothy Snyder defines oligarchy as rule by the wealthy few, tracing its modern emergence in 1990s Russia and its threat to democracy. He argues that the US Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling facilitates this shift by allowing unlimited corporate influence. Snyder contends that the US is currently teetering between democracy and oligarchy, with Donald Trump exhibiting traits of a "wannabe oligarch." He warns that such regimes suffer from "oligarchical impotence," lacking clear succession and effective policy, instead focusing on identity affirmation and sadopopulism.
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