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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsKilling the Goose That Laid the Golden Egg: Why America's Wealthy Are Playing Themselves
Last edited Thu Mar 13, 2025, 02:45 PM - Edit history (1)
If history has taught us anything, its that billionaires who cozy up to authoritarian rulers are about as wise as a turkey voting for Thanksgiving.
Donald Trump and his entouragelets call them oligarch wannabesharbor an outright disdain for American democracy, believing a dictatorial state run by a unitary executive (read: a king in a bad spray tan) would be far more profitable for the ultra-rich.
But theres one small problem: thats not how dictatorships work.
The Dictatorship Myth: When the Rich Get Played
American billionaires seem to think theyll be running the show under an autocrat, but they might want to have a quick chat with Russias oligarchsor at least the ones who havent accidentally fallen from balconies.
In Putins Russia, the richest dont own their wealth; they rent it from the regime.
Step out of line, and your assetsalong with your ability to breathebecome state property faster than you can say, defenestration.
Historically, this isnt a new trend.
When the Roman Republic collapsed after the Gracchi brothers were killed trying to limit the amount of land the wealthy could own, the empire that followed quickly became a playground for despots. The wealthy thought theyd be safe under imperial rule, but what they got instead was a parade of megalomaniacs like Nero, who famously set fire to Rome (and probably would have called it fake news if Twitter existed).
Trumps Pyramid Scheme for the Rich
Right now, were watching a similar illusion play out.
Figures like Elon Musk and other Trump-aligned billionaires have convinced themselves that democracy is an inconvenience to their bottom line.
They see taxation and regulations as a burden, failing to realize that in an authoritarian state, their entire fortune becomes a line item in the dictators personal budget.
And heres the kicker: they know Trump is running a conat least on his working-class supporters.
These billionaires understand that Trumps economic promises are as solid as a Trump University diploma.
They know he has no intention of uplifting the average American.
The irony, though, is that these same billionaires are also his ultimate marks.
Once Trumpor any would-be autocratcontrols the levers of power, their wealth is only theirs until he decides it isnt.
Thats how every dictatorship operates. In Nazi Germany, Hitler strong-armed industrialists into funding his war machine. In Venezuela, Hugo Chávez nationalized businesses at will.
And in modern Russia, billionaires dont have powerthey have permission.
The Big Reveal: Billionaires Arent as Smart as They Think
The wealthiest Americans might be clever when it comes to stock manipulation and tax loopholes, but they seem oblivious to one fundamental truth: authoritarian rulers dont share power.
Trumps loyalty lasts exactly as long as youre useful to him.
The moment youre not? Well, lets just say the walls at Mar-a-Lago might start looking a little taller.
The super-rich are betting on Trump to dismantle democracy so they can make a quick buck, but they fail to realize that once democracy is gone, so is their safety net.
The American legal system, while annoying to them now, is the only thing standing between their billions and a leader who wakes up one morning and decides they should donate their fortunes to his cause.
At the end of the day, theyre not the puppet masters of a dictatorship.
Theyre just the next in line for the scam. And as history shows, the house always wins.
But dont think the working stiffs are going to benefits somehow from an imperial Trump, none of the money will trickle down, either. Put in is worth an estimated 800 billion, and the average Russian makes $600/month, or 600 Trump 2025 eggs.

GrapesOfWrath
(538 posts)Couldnt agree more
usonian
(16,478 posts)
FDRFTW
(90 posts)He also wrote Michael Clayton and Andor, that are also very good, btw!
usonian
(16,478 posts)In You Dont Know Jack he looks sorta like Jack, but is a ringer for my Dad.
FDRFTW
(90 posts)With the same sociopolitical messaging thats in Devils Advocate
Irish_Dem
(65,861 posts)This is what Putin has done in Russia. And fascists the world over have done.
The billionaires think they have equal power with Trump right now.
Or perhaps even more power than he does.
They will learn some lessons the hard way. I have been warning about this as well.
BTW You are the first person who agrees with my estimate of Putin's wealth.
I think he has been the richest man in the world for a long time now.
Not only has he stolen most of Russia's wealth, but he appears to be running
a lucrative sex/drug trade as well.
While the Russians outside Moscow do not have indoor plumbing.
I am curious FDRFTW, what do you think Trump will do in terms of Canada?
Do you think he will invade?
His goal right now seems to be to weaken Canada economically.
ananda
(31,333 posts)If Canada and other free countries ally with Europe,
I think the game changes both for them and for us.
Trump is playing sandbox bully right now, but he and
his bullybud Musk are really too stupid to see and
understand consequences when smarter people ally
against them.
In the meantime, for us Americans, it's very painful
to suffer economic pain and the widespread harm
and death that will occur as this FUBAR fiasco plays
out.
Bohm and the physicists did predict this, and the work
of Jung also helps in understanding the way fascism has
taken hold in our collective psyche.
We can beat this, but with so much destruction and the
effects of climate change unchecked, it won't be much of a
liveable world left in the end.
FDRFTW
(90 posts)go along with invading Canada.
He will if he thinks it will help him so who knows.
He would start with some tiny area on the border he can find some legal dispute for, in my view.
Irish_Dem
(65,861 posts)Because Trump is not rational.
He seems to be in a "go big or go home" mentality right now.
So going for a tiny part of Canada does not seem to be his thing for the time being.
But yes he has started to talk about the borders being wrong between the US and Canada.
But I think he would go for a big piece of the border.
Yes if he sees it as personally beneficial to him, he will do it.
I do not know if there would be civil war or not in the US over a Canada invasion.
The American people, media, Congress, and judges are either enthralled with Trump
or sleep walking through life.
FDRFTW
(90 posts)Who knows how far he will
Take this, or if his followers will ever see the truth.
raccoon
(31,684 posts)limit ye amount of labdctge wealthy could own
Irish_Dem
(65,861 posts)The Gracchi brothers in Ancient Rome were upset by the decline in land ownership by small farmers; the land was all held in the hands of the wealthy.
They proposed to the Roman Senate a limit on how much land a citizen could own, to about 300 acres.
The wealthy Romans were furious, they saw this as a direct attack on their wealth.
The Gracchi brothers were killed by the wealthy.
FDRFTW
(90 posts)Irish_Dem
(65,861 posts)I thought that was what you were going for.
FDRFTW
(90 posts)Initech
(104,177 posts)They helped build things that REALLY made America great - like the Hoover Dam and the Interstate Highway System, they financed our national parks, state schools, and airports. They stopped at rail though.
These days America's wealthy just hoard all the money for themselves in off shore bank accounts. They do nothing, they don't pay taxes, they just let it sit and collect interest. And now they're taking away our basic social safety nets so they can get even richer while having access to all of our personal and private data.
Let's bring the former back and really make America great.