Is America becoming a plutocracy?

[Nilly]

Trumps 16 cabinet level picks have more money than a third of American households combined.

The 17 people who US president-elect Donald Trump has selected for his cabinet or for posts with cabinet rank have well over $10 billion in combined wealth, with several positions still unfilled. This collection of wealth is greater than that of the 43 million least wealthy American households combined—over one third of the 126 million households total in the US.
Affluence of this magnitude in a US presidential cabinet is unprecedented.

It is worth noting that almost 13% of American households have zero or negative wealth because of debt, so we are adding together these households with those that have at least some wealth.

plu·toc·ra·cy
plo͞oˈtäkrəsē/Submit
noun
government by the wealthy.
a country or society governed by the wealthy.
plural noun: plutocracies
an elite or ruling class of people whose power derives from their wealth.

Now, in my opinion this isn't entirely down to Trump but his election is exacerbating the problem. The USA has been a plutocracy for quite a while (see below video) but it's becoming ever more apparent that it is the interests of the wealthy that are going to be represented in government, rather than the will of the people. For what it's worth, Obama's cabinet was worth ~300 million, most of it (200m belonging to John Kerry). Source: https://www.opensecrets.org/pfds/overview.php?type=W&filter=E&sort=D&ptysort=A&year=2012

Do you think this is the case? Can it be prevented? Should it be prevented? Or is it a good thing we have uber successful businessmen and women helming our country? Do these people care about your average American citizen?

 

[azgreg]

What do you mean by becoming? It's been a combo plutocracy/oligarchy for a while now.

 

[TheGoverness]

What do you mean by becoming? It's been a combo plutocracy/oligarchy for a while now.

Probably since the very beginning.

 

[joG]

Trumps 16 cabinet level picks have more money than a third of American households combined.





plu·toc·ra·cy
plo͞oˈtäkrəsē/Submit
noun
government by the wealthy.
a country or society governed by the wealthy.
plural noun: plutocracies
an elite or ruling class of people whose power derives from their wealth.

Now, in my opinion this isn't entirely down to Trump but his election is exacerbating the problem. The USA has been a plutocracy for quite a while (see below video) but it's becoming ever more apparent that it is the interests of the wealthy that are going to be represented in government, rather than the will of the people. For what it's worth, Obama's cabinet was worth ~300 million, most of it (200m belonging to John Kerry). Source: https://www.opensecrets.org/pfds/overview.php?type=W&filter=E&sort=D&ptysort=A&year=2012

Do you think this is the case? Can it be prevented? Should it be prevented? Or is it a good thing we have uber successful businessmen and women helming our country? Do these people care about your average American citizen?

Heave's Gate all over again?

 

[Ikari]

Trumps 16 cabinet level picks have more money than a third of American households combined.





plu·toc·ra·cy
plo͞oˈtäkrəsē/Submit
noun
government by the wealthy.
a country or society governed by the wealthy.
plural noun: plutocracies
an elite or ruling class of people whose power derives from their wealth.

Now, in my opinion this isn't entirely down to Trump but his election is exacerbating the problem. The USA has been a plutocracy for quite a while (see below video) but it's becoming ever more apparent that it is the interests of the wealthy that are going to be represented in government, rather than the will of the people. For what it's worth, Obama's cabinet was worth ~300 million, most of it (200m belonging to John Kerry). Source: https://www.opensecrets.org/pfds/overview.php?type=W&filter=E&sort=D&ptysort=A&year=2012

Do you think this is the case? Can it be prevented? Should it be prevented? Or is it a good thing we have uber successful businessmen and women helming our country? Do these people care about your average American citizen?

Pluto has nothing to do with this, it's not even a planet even more.

But we've been on the road to the Corporate State for some time, it's not "becoming" as much as just about there. Trump is just being a lot more overt about it, lol.

 

[azgreg]

Pluto has nothing to do with this, it's not even a planet even more.

But we've been on the road to the Corporate State for some time, it's not "becoming" as much as just about there. Trump is just being a lot more overt about it, lol.

 

[Hawkeye10]

But Trump is not promoting that so much as he is understanding that as he builds his government. Trump has been very clear that we can not fix up the place unless the rich and powerful buy into the scheme, that is what he is up to now. Anyone who before now who had not figured out that our government is very corrupted by the elite to include the wealthy has not been paying attention.

Trump has ended the charade, because doing charades instead of governing is a part of how we got into this mess.

Tell the Truth, that's part of the Trump Doctrine.

 

[Kobie]

Tell the Truth, that's part of the Trump Doctrine.

:lamo

Trump has lied his ass off since Day One of his campaign.

 

[Ikari]

But Trump is not promoting that so much as he is understanding that as he builds his government. Trump has been very clear that we can not fix up the place unless the rich and powerful buy into the scheme, that is what he is up to now. Anyone who before now who had not figured out that our government is very corrupted by the elite to include the wealthy has not been paying attention.

Trump has ended the charade, because doing charades instead of governing is a part of how we got into this mess.

Tell the Truth, that's part of the Trump Doctrine.

So "Hey guys, we all know that government is already in bed with Big Corp and that rich people get to run everything, and yeah Trump isn't going to fix that, but he's at least going to acknowledge that's how it is."

Great.

 

[Nilly]

What do you mean by becoming? It's been a combo plutocracy/oligarchy for a while now.

Because of the exponential growth in cabinet wealth when Trump takes over. It's going to grow by 30x.

It's obvious that the people surrounding the president are likely to be richer than your average citizen, but under Bush and Obama they were just that, richer than your average citizen. Some cabinet picks were still paying off their student loans.

Now all of a sudden, we seem to have entered an age where the people in charge are absurdly rich. In the many billions of dollars, unfathomable amounts, more than the GDP's of many countries.

There are only 500 billionaires in the USA, and Trump seems to have picked 1 in 50 of them for positions where they are meant to be representing your average American person or family.

 

[Nilly]

But Trump is not promoting that so much as he is understanding that as he builds his government. Trump has been very clear that we can not fix up the place unless the rich and powerful buy into the scheme, that is what he is up to now. Anyone who before now who had not figured out that our government is very corrupted by the elite to include the wealthy has not been paying attention.

Trump has ended the charade, because doing charades instead of governing is a part of how we got into this mess.

Tell the Truth, that's part of the Trump Doctrine.

Why is it that we cannot fix the mess without the wealthy? Because they control too much power?

How exactly does bringing in more wealthy people solve that problem?

I'm really interested in hearing what the right leaning libertarians, constitutionalists, and Trump voters have to say about this in general. Surely we can all agree that too much money in politics is a bipartisan issues?

 

[Fearandloathing]

Trumps 16 cabinet level picks have more money than a third of American households combined.





plu·toc·ra·cy
plo͞oˈtäkrəsē/Submit
noun
government by the wealthy.
a country or society governed by the wealthy.
plural noun: plutocracies
an elite or ruling class of people whose power derives from their wealth.

Now, in my opinion this isn't entirely down to Trump but his election is exacerbating the problem. The USA has been a plutocracy for quite a while (see below video) but it's becoming ever more apparent that it is the interests of the wealthy that are going to be represented in government, rather than the will of the people. For what it's worth, Obama's cabinet was worth ~300 million, most of it (200m belonging to John Kerry). Source: https://www.opensecrets.org/pfds/overview.php?type=W&filter=E&sort=D&ptysort=A&year=2012

Do you think this is the case? Can it be prevented? Should it be prevented? Or is it a good thing we have uber successful businessmen and women helming our country? Do these people care about your average American citizen?

It started around the summer of 1776.

 

[Nilly]

It started around the summer of 1776.

The difference in wealth between the founding fathers and the average citizen back then and the people in charge now vs the average citizen now is astronomical.

 

[spud_meister]

It started around the summer of 1776.

Trump is simply fulfilling the Founders visions of a nation controlled by rich white men.

 

[SMTA]

So "Hey guys, we all know that government is already in bed with Big Corp and that rich people get to run everything, and yeah Trump isn't going to fix that, but he's at least going to acknowledge that's how it is."

Great.

But, but he cares about the little guys and they are his focus!

 

[Hawkeye10]

Why is it that we cannot fix the mess without the wealthy? Because they control too much power?

How exactly does bringing in more wealthy people solve that problem?

I'm really interested in hearing what the right leaning libertarians, constitutionalists, and Trump voters have to say about this in general. Surely we can all agree that too much money in politics is a bipartisan issues?

Because they could drain America dry in the space of weeks if they wanted to. We would crash and burn.

 

[Ikari]

But, but he cares about the little guys and they are his focus!

Oh yes, of course, that's why he's grabbing up all the Goldman Sachs guys and ex-CEO's of huge energy companies. Bankers and CEOs care about the little guy more than anyone! Certainly they wouldn't be trying to gerrymander the system into Corporate Oligarchy....nooooooo, that's absurd. Looking out for the little guy, that's what they do.

 

[TheGoverness]

But, but he cares about the little guys and they are his focus!

Little guys like Exxon Mobile and Goldman Sachs!

Those poor little mega corporations! How my heard aches for their suffering to end.

 

[Nilly]

Because they could drain America dry in the space of weeks if they wanted to. We would crash and burn.

So does appointing more of them to positions of power give them an even greater ability to make America crash and burn? Or does it remedy it?

 

[Hawkeye10]

So does appointing more of them to positions of power give them an even greater ability to make America crash and burn? Or does it remedy it?

Trump is appointing reformers, not THEM.

Them are the ones who put themselves first at the expense of America, Team Trump are the ones who want to try to put AMERICA FIRST! for a change, and yes it does include people who have done wrong in the past but who want to make it right.

 

[Nilly]

Trump is appointing reformers, not THEM.

Them are the ones who put themselves first at the expense of America, Team Trump are the ones who want to try to put AMERICA FIRST! for a change, and yes it does include people who have done wrong in the past but who want to make it right.

Who is 'them' and how are the CEO's of Exxon/Goldman Sachs etc etc etc not 'them'??

Which Americans are they going to put first? In their lines of work they only have to put themselves first. Historically, they have noly had to put themselves first. Now they have to suddenly put everyone else first? Do you have confidence in that?

 

[Mach]

The unfortunate reality is that if you want to avoid being ruled by the powerful, you must avoid having rulers who are by definition, powerful.

This goes back to the age old fight between strong individual rights and weak federal government power, vs people who paradoxically claim they are fighting power, by giving up rights/freedoms to a centralized government authority.

Republicans can and do abuse the authority we give them, as a political party, when they are in power. Just as Democrats do.
That's why neither should have near the authority they have, as related to interfering with our lives/freedoms.

 

[Mach]

How exactly does bringing in more wealthy people solve that problem?

You can look at it a few ways.
If they are that ultra wealthy largely through their own efforts in the marketplace, then they may know a thing or two. Crazy I know.
Also, they do not rely on politics or donors or special interests, to get them to be "wealthy", they already are, they won the game and are playing for style points now.
Being that wealthy from industry, they can also get more things done since they know how it works at the top, and have the connects to get in front of the right people, put pressure on them, etc.

In on way does that mean I have confidence in Trump, I'm just saying...

 

[Hawkeye10]

Who is 'them' and how are the CEO's of Exxon/Goldman Sachs etc etc etc not 'them'??

Which Americans are they going to put first? In their lines of work they only have to put themselves first. Historically, they have noly had to put themselves first. Now they have to suddenly put everyone else first? Do you have confidence in that?

Absolutely, because while I rail against the elite constantly I do personally know members of the elite, and there have long been a fair number of elite who are sure that the current path that we have long been on is not sustainable. They have never had anywhere to go, because the political system not only froze out the deplorables, it also froze out all those members of the elite who were interested in putting AMERICA FIRST! , who were interested in becoming traitors to their class. But now they have Trump, just as a previous generation had FDR.

Things are looking up.

 

[Nilly]

You can look at it a few ways.
If they are that ultra wealthy largely through their own efforts in the marketplace, then they may know a thing or two. Crazy I know.
Also, they do not rely on politics or donors or special interests, to get them to be "wealthy", they already are, they won the game and are playing for style points now.
Being that wealthy from industry, they can also get more things done since they know how it works at the top, and have the connects to get in front of the right people, put pressure on them, etc.

In on way does that mean I have confidence in Trump, I'm just saying...

I agree that this is a valid point. Wealthy people are successful, so one can normally assume that they're good at getting things done. But is that the case here? Take Betsy DeVos, most of her wealth derives from the fact she's the daughter-in-law of Richard DeVos, the founder of Amway. So is the fact that she's wealthy an indicator that she may know a thing or two?

As for 'style points' - again, could be a fair point but it definitely depends on the character of the person in question. If these people weren't in it for the money any more, why are they still heads of their companies?