It's quite hard to look at the current situations with Musk and Twitter, Bezos and the WaPo, and the LA Times as anything other than evidence that the extreme consolidation of wealth is itself a grave and direct threat to society

@rjmccall

The #US is an #Oligarchy, a state owned entirely by its ultra-rich.

It slowly ceased to be a #Democracy, whilst retaining the outer appearance of a democracy.

Nobody noticed.

https://medium.com/@colingajewski/how-democracies-quietly-transform-into-oligarchies-without-anyone-noticing-d47b2133b752

How Democracies Quietly Transform into Oligarchies Without Anyone Noticing

The transformation of democracies into oligarchies is not marked by sudden coups or dramatic revolutions. Instead, it’s a gradual, almost invisible process. Democracies, at their core, are designed…

Medium

@photoncollector @rjmccall

It didn't need to transform.

Only white landowning males could vote, from the start. Oligarchy is baked in.