THE GUARDIAN:
President sounds alarm about growing power of ultra-wealthy before handing presidency back to Trump
Joe Biden’s final address to the nation struck an ominous tone after warning of the growing power of America’s ultra-wealthy, and cautioning that an emerging oligarchy threatens the foundations of US democracy.
The Wednesday prime-time Oval Office speech came as Biden prepares to hand the presidency back to
Donald Trump, who he defeated in 2020 only to see return to power after Biden’s own dramatic exit from politics last summer.
“Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead,” Biden said.
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Joseph Gedeon in Washington | Thursday, January 16, 2025
America is ALREADY an oligarchy, Mr President. Oligarchy has been in the making for a very long time. America has been governed for the benefit of the rich for years. Trump has dotted all the 'i's' and crossed all the 't's'. He's completed the task.
Lincoln’s famous phrase, “Government of the people, by the people, for the people’ is passé now. Trump has changed all that. And it hasn’t taken him long to do so, either. From here on in, it’s ‘government of the superrich, by the superrich, for the superrich’. “The people” will get the crumbs that fall under their masters’ tables – if the are lucky!
The American political system has been usurped and poisoned, probably forever. Democracy has been supplanted by oligarchy. You call it oligarchy; I prefer to call it plutocracy, since it is a more accurate nomenclature.
In any case, darkness has befallen your nation, Mr President. America is no longer a “City upon a Hill” as has so often been quoted by many a president or a president-elect; it is no longer a beacon – a shining light in the distance; rather, it is a source of darkness in the distance. And that dark shadow will surely now be cast upon the rest of the free world. Enlightened thinking is already in the process of being replaced by benighted thinking. Ignorance is taking hold. It is already discernable right across the free world. Even here in Europe. Gee! Thanks America! You've done the free world proud. – © Mark Alexander
