Economic and Political Decisions: Oligarchy v Democracy

Decisions by oligarchs only benefit oligarchs whether they control our economic or political systems. We need more democracy in both systems.

Political Decisions

Economic systems controlled by oligarchs benefits only the oligarchs. For example, as worker productivity increases, the oligarchs fire employees and put the savings in employee cost in their own pockets while keeping production constant. Thus the oligarchs enrich themselves, unemployment increases and the oligarchs have divided the workforce to use one group against the other. Employees learn to fear productivity gains.

On the other hand, economic systems controlled by the citizens benefit the citizens. For example, as worker productivity increases, the workers decide to keep everyone employed by decreasing hours worked while keeping production constant. Thus increasing leisure time and minimizing citizen division. Employees now favor productivity gains.

Economic Decisions

Political systems controlled by oligarchs will reward oligarchs for success and protect them from failure. For example, increasing defense spending, bailing out failed banks, and massive tax cuts will benefit the oligarchs by promoting war, forcing foreclosures and creating depressed property values for mass purchase, putting our children in harm’s way, and increasing the tax burden on everyone else.

On the other hand, political systems controlled by voters, benefit the voters. For example, increasing subsidies for green energy while decreasing subsidies for dirty energy, breaking up banks to big to fail, removing the salary cap on Social Security contributions, minimizing the middleman in and expanding healthcare, funding public education, taxing the oligarchs as needed to reduce the threat of inflation, replacing the reward/welfare system for non-productive oligarchs with a living wage for all, and fixing our failing infrastructure will benefit the voter by promoting employment at a living wage, freeing families from medical bankruptcy, preventing the 6th great extinction, making voters smarter, and keeping seniors out of poverty.

More Democracy

In other words, maximizing the principles of democracy in the political system through increased participation can lead to applying the principles of democracy in the workplace thus benefiting all citizens, minimizing the influence of oligarchs and removing the divisions promoted by the authoritarian oligarchs.