The Positives Of Oligarchic Rule
March 22, 2025โข784 words
The inability to grasp the pathology of our oligarchic rulers is one of our gravest faults. Chris Hedges
Democracy appears to be safer and less liable to revolution than oligarchy. For in oligarchies there is the double danger of the oligarchs falling out among themselves and also with the people; but in democracies there is only the danger of a quarrel with the oligarchs. No dissension worth mentioning arises among the people themselves. And we may further remark that a government which is composed of the middle class more nearly approximates to democracy than to oligarchy, and is the safest of the imperfect forms of government. Aristotle
Envision a world in which decisions are made swiftly, freed from the extended arguments and administrative tangles that afflict democratic systems. Envision a society in which the means of control rest with a minority, men who are immensely rich, shrewd businessmen, and able to plan decades in advance. Such is the world of oligarchic rule, a system powered by efficiency, stability, and long-term vision. It is a world of concentrated power and the game of human nature played delicately. You do not know it, but it already exists in Singapore, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and even among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of power in the United States. And if you listen closely, you'll hear the unmistakable advantages of this regime, advantages that reveal a great deal about power, human nature, and their rules of governance.
Oligarchic governments are all about power and control. A small elite class of individuals hold sway, and their word runs through society with little resistance. They tend to be seasoned entrepreneurs, financiers, or technocrats who have spent their working lives heading massive organisations. They understand economic expansion, stability's importance, and the need to look beyond the next electoral cycle. Unlike democratic politicians, who are usually bound by the voters and overcome partisan deadlock, oligarchs enjoy a freedom to act boldly. In China, the state-run oligarchy has propelled fast-track infrastructure development and tech growth, turning the country into a world powerhouse. They move with dizzying speed, and it is a tribute to the effectiveness of centralized decision-making.
Efficiency is not the sole factor, though. Stability is another. Oligarchic regimes are designed to prevent the chaos of sudden regime change. The privileged few exercise power, and this creates a continuity in which long-term planning is feasible. The example of Russia under Vladimir Putin is one where oligarchic domination has provided political stability for decades. Critics may argue the lack of democratic freedoms, but that the system has avoided the chaos that normally accompanies transfers of power cannot be denied. This steadiness is no accident, but a hallmark of oligarchic rule, a deliberate exercise of preserving the status quo and the interests of the powerful.
And then, naturally, there is the long game. Oligarchs are not constrained by the short 4 year term democratic government. They have no interest in the next election or appeasing an uneducated electorate. Instead, they can invest in those investments that will bring returns in decades ahead, in infrastructure, in technology, in sectors that will secure their nation's future. In America, the rise of tech oligarchs has led to massive investments being put into artificial intelligence, into space exploration, into the military-industrial complex, and into biotechnology. These are not projects of immediate gratification, they are bets on the future, driven by individuals who see the value of waiting and watching down the line.
Trump's chosen inner circle, in total, their bank accounts are reported to equal over $460 billion. This is not riches; it is power in one place, a tangible expression of power. In the theatre of politics, where perception is reality, such figures carry not only policy, but the very air of power over society. They understand a simple truth: money equals influence, and influence, to power.
There are, however, critics of the oligarchic system. For one, others argue that it prevents social advance because oligarchs are less easily swayed by movements for reform. They prioritize economic growth and stability of the markets over policies which may be capable of addressing inequality or social justice. But from the perspective of power, this is not a deficit, this is a strength. Oligarchs understand their survival is dependent upon maintaining power, and maintaining power necessitates staying away from the risks of unsustainable policies. They are pragmatists, not idealists, and they operate on the basis of cold, calculating rationality.
Oligarchs recognize that power functions best in terms of its accumulation. Long-term vision and stability will see success repeated again and again. People act on self-interest, and those that realize this use power efficiently.
https://financialpost.com/wealth/american-oligarchy-biden-15-trillion
https://www.citizen.org/article/trumps-billionaire-cabinet-represents-the-top-0001-percent/