The matrix of the abuse of power: oligarchic capitalism
Tying in the ideas In the speech Bernie Sanders takes down Elon Musk and Donald Trump's "oligarchy" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQXl5JZG-C8&list=LL in intense speech - with the ideas in Greg Palast's The Best Democracy Money Can Buy and how that leads to a version of Jevon's paradox of the erosion of Western capitalism which no one should be surprised but many are lamenting.
Bernie Sanders' critique of Elon Musk, Donald Trump, and the broader oligarchic system aligns closely with the themes explored in Greg Palast's *The Best Democracy Money Can Buy*. Both Sanders and Palast highlight how concentrated wealth and power undermine democratic institutions and perpetuate inequality. Sanders' speech specifically targets the unchecked influence of billionaires like Musk and Trump, framing them as emblematic of a system that prioritizes profit over people. This critique dovetails with Palast's investigative work, which exposes how corporate interests and wealthy elites manipulate elections, deregulate industries, and exploit legal loopholes to maintain their dominance. The erosion of Western capitalism that Sanders and Palast describe can be understood through the lens of **Jevons Paradox**, which originally referred to the observation that increases in efficiency (e.g., in resource use) often lead to greater overall consumption rather than conservation. In this context, the paradox can be extended metaphorically to describe how attempts to reform or "optimize" capitalism—through deregulation, tax cuts for the wealthy, or privatization—often exacerbate the very problems they claim to solve. For example, tax cuts for the rich are sold as a way to stimulate investment and economic growth, but in practice, they often lead to greater wealth concentration, reduced public investment, and increased inequality. This creates a feedback loop where the system becomes less democratic and more oligarchic over time. Sanders' lament about the state of Western capitalism reflects a broader disillusionment with a system that has failed to deliver on its promises of shared prosperity. The paradox here is that the more capitalism is "perfected" in its current form—through deregulation, globalization, and financialization—the more it undermines the social and economic foundations that sustain it. This erosion is not surprising to those who, like Sanders and Palast, have long warned about the dangers of unchecked corporate power and wealth inequality. Yet, as Sanders' speech underscores, many are still caught off guard by the extent of the crisis, perhaps because they have been conditioned to view capitalism as inherently self-correcting or because they benefit from the status quo. In tying these ideas together, we see a powerful critique of how oligarchic capitalism not only concentrates wealth and power but also destabilizes the very systems it relies on, creating a paradox where the pursuit of efficiency and growth leads to systemic decay. Sanders' call for a more equitable and democratic system is, in this sense, not just a moral argument but a pragmatic one: without addressing the root causes of inequality and oligarchy, the erosion of Western capitalism will continue, with profound consequences for society as a whole.
