Breaking the Iron Law of Oligarchy

[white_wolf]

In my political science class the other day we briefly discussed the Iron Law of Oligarch which states that over time every country, no matter how democratic in its origins will transform into an Oligarchy. Personally it seems to me that it has already happened here or at the very least ins well on the road to it. My question is what can we do about it? Even if there was some form of revolution peaceful or violent that changed it for now, we would still have to find a way to keep the country from going down that road again. Any suggestions or ideas on how we can stop it?

[barbiegeek]

1. Regulation & socialism are the answer.

[white_wolf]

4. I agree with you one those points

and I think they are important first steps. Another very important thing is Campaign Fiance reform. As long as politics remains a game for the rich then no matter what economic system we have in place we will eventually end up under an oligarchy.

[Warpy]

2. Civil disobedience and non cooperation will have to be widespread

enough to threaten their hired lackeys in Congress enough to make them more frightened of us than they are of the oligarchs.

[Lindsay]

3. Eternal vigilance.

They will never stop trying to have it all, so the rest of us can never stop fighting them. This ought to be part of everyone's education.

As for how we go about it at this point, I am totally out of ideas. :shrug:

[Laelth]

5. A couple of thoughts.

Here's what I think we will do: http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Laelth/40

Here's what I think it will take to get progressive change in the United States (apologies, in advance, for the length: http://laelth.blogspot.com/2011/01/turning-american-ship-of-state.html

For what that's worth.

-Laelth

[bemildred]

6. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Nothing Iron about it, except in the heads of the believers.

[moondust]

7. Government makes the rules.

No matter how it is originally set up or what you decide to call it...government still makes the laws and has the power to enforce them. Taxes and trade policy come to mind as means by which government can continually level the playing field--without which everybody is more or less at the mercy of the oligarchs.

So how do you get and keep good government that works for the people instead of the oligarchs? It's more complex in this age of globalization with a "global labor pool" and all (probably eventually leading to worldwide corporate feudalism), but I'm sure it can be done if you put your mind to it. :)

[Frosty1]

8. That is the 64 billion dollar question

"Social democracies are designed to thwart that tendency, but in a global village the oligarchs will always find a safe place to hide their loot and scheme their schemes. The inheritance tax was supposed to slow down this drain of wealth to the privileged few, but lawyers help make the laws and then they prostitute themselves to the wealthy to show them how to get around the laws with trusts and such. Denny Hecker http://tinyurl.com/4pnuexg
is a small fish, but look at what he was up to. If the economy hadn't tanked he might have gotten away with it. He owed too much money to the Big Boys. I think Bill Gates and Warren Buffett are on the right side of this issue; just as the Walton Clan is on the wrong side. If there aren't social mechanisms in place to prevent it, power will always continue to concentrate in the hands of a few. Maybe we will end up back on a barter economy at some point, and then their wealth is just so much paper. Really, there are no simple answers."