Merriam Webster defines oligarchy as
: government by the few
: a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes
Implied with this definition is the few have great wealth – attained by the corruption.
Tomorrow we start down a 4 year trip with Trump 2.0. If even half of what he campaigned on comes to pass, it will be far worse than 1.0. Power is being consolidated in the media, in tech, and within our government. Will there be hard times ahead for most of us – even those who voted for this? Will the world turn darker before the light shines brightly again? Almost assuredly.
But I still have hope for the future. I converted to Buddhism during his first term, and it helped me get through it – and helped me help others. I am confident it will do so again. My hope for the next four years is that us “non-oligarchs” relearn how to support each other, talk to each other, and truly connect again. Already I see many people ditching Meta after Zuckerberg joined Trump’s inner circle.
That’s the thing with social media – it only has the power to mislead us if we let it. At some point the number of users will drop below a critical mass and even those still there will see the difference between what they read on Facebook and what they see happening in front of them. We need to be ready with kindness and open arms when this happens.
It’s easy to cast blame on those who voted for him. It’s easy to cast them as evil, traitors, or any other derogatory word. But that is exactly what the actual architects of the oligarchy want. Divided we fall. United we stand. It’s important to reach out to people who think differently than us. Lead with kindness, curiosity. If they seem open, invite them to inclusive events. It’s easy to “other” groups of people we’ve never met or had any interaction with. It’s much harder when we have a personal connection.
To paraphrase John F. Kennedy, we must do it because it is hard. Giving in is easy. Apathy is easy. Taking the easy way is what got us here.
Impermanence is (imho) one of the most powerful concepts in Buddhism. It’s a reminder that neither the good nor the bad times last forever. It does not mean we cannot or should not strive to shorten the bad and preserve the good. Remembering (learning?) how to transform suffering in ourselves and others is critical now.
The truth oligarchy’s don’t want you to know is they are fragile. They are built on lies, greed, and shortsightedness. Already we’ve seen signs of infighting with the H1B work visas. Their weakness is their isolation. Take away that trail of broken stones to their castles, and their influence withers.Yes, money can buy a lot of power, but only if they can find buyers.
0 Comments