Some Thoughts On The American Oligarchy and The Future of The Republic
~The most important aspect of The American Oligarchy is that it operates, by and large, as a meritocracy. Most of its founding families all started off here with little more than 'seed money', grew along with the original colonies, and were then instrumental in the birth of The Republic.
Some of those founders, like the Calverts of Virginia, faded away and dropped from The Oligarchy's ranks, though I'm sure their blood lines carry on under other names. But that they could trace that line back to the Plantagenet kings did not help impede their decline.
Others entered its ranks as The Republic grew, families typified by the Vanderbilt's, who had solid, and suitable humble, roots here since the 17th Century. [Anderson Cooper of CNN fame is a Vanderbilt] And, of course, the Roosevelt's, whose ancestry is much the same.
The 'great money families' that we most readily identify as the principal members of The Oligarchy, the Carnegie's, the Rockefeller's, the Morgan's, the Mellon's, are really all 'late comers', making their money in the second half of the 19th Century. [An interesting note is that all those names are in Word File's spell check]
The Bush family entered into The Oligarchy during this period, though they were 'minor' members until the 1930's.
The meritocratic elements of The Oligarchy have certain bounds. They have been uniformly white and generally Protestant. Wealthy German and English Jews, what one could call 'Presbyterian Jews', were kept in the 'outer circles' of Power.
But The Oligarchy is, above all else, a pragmatic grouping. As I have said elsewhere, “Those who are at The Core of The Oligarchy have not cared about Wealth for at least a century. They have more than enough Wealth. What they truly care about is Power and the Stability of The Republic, which is the basis of that Power.”
As proof of that I point to a pair of fifth cousins from one of the oldest Oligarchic families who stepped forward as Reformers when The Republic was in great peril; Teddy Roosevelt and FDR. [The Delano family is also of that Core I mention above]
I relate all of this upon the eve of this election for a reason.
To quote myself again, “We...know full well that no one will ever make it into the Oval Office without The Oligarchy - at the very least - 'signing off' on their candidacy.
However, IMHO, Obama's coming victory signifies two things.
One: The utter rejection of the catastrophic policies of Bu$hCo, a regime I believe came to be at odds with a large portion of The Oligarchy.
Two: The recognition by The Oligarchy that profound change is now necessary if The Republic is to survive...
...Expect the ranks of The Oligarchy to get 'browner' over the next century.”
That I fully expect Barack Obama to be elected president tomorrow is important only in that I believe that will give those of us who seriously look to the future a bit more breathing room to keep doing our work. A McCain administration would lead to almost immediate disaster.
So, after the results are in and any Repug electoral derailing nonsense has been dealt with - and it will be as Barack's troops are thick on the ground - I shall take a week to recover from this hideous election season and then I shall proceed as I have been for the last several years.
As I said above, 'breathing room'. That's all we're really getting. The true fate of The Republic will determined by how we use it.
Some of those founders, like the Calverts of Virginia, faded away and dropped from The Oligarchy's ranks, though I'm sure their blood lines carry on under other names. But that they could trace that line back to the Plantagenet kings did not help impede their decline.
Others entered its ranks as The Republic grew, families typified by the Vanderbilt's, who had solid, and suitable humble, roots here since the 17th Century. [Anderson Cooper of CNN fame is a Vanderbilt] And, of course, the Roosevelt's, whose ancestry is much the same.
The 'great money families' that we most readily identify as the principal members of The Oligarchy, the Carnegie's, the Rockefeller's, the Morgan's, the Mellon's, are really all 'late comers', making their money in the second half of the 19th Century. [An interesting note is that all those names are in Word File's spell check]
The Bush family entered into The Oligarchy during this period, though they were 'minor' members until the 1930's.
The meritocratic elements of The Oligarchy have certain bounds. They have been uniformly white and generally Protestant. Wealthy German and English Jews, what one could call 'Presbyterian Jews', were kept in the 'outer circles' of Power.
But The Oligarchy is, above all else, a pragmatic grouping. As I have said elsewhere, “Those who are at The Core of The Oligarchy have not cared about Wealth for at least a century. They have more than enough Wealth. What they truly care about is Power and the Stability of The Republic, which is the basis of that Power.”
As proof of that I point to a pair of fifth cousins from one of the oldest Oligarchic families who stepped forward as Reformers when The Republic was in great peril; Teddy Roosevelt and FDR. [The Delano family is also of that Core I mention above]
I relate all of this upon the eve of this election for a reason.
To quote myself again, “We...know full well that no one will ever make it into the Oval Office without The Oligarchy - at the very least - 'signing off' on their candidacy.
However, IMHO, Obama's coming victory signifies two things.
One: The utter rejection of the catastrophic policies of Bu$hCo, a regime I believe came to be at odds with a large portion of The Oligarchy.
Two: The recognition by The Oligarchy that profound change is now necessary if The Republic is to survive...
...Expect the ranks of The Oligarchy to get 'browner' over the next century.”
That I fully expect Barack Obama to be elected president tomorrow is important only in that I believe that will give those of us who seriously look to the future a bit more breathing room to keep doing our work. A McCain administration would lead to almost immediate disaster.
So, after the results are in and any Repug electoral derailing nonsense has been dealt with - and it will be as Barack's troops are thick on the ground - I shall take a week to recover from this hideous election season and then I shall proceed as I have been for the last several years.
As I said above, 'breathing room'. That's all we're really getting. The true fate of The Republic will determined by how we use it.