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The Real Goal of the #Trump #Economy
The president isn’t trying to engineer prosperity for Americans. He’s seeking #power for himself.
By Jonathan Chait
#USpol #law #oligarchy #broligarchy #kleptocracy #plutocracy #autocracy #MafiaState
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/04/trump-oligarchy-capitalism-economic-vision/681761/?gift=guxsrl_dAdXUP9zqbQPWxcFvA32F1Sb-bKwu0n5jPL4&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share
A quarter century ago, Vladimir #Putin gathered 21 of #Russia’s top #oligarchs in the Kremlin to let them know that he, not they, held #power in Russia. The young Russian president (not yet for life) informed them that they could keep the wealth they’d amassed if they complied w/his political goals. Partnership w/Putin held out the prospect of #safety, & even greater riches.…
Most of the #oligarchs submitted, but those who didn’t went to #prison or into #exile, lest they fall prey to the country’s epidemic of window-plunging deaths. (Khodorkovsky was imprisoned, putatively for fraud & tax evasion, but really for supporting independent media & opposition parties.) Since then, affinity for #Putin has been a sine qua non of high-level economic success in Russia.
An eerily reminiscent scene played out late last year at Mar-a-Lago, #Trump’s Winter Palace, where #StephenMiller, one of Trump’s #loyalty enforcers, met w/ #Meta’s CEO, #MarkZuckerberg. The weather was more pleasant, & presumably neither party contemplated defenestration as a settlement alternative, but many other details seemed to echo. “Mr. Miller told Mr. Zuckerberg that he had an opportunity to help reform America, but it would be on President-elect Donald J. Trump’s terms,” NYT reported.
Because #Trump had recently warned, “We are watching [Zuckerberg] closely, & if he does anything *illegal*” during Trump’s 2nd term, “he will spend the rest of his life in #prison,” this opportunity must have sounded enticing. #Zuckerberg indicated that he would not in any way obstruct Trump’s agenda, acc/to the Times, & foisted blame for any prior offenses onto subordinates.
By the time #Trump assumed power, #Zuckerberg was lavishing him w/praise. “We now have a US admin that is proud of our leading companies,” he gushed of the man who had…threatened him w/ #prison, “that prioritizes American technology winning. And that will defend our values & interests abroad.” His rehabilitation complete, Zuckerberg assumed a place of pride at Trump’s inauguration, alongside #JeffBezos, #ElonMusk, & other [#oligarchs].…
After being threatened with a lifetime in prison for exercising his business judgment and 1st Amendment rights, Mark Zuckerberg's bus now has more bodies underneath it than Donald Trump's.