Summary

In his farewell speech, President Joe Biden warned of a growing “oligarchy” in the U.S., where extreme wealth and power threaten democracy.

Comparing modern elites to 19th-century robber barons, he called for reforms to hold the wealthy accountable, as done in the past.

Biden also criticized a “tech-industrial complex” concentrating power and spreading disinformation, weakening democracy.

His remarks sparked a surge in Google searches for “oligarchy.”

The speech comes amid rising concerns about policies favoring billionaires, like Trump’s tax cuts and potential cuts to social safety programs.

  • @[email protected]
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    fedilink
    1523 hours ago

    Love Carlin. Hate this quote.

    1. “Half of them are smarter than that” is just as true but doesn’t have the same zing.
    2. The zing is that the regurgitation makes everyone feel as though they are on the right side of the distribution and thus superior.

    Truth is, we are all closer to chimps than Einstein. And Einstein still left some lingering questions for us to solve.

    That’s the distribution. Not “Everyone is stupid except me and you, dear reader.”

    • @Serinus
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      19 hours ago

      everyone feel as though they are on the right side of the distribution and thus superior.

      Yes, I certainly am.

      Until it comes to fixing something with my hands. Run a new cable through the wall? How the hell do I do that? You can just… make a new wall? Help, my car no go.