Trump fills top spots with super wealthy
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To the editor:
As Trump fills the top positions in his administration with super wealthy individuals, it seems appropriate to define exactly what that means.
The term used to describe this type of government is Plutocracy, or rule by people of great wealth [i.e. Elon Musk].
In a Plutocracy, government policies often benefit the wealthy at the expense of the lower classes. In other words to paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, who described a Democracy as a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, a Plutocracy is a government of the wealthy, by the wealthy, and for the wealthy.
The Plutocrat in Chief is, of course, Elon Musk, the richest man in the world who spent at least $260 million dollars to get Trump re-elected.
With a net worth of $248 billion dollars, the 260 million he spent buying his way into Trump’s inner circle is chump change.
Donald Sherman, executive director and Chief counsel for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington says that elevating the ultra wealthy to positions of power in the government will have a tangible effect on whether the government is prioritizing the interests of the American public–everyday people who voted for, or didn’t vote for the president elect–versus the narrow financial interests of the individuals who are running these agencies.
It goes without saying that the richest man in the world expected something in return for his $260 million. Musk and the other investors in Tesla expect the company to benefit from lower corporate taxes and fewer regulations. If he has to spend $260 million dollars of his own money to get regulatory treatment that is worth several billions of dollars to Space X and Tesla, that is a great return on a $260 million dollar investment.
Along with Vivek Ramaswamy, another major Trump donor, Musk is heading the Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE. In line with Project 2025, the conservative vision for smaller government, you can expect DOGE to favor cutting Social Security and Medicare [definitely not in the best interests of the American public], targeting the Department of Education, and potentially stripping federal workers of protection by replacing civil servants with political appointees.
For historical references see the corrupt “spoils system” of political appointees before it was replaced by a professional civil service administration.
I have a suggestion to Trump and his billionaire friends. With the Red Cross and other disaster agencies pleading for donations to help the people of California, who are after all Americans, why don’t you pony up several billion dollars to help out. Oh wait, I forgot,, during the 2018 disastrous wildfire season in California, Trump refused federal aid, until it was pointed out to him there were a number of Republican voters in California.
Isn’t it the job of government to provide services people [not just the privileged few] cannot efficiently do by themselves such as police and fire protection, military services, education, roads,social services, and environmental protections?
Mary Kathryn Gepner
Benton