The Plutocracy Party — Bloomberg & Trump
Two Bi-Party Plutes with oppressive policies and power through wealth.
This was originally published on Feb.16, 2020 on another platform.I know, you’re asking “How can you compare Bloomberg to Trump?!!”
Keep reading to find out…
Democrat? Republican?
These parties have little meaning to Donald Trump or Michael Bloomberg. These guys swing both ways. They play for both teams. Both parties, that is. Depending on which one suits them at the time.
Buying Their Way into Office
Bloomberg was certainly trying to buy the Democratic nomination for the presidency in 2020, spending immense amounts on mailers and ads on TV and social media.
Some would argue that Trump didn’t buy his way in but his wealth and influence certainly made a difference. His wealthy donors also did their part.
When writing another piece a few years ago I looked up Trump’s political party affiliation. While I remembered that he had been a Democrat in the past I had no idea that his infidelity with political parties was as innate as his infidelity with his wives.
And guess what? Bloomberg has the same relationship with political parties as Trump. They both went in-and-out of the two parties as well as having a fling as an Independent. The Donald for only two years and Bloomberg for 11 years.
Why Didn’t They Stick to One Party?
Because their true loyalty is to the Plutocrat party.
What’s a Plutocrat?
- a person whose wealth is the source of control or great influence
- a member of the wealthy ruling class
- someone who exercises power through wealth
A Plutocracy is “a society that is ruled or controlled by people of great wealth.”
Donald Trump’s Political History
- Donald Trump first registered as a Republican in July 1987
- A decade later he dumped the GOP and became an Independent in 1999
- Then in August 2001 Trump enrolled as a Democrat
- Finally, in 2012, he got back together with the Republican Party
Michael Bloomberg’s Political History
“Bloomberg was a lifelong Democrat until 2001, when he switched to the Republican Party before running for Mayor.
In 2004, he endorsed the re-election of George W. Bush and spoke at the 2004 Republican National Convention.
He switched to an independent in 2007…
And then registered again as a Democrat in October 2018.”
Check Out the Switcheroo in 2001:
- Trump switched from Independent to Democrat
- Bloomberg switched from Democrat to Republican.
Then in 2012 Trump goes Republican
And in 2018 Bloomberg goes Democrat
I’m not going to talk about all the ways Trump has used and abused his wealth (if he even has much). Let’s just leave it that he runs in the circles of the wealthy. To understand his way of operating just “follow the money.”
Regarding Michael Bloomberg, there ass plenty written about him during the presidential primaries.
Here’s a little light reading about Bloomberg —
“He has a history of saying monstrously offensive things about women and transgender people, and oversaw an infamous racist police regime that terrorized Black and Hispanic New Yorkers.” — A Republican Plutocrat Tries to Buy The Democratic Nomination
That’s just the tip of the iceberg of Bloomberg’s attitude, behavior, and policies that many of us consider despicable. Read the rest of the article for all the gory details about this conservative plutocrat pretending to be a Democrat.
What Do We Think of Plutocrats?
My favorite person who comments on the behavior of Plutocrats is Anand Giridharadas. He mostly calls out the nicer plutes — those who give away a lot of money to charities and causes.
He wrote Winners Take All — “a groundbreaking investigation of how the global elite’s efforts to “change the world” preserve the status quo and obscure their role in causing the problems they later seek to solve…We see how they rebrand themselves as saviors of the poor.”
Here’s Anand wearing a T-shirt with his favorite phrase:
In the video below Anand talks with Chris Hayes about which racist, misogynist billionaire you want, Bloomberg and Trump?
Who are the Plutocrats most afraid of?
I imagine they are afraid of Bernie Sanders but when she was the leading nominee in the Democratic race, a number of billionaires admitted they were most afraid of Elizabeth Warren.
After Kamala Harris has dropped out of the presidential race, there was no other Democratic nominee that I had seen perform like Elizabeth Warren on a Congressional committee holding a white-collar criminal accountable:
Racism and Misogyny — The Cornerstones of Inequality
Last but not least of the comparisons between Bloomberg and Trump.
I don’t think it’s coincidental that they are both known for their racism and misogyny. The cornerstones of inequality. The characteristics of what we’ve called “The Patriarchy” and what some refer to as “The Empire.”
Do I think billionaires should not exist?
Not necessarily…
However, if we held every billionaire fully accountable, and didn’t give them the privileges they enjoy that others don’t, or allow them to buy their way out of unethical and criminal behavior, and we lived in a world of equity and equality…I seriously wonder if they would still exist?
Billionaires are not bad people simply because they have wealth. But it is noteworthy how many engage in questionable behavior. I don’t know if it’s necessary to take advantage of or treat unfairly (to any degree) those below you on the economic ladder in order to build and sustain that kind of wealth. I really don’t know for sure, but my impression is that an extremely high percentage of those with great wealth have stepped on many and engaged in unethical behavior.
It’s mind-boggling how many people, once offered great amounts of money will do things that go against what they thought were their values and integrity, that they previously never would have considered.
