The oligarch system has been a tried-and-true method over the centuries for tyrants and despots to shore up their regimes by creating a class of wealthy individuals whose wealth depends on keeping the ruler in power. After communism fell, new oligarchs were created during the corrupt privatization process of state-owned companies through a symbiotic relationship between those in power and the retired leaders of the security services. These oligarchs continue to wield power throughout these former communist countries to this day.

The oligarch system, which has existed throughout European history in the form of dukes, earls, counts and barons, has not gone unnoticed by some of the “democratic” countries in the EU and NATO. In Turkey, Erdogan has given no-bid contracts and other government benefits to political allies, relatives, and friends to create his own oligarch system. These new oligarchs have bought up media companies to control reporting and employ propaganda to keep Erdogan in power for over twenty years.

In Hungary, Viktor Orbàn has done the same. His administration even touts this creation of Hungary’s version of the Carnegies and Rockefellers through crony capitalism as a way to ensure that Hungary doesn’t slide back to a communist or socialist system. Orbàn calls his government an “illiberal democracy,” which has been shown to use EU funds meant for development to prop up the oligarchs.

In Poland, President Duda has been creating his own version of the oligarch system. His Law and Order government holds majority stakes in public companies, such as PKN Orlen, the largest energy company in Europe, and has placed his own cronies to lead them. These companies have then used the same playbook to buy up media companies to use for propaganda to shore up Duda’s regime.

Although by classic definitions, America doesn’t have an oligarch system, many believe we are on our way to developing a version of it. Through campaign contributions, widely seen as a legal form of bribery, wealthy individuals have influenced politicians to do their bidding. You don’t have to look further than tax laws benefitting large companies and wealthy individuals, and our gun laws, to appreciate their influence. Media companies controlled by wealthy individuals can control what we see and read. Even in a country such as ours in which we are used to daily propaganda in the form of commercials, we have shown that we are very vulnerable to the political propaganda spread in social media and by one media company in particular, which has admitted to knowingly reporting conspiracy theories and outright lies to favor one political party. In addition to influencing the executive and legislative branches, wealthy individuals have also been shown to try to influence the Supreme Court.

Today, democracies do not have to be overthrown by tanks and coups. Instead, they can be slowly degraded by controlling media and politicians, changing laws and regulations, putting pressure on prosecutors and courts, and eliminating competition through lies, innuendo, and the spreading of money. Like a frog in a slowly warming pot of water, we may not realize what is happening until it is too late.

The Bucharest Legacy—The Rise of the Oligarchs is now available!

With sincere regards,

William Maz