George Monbiot

The fight for democracy is real as societies are reverting to oligarchies

Seldom in recent history has class war been waged so blatantly. Generally, billionaires and hectomillionaires employ concierges to attack the poor on their behalf. But now, freed from shame and embarrassment, they no longer hide their involvement. In the US, the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, will lead the federal assault on the middle and working classes: seeking to slash public spending and the public protections defending people from predatory capital. He was due to share responsibility for the Department of Government Efficiency with another billionaire, Vivek Ramaswamy (although reports this week suggested Ramaswamy’s future at the department was unclear). They have been recruiting further billionaires to oversee cuts across government. These plutocrats will not be paid. They will wage their class war pro bono. Musk, with a fortune of…

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Guardian Weekly (Digital) - 1 Issue, 24 January 2025

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