this post was submitted on 17 Jan 2025
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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.

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[–] aceshigh@lemmy.world 15 points 18 hours ago (5 children)

Growing? We’re already there buddy and you helped speed it up.

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[–] makyo@lemmy.world 47 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

Huh, this actually seems legit. Compared to my ultra-scientific Google trends comparo it was half as popular of a search as Taylor Swift at its peak, which seems pretty big.

Image

[–] makyo@lemmy.world 47 points 21 hours ago (17 children)
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[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 73 points 23 hours ago (4 children)

Some Americans don't even know how to spell it right, so I'm not sure they'll even be able to look it up:

[–] SwampYankee@mander.xyz 37 points 22 hours ago

Bruh, he missed the perfect opportunity to call Obama a communist.

[–] DahGangalang@infosec.pub 20 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

Wow, he couldn't think of a single c based accusation to level at the Obama presidency?

Wasn't Beck also one of the people who got super obsessed with Obama smoking crack or something in college?

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[–] Draces@lemmy.world 19 points 18 hours ago (3 children)

This is click baity. People don't exclusively look up things they have no idea about. I'm constantly searching terms to reaffirm my understanding or to get a more precise definition of them. Oligarchy in particular doesn't have a measurable identification which of course people are going to want to dig a little into it. Hell there's a comment on here that made me dig into it since they're stretching it's definition way past it's meaning

[–] tiefling@lemmy.blahaj.zone 9 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago)

Hell, I looked this up just now fully knowing what an oligarchy was because a) I was curious about the formal definition and b) I wanted to learn more about the history

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[–] TransplantedSconie@lemm.ee 46 points 22 hours ago (3 children)

Jesus fucking Christ. 🤦‍♂️

All these dumbfucks will be Googling "What is a Great Depression?" in about a year too.

May Bird Flu thin the herd.

[–] SendMePhotos@lemmy.world 15 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (2 children)

Don't worry. We'll be defunding public education soon.

[–] catloaf@lemm.ee 21 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago)

Soon? We have been!

[–] Malfeasant@lemm.ee 6 points 19 hours ago

Ugh, one of my right wing Farcebook "friends" recently made a simpleton comment about paying back student loans, and I couldn't resist saying "why stop at college? Defund public schools, if little Timmy can't afford it, send him to the mines" and of course he agreed, the irony was completely lost on him. No, his kids do not go to private school.

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[–] 4grams@lemmy.world 8 points 17 hours ago

Ain’t it great living in the smartest and most prepared society in history?

[–] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 39 points 23 hours ago (3 children)

So, Joe, Buddy, what exactly did you do in your four years to actually curb the power of the oligarchy?

[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 24 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago) (1 children)

So, Joe, Buddy, what exactly did you do in your ~~four years~~ half century to actually curb the power of the oligarchy?

The answer is that he's been actively working for the oligarchy-beholden establishment since before most of us were even born.

This is like the retiring CEO of Shell warning that extracting and burning fossil fuels might have deleterious effects on the global climate.

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[–] POTOOOOOOOO@reddthat.com 28 points 23 hours ago (2 children)

Microsoft is pissed, because they are not binging it instead.

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[–] TimeSquirrel@kbin.melroy.org 20 points 22 hours ago (2 children)

We desperately need actual political science courses in high school, not just civics.

[–] Brunbrun6766@lemmy.world 12 points 20 hours ago (3 children)

I learned all of this in highschool, in a public school in Red Texas so, idk how everyone else didn't get this

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[–] aarRJaay@lemm.ee 10 points 21 hours ago

Pretty soon it will just say "See America"

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