TI got stung in the tail here. Joe Biden’s farewell speech did not seem like a must-see for most politics-weary Americans. Obedient viewers may have been expecting the president to release the first draft of his yawn-inducing White House memoir.
But after more than half a century of elected office, the 82-year-old great-grandfather had one final surprise in store. Donald Trump’s name was not mentioned in the prime-time speech. Rather, it will be remembered as a dark and ominous warning of something broader and deeper, of which President Trump is a symptom.
“Today, an oligarchy with extreme wealth, power, and influence is forming in the United States that literally threatens our entire democracy, our fundamental rights and freedoms, and a fair chance for everyone to advance.” Biden said.
The word “oligarchy” comes from the Greek word meaning rule (arche) by a few (oligos). As power becomes more concentrated in the hands of a few, some argue that America’s dominant political divide is no longer between left and right, but between democracy and oligarchy. Currently, the richest 1% of Americans have more wealth than the bottom 90% combined.
Trump didn’t start this trend, but he is accelerating it. A self-proclaimed hero of the working class, he has chosen the richest cabinet in history, including 13 billionaires, and is surrounded by the very elites he claims to be against. Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, became a key advisor. Tech titans Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg (who are collectively worth $1 trillion) are scheduled to attend Monday’s inauguration.
Citing former President Dwight Eisenhower’s farewell address in January 1961, in which he warned against the rise of the military-industrial complex, Biden said, “60 years later, I believe that the rise of the high-tech industrial complex is possible.” “I’m equally concerned about gender.” It could also pose a real danger to our country. Americans are buried under an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation, enabling abuses of power. ”
Mr. Biden acknowledged the shift away from reporting and layoffs at venerable institutions such as the Washington Post, adding harshly: “The freedom of the press is crumbling. The freedom of the press is crumbling.” Editors are disappearing. Social media has abandoned fact-checking. The truth is obscured by lies told for power and profit. We must hold social platforms accountable to protect children, families, and democracy itself from abuses of power. ”
Mr. Zuckerberg’s recent decision to abandon Facebook’s fact checkers and Mr. Musk’s weaponization of X in support of far-right movements, including MAGA, were certainly on Mr. Biden’s mind. Trust in old media is crumbling as people turn to new, fragmented ecosystems. It all happened with disorienting speed.
Wearing a dark suit, white shirt and blue tie, Biden gave his final speech from the Oval Office, at times pointing and pumping his fist. To his left, away from the camera, are Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, Vice President Kamala Harris, First Lady Jill Biden, their son Hunter Biden, and Hunter’s wife Melissa Cohen Biden. Ta. Behind the president were two flags, a gold curtain and several family photos, including of his late son Beau. In less than a week from now, Biden will disappear and his photo will be leaked.
He leaves office with one of the lowest approval ratings of any president in history, despite having one of the country’s strongest economies. His first two years have included pandemic aid that temporarily cut child poverty in half, a bipartisan infrastructure bill to build factories and make computer chips, and the largest climate investment in history. , measured in trillions of dollars.
But somehow the president was unable to communicate these accomplishments to voters or receive recognition from them. He was embarrassed to write his name on checks like President Trump. In the minds of millions of voters, a long list of parliamentary victories was overshadowed by inflation.
As expected, he used some of his remarks Wednesday to correct the record and make his point to future historians. “It will take time to feel the impact of what we’ve done together, but the seeds have been planted and will grow and bloom for decades to come.” Echo of lyrics from the musical “Hamilton” There was. What is legacy? It’s about planting seeds in gardens you’ll never see. ”
But Biden’s legacy will also be that of a man who saved the country from Trump but held on too long, opening the door for Trump’s return. Although his policies were sound and often praised by the left, his politics were wrong. Wisely, on Wednesday he did not express frustration or betray any resentment about the collective decision of Democrats that forced him not to seek re-election. He recently claimed he could have beaten Trump. in his dreams.
Rather, he ended a career that began with his 1972 election to the U.S. Senate by looking to the future rather than dwelling on the past. Biden’s farewell address sounded more of a wake-up call than anything else. Like the “robber barons” of the Gilded Age, the oligarchy is coming back, and even Trump will become a footnote.
