#31 Casey Michel: American Oligarchy Is Worse Than You Think

What happens when billionaires buy democracy?In this episode of The Next Best, Marcel Dirsus speaks with author and investigative journalist Casey Michel about the rise of America’s oligarchs — and how enormous private fortunes are reshaping American politics, government and foreign policy.Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DrMarcelDirsusBuy Casey's book: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250430120/unitedstatesofoligarchy/They discuss Elon Musk, Donald Trump, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos and the billionaire class surrounding the Trump administration; how campaign-finance rules collapsed; the impact of Citizens United; and why American politics has increasingly become a pay-to-play system.Casey also explains how today’s oligarchy compares with America’s Gilded Age, what Teddy Roosevelt can teach us about fighting concentrated wealth, how corruption and self-enrichment are affecting US foreign policy, and why a backlash against America’s billionaire class may be coming.