6 upvotes, 3 direct replies (showing 3)
View submission: Are there examples of oligarchic governments being removed peacefully?
Winters defies oligarchy as a system of rule in which the ultra-wealthy are capable of successfully mobilising their resources for the purposes of wealth defence. You are the one defining oligarchy in a meaningless way by equating it to authoritarian rule. As explained above, oligarchy and authoritarianism (as understood in mainstream political science scholarship) are not the same thing. Given this is an academic subreddit, I’d assume it is appropriate to approach discussions of this nature with conceptual rigour and nuance.
Comment by deezee72 at 24/01/2025 at 22:38 UTC
3 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Wrote to you in another chain before seeing this message. I proposed the example of Sweden in the other comment, arguing that it was clearly an oligarchy in 1910 but was probably not in 1976.
I don't have a deep understanding of Winters' work, but based on your definition here I would hazard to say that Sweden clearly qualifies as a oligarchy in 1910. There's some room to debate whether it qualifies as an oligarchy today, but if the answer is yes, you would have to argue that nearly every modern society is an oligarchy - which is maybe true, but then oligarchy starts to look like an inherent feature of modern life as opposed to something that working classes can feasibly fight against.
Conversely, if the answer is no, then Sweden would be an example of a country that peacefully ended its oligarchy, albeit over a gradual 40+ year transition instead of a single dramatic moment.
Comment by TessHKM at 24/01/2025 at 22:40 UTC
1 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Winters defies oligarchy as a system of rule in which the ultra-wealthy are capable of successfully mobilising their resources for the purposes of wealth defence.
This feels a little circular to me, since wealth is, by definition, control over/claims on resources. This definition basically reads as "oligarchy is a system of rule in which the ultra-wealthy are wealthy". Is there any example of a system/set of policies which could not be described as an "oligarchy" in these terms?
Comment by [deleted] at 23/01/2025 at 08:56 UTC*
0 upvotes, 1 direct replies
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