I was reading today that the Russian Oligarchs were set up after the fall of the Soviet Union by American advisers helping Russia transition to more of a capitalist economy. Ironic that we helped create their oligarchy only to succomb to oligarchy at home. (And now we are attacking their oligarchy!)

The solution to this is 'deep democracy': setting up social institutions that are directly responsive to the will of the people, and not corporations. This needs to happen at all levels of society.

Imagine if people could write laws and submit them to congress directly, instead of oligarchs. What a different America this would be!