There Are Two Very Different Types of Billionaire Clubs In America

There are two very different types of Billionaire good old boy clubs floating about the American landscape. There are the wonderfully generous and constructive men of inherent goodwill — those feeling that they have been given much and so feel compelled to give back gratefully to the nation and the world of their bounty.

They aren’t interesting in using their wealth for gathering personal power in order to assert themselves over other men, but rather wish to distribute their bounty in ways that contribute to the wellbeing of the greatest numbers. This better angels boys club would include such notables as sage investor Warren Buffett, computer masterminds Bill Gates and Paul Allen, philanthropist George Soros and business and political worthy Michael Bloomberg — all sometime political contributors that lean toward the Democratic side of the partisan divide.

Contrasted to the good guys are those among the super rich that simply wish to deploy their wealth in ways that further prove beneficial to self. These deep pockets donate large sums of money to GOP operatives with the sole intent of influencing rules and regulations that profit their personal and business interests, often at the cost to the general public and the environment. They, too, promote various philanthropic causes, but mostly for the public relations value. Among this ilk are men like Rupert Murdock who underwrites hate mongering media like Fox News, energy magnets and despoilers of the land Charles and David, Koch and casino powerhouse Sheldon Adelson.

There was a time when the Republican Party had a fairly wide political base. Middle and upper middle-income folks, the business community and Wall Street fat cats were once the heart and soul of the party. But in recent years, with changing demographics, the GOP has focused on shilling for the interests of a narrow band of super wealthy donors along with pandering to a disgruntled working class voter; that by appealing to the latters xenophobic tribal fears, the GOP operatives are able to con these rubes into voting against their own self-interests.

Then of course along came the Donald who junked the covert appeal to the dark side of human nature, going instead full bore, overtly, into firing up deadly human impulses. And so with moderate Republicans having already left or in the process of leaving the party, the remaining old guard had no choice but to knuckle under to the traitorous and criminally oriented Donald J. Trump, the Donald having run off with the party’s deplorable base.

So now there is in effect a war between the political funding of the better angel billionaires who put country first, they being opposed by the greedy, shortsighted GOP fat cat donors — two very differently motivated sets of grand wealth. We will soon find out which set of billionaires wins out, whether or not men and women of noble purpose can be caused to arise to save the American ideals and democracy, or instead see if the nation is made to dissolve in Trumpian greed and corruption.