Two camps of oligarchs taking turns with their hands on the wheel.

October Surprise, 2016. Not subtle.

Yeah, but how much did that actually change? I mean, the media sensationalized every little thing that happened, to make people feel as if the world was ending (or being saved, depending on the news outlet). However, Corporations still ran the country through their bought-and-paid-for U.S. and state representatives, just as in administrations before and after.

...and supported by the other oligarchs

And we saw the Powers That Be(tm) ("elites") pull every single card in their playbook with wanton abandon to take him out, this still remains the case.

One of the things I thank Trump for is making me realize democracy is really just another way for the Powers That Be(tm) to attain and maintain power, just a lot more subtlely compared to other methods. Trump for whatever reason momentarily managed to break that cycle, and he's paying for it.

I consider this both a blessing and a curse. It's a blessing in that I don't have to spend any of my precious time giving a fuck about my vote anymore, but it's a curse in that I also realize humanity hasn't changed much since our ape days.