I've got it on my drawing board to write an article about the greyscale of oligarchy and democracy. We like to call the USA a democracy, but it is somewhere on the greyscale instead.

If the Republicans win in November (or take over by force), the needle will move more toward the oligarchic side. There will likely be elections, but they will be superficial, sort of like the elections the communists used to have. Do not expect the reigning ruler to be thrown out with the ballot box.

I would like your reasoning as to why the TDG would go oligarchic. It's easy to put such a statement, and you are not the first. But after five years on Medium, nobody has explained how someone like Mr. Trump would rise high in the TDG.