I'm the epitome of 'the ultimate optimist', honestly! lol (but it's very often misconstrued).
It can be turned around - but not without a fight - those with power never give it away and it is those with the power right now, who are holding the reins.
(if you've read my last few posts concerning midwits and hive being an oligarchy, you probably understand what I mean).
All politics is local, and all fights are messy - maybe if the fight over the oligarch dominance is successful at the local level (for me, Hive is the 'local level' ecosystem), maybe we can influence change further afield...???
'...from small acorns...'
One thing is for sure - while oligarchy rules, free markets can't exist.(the illusion of, yes - but not in reality).
I never thought I'd see myself as some kind of 'organizer'!lol (commie overtones, or what?)
Organisation, and the shift of power away from oligarchy is the only way. imo.
I've been on this block chain(steem first) for four years, and ranted on about it - it was like an itch that I couldn't scratch (yes, it took me that long to work out what the fundamental problem was.... durr...)
...If 'all politics are local', and all oligarchy thwarts any hopes of a meritocracy emerging (the 'success' mindset - for those with talent) , then why not start here?
I've been reading Saul Alinky's rules for radicals, again (ignoring the commie overtones - it has been so mislabeled - it's a book of strategy, not ideology).
The 'have nots' - in an oligarchy (i.e not a free market) have to organize against 'the haves '
Oligarchy relies on 'divide and conquer keep divided'.
By using the cloak of 'individualism' as a propagandists argument ( in an oligarchical system)... it does just that..... ....Divided people who all want to be rewarded for their creativity, individuality, and originality - based on their own merita - and not nepotistically motivated 'favors'.