Playing devil's advocate, but that's not true. A crony capitalistic society does not necessarily imply oligarchy nor plutocracy, nor vice versa. They are independent concepts regarding societal control and economic control. For example, libertarian systems tend toward crony capitalism even if those capitalists don't have any political control. An example would be a pure direct democracy.
The idea that societal and economic control are fundamentally different is a fallacy. The same parties that seek one also seek the other. For one the ideology at the base of both is usually the same, and the lines between societal and economic control are blurred. Where would you put the case "bake the gay cake, bigot"? Or being prohibited to sell items to people of certain identities? Being forced to hire based on racial ratios? Being forced into Covid measures? There is no clear distinction - the only distinction is a willpower to control people and a willpower to refuse control. Authoritarianism vs Libertarianism.
The core concept we are describing ("Crony Capitalism") is the collusion of state and corporation. We understand Fascism as the highest merger of both. But there is a level above that - pure nationalization of the economy and its so called "democratization" - Communism, or also understood as "Command Economy."
Fascists understood that corporations have to remain in private hand in order to stay functional. But so did everybody else too, even Communists outside of Communist regimes understood that Economic Fascism is the way to go. And MSM & Big Tech and their tremendous powers and resources proved to be a loyal allies to their cause.
The point is, Economic Fascism is synonymous with "Crony Capitalism." Yet Fascists openly oppose Capitalism (consumerism, wastefulness, lack of purpose), but embrace exerting control and cooperation of big corporations.
The assumption that Libertarian systems tend towards such collusions is a fallacy for these reasons:
One, Libertarian systems are rare. There are almost only Mixed Economies leaning slightly more towards Libertarianism than Authoritarianism. -> Difference in magnitude, not principle. The US has plenty of authoritarian excesses in the past and especially today, proving that it does not adhere to Libertarian principles in any meaningful way.
Two, the fact that modern leftists/Marxists pursue Economic Fascism is therefore expected. It's what China has long done as well, and it is praised by Socialists world-wide. And it's not a new concept in the world either, just "newly" (some decades) embraced by Marxists.
Three, Switzerland is one of the most Libertarian countries in the world, yet they did not devolve into "Crony Capitalism" even though they are a very prosperous country. If the tendency you proposed were true, they'd struggle with Economic Fascism way more than all other countries that do not adhere to Libertarian principles even the slightest.
Playing devil's advocate, but that's not true. A crony capitalistic society does not necessarily imply oligarchy nor plutocracy, nor vice versa. They are independent concepts regarding societal control and economic control. For example, libertarian systems tend toward crony capitalism even if those capitalists don't have any political control. An example would be a pure direct democracy.
The idea that societal and economic control are fundamentally different is a fallacy. The same parties that seek one also seek the other. For one the ideology at the base of both is usually the same, and the lines between societal and economic control are blurred. Where would you put the case "bake the gay cake, bigot"? Or being prohibited to sell items to people of certain identities? Being forced to hire based on racial ratios? Being forced into Covid measures? There is no clear distinction - the only distinction is a willpower to control people and a willpower to refuse control. Authoritarianism vs Libertarianism.
The core concept we are describing ("Crony Capitalism") is the collusion of state and corporation. We understand Fascism as the highest merger of both. But there is a level above that - pure nationalization of the economy and its so called "democratization" - Communism, or also understood as "Command Economy."
Fascists understood that corporations have to remain in private hand in order to stay functional. But so did everybody else too, even Communists outside of Communist regimes understood that Economic Fascism is the way to go. And MSM & Big Tech and their tremendous powers and resources proved to be a loyal allies to their cause.
The point is, Economic Fascism is synonymous with "Crony Capitalism." Yet Fascists openly oppose Capitalism (consumerism, wastefulness, lack of purpose), but embrace exerting control and cooperation of big corporations.
The assumption that Libertarian systems tend towards such collusions is a fallacy for these reasons: