“An oligarchy of extreme wealth, power and influence is taking shape in the United States that truly threatens our democracy”: Biden’s warning in his farewell message from the White House
Image source, Reuters
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- Author’s title, BBC News World
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The president of the United States, Joe Biden, warned that a dangerous oligarchy is being created in his country, during his farewell speech this Wednesday.
“Today an oligarchy of extreme wealth, power and influence is taking shape in the United States that truly threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and our freedom,” said Biden, who will leave office on January 20, the day he will take office. Donald Trump presidency.
Biden, 82, also denounced an “ultra-rich technological industrial complex” that he said could gain unchecked power over Americans.
In his speech, Biden highlighted the achievements of his mandate, referring to job creation, infrastructure spending, health care and the end of the covid pandemic.
However, he added that “it will take time to feel the full impact of everything we have done together, but the seeds are planted and will grow and flourish for decades to come.”
He also used his final televised speech from the Oval Office to issue a series of warnings about climate change and misinformation on social media.
Image source, Getty Images
“Abuse of power”
“Americans are being buried under an avalanche of misinformation, which allows the abuse of power,” said the president, in a clear allusion to Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg – owners of the social networks X and Facebook, respectively -, who have aligned themselves with Trump in recent months.
“The truth is suffocated by lies told by power and profit. We must hold social networks accountable to protect our children, our families and our democracy from the abuse of power,” he said.
On climate change, he said that “powerful forces want to exert their unbridled influence to eliminate the measures we have taken to address the climate crisis and serve their own interests of power and profit.”
Biden also warned of the dangers of artificial intelligence and said the United States, not China, should lead the world in developing this technology.
He also wished Donald Trump’s incoming administration success, before warning the country about “some things that concern me very much.”
Biden assured that a “dangerous concentration of power” was “in the hands of very few ultra-rich people.”
Closing his speech, he called on Americans to “keep up the guard” in their country: “May you all be the keepers of the flame.”
Biden’s televised intervention came after he announced that a ceasefire agreement had been reached between Israel and Hamas for Gaza.
He said the negotiations had been some of the toughest of his career and took credit for helping close the deal.
The agreement will see a ceasefire take effect on January 19 in Gaza, a day before Trump takes office.
The incoming president also took credit for the deal, saying it was only possible because he won the November election.
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