Undoing Decades in a Decade: How Oligarchs Undermined Democracy

Introduction

In the aftermath of World War II, the world united under a shared vision: to ensure peace, prosperity, and cooperation across nations. Institutions like NATO, the United Nations, and later the European Union were forged to anchor this vision, fostering trust and collaboration that transformed adversaries into allies. For decades, this progress held firm, bolstered by democratic values and a commitment to shared prosperity.

Yet, in just over a decade, much of this painstakingly built foundation has been undone. Social media, once a tool of connection, has devolved into an amplifier of division, disinformation, and distrust. However, the blame cannot rest solely on social media oligarchs. While they have gladly promoted manipulative campaigns for profit, the seeds of division were planted and watered by oil industry oligarchs and other entrenched interests. These powerful actors funded the disinformation campaigns, exploiting the very platforms that thrive on outrage and fear to protect their profits at the expense of truth, democracy, and humanity.

This is why we have created Project 4 Democracy (P4D); a global coalition that transcends work, career, class, race, sex, and social status to reclaim the narrative. Driven by truth, P4D seeks to counter disinformation and restore democracy through collective action.

The Post-WWII Vision

After the devastation of World War II, the global order was rebuilt on principles of unity and democracy. NATO maintained collective security, the United Nations promoted human rights and conflict resolution, and initiatives like the Marshall Plan rebuilt economies. This era of cooperation transformed the 20th century, fostering a sense of shared destiny.

Trust in democratic institutions and international alliances was the foundation of this progress. Though not without flaws, these systems held the world together, preventing large-scale conflicts and fostering economic interdependence.

The Coordinated Attack on Democracy

In the decades since World War II, as democracies expanded and global institutions grew stronger, powerful industries (particularly fossil fuels) began to feel threatened. The science of climate change, emerging as early as the 1960s, posed an existential risk to their bottom line. Rather than pivoting to sustainable practices, these industries chose to manufacture doubt and fund disinformation campaigns to protect their profits.

• Oil Industry Oligarchs: The fossil fuel industry spent billions funding think tanks, lobbyists, and media campaigns designed to downplay climate science and delegitimize environmental movements. They seeded narratives that climate change was a hoax or that solutions were economically catastrophic.
• Social Media Oligarchs: These platforms became the perfect vehicle for these campaigns. Algorithms optimized for engagement gladly promoted climate denialism, populist rhetoric, and other divisive messages. The more polarizing the content, the more it spread — and the more profits flowed to both the platforms and their advertisers.

Together, these oligarchs formed a symbiotic relationship, each feeding the other’s greed. The oil industry created the disinformation, and social media amplified it, ensuring it reached billions worldwide.

The Contradiction at the Heart of Democracy

To understand the full impact of this coordination, we must acknowledge a painful truth: democracy has failed to adequately protect those at the lower end of the earning scale. For decades, rising inequality, stagnant wages, and systemic exploitation have left many disillusioned.

However, the tragedy lies in the contradiction that defines this moment. Rather than directing their frustration at the structural failings of democracy or those responsible for exploiting it, the masses have been hoodwinked into trusting the oligarchs and their politicians; the very forces responsible for perpetuating their struggles.

Through a calculated campaign of disinformation, these oligarchs have shifted blame away from themselves and onto abstract enemies: immigrants, “woke elites,” or mythical conspiracies. In doing so, they have fostered a widespread distrust of the very elites who, though imperfect, often remain empathetic to the struggles of the working class and committed to incremental reform.

This manipulation is not just a betrayal of democracy; it is its weaponization against those it was meant to serve.

A Decade of Undoing

In just over a decade, this coordinated attack has unravelled much of the progress that took generations to build. Authoritarian populists (Donald Trump in the U.S., Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, Viktor Orban in Hungary) have leveraged these platforms to spread divisive rhetoric, undermine democratic norms, and stoke fear.

The global virality of their messages, often echoing the same themes of grievance and fear, is no coincidence. It is the direct result of a system designed to amplify engagement at all costs. The results are visible everywhere:

• Polarized societies, where facts are contested, and communities are divided.
• Weakened alliances, as nationalist movements push countries into isolationism.
• The rise of anti-science rhetoric, from climate denialism to vaccine scepticism, undermining collective action on existential threats.

For swing voters, this virality creates an asymmetric information environment. Even if they enter a political moment (like a debate) with an open mind, their perceptions are quickly coloured by a deluge of social media misinformation.

Greed vs. Humanity: A Shared Responsibility

At the heart of this unravelling lies the greed of two interconnected forces:

1. Oil Industry Oligarchs: Funding campaigns of lies and manipulation to protect profits, even as the planet faces existential threats.
2. Social Media Oligarchs: Providing the infrastructure to spread these lies at scale, turning societal harm into a revenue stream.

Together, they have undermined trust in democracy, weakened the good elites who seek reform, and sown division that will take generations to repair.

Fighting Fire with Fire: A Sliver of Hope

To reclaim swing voters, we must embrace the tools of social media for good. This requires abandoning outdated strategies and creating nimble, targeted, and viral campaigns that counter disinformation with truth, empathy, and hope.

1. Microtargeting Swing Voters Use data-driven analysis to understand the values, fears, and motivations of swing voters. Craft messages that resonate on an emotional and personal level, addressing their specific concerns.
2. Leveraging Emotional Appeals Disinformation thrives on fear and anger, but hope and empathy can be equally powerful. Create narratives that inspire unity and shared purpose, cutting through the noise of divisive rhetoric.
3. Mastering Virality Build campaigns that can compete in the same algorithmic ecosystem. This means creating content designed to go viral — short, emotionally resonant, and shareable.
4. Deploying Trusted Voices Use influencers and community leaders who resonate with swing voters to amplify messages. A trusted voice can break through the echo chamber far more effectively than traditional political figures.

Reclaiming the Narrative

The tools that have divided us can also unite us. By focusing on swing voters and using social media to spread messages of hope and unity, there is still a chance to reclaim the progress that has been lost.

The stakes could not be higher. If we fail, the decades of progress made since WWII could be permanently undone, leaving us in a world fractured by greed, fear, and mistrust. But if we act quickly and strategically, we can turn the tide — and ensure that the tools of the future work for humanity, not against it.

The choice is ours. Will we let a handful of oligarchs rewrite our future, or will we reclaim it for the better?