*Now Let's Do the American Oligarchs.*

The Russian billionaires grabbed big pieces of Russian industry in the 90s, but they do not dominate Russia as the word "oilgarch" implies. (As a result, punishing them may not do much to influence Putin.) They are parasites on Russia.

By contrast, the US plutocrats (billionaires and US big businesses) have real power over the US through the elected officials that they buy. We see that in the power of the Republican Party, which is funded by some of them, and in the poverty of most Americans. They are worse than merely parasites.