Most political organizations can be similarly characterized as dictatorships with oligarchies; depending on what level you look, pretty much all of them can.<p>Consider your last question, though: What do you mean by <i>influence?</i><p>Multi-nationals based in the US and elsewhere already had plenty of influence in various forms before this decision.  Now...they can pay for commercials.  They can now make blatant, public statements of support <i>in front of American customers</i>, roughly 40% of whom will take some degree of umbrage or offense to this no matter who they support.<p>How does this <i>hurt</i> democracy?