Who are the elites?

[packsaddle]

vol_scouter, I'd be interested in seeing your list of "very thoughtful and intellectual" liberals. How many are there? Who are they?

[CalicoPenn]

I object to the characterization of my writing as being angry and full of hatred. It is simply an observation of, and opinion of, how the term "elite" has been used by the conservative right wing media and political personas.

 

When Sarah Palin uses the term "media elite" to criticize those who fail to always portray her in a positive light, and whose only explanation of "elite" is "not one of us", then does this not fit with the observation?

 

When Bill O'Reilly or Rush Limbaugh complain about the "liberal elite", does this not fit with the observation?

 

If you get anger and hatred out of that, then I suggest you examine your own mindset and openness to discussion.

 

Some specific points:

 

"If one would watch even their liberal media outlets, they would be learning about the big republican battle brewing between the Tea party and the republican elites led by Carl Rove and Jeb Bush."

 

Yes - they certainly will be learing about the battle between the Tea Party and the Republican "elites". But it isn't the "liberal media" calling conservatives like Karl Rove and Jeb Bush "elite". It is the conservative right wing (which long ago co-opted the Tea Party, as much as some would like to deny that) that is calling these folks the "elite". It's folks like Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin, and even Rush Limbaugh who are calling the Republican establisment "elitist".

 

 

 

[SeattlePioneer]

Hello Lisabob,

 

 

I think you have much the best post on this thread so far.

 

The concept of an "elite" comes from Social Science in my experience as a Political Science type:

 

Elite (occasionally spelled lite) is taken originally from the Latin, eligere, "to elect". In sociology as in general usage, the elite is a group of relatively small size, that is dominant within a large society, having a privileged status perceived as being envied by others of a lower line of order.

 

The elite at the top of the social strata almost invariably puts it in a position of leadership, whether it be expected or volunteered, and often subjects the holders of elite status to pressure to maintain that leadership position as part of status.

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elite

 

 

 

One example of a now old timey liberal academic using the term:

 

The Power Elite is a book written by the sociologist, C. Wright Mills, in 1956. In it Mills calls attention to the interwoven interests of the leaders of the military, corporate, and political elements of society and suggests that the ordinary citizen is a relatively powerless subject of manipulation by those entities.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Power_Elite

 

 

 

It's very common for new grass roots group to attack established political groups as elites. If the Tea Party people stick around the Republican Party a few years the next uppity grass roots group will attack THEM as "elites"!

 

 

 

[Mr. Boyce]

To me, the elites are those joined by high incomes and diplomas from "prestigious" universities.

 

So I think the "meritocracy" is the elite. The REALLY RICH people duck out entirely from politics, except in rare situations. They're busy in Monaco playing backgammon.

[NJCubScouter]

In many cases, including the context in which it was used in the thread from which this was spun off, "elites" means "them", as opposed to "not me" and "not us". The same is true for the term "special interests." "Special interests" are what other people are part of, not me and not us.

 

We all have our own ideas about who it is that is ruining things -- and running things, and these days it's usually the same people. I have my own ideas, and anybody who has read Issues and Politics over the years probably knows what they are, but in this thread I choose to just make the larger point.

[packsaddle]

Hello, hello...calling Rangoon!

Vol_scouter, I'm still waiting on that list. Keep in mind that no response could be interpreted as a list of zero "very thoughtful and intellectual" liberals. Or are you still working on it?

[Beavah]

Yah, hmmm....

 

Thanks for tryin' folks. That was all as clear as mud.

 

Close as I can tell this is some sort of new-fangled buzz word of the Tea Party right, which draws on da long and mostly ugly tradition of Populism, as Eagledad suggests. Am I gettin' that about right?

 

Guess that makes me an "elite", eh? If I'm sick, I want to go to a doctor, because I reckon he or she knows better than I do what's good for me. If I'm buildin' a house, I want a good architect and top-notch tradesmen, because I'm sure they know better than I do how to build a house. If I'm sendin' young folks to war, I want a real honest-to-goodness non-political general callin' the plays. I definitely don't believe that da "populace" has any special magical talent to know how to do stuff.

 

A populist believes that da populace as a whole somehow possesses magical, unearned skills that they never had to work for. Somehow the fellow at the bar knows as much about diplomacy as da professional diplomat who speaks da language and has worked 30 years in the field. But they don't, of course. That's why just about every populist movement in history leads to dictatorship, and why da most despicable despots like that twat in Libya always base themselves in populist ideology. So long as yeh keep denigrating hard work and competence, yeh can justify foolishness. Hand da government over to that Bedouin who just graduated military school, eh? He's for the people! He's one of us! Competence not required.

 

Yep, sign me up as an "elite." I believe in hard work, earned experience, and personal competence.

 

Beavah

 

[vol_scouter]

Beavah,

 

So the Obama government should consulted physicians who were practicing medicine in the communities and ignored academic physicians who practice in a totally different environment with medical students, interns, and residents to perform the bulk of the work. However, since they, the politicians know more about the practice of medicine than those who do so, they are elitists. They believe that they know what in truth they do not know.

 

[Beavah]

On da practice of community medicine? Absolutely, vol.

 

On how to write legislation that can pass or on making macroeconomic policy decisions? Probably not. A good community doc doesn't have time for that kinda stuff.

 

Of course I wish they would have consulted with anybody who knew how to write well-crafted public policy, eh?

 

Beavah

 

[OldGreyEagle]

I think the concensus is "elites" is anyone who has a view different from ours and is a hypocrite about it.

 

Rock Bands or other Celebrities criss crossing the world in private charter jets to spread the word on how important it is to be "green"

 

Telling people to be more green because of global warming while operating a huge energy hog of a home (OK, he fixed this so he is not one of "those elitist" at this time)

 

Telling people war is a natural consequence of global politics and is necessary, usually spoken by someone who has never sniffed basic training in any military branch. In the past this included people who had their own children tucked away in National Guard units who were rarely if ever called up

 

Those who tell people there is no reason to be poor in the US and if you just worked hard and obeyed the laws and applied yourself, success will follow. COmpletley ignoring reality

 

The elites, those who either are in a position of authority, such as politicla office holders or seekers or people who "think" they are in a position of authority by nature of their celebrity (of course, if we listen to them we give authority) and do something else

 

 

 

[Mr. Boyce]

 

""""A populist believes that da populace as a whole somehow possesses magical, unearned skills that they never had to work for. Somehow the fellow at the bar knows as much about diplomacy as da professional diplomat who speaks da language and has worked 30 years in the field. But they don't, of course. That's why just about every populist movement in history leads to dictatorship, and why da most despicable despots like that twat in Libya always base themselves in populist ideology. So long as yeh keep denigrating hard work and competence, yeh can justify foolishness. Hand da government over to that Bedouin who just graduated military school, eh? He's for the people! He's one of us! Competence not required.

 

Yep, sign me up as an "elite." I believe in hard work, earned experience, and personal competence. """"

 

 

That really misses the point of the populist revolt, which was small-scale farmers who felt they were being crushed by the high cost of farm credit and cost of transporting their products to market. I think historically you find a theme that connects them to the progressive movement, which attempted to fight the problems of monopoly capitalism. The populists were for the small businessmen/small farmers/open market as opposed to a controlled market run by a handful of dominating businesses.

[Mr. Boyce]

Here's my nutshell definition:

 

The "elite" is that group which knows what Julliard is.

[OldGreyEagle]

Mr Boyce, that can't be true because I know what Julliard is, so then I would be... oh damn!...

 

Hoisted on my own petard,

[packsaddle]

Elite - those who have petards (whatever those are)

[OldGreyEagle]

Petard? Everyone knows what a petard is, you know its....wait....am I doing it again?.... Oh man...

 

In the immortal words of Walt Kelly, (sorta) I have met the enemy and I am he