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Elites

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Media
Posted on Sun Oct 17, 2010 at 02:45:35 PM EST
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Via Steve Benen, Ezra Klein writes:

This isn't a very popular statement, but there is a role for elites in public life.

Does Ezra mean like this?

Where do we go to order a new "elite?" I think the last 10 years have demonstrated that the American elite is harmful, not helpful. I distrust Ezra's appeal for respect for "the elite."

Speaking for me only

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    Elites | 15 comments (15 topical)

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    Sheesh, if you remove them (5.00 / 2) (#1)
    by Militarytracy on Sun Oct 17, 2010 at 02:52:37 PM EST
    from the plane of respected....who will Ezra be then when he grows up?  I kid....sort of

    He's also just wrong ... (5.00 / 1) (#5)
    by Robot Porter on Sun Oct 17, 2010 at 05:01:44 PM EST
    when he suggests:

    the elites in the Republican Party are abdicating their roles, preferring to pander to the desire for free tax cuts and the hostility to Al Gore than make tough and potentially unpopular decisions to safeguard our future.

    He honestly thinks this is why the Republic Party's "elites" deny global warming?  It couldn't possible be the influence of the petroleum industry on the party?

    UCLA should rescind Klein's poli-sci degree.  He clearly didn't even learn the basics.

    if we return our elite (5.00 / 1) (#12)
    by cpinva on Tue Oct 19, 2010 at 01:36:10 AM EST
    to the store, do we get a refund, or simply a store credit? also, is there a re-stocking fee involved?

    not that i'm unwilling to bear the cost, i'd just like to know in advance.

    Okayyy.... (none / 0) (#2)
    by rhbrandon on Sun Oct 17, 2010 at 03:22:52 PM EST
    Our elites are idiots, okay?

    Depends on one's definition. (none / 0) (#3)
    by Radix on Sun Oct 17, 2010 at 03:42:22 PM EST
    How do we define "elite", is it based on money, is there some other method we could use?

    Oh, Donald (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by gyrfalcon on Sun Oct 17, 2010 at 08:12:11 PM EST
    You need to watch the video clip. It's the "suck on this" crap about the Iraq war.

    BTD isn't even getting as far as "elitism," he doesn't have to.  Rank stupidity is closer to what he's getting at.  Not to mention "fighting keyboarder-ism."

    Parent

    We used to have intellectual elites (5.00 / 2) (#7)
    by Cream City on Sun Oct 17, 2010 at 10:57:18 PM EST
    not always from money.  But the intellectual-bashing for decades now has done in the "public intellectuals," and they have retreated to safety in research shared among themselves . . . and increasingly are retiring while, believe me, most newbies know better than to invite that bashing.

    Now, that prominence has been handed over to the proud anti-intellectuals.  It's enough to make me mourn even the righties like William Buckley!

    Parent

    Where do we go to order a new "elite?" (none / 0) (#8)
    by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Mon Oct 18, 2010 at 12:46:04 PM EST

    Move to Texas.

    According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 214,000 net new jobs were created in the United States from August 2009 to August 2010. Texas created 119,000 jobs during the same period. If every state in the country had performed as well, we'd have created about 1.5 million jobs nationally during the past year.

    What passes for the elite down Texas way seems to have a reasonably good handle on job creation.

    state that comes in second place (5.00 / 1) (#9)
    by CST on Mon Oct 18, 2010 at 01:06:20 PM EST
    for total job creation is Massachusetts.  Not bad for "taxachusetts".

    I would love to see the per capita comparison there.  If we're having a state-by-state battle of elitists :)

    Parent

    With (none / 0) (#11)
    by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Mon Oct 18, 2010 at 07:11:50 PM EST

    Texas creating over half the jobs in the entire country, second place is a bit like being the tallest midget.

    Parent
    real answer (5.00 / 1) (#15)
    by CST on Tue Oct 19, 2010 at 09:13:37 AM EST
    we are a midget compared to Texas.  There are just over 6.5 million people in MA, and almost 25 million in Texas.  And that's the official statistic.

    48,500 jobs.  Not half bad for a midget (7.5 jobs/1000 ppl vs 5.2 jobs/1000 ppl).
    In any event, for anyone else in TL world who's wondering - here's where the "net" jobs are:

    Indiana 40,000  
    Massachusetts 48,500  
    Minnesota 30,500  
    New Hampshire 10,500  
    North Carolina  36,700  
    Oklahoma  25,100  
    Texas 129,100  


    Parent

    For the record (5.00 / 1) (#16)
    by CST on Tue Oct 19, 2010 at 09:51:56 AM EST
    we have a state income tax and a state sales tax.  We also have relatively high levels of government spending and regulation.

    Parent
    Been a while since I've heard a refrain of (none / 0) (#10)
    by Farmboy on Mon Oct 18, 2010 at 05:54:35 PM EST
    good old elite bashing. Seems like the last version was, "she's the Ph.D., and I'm the C student, and just look at who's the president." Good times.

    You're conflating anti-elitism with (5.00 / 1) (#13)
    by observed on Tue Oct 19, 2010 at 06:58:10 AM EST
    anti-intellectualism. Intellectuals are NOT the elite in this country---and Tom Friedman by god is certainly no intellectual; nor is Ezra.
    The fact that a 20-something generic B.A. is a gatekeeper for national discourse is appalling.


    Parent
    Just saw this comment (5.00 / 1) (#14)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Tue Oct 19, 2010 at 09:07:15 AM EST
    I don't know if you are really this obtuse, or just pretending to be.

    Parent
    Elites | 15 comments (15 topical)

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