Two things I’ve seen in the last hour on Twitter/X really illuminated for me how much “the elites” is front and center to the mess of the American culture right now.
I’m also reading The Revolt of the Republic by Martin Gurri right now and have to come to see that it’s all about “the elites” and our information streams.
Point 1:
I heard about James a few months ago on Joe Rogan’s podcast. I like his style. Seems super thoughtful. I am drawn to his Christian message.
It was surprising to hear his entire message here announcing his Senate campaign be: “the elites are against us’
He connects it to Jesus’s own persecution at the hands of “the elites” and that Jesus does turn culture on its head to value the many over just the few. Another way to say: everyone.
So, I wonder: why does this surprise me?
This phrase “the elites” has been in the American psyche – front and center – for the last 10 years thanks to Trump and MAGA. That was Trump’s entire, discernible, message from the start: The elites have forgotten about you – or worse, persecuted you – and I am here to save you.
Side note: Mamdanmi in the NYC Mayoral Campaign has this sort of message front and center too.
So I think it surprises me to see people of completely different political stripes share messaging that is about systems that they (as politicians) are directly a part of by way of finding themselves willing and able to raise the money and support to run for one of the most prestigious elite circles there is.
It both concerns me that this is the common ground we’re coming to stand on – distrust of “the elites” – and unfortunately I think that the elites have failed us to a large degree.
More on that thought in the next reference.
Point 2:
Trump recently told Israel and Hamas to negotiate a ceasefire, or end the war altogether. Not sure which.
So, they meet in Qatar, apparently, to do so.
While Hamas’s top leadership is gathered, Israel (drone?) strikes them inside of Qatar, an ally of ours in the Middle East.
Nothing about doing this says, “we want to end the war.”
Okay so here’s what the Press Secretary says on, I guess, behalf of the President:
- The US military notified Trump this morning that Israel was attacking Hamas.
- Bummer, this is in our ally’s capital.
- Unilaterally doing this inside of Qatar’s capital city is not cool, man, and it doesn’t advance either the US or Israel’s goals.
- Butttttt, eliminating Hamas “is a worthy goal.”
- Qatar is a friend and we feel sad you got bombed.
- Trump and the Israeli Prime Minister spoke after the attack.
- The Israeli PM tells Trump, “Hey man, look we really want to make peace. And quickly.”
- “President Trump believes this unfortunate incident could serve as an opportunity for peace.”
- President Trump called The Amir and the Qatari PM and thanked them for their friendship to our country. “He assured them that such a thing will not happen again on their soil.”
“This is against our goals!”
“The spirit of this attack (eliminating Hamas) is a worthy goal, though.”
It just struck me that this is how “the elites” talk.
It’s Double Speak. Double Think. It’s O’Brien luring Winston in with the Goldstein text to confuse and trap him.
I just couldn’t believe that the Press Secretary gave a statement on behalf of the President that both criticizes and absolves this, at least in this scenario, rogue state who’s just attacked one of our allies while (according to the stated reason) gathering to negotiate a ceasefire with that rogue state…
Like how does all of this add up other than like this:
The Elite are a small group of people who either by force or by consent rule and govern a larger group of people.
They move with great range to rule and govern.
They tell us what they want us to know.
At times, we (the larger group) get a glimpse into their lack of grip on the situation.
Sometimes, we no longer put up with it.
In some countries, this is running the leader out (death/exile) and starting completely over. Unstable. Bad economy. Etc. etc., but for a time no longer controlled by “the elites”
In others, democracies like the US, we vote them out in the next election or at our extremes impeach and remove them from office. Not usually violent (great thing) but also just replaces one group of elites with another. Basically.
Those than run a campaign of negation (the “anti-elites” in this case), who profess to do differently with that power, eventually, if they win, have to govern.
And more often than not, they seem to go on matching the same old patterns.
Last thought
I don’t know what better system there is. It’s not clear to me that you can conduct a culture and a society, especially as big and relevant and ours, without a group of elites.
They have domain knowledge I don’t. They’re willing to risk something to do the governing that I’m not. My gut says, at times, they can be quite useful.
But, where things are now I do think “they’re” failing us in some significant way.
It’s cheap to just call them “they” and not know exactly who they are beyond “the government”, but they’re quite hard to understand.
What feels fair, however, is to say that it’s obvious that we do have a group of people who are doing things that I am not doing in order to move society and culture forward (directionally, not necessarily progressively).