Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I guess a lot of those wealthy brats I see on reality TV make smart business decisions. They certainly seem to feel entitled to everything they can get, but when it comes to what they deserve, well, not so much. Some wealthy people made their fortunes through a lot of hard work, smart decisions, and luck. Others just inherit it.
Really, there is no such thing as over-educated. There are people who pursue education as an end unto itself, those people may lack purpose or focus. But education is not their problem.
It seems like the OP's real problem isn't with elitists at all, which is really just a fancy word for snobs, because snobs come in all shapes and sizes and political persuasions. It sounds more and more that the OP's concern is with people who take an interest in how wealth is distributed in a society. That is something that should concern us all, because societies with well-established, large, stable middle-classes are also societies characterized by economic and political stability. Governments aren't tasked with taking from the rich to give to the poor, but they are tasked with maintaining economic and political stability. To that end, our government has actively encouraged home ownership, retirement plans, access to the stock market, and so on. While welfare programs have been and no doubt will be abused in the future, their design is meant to expand the middle-class. Free and public education was meant to serve the same function. So while many government programs seem socialistic and anti-capitalism, and some may be, the government is really trying to balance things out.
Very good post. At the beginning of it I thought you were drawing all your conclusions of inherited wealth based on the idiots of 'reality TV', but I read on...
The real issue is, and I don't want to sound like a pundit, what an 'elitist' actually is... I think ELITISTS are usually people who are very educated and champions of the poor, but in fact carry on very extravagant lifestyles, similar to those of not just the well off or even the rich, but the 'super rich'. Elitists think they are so high and mighty that they don't have to conform to the same rules they set for everybody else...
Famous elitists usually eminate from Hollywood, Ivy League,
Cases in point...
Al Gore - Global warming 'inventor' and propogator. Sets garbage, waste, and 'carbon' standards for everyone else. However, he has a 20,000 square foot house in Tennessee. Also regularly flies in chartered jets; not just small 8 seaters like mid-level executives fly, but enormous 15 seat Gulfstream V jets.
Cameron Diaz - Hates bottled water. Thinks that bottles of water are 'bad for the environment'. She has a pool large enough to quench the thirst of Africa.
Ted Kennedy - Personally forced the integration of many inner city schools with suburban schools throughout Boston. All of his kids went to exclusive private schools.
-Opposes offshore drilling in Massachusetts, yet his private yacht accidentally spilled thousands of gallons of diesel fuel in Kennebunkport. He was $fined$ big time.
Nancy Pelosi - Sponsosored a bill to raise the minimum wage in the U.S. and its territories. However, American Samoa (U.S. Territory) was left out of the proposed legislation. It was later discovered Pelosi's family owned the largest commercial fishing company on the island. What a coincidence?
Woody Harrelson - "The War Against Terrorism is terrorism'.
When people talk about elitist, Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand's characters on Meet The Fockers come to mind. And also several college professors I know.
Bottom line, there are two competing ideologies in this presidential race - pragmatism and elitism. Pragmatists include business owners, single moms, the elderly, and much of the middle class struggling to get by. Elitists are exactly the opposite, they are 'dreamers', futurists, revisionists, and people who believe the country is so misguided -and on such a foul track, that our only hope for survival as a 'civilization' is a complete restructuring of not only government, but society.
Even PaleoMcCain officially say they dont think the country is on the right track - are they elitists? Of course that's likely just empty campaign posturing, but still they're busily saying it, if only to try to connect with the millions of voters who clearly do not think the country is OTRT. Are those voters elitists?
An elitist wouldnt want to help the poor. What are populist John McCain's plans for the poor?
An elitist would want to continue to deepen the education divide and the class divide - as has been happening for the last many years. Obama, just the opposite.
Is it actually your own belief that Obama is an elitist because he wants to right what he sees as wrong about the country?
Please dont fall for this obvious, simple trick. The right is playing on your resentments to make you think black is white and white is black.
I think ELITISTS are usually people who are very educated and champions of the poor, but in fact carry on very extravagant lifestyles, similar to those of not just the well off or even the rich, but the 'super rich'. Elitists think they are so high and mighty that they don't have to conform to the same rules they set for everybody else...
Barak Obama - See: Definition
He drives a Ford Escape hybrid.
Pretty darn extravagant, huh?
There are people like those you describe but Obama is not one of them. All he did was go to the best school he could - is that bad? He and his wife had abut $120,000 in student loans that took them 8 years to pay off - is that irresponsible (and irresponsible for the banks for extending them credit)? One of the first things they did when they made some money was buy college savings bonds for their kids - lifestyles of the rich and famous, right?
Give some examples of how Obama carries on an extravagant lifestyle, or has ever given the impression he wants to;
thinks he's so high and mighty that he doesnt have to conform to the same rules as everybody else; and
thinks he deserves stuff that he did not earn in order to create a 'better society/civilization'.
I think elitists are defined by people that think they know better than you or the average American. Its the ones that want to take other people's money to right past wrongs and redistribute wealth.
Like GWB. Thinking that he knew best to go into Iraq. Thinking that he would right the wrong from his father. Redistributing wealth to stockholders and executives of large corporations such as Halliburton.
So by your definition then George W. Bush is an elitist. Thank you.
Did you read the whole thing? It's really important that we get this out of the way; too many people have the wrong idea of what an elitist is.
One of those people is you.
An elitist is a select group of people with outstanding personal abilities. These abilities can be intellect, wealth, specialized training or experience, sports abilities, or other distinctive attributes.
Many think of elistism as a DIRTY word, and somehow it always creeps in when some speak about liberals.
Nobody complains when they have an elite (intelligent) pilot on their Transatlantic 777 flight.
Nobody complains when they have an elite (athletic) quarterback throw 3 touchdowns in their fantasy football pick.
Nobody complains when they have an elite (intelligent)doctor holding the scalpel and cutting into their chest to replace a heart valve.
Nobody complains when they have an elite (wealthy)philathropist give money to an impoverished nation for AIDS research.
A GREEN BERET or NAVY SEAL is an elitist.
Why complain when you have an intelligent person running for president? Is this the DUMBING OF AMERICA?
It is okay to have someone in the WH that is downright STUPID, but hey you could enjoy a beer with him. Wise up, when that doctor goes to cut into you, I'm sure you will hope he is an elitist.
Your definition of elitism is wrong. And I think what fuels your definition is envy. JMO
He drives a Ford Escape hybrid.
Pretty darn extravagant, huh?
There are people like those you describe but Obama is not one of them. All he did was go to the best school he could - is that bad? He and his wife had abut $120,000 in student loans that took them 8 years to pay off - is that irresponsible (and irresponsible for the banks for extending them credit)? One of the first things they did when they made some money was buy college savings bonds for their kids - lifestyles of the rich and famous, right?
Give some examples of how Obama carries on an extravagant lifestyle, or has ever given the impression he wants to;
thinks he's so high and mighty that he doesnt have to conform to the same rules as everybody else; and
thinks he deserves stuff that he did not earn in order to create a 'better society/civilization'.
Of course he does.....
"Senator Barack Obama has tossed aside the keys to his Chrysler 300C in favor of a new Ford Escape Hybrid. According to the Detroit Free Press, the senator from Illinois was lambasted (http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070511/COL14/705110399 - broken link) for driving the a V8 300C after chastising Detroit in a May 7 speech for failing to anticipate rising oil prices that have changed consumers' buying habits."
Catering to the polls once again...
Is that considered conforming to the rules of everyone else? I mean if your blasting people for one thing and driving a car with the biggest motor available in a car under $200,000
Like GWB. Thinking that he knew best to go into Iraq. Thinking that he would right the wrong from his father. Redistributing wealth to stockholders and executives of large corporations such as Halliburton.
So by your definition then George W. Bush is an elitist. Thank you.
Buy stock in Halliburton like many other average Americans. Oh yeah, buy Exxon/Mobil too so you can benefit from "big oil".
We the people own the stock. Check your 401K.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
GWB... An elitist
