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Originally Posted by CrowGirl
In contemportary political discourse, what does it mean to be a member of the "elite"?
I ask this in all seriousness, because I don't beleive we have a common definition.
The trditiona definition, in my mind, is someone who has attained a level of higher education and a professional job and/or worked himself or herself into a powerful political and/or business position, regardless of educational achievement. It is being in the top X% of society, measured by social, economic and power indicators.
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The "traditional definition" was OLD MONEY and FAMILY STATUS.
None of it had anything at all to do with Education.
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I'm just not sure that is what the term "elite" means in popular political discourse in the U.S. Trump is obviously the one that comes to mind here. He consistenyl criticies the "elite" and eparates himself from them. But by most traditional measures, he would seem to be the definition of "elite".
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The "elite" in politics are those that are the Deciders. They have Political Power, which may be position, may be networking, may be Money, may be Status. They don't have to come from Old Money.
These Political Elites have POWER - they can make things happen .... if they choose to.
They are above the Law.
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Most people characterize Warren as "elite", which I would agree with based on my traditional vie of the definition. She wasa professor at HArvard, has achieved a certain amount of personal wealth and has power as a member of Congress. However, she is from fairly humble beginnings. In my view, the beginnings aren't as imortant as where you are at a given time, but on balance you would think someone who was born into a wealthy and powerful family would be more "elite" than one who was not.
This is not intended as a partisan post. I would throw out the Kennedys as a prime example of elite. I just get the sense that the term has morphed into a term alluding to a political stance that people associate with higher education and less about the more traditional social-economic inidcators of the term.
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The Kennedy Family is the epitome of "Elite" on all levels. MONEY, POWER above the Law.
Warren is just somebody who learned how to Play the Game ..... and she is not well liked by the current "Elite".
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IS it simply an evolution in meaning of the term? If it still means someone who is in the upper X% of society in terms of achievement, why is it consered a negiative thing?
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Let's view some of the current "Political Elites" and see what makes them "Elite".
1. Paul Ryan -- no family social status or wealth. He gained his "elite" by acquiring Power,
2. Mitt Romney - Social Status and Wealth + Political Power - He is an example of current Political Elite
3. Nancy Pelosi - Chicago native, Family MOB connections - which channelled to both Power & Money
4. The Kennedy Family - Social Elites, Wealth and they pushed that into the White House & still are doing that,
5. Mitch McConnell ..... can't say, I've not looked - BUT, I had a good friend years ago from Kentucky and from what she used to say about her GranDaddy - He was the "Elite" on all levels in Kentucky.
I asked her if he was in Politics (she talked like he was the Governor) - she laughed and said oh no - he just decided WHO will be the Governor and the Senators, and all the other elected officials.
6. Donald Trump -- new money, brash, crass but Money is Money and they all courted him while looking down on him.
7. The Clintons - no Family Money, nothing "Elite" about them - BUT, nobody played the game better.
New Money and enormous POWER. A force they all fear
8.Joe Biden - no money, no status - but lot's of ambition. Learned to play the game and while I don't think he "cashed in" for himself - he couldn't help himself when it came to his deeply flawed only living son.
9. Barak Obama was never Elite in any way and never will be. He is an entirely different category.
Used, and User.
10. Political Elite behind the scenes players - some are Old Money, some are New Money. All have extreme Power and use it to ensnare Politicians - which have to do their bidding to keep the Campaign Money going so they can keep their Power.
Those are examples of Political Elites and all true .... BUT, the most "Political Elite" of all are those that REALLY run Government - the vast Bureaucracy. President's come and go - both Parties. CongressCritters come and go - both Parties. Who remains to run literally everything? Who can't be fired? Who tells all the Politicians how to do their jobs and writes all their Legislations? Who writes all the "Rules" that actually enforce the "outline" Laws that the lazy CongressCritters pass?
The 100's of 1,000's of Careerists in our Federal Government run Washington D.C.
THEY are the "Political Elite".
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