Divide among elites and rest of country widening ahead of 2024 election

[BCP1928]

A couple years ago I read this in the comments of a blog , and I saved it- it describes my definition of the "elite", be they Democrats or Republicans:

(The elite) are the people who have "bought into the system." They went to college, got a masters, got a white collar or government job in the city, got married in their early 30's, had their 2 designer children, and started them on the same path. Their goal is to ensure that the system remains intact and continues to pay off for them. They definitely want all those dirty people like the plumbers and electricians and mechanics to be around to serve them, but they don't want to actually have to interact with them, and for heaven's sake, shouldn't be letting any of those unwashed masses have a say in how we are governed."
-"BH93" Commentator on Power Line Blog (parentheses my edit)

That's pretty clever. If you are going to rip off the working class it's definitely a good idea to persuade them to blame somebody else for it.

 

[FireDragon76]

A couple years ago I read this in the comments of a blog , and I saved it- it describes my definition of the "elite", be they Democrats or Republicans:

(The elite) are the people who have "bought into the system." They went to college, got a masters, got a white collar or government job in the city, got married in their early 30's, had their 2 designer children, and started them on the same path. Their goal is to ensure that the system remains intact and continues to pay off for them. They definitely want all those dirty people like the plumbers and electricians and mechanics to be around to serve them, but they don't want to actually have to interact with them, and for heaven's sake, shouldn't be letting any of those unwashed masses have a say in how we are governed."
-"BH93" Commentator on Power Line Blog (parentheses my edit)

That's an ugly and bigoted stereotype of people with higher education, or people working white collar jobs in cities, a fair number of whom did not come from advantaged backgrounds.

 

[DaisyDay]

You surely aren't claim the economic shutdown from COVID was due to Republicans are you? It was COVID that caused the problems. You might have a point if the economy collapsed and COVID didn't exist. But the facts are the economy was going just fine until then. We lived through it. To flat out ignore what we all lived through is preposterous.

I’m not ignoring the pandemic. Trump’s handling of it was inept and irresponsible. For the longest time he denied there was a problem. Instead of coordinating resources and expertise he assigned the task to his feckless son-in-law who thought it fine that blue states suffer.

Trump was unable to manage the downturn of the economy. During the preceding boom time instead of paying down the debt, he cut revenue. During the boom period he attributed the economy to his own wondrous ability but he didn’t do much apart from some wall that evidently worked only while he was in office.

 

[rjs330]

OK bur you're using your own definition of what an elite is isn't helpful foe everyone using something closer to a formal definition.


What you described there sounds a bit better labeled as "yuppies"

The first half of that description financially describes my family but the latter half absolutely does not.


I don't want to interact with plumbers and electricians because I don't want those problems coming up in my house. But of course I humbly welcome and their vast knowledge and skill set when they are needed and I don't look down on them. But I don't think a person like Bill Gates looks down at his plumber either....


It's also a VERY poor definition of elite as it presumes people with that attitude and mindset ACTUALLY have the power to affect govt Decision making

A lot of elites definitely feel the way the poster stated. The biggest thing is they think they are better or smarter than everyone else. You see it in these threads. Things like, you didn't go to the right school. Or you do y have a college education so you're not as smart and your opinions don't count. Doctors are often thought of as practically gods. Teachers know far more about raising kids than the parents do. Etc etc. Those are the elites. Yeah you want a plumber when your toilet backs up, but plumbers are low brow know nothing's. Parents who haven't attended any specialized schools surely can't raise kids or educate them properly.

The elites live in cities and are smart educated and really know things while those in more rural areas are a bunch of hicks.

That's the impression of so many elites.

 

[rjs330]

I’m not ignoring the pandemic. Trump’s handling of it was inept and irresponsible. For the longest time he denied there was a problem. Instead of coordinating resources and expertise he assigned the task to his feckless son-in-law who thought it fine that blue states suffer.

Trump was unable to manage the downturn of the economy. During the preceding boom time instead of paying down the debt, he cut revenue. During the boom period he attributed the economy to his own wondrous ability but he didn’t do much apart from some wall that evidently worked only while he was in office.

Yeah we know all about the Trump bungling of the Pandemic. No one else in the world had any issues whatsoever, even from the smart European democratic socialist countries. All the Americans who died were all Trump's fault. He should have known exactly what to do during a pand mic form something we had never seen before and everyone else got it right. Blah blah blah.

Yet the economy was destroyed during that time, supply chains world wide were ruined. But Trump was supposed to magically make it as good as it was before the Pandemic and gee if only he would have just taxed the bejeebers out of the rich before the pandemic we would have recovered immediately into the booming economy we have b fore the the pandemic. His total bungling led to a vaccine in record time. But I'm sure under Bidens guidance we would have had a vaccine in two months and the Pandemic would have been shut down in a month with no lasting affects on the economy. I'm sure we would have lost only a 1/4 of the people we did.

Well we've had Joe Biden for four years and record inflation during the good times without a pandemic. I wonder just how bad it would have been had he been president during the Pandemic. I'd say catastrophic just like it was under Trump. Because it was something no one had seen before and the US is a unique country with a unique government system.

 

[iluvatar5150]

That's the impression of so many elites.

Is your impression derived from actually interacting with these supposed “elites” or is it derived from consuming low-quality sources on the internet who make money by ginning up outrage?

 

[Belk]

A lot of elites definitely feel the way the poster stated. The biggest thing is they think they are better or smarter than everyone else. You see it in these threads. Things like, you didn't go to the right school. Or you do y have a college education so you're not as smart and your opinions don't count. Doctors are often thought of as practically gods. Teachers know far more about raising kids than the parents do. Etc etc. Those are the elites. Yeah you want a plumber when your toilet backs up, but plumbers are low brow know nothing's. Parents who haven't attended any specialized schools surely can't raise kids or educate them properly.

The elites live in cities and are smart educated and really know things while those in more rural areas are a bunch of hicks.

That's the impression of so many elites.

I had not realized they hired you as their spokesperson?

Or is this just your elitist opinion of how others feel? Looks like a whole bunch of stereotyping to me.

 

[RoBo1988]

Yeah we know all about the Trump bungling of the Pandemic. No one else in the world had any issues whatsoever, even from the smart European democratic socialist countries. All the Americans who died were all Trump's fault. He should have known exactly what to do during a pand mic form something we had never seen before and everyone else got it right. Blah blah blah.

Yet the economy was destroyed during that time, supply chains world wide were ruined. But Trump was supposed to magically make it as good as it was before the Pandemic and gee if only he would have just taxed the bejeebers out of the rich before the pandemic we would have recovered immediately into the booming economy we have b fore the the pandemic. His total bungling led to a vaccine in record time. But I'm sure under Bidens guidance we would have had a vaccine in two months and the Pandemic would have been shut down in a month with no lasting affects on the economy. I'm sure we would have lost only a 1/4 of the people we did.

Well we've had Joe Biden for four years and record inflation during the good times without a pandemic. I wonder just how bad it would have been had he been president during the Pandemic. I'd say catastrophic just like it was under Trump. Because it was something no one had seen before and the US is a unique country with a unique government system.

Trump had a lot of help from Madame Speaker, too.

Nancy Pelosi Visits San Francisco's Chinatown Amid Coronavirus Concerns

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi toured San Francisco’s Chinatown Monday to send a message. She said there’s no reason tourists or locals should be staying away from the area because of coronavirus concerns.

www.google.com

 

[RoBo1988]

It's also a VERY poor definition of elite as it presumes people with that attitude and mindset ACTUALLY have the power to affect govt Decision making

Perhaps it's not you, but the "elite" think everything is just peachy, and continue to support the "uniparty"- "fundamental change" Democrats, and squish Republicans. They support them with their money and vote.


Anyone who has a different opinion, is a "cult member"

 

[rjs330]

Is your impression derived from actually interacting with these supposed “elites” or is it derived from consuming low-quality sources on the internet who make money by ginning up outrage?

All I have to do is read the posts on this site and read the articles posted by leftists on this site and listen to the left wing media. It's not hard to figure out.

 

[rjs330]

I had not realized they hired you as their spokesperson?

Or is this just your elitist opinion of how others feel? Looks like a whole bunch of stereotyping to me.

It's an educated opinion based upon what I read from the leftists on this site, reading the articles they post and listening to the left wing media. It's pretty clear.

 

[iluvatar5150]

All I have to do is read the posts on this site and read the articles posted by leftists on this site and listen to the left wing media. It's not hard to figure out.

I've been a member of this site for 12 years and I can't ever remember anybody saying anything that would justify this description: "want all those dirty people like the plumbers and electricians and mechanics to be around to serve them, but they don't want to actually have to interact with them, and for heaven's sake, shouldn't be letting any of those unwashed masses have a say in how we are governed."

I also can't think of anything around here that would justify this description: "Things like, you didn't go to the right school. Or you do y have a college education so you're not as smart and your opinions don't count. "

Who does that?

On this comment: "Doctors are often thought of as practically gods. Teachers know far more about raising kids than the parents do. Etc etc. Those are the elites. Yeah you want a plumber when your toilet backs up, but plumbers are low brow know nothing's. Parents who haven't attended any specialized schools surely can't raise kids or educate them properly." Those comments typically come in the context of areas of technical expertise, like vaccines or subjects taught in high school. Is it "elitist" to say that a person who's trained in a particular discipline is probably more qualified to act within that discipline and more knowledgeable on topics related to that discipline than somebody with zero training or professional experience? Maybe... But it's also probably correct.

 

[rambot]

Perhaps it's not you, but the "elite" think everything is just peachy, and continue to support the "uniparty"- "fundamental change" Democrats, and squish Republicans. They support them with their money and vote.


Anyone who has a different opinion, is a "cult member"

That's so strange. You think we define cult member by people just by people who are different than us?
No. We look at the strategies that cult leaders consistently employ. Then, when people fall for those people using those strategies, we call them cult members.


I'm sorry but I don't quite understand your first paragraph.

 

[Belk]

It's an educated opinion based upon what I read from the leftists on this site, reading the articles they post and listening to the left wing media. It's pretty clear.

You think the posters on this board are of the opinion that if you did not go to the right school then your opinions don't count? I think you are taking the wrong message away from these discussions and are reading things into it that are not expressed.

 

[rjs330]

I've been a member of this site for 12 years and I can't ever remember anybody saying anything that would justify this description: "want all those dirty people like the plumbers and electricians and mechanics to be around to serve them, but they don't want to actually have to interact with them, and for heaven's sake, shouldn't be letting any of those unwashed masses have a say in how we are governed."

I also can't think of anything around here that would justify this description: "Things like, you didn't go to the right school. Or you do y have a college education so you're not as smart and your opinions don't count. "

Who does that?

On this comment: "Doctors are often thought of as practically gods. Teachers know far more about raising kids than the parents do. Etc etc. Those are the elites. Yeah you want a plumber when your toilet backs up, but plumbers are low brow know nothing's. Parents who haven't attended any specialized schools surely can't raise kids or educate them properly." Those comments typically come in the context of areas of technical expertise, like vaccines or subjects taught in high school. Is it "elitist" to say that a person who's trained in a particular discipline is probably more qualified to act within that discipline and more knowledgeable on topics related to that discipline than somebody with zero training or professional experience? Maybe... But it's also probably correct.

You are not paying attention then. Oh they may not say it exactly like that, but for example I've had it said to me. B cause I didn't go to an ivy league school them my degree is lesser than. I'm not really educated.

And in the threads about trans kids the doctors are always right because they are the medical professionals. We listen to the professionals it is said. Except they only listen to certain professionals.

You remember when we were told that parents shouldn't have any way in their child's education? How often on this board are home school parents belittled?

You've never heard of fly over country?

Why even on these boards the liberals think the cities ought to decide who runs the country. Cause they have all the best people.

Yeah, you are ignoring an awful lot of stuff.

 

[rjs330]

You think the posters on this board are of the opinion that if you did not go to the right school then your opinions don't count? I think you are taking the wrong message away from these discussions and are reading things into it that are not expressed.

Oh no, that's what I was told. I wasn't educated in an Ivy League school so my education didn't matter much, it was the Ivy leaguer that mattered.

It was quite telling. As has been many comments from the left in regards to great unwashed, smelly Wal-Mart people and those in fly over country. Parents should just stay out of their kids education etc. The elites know best.

 

[iluvatar5150]

You are not paying attention then. Oh they may not say it exactly like that, but for example I've had it said to me. B cause I didn't go to an ivy league school them my degree is lesser than. I'm not really educated.

I’d have to see that conversation for myself. I’ve known plenty of ivy leaguers and I can’t think of any who’d say that. I’ve certainly never seen it around here, but feel free to link to the thread if you’d like and I’ll take a look.

Why even on these boards the liberals think the cities ought to decide who runs the country. Cause they have all the best people.

Nobody here says that.

Yeah, you are ignoring an awful lot of stuff.

I’ll grant you some of the points on the trans and school board issues, but it also seems to me that you’re reading into things sentiments that aren’t there.

 

[KCfromNC]

A lot of elites definitely feel the way the poster stated. The biggest thing is they think they are better or smarter than everyone else. You see it in these threads.

Can you list which post numbers in this thread you're talking about?

 

[KCfromNC]

Oh no, that's what I was told. I wasn't educated in an Ivy League school so my education didn't matter much, it was the Ivy leaguer that mattered.

Can you link to the post you're alluding to?

 

[Belk]

Oh no, that's what I was told. I wasn't educated in an Ivy League school so my education didn't matter much, it was the Ivy leaguer that mattered.

If someone said that to you they are ... let us say less informed then their expensive education would indicate. That said just because one person made stupid and bigoted comments does not mean the rest of us feel that way.

It was quite telling. As has been many comments from the left in regards to great unwashed, smelly Wal-Mart people and those in fly over country. Parents should just stay out of their kids education etc. The elites know best.

Again, I think you are taking the wrong message away. That people object to book banning does not equate to "staying out of their kids education". That strikes me as interpreting their comments with the most unfavorable view possible.