Growing up, “elite” meant “stinking filthy rich for generations.” Now it seems to mean “someone who’s smarter than I am.” I’m not sure when it became a bad thing to either live the American Dream or be intelligent, but there you have it.
There are several more overused words burning up our daily lexicon right now. I’ll not mention them. Don’t want to contribute to the problem. With luck, they’ll crawl away on their own after the election is finished.
To quote Jon Stewart: “Not only do I want an elite President, I want someone who’s embarrassingly superior to me.”
I would also like to know at what point a frightening percentage of Americans decided that it is undesirable for a candidate to speak in complete, polysyllabic sentences, and to fully pronounce present participles. It’s baffling that the same people who worship the accumulation of wealth deride the whole notion of a good education.
Another quote I’m reminded of is that one from H.L. Mencken regarding the masses one day electing a President who truly resembles themselves, but I’ve overused that over the course of eight years.
“[The New Yorker is] one of the few magazines out there whose writing doesn’t suck the sweat off a dead babboon’s ass.”
I agree 110% “Elite” became a Dirty Word somewhere during this last administration, and I think we’re far worse for it. It’s a convenient ad hominem, and as you pointed out, if you think it through it just doesn’t stick. “Thinking it through” is not typical behavior for the people who scrunch up their faces at the word “elite,” though, savoring it like a bitter pickle.
I think the “elite” concept, in regards to elections, is just another one of those inventions of political strategists to inflame resentment in desired voting blocks. (Un?)fortunately, this strategy is backfiring for Republicans in this election, as argued by Timothy Egen: http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/10/27/opinion/edegan.php
Where did this notion of anti-intellectualism and the idea that it is a bad thing to be educated come from? Forgive me if I’m wrong but from what I can tell the founding fathers were all pretty smart guys.
The phrase that has succeeded in dethroning “elite” from the top spot in the Pantheon Of Things That Will Make Me Kick Your Ass is “Google is your friend.” There is no more concise expression of pure, undiluted passive-aggressive smugness to be had in the entire English vernacular. My rage upon encountering that phrase has been compared to something out of The Exorcist.
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Thank you.
Growing up, “elite” meant “stinking filthy rich for generations.” Now it seems to mean “someone who’s smarter than I am.” I’m not sure when it became a bad thing to either live the American Dream or be intelligent, but there you have it.
There are several more overused words burning up our daily lexicon right now. I’ll not mention them. Don’t want to contribute to the problem. With luck, they’ll crawl away on their own after the election is finished.
Fingers crossed.
To quote Jon Stewart: “Not only do I want an elite President, I want someone who’s embarrassingly superior to me.”
I would also like to know at what point a frightening percentage of Americans decided that it is undesirable for a candidate to speak in complete, polysyllabic sentences, and to fully pronounce present participles. It’s baffling that the same people who worship the accumulation of wealth deride the whole notion of a good education.
Another quote I’m reminded of is that one from H.L. Mencken regarding the masses one day electing a President who truly resembles themselves, but I’ve overused that over the course of eight years.
“[The New Yorker is] one of the few magazines out there whose writing doesn’t suck the sweat off a dead babboon’s ass.”
Hear, hear! [raises latte in agreement]
Typical elitist attitude.
[ducks]
I agree 110% “Elite” became a Dirty Word somewhere during this last administration, and I think we’re far worse for it. It’s a convenient ad hominem, and as you pointed out, if you think it through it just doesn’t stick. “Thinking it through” is not typical behavior for the people who scrunch up their faces at the word “elite,” though, savoring it like a bitter pickle.
I think the “elite” concept, in regards to elections, is just another one of those inventions of political strategists to inflame resentment in desired voting blocks. (Un?)fortunately, this strategy is backfiring for Republicans in this election, as argued by Timothy Egen: http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/10/27/opinion/edegan.php
Where did this notion of anti-intellectualism and the idea that it is a bad thing to be educated come from? Forgive me if I’m wrong but from what I can tell the founding fathers were all pretty smart guys.
The phrase that has succeeded in dethroning “elite” from the top spot in the Pantheon Of Things That Will Make Me Kick Your Ass is “Google is your friend.” There is no more concise expression of pure, undiluted passive-aggressive smugness to be had in the entire English vernacular. My rage upon encountering that phrase has been compared to something out of The Exorcist.