Our Elites are MIA

[coberst]

Our Elites are MIA

David Ignatius asked the question “why is an increasingly ‘connected’ world such a mess?” in a February article in the NY Times. More democracy and more Globalism seem to be leading to more chaos and confusion.

Thomas Friedman argues in his book “The World is Flat” that technology and more Globalism is driving the integration of the world and will lead to a better world.

Francis Fukuyama posted an essay in the New York Times Magazine, "More democracy will mean more alienation, radicalization and -- yes, unfortunately -- terrorism"?

The Middle East is turning into a cauldron of destruction and death. What the hell is going on? Where are our leaders? Are they out to lunch? Is this a beginning of a repeat of the twentieth century? Can humanity survive such a rebirth of such a century?

David Ignatius talked with a number of his contacts and formulated his answer to why is the world such a mess? His explanations are listed below:
1) As elites become connected in the world they lose their ‘home’ connection.
2) Connectedness produces local political disconnection.
3) I will add that our elites are now ‘following the money’ and the world is their ‘oyster’.
4) The Internet is a “rage enabler” and reinforcer.

Ignatius concludes that “The connected world is inescapable, like the global economy itself. But if we can begin to understand how it undermines political stability -- how it can separate elites from masses, and how it can enhance rage rather than reason -- then perhaps we will have a better chance of restabilizing a very disorderly world.”

Coberst concludes that we need to develop immediately a new ‘farm system’ for elite hood. There is a phrase from a popular post-WWI song that goes something like this “how ya goina keepem down on the farm after they’ve seen Parie”.

Do we need a new ‘farm system’ for elite hood?



http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/19/magazine/neo.html?ei=5090&en=4126fa38fefd80de&ex=1298005200&pagewanted=all

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/21/AR2006022101148.html

[Panthrophile]

Democracy means that no-one gets what they want because the big-wigs have to answer to everyone? If you act out your own personal agenda, you don't get re-elected, or elected in the first place? Visionaries are excluded from the democratic process?

[coberst]

Democracy means that no-one gets what they want because the big-wigs have to answer to everyone? If you act out your own personal agenda, you don't get re-elected, or elected in the first place? Visionaries are excluded from the democratic process?

I see the question mark but these do not seem to be questions? I am confused?

[Panthrophile]

I see the question mark but these do not seem to be questions? I am confused?
Don't be. Rhetoric.

[Illuminatus]

Coberst:

What do you mean by 'elitehood' exactly? A 'farming system' for a quality implies that quality can be taught, hence surely you're just suggesting we improve education services?

[coberst]

Coberst:

What do you mean by 'elitehood' exactly? A 'farming system' for a quality implies that quality can be taught, hence surely you're just suggesting we improve education services?

It is generally accepted to label those who run a nation as being the nation’s elites. In the case of the United States our elites are the leaders of large corporations, banks, Universities, insurance, think tanks, government both nation and state, etc. They number less than ten thousand I think. The sons and daughters of these elites are groomed and prepared to become the next generation of elites.

CA (Corporate America) has developed a well-honed expertise in motivating the population to behave in a desired manner. Citizens as consumers are ample manifestation of that expertise. CA has accomplished this ability by careful study and implementation of the knowledge of the ways of human behavior. I suspect this same structure applies to most Western democracies.

A democratic form of government is one wherein the citizens have some voice in some policy decisions. The greater the voice of the citizens the better the democracy.

In America we have policy makers, decision makers, and citizens. The decision makers are our elected representatives and are, thus, under some control by the voting citizen. The policy makers are the leaders of CA; less than ten thousand individuals, according to those who study such matters. Policy makers exercise significant control od decision makers by controlling the financing of elections.

Policy makers customize and maintain the dominant ideology in order to control the political behavior of the citizens. This dominant ideology exercises the political control of the citizens in the same fashion as the consuming citizen is controlled by the same dominant ideology.

An enlightened citizen is the only means to gain more voice in more policy decisions. An enlightened citizen is much more than an informed citizen. Critical thinking is the only practical means to develop a more enlightened citizen. If, however, we wait until our CT trained grade-schoolers become adults I suspect all will be lost. This is why I think a massive effort must be made to convince today’s adults that they must train themselves in CT.


“Thomas R. Dye, Professor of Political Science at Florida State University, has published a series of books examining who and what institutions actually control and run America. to understand who is making the decisions that affect our lives, we also have to understand how societies structure themselves in general. Why the few always tend to share more power than the many and what this means in terms of both a society's evolution and our daily lives. they examined the other 11 institutions that exert just as powerful a shaping influence, although somewhat more subtle: The Industrial, Corporations, Utilities and Communications, Banking, Insurance Investment, Mass Media, Law, Education Foundation, Civic and Cultural Organizations, Government, and the Military.”
http://www.21stcenturyradio.com/12-dye.html

[Illuminatus]

It is generally accepted to label those who run a nation as being the nation’s elites. In the case of the United States our elites are the leaders of large corporations, banks, Universities, insurance, think tanks, government both nation and state, etc. They number less than ten thousand I think. The sons and daughters of these elites are groomed and prepared to become the next generation of elites.

Then surely 'elites' are not MIA because by definition someone is an elite if they are running the country and I don't think America is currently in a period of anarchy. Lumping such diverse groups of people into the category 'elites' is somewhat foolishing considering the vast differences in opinion and ideology amongst the mentioned groups. I also don't agree with the idea that their children are groomed to be 'elites', it's more a case of them having the right contacts and financial support to rise up the ranks. There are also far too many exceptions.


CA (Corporate America) has developed a well-honed expertise in motivating the population to behave in a desired manner. Citizens as consumers are ample manifestation of that expertise. CA has accomplished this ability by careful study and implementation of the knowledge of the ways of human behavior. I suspect this same structure applies to most Western democracies.

It applies everywhere, consuming is good for the economy, it creates jobs and distributes wealth. There is nothing sinister about people getting joy from material posessions, consuming is human nature. CA is only responsible for what is consumed, not the behavior itself.


A democratic form of government is one wherein the citizens have some voice in some policy decisions. The greater the voice of the citizens the better the democracy.


I don't think that's quite the case, it depends on how you define a 'better' democracy. If critical thinking is as lacking as your claim the more he public as a hand in decisions the more detrimental they become.


In America we have policy makers, decision makers, and citizens. The decision makers are our elected representatives and are, thus, under some control by the voting citizen. The policy makers are the leaders of CA; less than ten thousand individuals, according to those who study such matters. Policy makers exercise significant control od decision makers by controlling the financing of elections.

The above doesn't make much sense, those who make policies are not the leaders of the CA, those who run the massive corporations are and it's those people who finance the policy makers campaigns and therefore exert the most control. You've got it backwards.


Policy makers customize and maintain the dominant ideology in order to control the political behavior of the citizens. This dominant ideology exercises the political control of the citizens in the same fashion as the consuming citizen is controlled by the same dominant ideology.


Then how do you explain the current divisions in ideology present in the US at the moment? People aren't as easy to control as you like to think, if it was we'd all be in complete agreement on most issues.


An enlightened citizen is the only means to gain more voice in more policy decisions. An enlightened citizen is much more than an informed citizen. Critical thinking is the only practical means to develop a more enlightened citizen. If, however, we wait until our CT trained grade-schoolers become adults I suspect all will be lost. This is why I think a massive effort must be made to convince today’s adults that they must train themselves in CT.


Admittedly the majority of people are ignorant and stupid, however the above is somewhat contradictory to what you implied earlier. If the goverment is mostly controlled by those who are not elected (banks, corporations, etc.) then surely all the CT training in the world will have no effect as all policy is controlled by 10000 people who are in effect 'behind the scenes'?

[coberst]

Coberst:

What do you mean by 'elitehood' exactly? A 'farming system' for a quality implies that quality can be taught, hence surely you're just suggesting we improve education services?

Presently our elites are most often determined by those who are running the nation. The children of today's elites are likely to become the next generation of elites. 'Elitehood" is generally a matter of privilege today and always in the past generally speaking.

If we found a way to prepare a group of individuals to become our elites then we might slowly or quickly change this privilege factor and introduce more of a meritocracy.

If merit is the guide for a new elite then that merit would be acquired, in my opinion, through intellectual accomplishments.

Suppose a large group of individuals developed a hobby of what I call an 'intellectual life' after schooling and suppose this group invested more and more of their time to this hobby while they grew older and their families and career took less of their time. Then after mid life these individuals could put more time in and to begin networking and communicating with one another based upon common intellectual interests such that by the time they were fifty you could consider them to be elites. This is kind of on the Plato idea of philosopher elites.

[barrybert]

The above doesn't make much sense, those who make policies are not the leaders of the CA, those who run the massive corporations are and it's those people who finance the policy makers campaigns and therefore exert the most control. You've got it backwards.

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