[Politics] Fuck the Elitists

[digitaldiscipline]

http://tongodeon.livejournal.com/762944.html

Yeah, what this person says:

""Elitism" isn't thinking that you're smarter than everyone else is - that's egotism. "Elitism" also isn't just thinking that you're smarter than you actually are - that's arrogance, haughtiness, or conceit. It's also not "talking down" or using unnecessarily obtuse or fancy language - that's being pretentious or patronizing. And it's certainly not believing that the most-skilled or best-qualified person should get the job - that's meritocracy."


MY GRASP OF THE BASIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE, ALLOW ME TO DISPLAY IT FOR YOUR MOTHERFUCKING PERUSAL.

Comments

[hellsop.livejournal.com]

elitism n : the attitude that society should be governed by an elite group of individuals.

I fail to see the problem with this. Would it be better to have society governed by nitwits?

Oh wait...

[etcet.livejournal.com]

Wealth and privilege don't qualify one as suitable to govern. The social elite, which is the sort that are referred to, have no innate aptitude towards competence. Technically or intellectually elite folks at least have proven some sort of competency.

[mighty-man.livejournal.com]

I thought the right to vote was a privilege (one of those that they're even returning to felons) and was necessary not only to govern, but to be governed as well. I think power and wealth is the other necessity.

Social Elite: some might say that those who can maneuver amongst their peers and offending none might be the most competent of all.

Tech/Int Elite: For a large majority of those, it's the competency of test taking (much of it standardized nowadays). I know some pretty damn smart people who are completely incompetent (contact!)

Besides, if the way our society works is government through representation, don't we need to have "elitists" to be our representation? Or would you prefer to have our worse offenders do it?

As for Obama and the original article: I'd say that Obama is first generation elitist and don't think otherwise for a second. Otherwise he wouldn't be where he is today -- wealthy and running for office. He'd still be sticking by his guts and defending the poor in court.

Frankly, in terms of providing for your family members that come after you, why not? Don't you think most of us sock money away for our kids (or nephews or neices)? I know my parents did pretty damn well to provide for me.

[geekers.livejournal.com]

Elitist.











What? Don't tell me this response wasn't set up...

[etcet.livejournal.com]

Nah, I'm all those other things. ;-)

....

[maelstromsl.livejournal.com]

I'm not an egotist, statistically I *am* smarter than most of the USA... which makes the repooplican campaign so very painful to watch.

[happygoth.livejournal.com]

*sigh*

This makes me so happy to read. Thanks for sharing.

(I am pretentious, by the by).

[etcet.livejournal.com]

I, uh, wrote the FAQ for alt.gothic.pretension. This may, in fact, be my lone claim to fame until next year's kilt calendar comes out.

[happygoth.livejournal.com]

I will have to go read that...

Thanks for helping put a word to the pedantic pomposity I've been calling "elitism" up until now. (And I think I generally gravitate toward pretentious folks)

[etcet.livejournal.com]

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.gothic.pretentions/msg/6bce68e3afccd4c0

[ruefullyamused.livejournal.com]

Along the same lines...Obama accused of sexism for 'lipstick on a pig' remark (http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080910/pl_afp/usvote_080910130256;_ylt=AjawxX4RtcxmkhYF_bNRK2OFOrgF)

Brought to you by the same people who are trying to re-write the dictionary entries for elite/elitism.

By the definition you quoted, I guess I'll own egotism, though it's because I *know* I'm smarter than most people (6 billion, mostly uneducated...hardly a miracle, that). I tend to suffer from mock humility more than arrogance, I think, but it might be conceited of me to think that ;) My use of obtuse language is less about pretension and more about lousy writing style, but I can hardly disown the pretentious bit. I just put on ugly airs. I certainly can't consider myself patronizing, though. Most of the people I'm pretentious around are smarter than me ;)

I am definitely in favor of a meritocracy, though. Lately, so much so I'd even be in favor of disenfranchising whole sweeping lots of idiots. I'm quite tired of the government they deserve.

[smaugchow.livejournal.com]

I'll have an extra large order of Arrogance, please.

[etcet.livejournal.com]

Comes with a side of Crow, just in case that fantasy football thing doesn't work out. ;-)

[gruamach.livejournal.com]

"We're not arrogant...we really *ARE* better than you!"


-Alt.Gothic.Pretentions




(yes, I still have BOTH t-shirts)

[etcet.livejournal.com]

I only have the long-sleeved one, but, yeah. That's one of those "I will not have this only if the house burns down in a hurry" things.

[y2kdragon.livejournal.com]

Jon Stweart says it much better:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08106/873538-352.stm

Scroll to the last couple of paragraphs.