"Elites" - who are they and why do they dislike Pres. Trump?

[Josh]

Here’s an example of how elites talk and the disconnect with them and non-elite America.

Let’s say Elite is a doctor / lawyer, wealthy.

Elite: “Soon trucks will be self driving.”

Josh: “That would be cool, but what about all the truck drivers out of work?”

Elite: “They can get job retraining. And they should have tried to get a skilled job already.”

Josh: “A lot of them used to have manufacturing jobs and they already retrained to get their CDL. One truck driver I know used to be a veal farmer, but it’s not profitable anymore for a family farmer so he drives truck now.”

Elite: “We need to think about if it makes sense for the bottom 80% skill-wise of America to even be working. A guaranteed minimum income makes more sense. Most blue collar jobs should be automated.”

A skilful political candidate will recognise how offended and marginalised the bottom 80% of America, skill-wise, feels, and exploit that.

Of course, lots of jobs are being automated, so the elite are kind of right about things. At th I same time they also seem dead wrong about a lot of things.

[Wayne in Maine]

So...Trump has brought identity politics to blue-collar Midwesterners?

The oppressors have become the oppressed?

The Elites are those who swing the pendulum and seem never to be struck by it.

[temporal1]

So...Trump has brought identity politics to blue-collar Midwesterners?

no. hillperson clarified that statement.

had obama offered any sort of diplomacy to (half of U.S. citizens) there would be no Trump as POTUS. the UNorganized majority does not want to be bothered with politics. they are too busy, and too tired, trying to make a living. not all are scratching at the bottom, but, they are working, and tired.
i don’t believe Trump will make that same mistake. it doesn’t work.
Trump is not a staunch conservative. never was.

evidently, the left, the establishment, really trusted their investment (granted, it is huge) in their big propaganda machine. it failed in the 2014 MidTerm elections, then in 2016. instead of changing course, they’re just doubling-down on vicious politics. we’ll see how that goes. will vicious win the coming day?

i will not venture to guess. i pray for the best.

[temporal1]

So...Trump has brought identity politics to blue-collar Midwesterners?

The oppressors have become the oppressed?
The Elites are those who swing the pendulum and seem never to be struck by it.

They swing everything to ensure personal gain.
Try messing with that, you’re in for a real battle.

[Bootstrap]

The Elites are those who swing the pendulum and seem never to be struck by it.

Do you consider Donald Trump an Elite?

[Josh]

He’s not culturally part of the elite. Elites don’t like things like pro wrestling, reality TV, or beauty pageants.

Middle America really, really likes those things, though, which is why Trump resonates with them.

(I don’t like any of those things, which is probably why I find I fit in much better with “elites” than I do with Middle America.)

[Wayne in Maine]

The Elites are those who swing the pendulum and seem never to be struck by it.

Do you consider Donald Trump an Elite?

No more so than Andrew Jackson or Abraham Lincoln.

[Robert]

For me, it starts here:


Being an elite soldier is often considered a good thing. Being an elite citizen, not so much. Someone who projects elitism is one who know their elite place and boasts or makes sure everyone else around them know it too.

A cultural elite in the US is often one who has received just enough higher education that they think they are actually smarter than others. Those who have received higher education and are really smarter than most usually do not because they soon learn how much they really do not know.

Many Millennials have an elitists mentality. They have been told or taught that they know more than their parents or other adults. Cultural fads come and go, but many educators decide they know more then the children's parents they educate and tell the children now that the children have learned what the educated teachers know, these children now know more their their parents and need to go home to "teach" their parents things like recycling, climate change, and a list of things this group decides through group think how the culture needs to be.

Elitism often mistakes education with wisdom. Because they are educated, they often see themselves as superior. Because the elites "really know what is right" they often decide for others and feel the need to push their beliefs on the other inferior members of society "because they just don't know any better."

Cultural Elites often see themselves as well educated and cultured, unlike those lowly workers who flip hamburgers and work on cars. Many grew up from those foundations and are taught to look down on labor since education is really the most important thing in society. Many reject their upbringing and put on a persona of elegance and prestige.

What I find humorous is most the "elites" I meet only know a lot about a little. They are experts in one small area, but feel they know all things as well. Urban areas actually foster specialization like this. This is why you tend to find more elites in Urban areas. Rural areas require one to know a little about a whole lot. While this types actually know more then the elites, the elites feel superior because of the level of knowledge in that one, often not life sustaining or employable, area.

I think some of the elites do not like Trump because he reminds them of their lowly upbringing. Others may not like his brass style because it is just not what they consider "civilized." Some may not like him as president because it proves the point that any idiot could do it, and if any idiot could do that job, then any idiot could do their job. The last statement is more sarcasm then investigation.

[PeterG]

So...Trump has brought identity politics to blue-collar Midwesterners?

no. hillperson clarified that statement.

What hillperson described is identity politics just as much as anything else is.

i hope for less organized political activism.
imho, the U.S. UNorganized majority is the best we can be.

That might be a start, but it doesn't go far enough. We must renounce political activism entirely, of all degrees of organization. It is intrinsically corrupt and corrupting. No pursuit of political power for any reason—not to end abortion, not to promote biblical morality, not to protect religious freedom, not to fight poverty, not to fight terrorism, not to appoint better judges, not to reform healthcare, not to reduce regulation, not to reform the tax code. No voting. No support for any candidate for any office. No March for Life. No anti-war protests.

Maybe even not so much arguing debate discussion of politics.

[GaryK]

So...Trump has brought identity politics to blue-collar Midwesterners?

no. hillperson clarified that statement.

What hillperson described is identity politics just as much as anything else is.

i hope for less organized political activism.
imho, the U.S. UNorganized majority is the best we can be.

That might be a start, but it doesn't go far enough. We must renounce political activism entirely, of all degrees of organization. It is intrinsically corrupt and corrupting. No pursuit of political power for any reason—not to end abortion, not to promote biblical morality, not to protect religious freedom, not to fight poverty, not to fight terrorism, not to appoint better judges, not to reform healthcare, not to reduce regulation, not to reform the tax code. No voting. No support for any candidate for any office. No March for Life. No anti-war protests.

Maybe even not so much arguing debate discussion of politics.

PeterG, I agree with what you are saying here. I have some questions though, and it's something I wrestle with and it appears from your last sentence that you may too. How do we keep ourselves politics free? Can one be politics free while enjoying watching politics?