What's wrong with being elitist????

I am more educated than 98% of the voting populace. I'm sure I read more newspapers than the average voter (in French, German, and Arabic). I don't mind reading Congressional bills and Supreme Court opinions. So I am smarter and more informed, and more educated than the average voter. Why would I NOT be elitist? Why would I not think I'm more correct than others? I was right about the war. I've been right about pretty much every policy issue since 2000. It ain't rocket science (by the way, I'm pretty good at rocket science). This elitist charge is hoisted by people like me who are smarter and more educated and who understand that the lesser educated have a HUGE chip on their shoulders and wish to tap into that inferiority. Look, I ain't running for office, so I can say this shit. BUT DU seems to be the most glorious elitist place out there. We know we're both more informed and smarter than the chimps over at freeperland.

Here's my favorite reminder: no matter how much more informed I am than my 19 year-old niece who's drunk on American Idol and facebook, her vote counts as much as mine. This keeps me humble (and afraid).

Elitists unite.

By the way, lattes do not the elitist make. I drink my cheap coffee black. Lots of my fat, white trash community members form a big, fat heart-attack-to-be line outside the local Starbucks. Yet, again, I suppose I feel myself superior in my over-educated blue-collaredness, working class coffee to their overweight wanna-be yuppie-hipster Starbucks-drinking, war-mongering, flag-pin-wearing, tailgate-support-our-trooops-decal-posting-shittiness.

I also like imported beer and microbrews.

Oh yeah . . . :rant:

But do you have any Grey Poupon?

It's funny, my mustard snobbery knows NO bounds.

You like French's? As far as I can tell, YOU SUCK!

are different things. Being the former is great. Doing the latter is the mark of an insecure egoist.

Sure sign of douchery. Unless you're British or Canadian. If so, may I suggest sacrifice tradition for efficiency and the Great Vowel shift.

If you're American, then your uncosncious elitism knows NO bounds. Quit being so self-loathing.

No more than you can magically change your obvious personality disorder.

"I cannot change my education"

'nuff said.

It seems our mutual insults (neither of which exude signs of elitism) are a match made in heaven.

are elitists because their language has evolved differently? How the hell does that embarrassingly stupid post justify your attitude? And I'll point out that I didn't call you anything in my original post, I was only answering your (weakly rhetorical) question.

You're both being tools.

there are many instances of "superiour" out there in non-American English. Some US courts even use that spelling. It is not the standard spelling anymore, and to that extent you're right, but to say "nobody" uses it defies reality. As for me, it may have been the influence of a classroom poster of Samuel Johnson with the caption, "a man of superiour cognitive sagacity." I sat right next to it and it always felt like he was staring at me (and he wasn't exactly a looker, a bit like the Hitchcock of your avatar but even grumpier and with a wig, lol). But it actually got me into reading Johnson, if for no other reason than to see if he warranted such big words. He does. Yes, I'm rambling in response to a simple snark, but it's Friday night and I'm not ready to go to bed, so there.

The way Hillary is trying to use it, it means those who are separated by the mainstream, who think they are better than "regular" people, who look down their noses, who are out of touch with the masses, etc.

I see the problem with eliitests like the Clintons in the fact that they want to keep power and privilege amongst their fellow elites.

Finally, if you haven't read this book, I strongly suggest you do. It was part of the required reading in a critical thinking class I had to take for my second degree (the first degree was obtained so long ago we were using clay tables and stylus): "The Irony of Democracy."

It changed forever the way I see our country, our government, and who the true ruling class is.

After you read it, look on line for discussion groups about it. By far, some of the most brainiac and forward-thinking people I've ever encountered.

She uses it as an attack, with the implications that her target is out of touch with the masses, thinks they are better than the masses, etc.

The irony, of course, is that Hillary and BIll are of the Elite American class and, like their fellow Elites, are trying to keep power and privilege in the Elite class.

If you've not read "The Irony of Democracy," I would highly suggest it. It was required reading in a critical thinking class I took to get my second degree (when I got my first degree we were still using clay tablets and stylus). It changed forever the way I think of my country, my ancestors, and especially our political process.

It was one of those "before and after" experiences that don't happen very often in our lives.

After you read it, check out some of the discussion groups online. By far, some of the biggest forward-thinking brainiacs I've ever encountered.

just an asshole;) the only qualification for being an elitist is thinking one is superior to others. That being said, I think we all qualify sometimes......

Theres the traditional usage of the term "elitist", which used to exclusively mean "Rockefeller rich beyond reason" type that wants to win an election to further the economic wellbeing of people like them.

Then theres the more recent type created by the GOP in the last 30 years that means "dont trust him 'cause he's smarter than me" type who has come to be the antithesis of every policy the conservatives love.

We have both kinds represented by our two candidates, choosing the wrong type will only add to the damage our country has suffered in the last 8 years.

It's looking down on others who don't that people have a problem with.

Not everyone has the same opportunities, particularly with college. I know a lot of people who won't send their kids to college for various reasons. Some people manage it themselves, others don't, and don't necessarily have the tools to do so, or enough of a support network to enable them to. I have a friend like this. Definitely college material, but his parents had no interest in sending him. He tried community college for a while, then wanted to go to a liberal college in NYC. But he never did it. Now he's 27, feels he's too old (he's not, but he feels that he is) and is working in a bookstore where he got promoted to manager. Going to college now would just be hard for him. He's outside of most financial aid categories, so he'd need a loan, his family is not supportive, and he feels stuck. I sympathize with him. I don't look down on him.

They mock me for my lack of home repair and auto-repair skills. They are quite elitist when I try to skimp on spark plugs and/or brake pads.

My point, which of course is being lost on people who NEED to be offended, is that we're all elitist in some way. I am politically.

But I know absolutely shit about 10,678 various things.

My sister used to refuse to pump her own gas (she does it now). So we're getting gas in her car, and I told her that I'd pump it for her. I get out and I absolutely cannot open the cap. It has instructions on it to press and turn. It won't come off and won't come off. So she gets out and tries, too - of course since she didn't pump her own gas, she didn't know how either. We tried for about five minutes. Finally, I had to swallow my pride and go ask the guy in the station to do it (I was so-o embarrassed). The guy comes out, COMPLETELY IGNORES THE INSTRUCTIONS, turns the cap without pressing it in and it pops right off. By then we were both as red as beets. I'm sure he got a laugh out of it later. I still don't know WHY it had those wrong instructions, but it just goes to show.

You hit on a great point, and I think being an elitist definintely involves not feeling sympathy/empathy for people and their life circumstances. It's the assumption that anyone not at the elitist's level isn't at their level because they're inherently inferior.

(PS It seems the Pistons' booty holes are still quite relaxed :) )

I think I am an elitist because I can get the NBA channel and find these things out. That was the funniest thing I'd heard on TV in a while and there was no one but me to hear it - SO was out walking the dogs!

We are all elitist in some way or another....do we think we are better than the idiots who vote GOP?

In a presidential race with a former First Lady and a son of admiralty who married into a vast beer fortune, it's the black guy who has to prove he's not "elitist"

and looking down on people not like you. I mean, look where it got Hitler and company. Man, them sure were some good times.

Douche. You better remember that there's a whole lot more of them common folks out there than there ever will be of you, and that if you want to have any chance at all of getting them to vote your way, you will have to go to them hat in hand to present your case. Acting like the very GOP stereotype of "limousine liberals" sure won't help you none. You are what's costing us elections, so go crawl back under the rock from whence you came and stop running your mouth in public.

Poignant enough that you should brandish an Obama avatar. He'll lose for the very same reasons. But I guess you're content with never getting to have any influence about anything, as long as you can scoff at the common man and sit around and feel superior. Quite frankly, fuck you and the flea-bitten mule you rode in on.

Maybe even many, but not everyone, and hopefully not a majority. It's the culture of anti-intellectualism that acts like being well educated, well traveled and well experienced is a liability - something that literally makes one who is those things inferior to everyone else.

Not only is that ludicrously irrational, it can easily be traced to the sorry state of affairs we are currently in.

So scoff at the averaged, reasoned, intellectually curious common man? No. You don't need advanced degrees to be wise, open minded and a critical honest thinker. Scoff at the condensing anti-intellectual who usually turns out to be an ultra-conservative anyway? You betcha.

:rofl:

There people who are condescending and smug who look down on others - that's real elitism.

Then there are people who SEE anyone with more knowledge, insight or experience as arrogant, because they are threatened or insecure - they throw the label "elitist" around anytime they're in an experience where they wish they were smarter or had more education but are standing next to someone who reminds them that they don't.

By the way, I am an elitist. Stupid people who lack intellectual curiosity and disdain those who possess it are the reason why this country is the mess that it is. It isn't just that our education system needs to be better, and economic inequality needs to be better so everyone has the same opportunities to quality education. That would help, but not until we address American culture. It is a culture of anti-intellectualism. There are a large number of Americans who take pride in being fucking stupid, and mock and ridicule others who are exceptionally smart and engaged on the issues, as though that was something to criticize. Upon being presented with every educational opportunity in the world, they still wouldn't take it. We have a culture that celebrates being "ordinary" and "simple" which translates into "ignorant." If you get too much education, pay too much attention, use too much of your brain, suddenly there's something wrong with you to a large group of Americans.

Personally, I want someone so stupefiyingly-smarter-than-me to be President. I want to feel moronic in his or her presence. I want him or her to be the most highly educated, well versed, well traveled human-of-the-world genius that I feel ashamed of my life in comparison. That's who I think should lead the country.

1. twatwaffle

twatwaffle (twat-wah-full):
n.1 An elitist; someone unaware of their own limitations and highly critical of others.
n.2 A general prick. See: douchebag, n00b.
v.1 To ban; to totally pwn.

"That Tom Cruise is such a twatwaffle."

your humanity is a tad underwhelming.

Maybe not up to the level of A Modest Proposal, but satire none the less.

--p!

just as there's nothing wrong with being a member of a particular race, or being a particular sex, or of a particular age. I'll let you add the 'ist' to each of those and see where that leads.

Any '...ist' tendency is rooted in the belief that not being a member of a particular group indicates weakness, inability or turpitude of some sort. For all of your niece's perceived weaknesses, it's useful to remember that she's also right, at least sometimes. The idea that membership in an elite provides superior decision making capability has been effectively challenged:

see James Surowiecki, The Wisdom of Crowds