Why it is okay to be successfull and rich...but

Jarod

Jarod

Well-known member
Contributor
Why is it okay to be successfull and rich, why is greed good....


But being a part of the elite is a bad thing?
 
e⋅lite   /ɪˈlit, eɪˈlit/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [i-leet, ey-leet] Show IPA Pronunciation

–noun 1. (often used with a plural verb) the choice or best of anything considered collectively, as of a group or class of persons.

2. (used with a plural verb) persons of the highest class: Only the elite were there.

3. a group of persons exercising the major share of authority or influence within a larger group: the power elite of a major political party.

4. a type, approximately 10-point in printing-type size, widely used in typewriters and having 12 characters to the inch. Compare pica 1 . –adjective

5. representing the most choice or select; best: an elite group of authors.
 
Jarod said:
Why is it okay to be successfull and rich, why is greed good....


But being a part of the elite is a bad thing?
Click to expand...

I guess it depends how you define "elite". If it refers to intelligence then that's easy to understand. It recalls a segment from the ongoing feud between Lady Astor and Sir Winston Churchill:

Lady Astor: Sir Winston, you are drunk, you are very drunk, you are exceedingly drunk.

Sir Winston: Lady Astor, you are ugly, you are very ugly, you are exceedingly ugly. Tomorrow, I shall be sober."

In an egalitarian society, theoretically anyone can become rich and successful. In contrast, not everyone can be intelligent. Tomorrow, topper may lose all his cash but some of us will still be intelligent.
 
Thorn said:
I guess it depends how you define "elite". If it refers to intelligence then that's easy to understand. It recalls a segment from the ongoing feud between Lady Astor and Sir Winston Churchill:

Lady Astor: Sir Winston, you are drunk, you are very drunk, you are exceedingly drunk.

Sir Winston: Lady Astor, you are ugly, you are very ugly, you are exceedingly ugly. Tomorrow, I shall be sober."

In an egalitarian society, theoretically anyone can become rich and successful. In contrast, not everyone can be intelligent. Tomorrow, topper may lose all his cash but some of us will still be intelligent.
Click to expand...


So if it refers to a class that was merely born into being rich it is an insult? Like Bush?
 
Jarod said:
So if it refers to a class that was merely born into being rich it is an insult? Like Bush?
Click to expand...

Actually I was thinking sort of the reverse, that Obama for instance was criticized as being "elitist", principally because he is so intelligent and articulate.

But on the othe hand, it could be an insult as you describe. Seems always to be considered an insult if uttered by someone from the "outside" of the privileged group.
 
Thorn said:
Actually I was thinking sort of the reverse, that Obama for instance was criticized as being "elitist", principally because he is so intelligent and articulate.
Click to expand...

Right, but what is wrong with that?
 
Jarod said:
Right, but what is wrong with that?
Click to expand...

Nothing. I amended my earlier post to explain that a little. Remember that throughout most of history the intelligent people, the professionals, the thinkers, by and large have been reviled by those who were not among them.
 
Thorn said:
I guess it depends how you define "elite". If it refers to intelligence then that's easy to understand. It recalls a segment from the ongoing feud between Lady Astor and Sir Winston Churchill:

Lady Astor: Sir Winston, you are drunk, you are very drunk, you are exceedingly drunk.

Sir Winston: Lady Astor, you are ugly, you are very ugly, you are exceedingly ugly. Tomorrow, I shall be sober."

In an egalitarian society, theoretically anyone can become rich and successful. In contrast, not everyone can be intelligent. Tomorrow, topper may lose all his cash but some of us will still be intelligent.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that laugh!
 
If Lady Astor was exceedingly ugly while he was drunk, then tomorrow she won't just be ugly....

:D
 
Its amazing to me that Republicans are using elite as an insult. Especally considering that it means successfull.

There is something wrong with being successfull?
 
Jarod said:
Its amazing to me that Republicans are using elite as an insult. Especally considering that it means successfull.

There is something wrong with being successfull?
Click to expand...

I think that the semantics attached to the word "elite", or especially "elitism" carry a little envy and a certain amount of resentment, so that it so often has negative connotations.
 
Thorn said:
I think that the semantics attached to the word "elite", or especially "elitism" carry a little envy and a certain amount of resentment, so that it so often has negative connotations.
Click to expand...

Sure, but that is exactly what they accuse the Liberals of having.. resentment and envy.
 
Jarod said:
Its amazing to me that Republicans are using elite as an insult. Especally considering that it means successfull.

There is something wrong with being successfull?
Click to expand...
No, "elite" doesn't just mean successful. Many of the successful are still down-to-earth.

The idea of "elite" is people who think they are a step above others because of their wealth and/or success. The idea is to promote that they are doing things "for" people that they believe are "inferior" as a kind gesture but do not really understand the core problem.

That is why they say "elite" and then people assume it is "bad".

You will hear it as in, "Bush is an elitist who was born on third base and thought he hit a triple!"

Or, "Kerry is elitist and hypocritical, living in a Mansion with servants... blah, blah."

The extant of the idea is to (usually) paint an opponent as "out of touch with the regular Joe" in some way or another. Like pointing out that having 7 houses is just "too much".
 
Damocles said:
No, "elite" doesn't just mean successful. Many of the successful are still down-to-earth.

The idea of "elite" is people who think they are a step above others because of their wealth and/or success. The idea is to promote that they are doing things "for" people that they believe are "inferior" as a kind gesture but do not really understand the core problem.

That is why they say "elite" and then people assume it is "bad".

You will hear it as in, "Bush is an elitist who was born on third base and thought he hit a triple!"

Or, "Kerry is elitist and hypocritical, living in a Mansion with servants... blah, blah."

The extant of the idea is to (usually) paint an opponent as "out of touch with the regular Joe" in some way or another. Like pointing out that having 7 houses is just "too much".
Click to expand...

So they are confusing the word elite with snob?
 
Thorn said:
Of course! That's why it's in everyone's best interest to just ignore them when they start this nonsense.
Click to expand...

The problem is that so many Americans belive them that people like Bush get elected.
 
Jarod said:
So they are confusing the word elite with snob?
Click to expand...
The words are synonymous.

The idea of "The Elite" in the US is rejected as much as royalty.

Main Entry: snob
Part of Speech: adjective
Synonyms: chichi, elite, haughty, hoity-toity, pedantic, pretentious, snobbish
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top