Active Thinking Topic 96 - Hating Elites is Stupid ... but Recommended viewing: Dark Brandon (5 Sept 2024) "A Very Strong Case Why MAGA Voters Are Stupid" @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrU6F-S8VMo A starting thought (Thor) - In any competitive undertaking there is the person who came first, the person who came second, the person who came fifth, the the person who declined to compete. Each has particular thoughts and feelings about that competitive experience, and in the lottery of life each has one vote. Oh, and everyone wants to be a hero in their own movie. They will arrange the morality of the memory script accordingly. 1. What is an 'elite' in the view of 'ordinary people' ? (.. and who are 'ordinary people'?) 2. Why is it impossible to have a society without elites of some kind? 3. People don't usually complain about elite footballers or beauty queens. What kinds of elites are widely disliked? Why? 4. The leaders of countries, whether democracies or dictatorships or oligarchies, are not usually people of great vision (though they might like to think so) or outstanding intelligence. What are some reasons for this? Why do the most gifted people in societies usually avoid political leadership roles, or are excluded from them? 5. Imagine that by some accident of genetics, or inheritance, or study or other achievement ... that you find yourself to be disliked by large numbers of people. They consider you to be a member of some elite group which they despise. What can you do about it? Should you deny or hide your own identity? 6. Just as a crowd or mob has certain strengths and weaknesses, so it is with members of most elites. Maybe the most dangerous distraction for an elite individual is HUBRIS. Can you think of an example where hubris has undermined an otherwise outstanding individual or group? 7. Australians often see themselves as being less class-obsessed than people in other countries. Is this true? If it is true, is the national sport of "cutting down tall poppies" useful, or is it self-destructive. 8. What part do education systems, from primary to postgraduate, play in creating various kinds of elites? What are the competing interests at play here? 9. The American constitution says that "all men are equal". The original ideology of communism was a dream of a society where there were no elites. Why have both the American and communist ideals turned out to be not just false, but damaging? 10. If the world must have elites of various kinds, how can their relationship with the rest of us be managed without resentment and jealousy? -------------------- Extra Reading & Viewing Parnell Palme McGuinness (November 3, 2024 ) "Hating ‘elites’ is stupid, and it’s no crime to say so … yet". The Age @ https://www.theage.com.au/national/hating-elites-is-stupid-and-it-s-no-crime-to-say-so-yet-20241101-p5kn5c.html Dark Brandon (5 Sept 2024) "A Very Strong Case Why MAGA Voters Are Stupid" @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrU6F-S8VMo Dr. Rachel Sociologist (25 Mar 2020) "The Lower Middle Class and The Working Class" @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu9uWZQd92E Stoic Philosophy (3 Nov 2024) "9 REASONS Why PEOPLE Secretly HATE You" @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlAgc93-idI MR. BRAIN How Leaders Use MASS PSYCHOSIS to Control You And Millions" (31 Oct 2024) @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoQDRMiV3Hs [Quote: "mass psychosis—a phenomenon where entire societies lose their grip on reality, swept up by collective fear, delusion, and manipulation. From historical witch hunts to the rise of totalitarianism, we examine how mass psychosis has led ordinary people to embrace irrational beliefs, commit unthinkable acts, and submit to powerful forces. Through insights from psychologists like Carl Jung and experts on the psychology of totalitarianism, discover the mechanisms that trigger this disturbing shift and what it means for our modern world."] Crispin Thurlow ( 2 Jan 2024) "Why You Should Embrace Mediocrity". TEDx @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxxMiihvKgg [Quote: " "elite" pickles to "premium" baby diapers, marketers are constantly telling us to seek superiority — but "by the simple law of averages, most of us have to live a life more ordinary," says sociolinguist Crispin Thurlow. He invites us to embrace mediocrity for a change, offering a different path to contentedness without comparison.] DOUGLAS MURRAY (9 Mar 2024) "The Dangerous Weaponisation of Identity-Based Grievances". The Equiano Project @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhPsX-edql4 Gary Younge (2 June 2014) "Who's in control – nation states or global corporations?" The Guardian @ https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jun/02/control-nation-states-corporations-autonomy-neoliberalism Anand Giridharadas (Jan. 20, 2014) "Balancing Private and Public Needs - Here is a working definition of “developing country”: a place where people trust the sushi and distrust the tap water." New York Times @ https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/21/world/americas/balancing-private-and-public-needs.html Jordan Peterson (28 Aug 2024) "The Most Terrifying IQ Statistics". The Iced Coffee Hour Clips @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtRE9HpVja8 Maximilien Robespierre (November 2024) " Has Trump And Brexit Proved That The Public Are Too Stupid To Have Democracy?" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fh1stlxqmDQ ----------------- Hating Elites is Stupid ... but (c) Thor May 2024
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