Posted on 09/21/2022 5:02:02 AM PDT by MtnClimber
The emergence of a cognitive elite, and, for the first time in history, the almost total convergence of intellectuals with the financial elite explains the coming extinction of the middle class.
Nearly 30 years ago, Richard Herrnstein and Charles Murray published “The Bell Curve,” which became notorious for its chapter that highlighted differences in IQ test results by race. But that controversy overshadowed the primary focus of the book, which was that the human race is dividing into a cognitive elite and everyone else.
In the book, the authors argue that for the first time in history, humans are far more likely to marry their intellectual equals. “As the century progressed,” they write, “the historical mix of intellectual abilities at all levels of American society thinned as intelligence rose to the top. The upper end of the cognitive ability distribution has been increasingly channeled into higher education, especially the top colleges and professional schools, thence into high-IQ occupations and senior managerial positions. The scattered brightest of the early twentieth century have congregated, forming a new class.”
Herrnstein and Murray went on to predict an alliance between the cognitive elite and the affluent, writing, “For most of the century, intellectuals and the affluent have been antagonists,” but that now, “the very bright have become much more uniformly affluent than they used to be while, at the same time, the universe of affluent people has become more densely populated by the very bright. Not surprisingly, the interests of affluence and the cognitive elite have begun to blend.”
Although parts of The Bell Curve have been hotly debated, these two predictions—the formation of a cognitive elite, and the alliance of the cognitive elite with the affluent—resonate strongly today. They explain one of the root causes of globalism. Herrnstein and Murray even predict the rise of “the custodial state,” which they define as “a high-tech and more lavish version of the Indian reservation for some substantial minority of the nation’s population, while the rest of America goes about its business.”
The problem with that prediction, however, is that it suggests America will divide into three classes: the cognitive elite and affluent class, the middle class, and a permanent underclass of the cognitively deficient, completely dependent on the “custodial state.” That would have been bad enough, but that’s not quite what is happening. Instead, the elites in America, joining with their counterparts in most of the rest of the developed world, are engineering a future where there will only be two classes: the elites and a permanent underclass.
Not everyone who is highly intelligent or independently wealthy embraces the extreme climate and equity agenda. Many still see that such a flawed agenda is bound to impoverish and embitter billions of people. While there are powerful incentives to go along, and powerful disincentives to resistance, minds can be changed. The prevailing consensus can be broken.
To avoid turning the vast majority of humanity into livestock, which is where we’re headed, requires presenting alternative scenarios. Appealing to those elites who retain a shred of common sense and common decency is not impossible. Protecting the planet and promoting fairness does not require rationing and racism. Elaborating on those basic facts may yet convince a critical mass of elites to change the course we’re on.
From the feudal society, to the communists. The few enlightened should rule and all other just do what they are told.
The middle class does not fit to this system, but provides all the real innovation and progress.
These “progressives” are the most regressive, backward part of the society.
Very interesting article - not what I expected.
I did not realize that average IQs in the USA had started to decline. Not surprised, really.
Nevertheless, you will die one day, and then comes judgment. Hebrews 9
This moron just discovered that intellectuals and the money class work together. Everyone clap.
‘There’s a reason why a “middle class” was never the norm for thousands of years of human history.’
the norm for all of humankind’s history of societal structuring is the subjecting of the masses to the iron grip of ‘controlling authorities’ in the form of governments, media, educational facilities, and churches...
people think power is the ultimate aphrodisiac; but power is tenuous without the underpinning of total control...
These “progressives” are the opposite of everything they claim to be. They’re intolerant, judge everyone by their skin color, don’t believe in democracy, are not fair or open-minded, hate equality, and want nothing to do with real progress.
The author failed to acknowledge the racial implications of Chapter 1 with changing national demographics. I suppose he doesn't want to repel the woke and politically correct.
I don't see the middle class voting its way out of this mess, until things get worse than they are now..Hope I am wrong.
Because the elites only need the lower class and a few smart people to keep them alive and serve them. The rest of us are expendable.
Murray was wrong. We're not getting a cognitive 'elite'.
The problem is two high IQ parents can offer their children every advantage in the world - except guaranteed high IQ's.
Research shows mother nature pushes offspring toward the mean. If that was not the case, we'd have people walking around with IQ's over 200 by now. Each generation of cognitive elite would be smarter than the last. It's just not happening. What is happening is horrible.
An example? Washington DC's 'elites' married each other and had too many 'very average' kids. Kids who were sent to the best schools, put in the best jobs and are doing a horrible job running the government. The 'John Kerry's of the world, the Kennedy drunks and whore mongers... We've got to get back to merit.
Hayek also described this in his book “ The Road to Serfdom”
History
__________________________________________
Indeed.
Straight line extrapolations are simply models. They do not exist naturally. History is dynamic. It has cycles and gestures, call & response.
For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Everyone has a plan to win until they get punched in the face.
And
Ask not for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for thee.
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