Posted on 06/17/2006 5:56:58 PM PDT by TSchmereL
THE REVOLT OF THE ELITES: And the Betrayal of Democracy by, Christopher Lasch
Publisher: W.W. Norton & CO.
December - 1995
In this book, an American historian finds fault with the values and beliefs of America's professional elites.
Christopher Lasch argues that democracy today is threatened not by the masses, as Jose Ortega y Gasset argued in The Revolt of the Masses, but by the elites.
These elites - mobile and increasingly global in outlook - refuse to accept limits or ties to any nation or place. Lasch contends that as they isolate themselves in their networks and enclaves, they abandon the traditional middle class and betray our democracy.
The author traces how meritocracy - and its selective elevation of individuals into the elite class - gradually replaced the original American democratic ideal of general competence and respect for every man.
The author criticizes our elite class for valuing self-esteem over achievement. He sees self-fulfilment as a false remedy for deeper social problems, and he attacks the superior pseudoradicalism of the academic left.
He sees these Americans as apathetic about their common culture and ambivalent about arguing politics or voting.
The elites, having jettisoned the moral and ethical guidelines provided by religion, cling to the belief that through various sciences they can master their fates and escape mortal limits.
In pursuit of this illusion they have become infatuated with the global economy. Their revolt, the author warns, is diminishing what is worthwhile about American life.
1. There used to be the threat of communism and the revolt of the workers. Now the threat is a revolt of the elites.
1.1. Those who control the international flow of information, bankers, stockbrokers, executives, professors, government analysts, have lost faith in the concept of Western Civilization and of reason.
1.2. These behaviours and beliefs are more characteristic of the upper classes and represent the betrayal of the middle class and of the lower classes, but especially the middle class.
1.3. The middle and lower classes are much more socially and morally conservative than their would-be liberators from the upper class. The natural and reasonable conservatism of the middle and lower classes is not serviced by the media, who are controlled by elites. These elites believe that they know what is best for the masses.
2. The Decline of the Middle Class
2.1. The middle class is treated with scorn and derision by the new elites. Everything that is ugly in society is associated with the unenlightened middle class (i.e. homophobia, racism, retrograde attitudes towards women, etc.)
2.2. Lasch argues that the crisis in the middle class must be addressed for democracy to survive.
2.3. The middle class is the silent backbone of society, paying an ever-growing proportion of the national tax receipts and working longer hours. Meanwhile the welfare state generates complacency among the lower class and the upper-middle and upper class become more powerful and separate from those who surround them.
3. Who are the New Elites?
3.1. They are symbolic analysts. They live in a world of ideas, abstract concepts and symbols: the stockmarket, financial trends, technology, communications, universities, etc.
3.2. They participate in a market that is global in scope.
3.3. They have more in common with their counterparts in foreign cities such as London, Brussels, Hong Kong and Cairo than they do with the average people whom they see every day.
3.4. In these abstract circles, there exists the cynical idea that the circles of power in finance, government, entertainment and the academe become interchangeable.
3.5. This is product of the Meritocracy.
4. Lasch's Meritocracy
4.1. The meritocracy has many of the attributes of the aristocracy minus its positive traits.
4.2. No sense of social chivalry and noblesse oblige.
4.3. No sense of community and of place.
4.4. Symbolic analysts often feel that they are self-made people who owe all their privileges to their efforts and talent.
4.5. They tend to be transient and live in a community of contemporaries. They do not accept the generational transfer of wisdom, knowledge and values.
5. Meritocracy and Democracy
5.1. For Lasch, meritocracy is a parody of democracy.
5.2. It has brought on the collapse of public schools and an end to the notion of a common culture.
5.3. Educational reforms leave little possibility for outrage. Those who are left behind know that "they have had every chance to succeed."
5.4. The concept of an obligation to others is depersonalized in the meritocracy. The symbolic analysts who benefit from being elites feel for their fellow citizens but do little directly or physically to benefit their fellow citizens.
6. Democracy in the Age of Meritocracy and Globalization
6.1. In the borderless economy, money has lost its nationality. Thus, it is harder to pinpoint those who divert it away from the national popular interest.
6.2. A strong centralized government, run by a quasi-permanent bureaucracy reduce the possibility for protest, change and real representation.
6.3. A strong centralized government is supported by a media that is owned by and serves more and more, a class of symbolic analysts who are increasingly removed from the common culture.
7. Lasch's thesis is that the decline of democracy is closely linked to the decline of the middle class and a move away from argument, discussion, freedom, individuality and a common culture.
The Lost Art of Argument
8. For many years we have been regaled with the benefits of the communications revolution. Lasch contends that all is not as rosy as it would seem.
8.1. The post-industrial economy puts a focus on the interchangeability of employ for the majority of non-symbolic analyst work.
8.2. A growing concentration of non-union labour-intensive parts of the economy.
9. Why is this happening?
9.1. We tend to blame the schools, but this is fallacy in Lasch's eyes. Instead Lasch says that it is the general decay of public debate that has caused this.
9.2. What democracy depends on is not information, but informed, rigorous and reasoned public debate.
9.3. The only way that we know that we know something is by subjecting our ideas to the test of public controversy.
9.4. Lasch thinks that an example of this decline in public debate is the way televised political debates have changed. The corporate media demand certain types of politicians.
10.Government, Media and Meritocracy
10.1. The corporatization of the media has brought about the incorporation of corporate methods in governance. Technocracy is the result.
10.2. Democracy requires the broad discussion of issues. This is difficult when discussion is discouraged. Lasch says that the written word is a poor substitute for oral argument.
11.The author notes the rise of "Public Relations and Advertising" and its negative effects on the democratic exchange of ideas.
12. The author laments the loss of "the ability to follow an argument, grasp the point of view of another, expand the boundaries of understanding, and debate alternative purposes that might be pursued."
Thanks. He is the one I was trying to recall.
funny how only white people talk like this!
I was making a statistical observation, based on the assertion of another poster that elites were Godless. I was agreeing that there was a correlation, although 80% of those with post graduate degrees still believe in God, per the poll. I would certainly agree that the road to wisdom in general is NOT the shedding or religion. This near atheist firmly believes just the opposite. Go put that one in the cranium and parse it! Synthesize the ying and the yang. Cheers.
By the way I am a lawyer, so I am a bit more qualified than most to post about Constitutional law, but frankly there are a couple of non lawyers who are more qualified to about such on this very site, I think, overall, because I am just a dirt bag provincial lawyer, far from DC. But I do my best!
Atheism, depression and truth are not mutually exclusive, but no, I didn't know that. All I knew were those broad band colors. Folks pay hundreds of thousands to millions for them.
I use to visit the Rothko Chapel in Houston, everyonce and awhile.
Check it out...
The Rise and Decline of the State
by Martin van Creveld
Read the poll, and then read a bit about correlations and statistics in general, and you will be in great shape.
By the way, I don't mean to cause you stress. I apologize for that.
It's not only class, but region: In rural or semi-rural areas, the smarter folk are also sucked away from their hometowns so there are fewer competent regional leaders to challenge or reform the leadership in big cities and the two coasts. Somebody I was reading the other day claims Lasch makes just these point in this book. Having read Lasch's book a while back, I can't remember for sure. Definitely a worthy read.
Christopher Shannon, a former student of Lasch, has attracted my attention recently. Anybody read his books?
Being in NYC I have seen this stuff up close and find it deeply distressing.
Isn't it rather disingenous to not provide the data that you link to that shows that religious belief is rather strong among college educated (85-90 percent)? And then present a tangential table about homosexuality? Are you one of those people who constantly have to bring up homosexuality in every conversation?
Considering how hard academia is trying to stamp out religiousity, these are rather encouraging data.
Beliefs:::::::::::::::::::::::
All Adults High School or Less Some College College Grad Post Grad
God 90 92 88 90 85
Survival of the soul after death
84 86 86 79 78
Miracles
84 89 84 77 72
Heaven
82 86 83 76 71
I'd like to see the statistical test you performed to determine that there is a correlation.
Read all my posts. And I linked it. I am an open book.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.