The Self-Flattering Myth Of The 'Elites' Who Just Don't Get Trump

[EasyAce]

By Ben Shapiro
http://www.dailywire.com/news/16668/self-flattering-myth-elites-who-just-dont-get-ben-shapiro

The “elites” don’t get Trump.

Only the “elites” are bothered by Trump’s antics.

If you don’t like Trump, you’re “elite.”

The term “elite” used to be one of approbation: it used to be good to be elite. It was something we all aspired to be. But in the
last couple of years, pundits have conflated two different terms with two different meanings: “elites” and “elitists.”

Elites are people who are at the top of their field. People with high IQs are intellectually elite. Professional athletes are athletically
elite. Rich people are financially elite. Elite is not a statement about morality. It is a statement about where you fall on the bell
curve in any particular field.

Then there are elitists. Elitists are people who believe that they know better than you. They are people who want to control your
life. An elitist is a person who believes that the supposed underclass’ opinions are valueless, and that only they have the requisite
stuff to evaluate situations correctly . . .

. . . The oddest part about the conflation between “elites” and “elitist” is that it’s all done to benefit President Trump, a financial
elite and self-proclaimed intellectual elite — and it’s largely done by elites who earn millions of dollars promoting their blue collar
bona fides. Those who earn private jets but blast “elites” might want to think about their odd choice of language, rather than
promulgating idiotic stereotypes about the voting populace.

But they don’t, and that’s the point: if you own a private jet but you want to appear a person of the people, the best way to do
so is to pander, to virtue signal — to point to the elites around you and say, “They’re all terrible, but since I’m saying so, I’m
clearly not one of them!” It’s a cheap tactic in emotional manipulation.

Here’s where conservatives should put their real energy: into fighting elitism, not elites.

Not all elites are elitists, and not all elitists are elite.