The contrast between Roland Fryer and Claudine Gay is a case study of class warfare. He grew up in the hood with no parents and worked fast food jobs to put himself through state school, then became a rock star economist at Harvard. She had rich parents who sent her to Exeter, rose through the DIE commissar ranks with plagiarism, then suspended him from Harvard after his research found no correlation between police violence and race. Hope Colbert gets more boosters after his all time cringe segment shilling for the Vax-Sceeene.
That piece is not really just about Germany. All of the western “ruling class” are following the exact same playbook. Americans reading it and thinking that’s not happening in the good ole USA would be catastrophically wrong.
Read that piece by Eugyppius. Go to sleep. Read it again when you wake up. Repeat. Read it until every last shred of meaning and understanding has been gleaned from it. Then realize that although this piece is Germany-specific, the same kind of thing is happening all over the world right now - tailored to each different jurisdiction.
I think you've hit the nail on the head here Chris - call it what you will, there's a new priestly class who are the possessors of The One True Way™. The rest of us? We're just the altar boys hoping it isn't our turn this week.
Very incisive sir. I work “high” in pharma but what is really high are not the salaries, it is the open political alignment that managers spout I guess in hopes of being recognized as upper class. There are cracks in the facade though. The fake pandemic is known to be fake, especially by people with half a brain in pharma. The soul selling has sickened many with self loathing. And for those it hasn’t, we’ll they are openly despised clowns. Or they are over 70.
Spot on. I live in Chevy Chase, am a law partner married to a surgeon, and have a sizable net worth. Yet I am conservative, own guns, and evince my working class roots—so am a total outsider to the true insiders described here. Well they can have it…I will take my great family and our country place with a smile on my face, while these miserable pricks can have their Atlantic, MSNBC, and organic plant-based cocoons for themselves.
This is an interesting assessment of our current political class. I have witnessed this kind of polarization in real life living in affluent mountains of the west for 35 years. In mountain towns, you have the athletes, the service workers, real estate agents, etc. that typically are hanging on because they love the geography of the town, or the wealthy people living in multi-million dollar mansions. The only thing the wealthy like more than money and prestige is complaining about how long it took them to get a glass of Pinot Grigio at the local wine bar. The wealthy contribute very little to these communities except paying taxes, but expect to be worshipped. Years ago, a friend that was a waitress was conversing with some wealthy visitors to the area, and the guest inquired about what it was like living in the mountain town. My friend said it was great, but housing was very expensive, which the visitor replied, "that's good, it keeps the riff-raff out." My friend replied, "I am the riff-raff."
It stands to reason that this has trickled down (up?) to politics.
Your description of the Über-class’s disdain for Trump because he’s a landlord (but also the contempt it feels for the productive generally) reminds me of the scene in “Casablanca” where Captain Renault closes Rick’s because he’s “just discovered” gambling in the back, only to be given his winnings seconds later.
The Über-class (which contains no first generation business builders) exists on (a) dividend flows and capital gains from businesses they despise that were built by their forebears, or (b) “performatively radical adjunct professors with a $32,000 salaries in Fresno” who are funded indirectly thru “foundations.”
Hubris magnifico. That article by Codevilla is great- America New Ruling Class- if I remember right. There are 2 types of intellectuals, those who deal with things with consequences, engineers, doctors, etc., and those who just talk. Heinlein had the idea of only military veterans being allowed to run for office. The Russian tsars made all princes in line for the throne to spend a year living alone on a wilderness island. Could we do that?
This smugness, this class warfare is ubiquitous. It is everywhere, all the time.
A few years ago I was selected for a leadership program. Apparently it is supposed to be nation wide, but I think there are only 8-10 chapters--my community is one of them. Kinda a big deal...kinda...gotta be nominated. 24 each year out of 350ish nominations. All the local big-shots are alumni, especially the local politicians, non-profit leaders, or govt employees.
Our (wife and I) strategic goal is to build a no-kill sanctuary in our community. We have an event to raise money for this. Getting tied in with this community is/was a smart strategic move for me. There is actually a by-law that alumni have 48 hours to return any combo from another--basically they are required to help each other.
Long intro, sorry. In my class of 24 there were 14 women, a broad mix of ethnicities. Of the remaining 10 men, three were white. One of them is gay...of course. I was one of two people who didn't work for the government or a non-profit. I was the only entrepreneur...and the only Veteran even though JBLM has over $1 billion in payroll for us...and about 60K people who work on base each day.
The very first day I heard mentioned by some of the alumni who came to speak to us about the year long program, as well as the executive director, at least 4-5 times..."...white male patriarchy...." laced with utter disdain.
Uh, isn't your boyfriend a white male?
Uh, have you looked at the demographics of our own class?
Don't let facts get in the way of ideology.
The class distinction that Chris so ably describes might be described as those who hold 'luxury beliefs' and those who know from experience.
Competence is dismissed, even frowned upon.
I'm beginning to believe so much of this warfare is rooted in a sublimated and then projected self-hatred the "new elite" feel about themselves but turn on the producers.
Victor Davis Hanson wrote back in 2009 about the 'Depression Among Us'. He used a phrase I love and have tried to use as often as possible.
VDH was commenting about how we could never build the Golden Gate Bridge or the Interstate Highway system these days. Too many of the 'new elite' mucking things up.
He said that what we all long for, deep in our hearts, is the 'unapologetic doer'. Hear, Hear!
Mike Benz: "From [Western governments'] perspective, if the military did not begin to censor the internet, all of the democratic institutions and infrastructure that gave rise to the modern world after World War II would collapse. So you could imagine their reaction when, five months later, Donald Trump won the 2016 election."
Yes, this is perfectly apt. Excellent and key to understanding our conundrum. The battle lines are drawn between the criticism class, who are all sneaky wimps, and the practitioner class. The contemptuous and contemptible who make up the criticism class can’t remove a brain tumor , make a payroll, or
create anything of lasting value. They are parasitic in multiple dimensions. Which is in great part why they loathe people who actually do something. These are not strictly intellectuals, because once in a blue moon an intellectual develops a useful concept. These are the people who hang around to see if they can make money and gain influence from somebody else’s hard work and talent. A statesman like Churchill was a renaissance man - a gifted orator, writer, artist, who liked to fight like a man and get his hands dirty. Most importantly he could connect to the people. JFK was an addict, but he wasn’t a pussy. We now have sneaky degenerates like Obama and the Bidens, who make the scheming royal families of old Europe look like virtue personified. We have phony effete commies and used car salesmen without respect for anybody.
And the crap we produce here gets aped around the rest of the West. It’s a sleazy feedback loop of ever magnifying dreck. Which is why they fear and hate Trump, Netanyahu, Orban, Millei. For all their limitations, these are recognizable as men. And men are 😱.Can you say that for the leaders of our country? Georgia Meloni has bigger balls than any of the other leaders in Western Europe.
"Democracy" is whatever the insider elite say it is, and they will do whatever it takes to keep control. Turn the subterfuge strategies perfected after WWII by the military, intelligence agencies, NATO and sundry pick of acronym groups used internationally onto domestic "extremists" populations, who refuse to be compliant and blind, and you can wield all the powers of the state. and their "entitled to power" partners to squash the troublemakers like roaches. Use any means necessary as the ends justify the means, ethics invented as needed, including declaring pandemics at a moment's notice and the suspension of constitutional right, countermeasure poison jabs, censorship, election rigging, etc.
All the liberals I know are in a fever state about Trump. They are not just blind, but openly supportive of an authoritarian response to him, not even flinching if I mention the likes of what is going on in Germany.
I know a lot of dissidents who disparage the vote. I keep telling them, the 2020 election changed everything, If Dems control DC after 2024, it will become increasingly illegal to not be a Democrat, which means we dissidents will be silenced or worse.
I read eugyppius's article earlier and was horrified. This is exactly how our leaders here in North America speak. It's indeed a quiet totalitarian coup.
The contrast between Roland Fryer and Claudine Gay is a case study of class warfare. He grew up in the hood with no parents and worked fast food jobs to put himself through state school, then became a rock star economist at Harvard. She had rich parents who sent her to Exeter, rose through the DIE commissar ranks with plagiarism, then suspended him from Harvard after his research found no correlation between police violence and race. Hope Colbert gets more boosters after his all time cringe segment shilling for the Vax-Sceeene.
That piece is not really just about Germany. All of the western “ruling class” are following the exact same playbook. Americans reading it and thinking that’s not happening in the good ole USA would be catastrophically wrong.
Yes
Read that piece by Eugyppius. Go to sleep. Read it again when you wake up. Repeat. Read it until every last shred of meaning and understanding has been gleaned from it. Then realize that although this piece is Germany-specific, the same kind of thing is happening all over the world right now - tailored to each different jurisdiction.
I think you've hit the nail on the head here Chris - call it what you will, there's a new priestly class who are the possessors of The One True Way™. The rest of us? We're just the altar boys hoping it isn't our turn this week.
I believe George Carlin said it best - it’s a big club and you ain’t in it
Very incisive sir. I work “high” in pharma but what is really high are not the salaries, it is the open political alignment that managers spout I guess in hopes of being recognized as upper class. There are cracks in the facade though. The fake pandemic is known to be fake, especially by people with half a brain in pharma. The soul selling has sickened many with self loathing. And for those it hasn’t, we’ll they are openly despised clowns. Or they are over 70.
Spot on. I live in Chevy Chase, am a law partner married to a surgeon, and have a sizable net worth. Yet I am conservative, own guns, and evince my working class roots—so am a total outsider to the true insiders described here. Well they can have it…I will take my great family and our country place with a smile on my face, while these miserable pricks can have their Atlantic, MSNBC, and organic plant-based cocoons for themselves.
This is an interesting assessment of our current political class. I have witnessed this kind of polarization in real life living in affluent mountains of the west for 35 years. In mountain towns, you have the athletes, the service workers, real estate agents, etc. that typically are hanging on because they love the geography of the town, or the wealthy people living in multi-million dollar mansions. The only thing the wealthy like more than money and prestige is complaining about how long it took them to get a glass of Pinot Grigio at the local wine bar. The wealthy contribute very little to these communities except paying taxes, but expect to be worshipped. Years ago, a friend that was a waitress was conversing with some wealthy visitors to the area, and the guest inquired about what it was like living in the mountain town. My friend said it was great, but housing was very expensive, which the visitor replied, "that's good, it keeps the riff-raff out." My friend replied, "I am the riff-raff."
It stands to reason that this has trickled down (up?) to politics.
It's utterly amazing this is all happening at the same time.
Geez Louise you'd think there were 60 + elections happening worldwide this year!
By gosh, does any of this sound familiar?!...
Your description of the Über-class’s disdain for Trump because he’s a landlord (but also the contempt it feels for the productive generally) reminds me of the scene in “Casablanca” where Captain Renault closes Rick’s because he’s “just discovered” gambling in the back, only to be given his winnings seconds later.
The Über-class (which contains no first generation business builders) exists on (a) dividend flows and capital gains from businesses they despise that were built by their forebears, or (b) “performatively radical adjunct professors with a $32,000 salaries in Fresno” who are funded indirectly thru “foundations.”
The hypocrisy is Brobdingnagian.
Hubris magnifico. That article by Codevilla is great- America New Ruling Class- if I remember right. There are 2 types of intellectuals, those who deal with things with consequences, engineers, doctors, etc., and those who just talk. Heinlein had the idea of only military veterans being allowed to run for office. The Russian tsars made all princes in line for the throne to spend a year living alone on a wilderness island. Could we do that?
This smugness, this class warfare is ubiquitous. It is everywhere, all the time.
A few years ago I was selected for a leadership program. Apparently it is supposed to be nation wide, but I think there are only 8-10 chapters--my community is one of them. Kinda a big deal...kinda...gotta be nominated. 24 each year out of 350ish nominations. All the local big-shots are alumni, especially the local politicians, non-profit leaders, or govt employees.
Our (wife and I) strategic goal is to build a no-kill sanctuary in our community. We have an event to raise money for this. Getting tied in with this community is/was a smart strategic move for me. There is actually a by-law that alumni have 48 hours to return any combo from another--basically they are required to help each other.
Long intro, sorry. In my class of 24 there were 14 women, a broad mix of ethnicities. Of the remaining 10 men, three were white. One of them is gay...of course. I was one of two people who didn't work for the government or a non-profit. I was the only entrepreneur...and the only Veteran even though JBLM has over $1 billion in payroll for us...and about 60K people who work on base each day.
The very first day I heard mentioned by some of the alumni who came to speak to us about the year long program, as well as the executive director, at least 4-5 times..."...white male patriarchy...." laced with utter disdain.
Uh, isn't your boyfriend a white male?
Uh, have you looked at the demographics of our own class?
Don't let facts get in the way of ideology.
The class distinction that Chris so ably describes might be described as those who hold 'luxury beliefs' and those who know from experience.
Competence is dismissed, even frowned upon.
I'm beginning to believe so much of this warfare is rooted in a sublimated and then projected self-hatred the "new elite" feel about themselves but turn on the producers.
Victor Davis Hanson wrote back in 2009 about the 'Depression Among Us'. He used a phrase I love and have tried to use as often as possible.
VDH was commenting about how we could never build the Golden Gate Bridge or the Interstate Highway system these days. Too many of the 'new elite' mucking things up.
He said that what we all long for, deep in our hearts, is the 'unapologetic doer'. Hear, Hear!
bsn
Mike Benz: "From [Western governments'] perspective, if the military did not begin to censor the internet, all of the democratic institutions and infrastructure that gave rise to the modern world after World War II would collapse. So you could imagine their reaction when, five months later, Donald Trump won the 2016 election."
Yes, this is perfectly apt. Excellent and key to understanding our conundrum. The battle lines are drawn between the criticism class, who are all sneaky wimps, and the practitioner class. The contemptuous and contemptible who make up the criticism class can’t remove a brain tumor , make a payroll, or
create anything of lasting value. They are parasitic in multiple dimensions. Which is in great part why they loathe people who actually do something. These are not strictly intellectuals, because once in a blue moon an intellectual develops a useful concept. These are the people who hang around to see if they can make money and gain influence from somebody else’s hard work and talent. A statesman like Churchill was a renaissance man - a gifted orator, writer, artist, who liked to fight like a man and get his hands dirty. Most importantly he could connect to the people. JFK was an addict, but he wasn’t a pussy. We now have sneaky degenerates like Obama and the Bidens, who make the scheming royal families of old Europe look like virtue personified. We have phony effete commies and used car salesmen without respect for anybody.
And the crap we produce here gets aped around the rest of the West. It’s a sleazy feedback loop of ever magnifying dreck. Which is why they fear and hate Trump, Netanyahu, Orban, Millei. For all their limitations, these are recognizable as men. And men are 😱.Can you say that for the leaders of our country? Georgia Meloni has bigger balls than any of the other leaders in Western Europe.
.
Tuckers interview yesterday covers this perfectly.
https://x.com/TuckerCarlson/status/1758529993280205039?s=20e
"Democracy" is whatever the insider elite say it is, and they will do whatever it takes to keep control. Turn the subterfuge strategies perfected after WWII by the military, intelligence agencies, NATO and sundry pick of acronym groups used internationally onto domestic "extremists" populations, who refuse to be compliant and blind, and you can wield all the powers of the state. and their "entitled to power" partners to squash the troublemakers like roaches. Use any means necessary as the ends justify the means, ethics invented as needed, including declaring pandemics at a moment's notice and the suspension of constitutional right, countermeasure poison jabs, censorship, election rigging, etc.
All the liberals I know are in a fever state about Trump. They are not just blind, but openly supportive of an authoritarian response to him, not even flinching if I mention the likes of what is going on in Germany.
I know a lot of dissidents who disparage the vote. I keep telling them, the 2020 election changed everything, If Dems control DC after 2024, it will become increasingly illegal to not be a Democrat, which means we dissidents will be silenced or worse.
I read eugyppius's article earlier and was horrified. This is exactly how our leaders here in North America speak. It's indeed a quiet totalitarian coup.