The "elitist" label which Republicans love to pin on Democrats

[billyskank]

I love this, in the sense that I admire the audacity of it. It's not quite what it looks on the surface. It appears to be blatant hypocrisy. But it isn't. Actually it's unbelievable cynicism. So I have decided after giving the matter some thought.

It appears to be hypocrisy because Republicans accuse Democrats of being elitists when the Republicans themselves clearly comprise the elite. When John McCain was asked how many houses he owned, he could not answer. The current president, George W. Bush, is the son of a former eponymous president, and is a scion of privilege. Republicans paint Democrats as remote and out of touch, when the same Republicans themselves wouldn't like to go within ten miles of a poor person. George Bush doesn't even read the papers or watch TV. Republicans have no idea at all how ordinary people live, and they certainly don't care. And yet Barack Obama is an "elitist". How can they maintain this hypocrisy?

Well, they can simply lie out of their arses, of course, and we know that Rove politics is hardly above that. But I've been giving this some thought, and it occurred to me that when campaigning, the Republicans always speak in code. For example, states' rights means keeping black people under the boot. Moral values means banning abortion. That sort of thing. You can think of many more examples.

So "elitist" is probably code too. But for what? Well, let's examine how the word is usually used. Republicans usually use it in a sentence that also includes the words "latte", "effete", "east coast", "urban", and so on. All words that hint at sophistication. Or, in other words, intelligence.

Yes. Isn't it amazing? The Republicans, when they call a Democrat an "elitist", are actually insulting the intelligence of their own base. They're insinuating that they shouldn't vote for a Democrat because the Democrat isn't "one of them", meaning that they're stupid and the Democrat isn't.

How breathtakingly cynical is that?

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. That's exactly it - "elitist" means "not willing to settle for warm Budweiser and sports talk"

To be "elite" means that one looks at facts, collates data holistically, and comes to informed positions while drawing on a large internal database of scientific, mathematical, historical, and past and present cultural knowledge and a thorough grounding in the methodology of research and data-gathering, which position might even at times be contrary to what the current "authority" says is true, even if said authority is of the same political/ideological mindset.

[billyskank]

2. Ditto!

[Rabrrrrrr]

3. It's also tossed around here that way at times.

:patriot:

"Only elitists care about grammar and punctuation and syntax on a message board" and so forth.

[billyskank]

10. I personally think failure to distinguish between "its" and "it's" ought to be grounds

for a good thrashing. :D

[lizziegrace]

4. Spot on Billy!

:applause:

I agree completely.

[billyskank]

6. Hey you.

:hi:

*takes bow*

I sent you a text message couple of weeks ago, but I don't know if it worked.

[lizziegrace]

11. You *should* take a bow.

:)

[ghostsofgiants]

5. Fuckin' a, man.

Spot on.

[billyskank]

7. Cheers dude.

I'm trying to integrate this is how we chill but I don't know what variable to use.

:hi:

[Redstone]

8. Well, of COURSE they're full of shit. They're Republicans! They know damn well that

using that label for Democrats is a cynical appeal for votes from knuckle-dragging, mouth-breathing goobers who are too fucking stupid and oblivious to even know when they've been insulted.

But hey, you can't blame the Repubs for trying; it's worked for them in the past, and there are still a LOT of knuckle-dragging, mouth-breathing goobers who are too fucking stupid and oblivious to even know when they've been insulted, all over America.

Redstone

[billyskank]

9. I know. Isn't it amazing?

The fact that it actually works means that they must be right.

[Crazy Dave]

12. I've had several rich repug clients

You know, the ones with the Bush autographed pictures on their wall or desk. The one who always got to me the most with his hypocrisy and was always trying to get me to go to his church and claimed to be such a man of faith that Jesus Christ himself was the only mortal as close to God as he. But if you asked him what he did to help the less fortunate whether with his time or money he had the attitude that God didn't want him to help others, God only helps those who help themselves.

[billyskank]

13. That's Nietzschian "master morality"

Nietzsche thought that there were two kinds of morality: master morality and slave morality, and that master morality was the original. By that reckoning, to be "good" or moral was to be powerful, successful, to conquer by one's own force of will and determination. Whereas he thought that "slave" morality was an attempt by the underclass to claim morality for themselves: by this reckoning, meekness became a virtue in itself.

Very interesting (and disgusting) to see Nietzschian philosophy adopted by Christians. One wonders if they ever actually read their own Bible?

[Redstone]

14. Gol dang, I'm glad I never get to that level of discussion with MY clients.

I don't know what business you're in, but if it's one that requires you to give your clients the opportunity to spout that kind of bullshit to you (and you have to put up with it to keep the client's business), I'm damn happy that's not my field of business.

(However: Do not construe that statement as being any criticism of you at at all. If the business you're in requires that you have that level of involvement with your clients, and you have to put up with it to stay in business, it is NOT for me to criticize you for doing so.)

Redstone

[Crazy Dave]

17. Unfortunately a little bit of BS'ing goes on with mine

I'm a lousy golfer so I usually do the lunch thing. I learned a long time ago you never fix problems out in the hot sun or in a noisy office with the phones ringing. But now the cell phones and blackberrys are screwing that up too. Thankfully I'll only be working in the professional world another 9 years until I semi-retire. After that I want a job that requires no thinking like handing out shopping carts.

[Rob H.]

15. Happily K&R'ing

Well said. :thumbsup:

[billyskank]

16. Thanks.

:hi:

[Doc_Technical]

18. They say we are hateful, yet they are consumed by hatred.

They say we are unpatriotic yet they know very little
about our Constitution.

They say we are stupid (Libtard) yet they couldn't find
Canada on a world map if you spotted them the
Western Hemisphere.

They act fearless yet they are afraid.

They preach Christianity yet they quote
the Old Testament.

They enjoy the wealthy and powerful
giving us "elitists" a verbal wedgie.