A little more than a week ago, I drew your attention to the superbly written essay, "America's Ruling Class -- And the Perils of Revolution," by retired Boston University professor Angelo Codevilla. If you haven't haven't had an opportunity to read it yet, please do. Because it provides one of the most important analytical frameworks of our time.
Because we've been beaten over the head with Marxist "class conflict" for so long, most of us simply ignore the idea of class altogether. But it was in fact the classical liberals who pioneered class theory, not the Marxists (twisted version). Codevilla' essay is a brilliant analysis of American society from the perspective of "libertarian class theory": the classical liberal view of politics being a struggle between 2 adversarial classes - the ruling elite vs. the rest of us.
"We the people" ignore the countless backdoor deals and shady machinations of the "ruling class" at our own peril. We've developed a strangely high tolerance for political corruption too. Hey, as long as it's "our party," it can't be all that bad ... right?
Stop and think about this for a moment ... Think back to the Nixon administration for example, and count the number of people who have come and gone through Washington's revolving door, time and time again, as part of one administration after another. It's pretty much the same people, connected to the same groups, isn't it? The Obama administration is virtually Clinton's administration, Clinton's was virtually Carter's, GWB's administration connected to Ford and Nixon ... same as it ever was.
Do you really believe that out of 330+ million American citizens, decade after decade, this small group of people just happened to be the "best and brightest?" I mean seriously, what are the odds?
Presidents and Founding Fathers Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson both warned of the "banking elite." In fact, the Second Bank of the United States (Federal Reserve) was a major campaign issue, of which President Jackson described as "the bank is trying to kill me, but I will kill it!" He further charged "beyond question that this great and powerful institution [Second Bank of the United States] had been actively engaged in attempting to influence the elections of the public officers by means of its money." His re-election campaign slogan was "JACKSON and NO BANK!" Once re-elected, he vetoed the bank's charter and promptly shut it down.
Boy, if you talk like Thomas Jefferson or Andrew Jackson today, you're mockingly labeled a "conspiracy theorist," someone not considered serious. Do we really trust our elite that much? Do you really believe it's sheer coincidence that Goldman Sachs and the U.S. Treasury are run by the same people? Would you like to buy a bridge?
Economist and historian Robert Higgs offers more insight into "America's Ruling Class -- And the Perils of Revolution."
A Splendid Essay on the Two Great Classes in Contemporary America
Codevilla cuts immediately to the core: the United States today is divided into (a) a ruling class, which dominates the government at every level, the schools and universities, the mainstream media, Hollywood, and a great deal else, and (b) all of the rest of us, a heterogeneous agglomeration that Codevilla dubs the country class. The ruling class holds the lion’s share of the institutional power, but the country class encompasses perhaps two-thirds of the people.
Yet we allow ourselves to become confused by the "left vs. right" dogma, which places government in the role of final and omnipotent arbiter, no matter what side you're on. The "corporate oppressors" and "government oppressors" are just 2 of the same - corporatism.
Members of the two classes do not like one another. In particular, the ruling class views the rest of the population as composed of ignoramuses who are vicious, violent, racist, religious, irrational, unscientific, backward, generally ill-behaved, and incapable of living well without constant, detailed direction by our betters ...
This class divide has little to do with rich versus poor or Democrat versus Republican. At its core, it has to do with the division between, on the one hand, those whose attitudes are attuned to the views endorsed by the ruling class (especially “political correctness”) and whose fortunes are linked directly or indirectly with government programs and, on the other hand, those whose outlooks and interests derive from and focus on private affairs, especially the traditional family, religion, and genuine private enterprise. Above all, as Codevilla makes plain, “for our ruling class, identity always trumps.” These people know they are superior in every way, and they are not shy about letting us know that they are. Arrogance might as well be their middle name.
The ruling class, not surprisingly, is also the statist party ...
Of course the "ruling class" is the "statist party." They think government is a tool to be used to bring about their every whim. And don't kid yourselves ... it's never about you.
Despite the rulers’ chronic complaints about people’s exercising “discrimination” of one kind or another, they have no intention of treating everybody equally. Hence, “[l]aws and regulations nowadays are longer than ever because length is needed to specify how people will be treated unequally.” As the recent health-care and financial-reform statutes illustrate perfectly, however, much of the inequality is achieved not directly, but by the statutes’ delegation of authority to countless regulatory and administrative bodies, which will use their ample discretion to do the desired dirty work.
Higgs highly recommends "America's Ruling Class -- And the Perils of Revolution" too.
... I heartily recommend this magnificent essay, which is one of the most intelligent, forthright discussions of America’s current socio-political condition I have ever read. If we serfs are ever to escape the grip of our overbearing, self-appointed nobility, the first requirements will be to recognize correctly our current condition, to denounce openly its injustice and idiocy, and to deride every claim of legitimacy or entitlement our rulers have the temerity to make or presume.
Once you realize that we really are in the "grip of our overbearing, self-appointed nobility," it's easier to see the 2-party "Democrat vs. Republican" system for the sham it truly is. It also helps shed light on why for example, government always grows with "limited government" Republicans in charge, and why "antiwar" candidate Barack Obama not only didn't end the war, but expanded it instead!
The real political struggle in America isn't left vs. right ... it's us vs. them!
See also:
I mostly agree, but I don't like the term "ruling class" because it connotes too small a group. Every unionized public employee and every scientist or NGO employee who receives tax-funded grants is part of that "class" of our enemies. That's millions of people.
If we're to be honest, you, me and David combined don't wield the political power in this country that David Rockefeller or George Soros wields with their pinky fingers. Those guys directly and indirectly influence policy.
A couple years ago with the president announcing pending doom without a massive bailout, the majority of the country steadfastly told our reps in Washington "NO!" They passed it anyways.
Unionized public employees may be part of the problem, but they're not part of the ruling class. They're used as pawns just like the rest of us.
Ben Bernanke meets privately with foreign central banks, without any oversight from our government or any other. Not even the politicians are privy to what they say and do. You, me, David and all the unionized public employees combined don't wield the political power Bernanke does. Our only shot would be to take up arms.
We have lost our government "of the people."
John David Galt opines:
-"I mostly agree, but I don’t like the term “ruling class” because it connotes too small a group. Every unionized public employee and every scientist or NGO employee who receives tax-funded grants is part of that “class” of our enemies. That’s millions of people."
-What the CL said was the "elite" has a following of hanger-ons "whose fortunes are linked directly or indirectly with government programs....", and those "those whose outlooks and interests derive from and focus on private affairs, especially the traditional family, religion, and genuine private enterprise."
The "unionized employee and every scientist or NGO employee" IS a part of the "elites" in CL's view. (at least that's how i read it)
I'd rather think that the REAL "elites" form this faux divide amongst us "peasants"......this divide between "unionized employee and every scientist or NGO employee" (-or liberal, if you will), and those who "focus on private affairs, especially the traditional family, religion, and genuine private enterprise." (-the conservatives)
The real elites play this game to keep us from seeing the man behind the curtain. John Kerry and George W. Bush run in the same circles. The Democrat Republican divide is a useful tool for them to keep us peasants at each others throats. Divide and conquer.
[...] of mammon. Mammon is about power, greed, lust, cruelty and oppression. Mammon is the system of the Ruling Class and its minions. Mammon is Satan. Man is an easy mark for Satan if he lacks discernment and [...]