Liberals and Elites

For a long time now Republicans have used the term ‘liberal’ as a swear word. Liberals, they say, have caused everything bad in the country. I suppose that “making America great again” sort of means getting rid of liberals and everything they stand for. It takes gumption to stand up and say that you are a liberal.

But our recent election and the various analyses of this catastrophe have produced a new swear word to replace ‘liberal’. Now, we are elites. It is as though the Republicans now want to identify with the Third Estate and the whole French Revolution. They see themselves as the great leaders who will carry the poor and down trodden to victory over the elite First Estate. How absurd is that! Look at Trump’s cabinet choices; this is not the poor and down trodden taking over Washington. This is Trump’s billionaire buddies taking over Washington. As a friend of mine says, “Democrats in office try to help the people; Republicans in office try to help themselves.”

But who are the elites and why should they shut up? They are the well educated, the professionals, the scientists, etc. And the Republicans’ disregard for facts and reasoned discussion is why they think the elites should shut up. 

After Meryl Streep’s criticism of Trump on TV the other night, Megan McCain tweeted, in effect, that elites better learn to shut up or they would lose the next election as well. But that is really the last thing they should do. If this is really a war on reason and truth, we must not give in.