Elitism and democracy
The VIP or sister Teresa
The elite and elitist humanist elite
The elite is the mob.. Henry Becque
Humanity is still running. The intellectual elite is its avant-garde pioneers. It spawns the paths through which the whole of humanity, then pass. It is therefore wrong to represent this elite as separate from the mass of humanity, because it is ahead. And it would be a bad leader of people want to force his avant-garde walk in the main army. Romain Rolland
Elitism ; attitude of promoting the accession of those judged to be the best and to devalue the rest of the population, says Wikipedia. This definition shows both sides of this mindset. It is positive when it helps raise the best of us in the corresponding positions. It is negative when he took advantage of his position to disregard the rest of the citizens. For the history of humanity, elitism is progress. He first allowed the bourgeoisie to access responsibilities previously reserved for the nobility. Then he allowed the whole people as to enter the highest offices. When it is fair and gives everyone the same chance, then it is a factor of progress. When he climbed the top of each corporation at the top of hierarchies *, it is positive for humanity.
* Social hierarchies, intellectual, political, artistic, scientific, or technical
But of course most systems are vulnerable to the ravages of power. Over time, the old stereotypes into place. Nepotism, favoritism, bias, cronyism, eventually ossified systems *.
* The subject he seems a thoroughly been studied by spirits such as Pierre Bourdieu or Serge Halimi.
Evolution of elitism to the pejorative
The intellectual elite, as Romain Rolland writes, is the vanguard of humanity. It actually traces the path of men through what could be likened to a thick fog. But there is the elite depending Romain Rolland and the elite by Henry Becque. It has be aware of its universal role elite, and shortsighted and thésaurisante elite, crushed by his egocentrism. It has to be elite that truth and justice above all. And placing elite venality and cronyism in his early research. He 's there just elite and critical of "powerful" and beneficial to the people. And elitist elite disconnected from the realities of humanity which it to load.
Both elites
VIP and heroes
The righteous, the saints, celebrities
" The love of glory leads to discredit the love of pleasure to pain, weakness in the effort, the taste for domination defeat " Plutarch.
Elitism : system promoting and protecting the elite at the expense of other members of the community.
The elitist behavior can be separated into two forms:
Benevolent beings when claiming, put their potential differences in the service of many.
Malicious, when used as a pretext for predatory minority to monopolize all privileges. When malicious aims to put slavery in a portion of the people or to devalue.
This last elitist behavior that we will discuss here. We then speak of discriminating elitism or primary elitism.
Criticism is healthy
Obviously, separate world : elite / people back to old codes would be better to overtake. But it is still the only way to effectively criticize misbehavior discriminant elite. This elite is unable to challenge. At the slightest criticism, she brandished the range of populism to silence and forgetting his monstrosities. Forget disproportions indecent living conditions and the emergence of new segregation. An elite waving the flag of populism in order to legitimize its peace misconduct. That is why it seems interesting to reuse the old stereotypes to oppose clearly this manipulation.
The man needs heroes to identify with.
Since the birth of the great civilizations, humanity chooses heroes to serve as its horizon. The character of these models chosen by a company corresponds to the height of awareness of this company. The gods and heroes of ancient Greece ( Hercules Zeus ) were brave and daring. But they were also careless, greedy rogues, liars, violent and often ruthless.
Heroes of market
In recent decades, it is television that creates most of the new heroes. They are selected from celebrities related to market. Before the 80s, it was the people who elected unconstrained image of the hero he preferred. Year after year, Abbé Pierre, Gandhi, Sister Emmanuelle or sister Theresa, handily won the vote. This choice sticking with the true level of consciousness of society.
The people admired through the icons, the qualities of heart, universalism of brotherhood and kindness, the generosity, altruism, ecumenism, the gift of self, values taught for over 2,500 years. After the fall of communism, the market " has paid" among other TV. The image of altruistic and spiritual hero (do nothing related ) found himself dismissed, ridiculed or challenged. The market system has simply pushed the values of selflessness and dedication, in favor of more profitable symbols. For TV audience, the choice of new heroes is limited to the world of money, players, singers, industrialists, merchants, politicians, entertainers.
Mother Teresa, Abbé Pierre
Sister Emmanuelle,
Coluche, Zidane..
Naturally, the people continued to elect within these new icons available, the most universal, the most ethical and the most generous. Therefore Coluche or Zidane still outweigh Bernard Tapie and Paul Wolf Sulitzer.
But altruism, the total gift of self, incarnated the previous icons, has been totally rejected by the market system. Zidane is currently the most popular of the French man. It actually embodies some form of generosity, kindness and sharing. But that has nothing to do with the commitment of a lifetime of service to others ( Sister Emmanuelle etc.. ). Protect his family including Zidane speaks clan sense in its latest ad has nothing to do with the protection of the " universal family of the poor" in the spirit of the Abbé Pierre Sister Emanuelle or sister Theresa.
A reflection implodes
We must think he seems to degradation icons. Degradation orchestrated ( instinctively ) by the media and the benefit of the market. Altruism and taste for equality have already been removed. Generosity still exists but for how long? The market will he also settle the sublime value in favor of a discriminating and clan as we see every day occupy TV screens selfish hero, elitist ? And what results across humanity?
Over time, our species has developed new higher values which emerges the benevolent elitism. This elitism still exists, it is simply overshadowed by the media. Every day volunteers, honest journalists, resistant of all kinds, offering their lives for the freedom of the oppressed. For truth, equality and fraternity, and the largest media silence.
If the logic of human evolution is followed, elitism discriminant should be declining. For 30 years this is no longer the case. Instead, this elitism is expanding. New "master" richer, abusing people. They lead in sweets, to a new slavery. The square VIP bloom. Ghettos, whether for rich or poor too.. It is this return back to be analyzed and challenged.
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