The ‘New Elites’: the “winners” lording it over us

 

Yesterday I wrote that today I’d look at the ‘New Elites’ rather than the latest ‘news’ as presented in the Westminster MSM. A quick perusal of the fare they offer this morning, compilated as usual by Auntie B. (link), shows that my choice was correct. Mind you, for a giggle, do scroll down a bit and enjoy the photo gracing The Times: Biden in front of a huge bunny. ‘Tis political imagery for the kiddies who need ‘entertainment’ and pretty piccies rather than facts. 

This simply shows that the same old people do the same old thing, spun and judiciously leaked by the same old people to the same old people who write about it. Note well that ‘old’ doesn’t refer to their biological age. It simply reflects the fact that we’ve seen, heard and read them all for years and years, spouting the same old things expressed with different words. 

And so to the ‘New Elites’. Six years ago David Goodhart published his book ‘The Road to Somewhere”, written in the wake of the EU Referendum as an attempt to explain why we peasants didn’t vote as the ‘elites’ wanted and predicted. In the blurb we read:

“In this groundbreaking and timely book, Goodhart shows us how people have come to be divided into two camps: the ‘Anywheres’, who have ‘achieved’ identities, derived from their careers and education, and ‘Somewheres’, who get their identity from a sense of place and from the people around them, and who feel a sense of loss due to mass immigration and rapid social change. […] Goodhart shows how Anywheres must come to understand and respect Somewhere values to stand a fighting chance against the rise of populism.”

Yes, well, they didn’t did they! We can  all attest that, looking back, the ‘anywheres’ did anything but respect the ‘somewhere’ values but doubled down instead in their fight against ‘populism’. 

In his latest book “Values, Voice and Virtue: The New British Politics”, published a few days ago, Matt Goodwin takes a closer look at the turmoil created by the ever deeper split between Goodhart’s ‘Anywheres’ and ‘Somewheres’. The reason for this split is explained by Goodwin in his latest substack article where he homes in on his critics, observing that:

“[…] I spent part of this week watching one left-leaning, Oxbridge graduate after another —newspaper columnists, editors, television presenters, professors, art critics, think tank directors, BBC managers, nepo-historians, nepo-communists, and nepo-journalists- lining up to proclaim they are definitely NOT part of any elite.” (link)

Briefly: “nepo-historians, nepo-communists, and nepo-journalists” are the kids and young relatives of ‘established’ names who have received their platforms simply by virtue of being ‘related, i. e. through nepotism. You thought the combined Left was above such things and condemned them? No, they only do that for actual aristocrats. There’s more:

“But while members of the New Elite do wield enormous influence over the national conversation […] the members of this new ruling class are also very fond of portraying themselves as oppressed underdogs who, actually, have no power at all. I’m not going to name names but how, for example, can you work at a newspaper such as The Times, at senior levels in the BBC, in publishing, or at an Oxbridge or Russell Group university and simultaneously claim there’s no such thing as a left-leaning elite graduate class which is not only more liberal or radically progressive than the rest of the country but also, clearly, wields considerable influence over it? Well, I’ll tell you how. You belong to the New Elite.” (link)

Does this sound familiar? I think that anyone of us who has been following the performances of our politicians and the spin of ‘editors’ and opinion makers will agree that this is a fair analysis. Goodwin is scathing in his description:

“[…]they seldom interact with people who hold different values and beliefs to their own. They inhabit a social world, both offline and online, which is full of people who look and sound like them. They tend to read things which confirm their existing beliefs while rejecting evidence which points to the contrary. And they’ve responded to recent challenges to their economic, cultural, and political power […] not by agreeing to compromise with the millions of voters who’ve been left behind but by doubling down on their existing beliefs while simultaneously denouncing these voters as an assortment of racist Gammons, thick bigots, and ignorant buffoons.” (link)

I proudly declare that I am such a ‘racist Gammon, thick bigot and ignorant buffoon’! Describing the intolerance of this ‘New Elite’ of anything and anyone who dares to differ, Goodwin points out that they try to deny what has happened these last years in British politics while reasserting “their power by silencing and stigmatising anybody who disagrees with them.” Indeed so, and their intolerance doesn’t just affect ‘opinion makers’ excluded from their discourse but has far-reaching consequences by making people unemployable. One last quote:

“[…] the new elite increasingly derive their status by projecting their luxury beliefs and allegiance to radical ‘woke’ progressivism and its leading cheerleaders. To win status among the New Elite today is to deny the existence of radical ‘woke’ progressivism while simultaneously expressing your allegiance to it, to rally behind the leading advocates of this new religion while simultaneously deriding those who are critical of it, to proclaim to be the most committed of all to liberalism and pluralism while simultaneously avoiding or shutting down debate with anybody who might hold different beliefs to your own.” (link)

Moreover, as I described here yesterday, such woke, ‘progressive’ beliefs are promoted by huge financial interests which coerce even Big Business into creating the ‘progressive’ society they favour. Is it unreasonable to assume that money, somewhere, might have changed hands?

I’ve not – yet – read the book, but following the arguments quoted above, I think it’s not that far out when I regard this ‘New Elite’ as a neo-aristocrat regime akin to the last days of Versailles before the French Revolution.

Recall that by their writings some French aristocrats themselves were preparing the road to that revolution. Recall also that the financial situation of France at that time was beyond dire, that ever more taxes finally broke the back of that society even though it took a few years before the whole thing exploded.

Thus I am not expecting any time soon a revolt here in our green and pleasant lands. However, the ‘New Elites’ ought to be aware that there’s only so long one can dance unscathed on a volcano ready to erupt.

That’s all I have for today. Let’s have a round of applause for all of us who’ve observed this development in frustration and anger, having tried and are still trying to do something about it. We’ve been justified. Have a good day.



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