05-27-2020, 04:37 PM
The thing about the term "elite," is that in recent years it's been used as a disparaging term in the culture wars -- it's used to create an "us" vs "them" mentality, and its intent is to paint some "elite other" as an uncaring, out-of-touch, pompous, wealthy group of "others" who do not care for the common man.
So I just don't think it makes sense to use that term here on the Cardboard. Like I said, it's just weird for one Cardboarder calling another Cardboarder an "elite." Most of the people here live in Northern California -- with its high levels of college completion and the extremely high cost of living. Only about one-third of Americans complete college. So, far a Cardboarder to call other Cardboarders "elites" is like someone in Spider-Man cosplay calling someone wearing a Starfleet uniform a nerd at a sci-fi convention.
Second, I don't find the term "elites" helpful. It's used to sow divisions, it's used to imply other people are callous, out-of-touch and so well-to-do that they are cruel and oblivious in their mistreatment of the less fortunate, and with those connotations, used to sow divisions and de-humanize others. It's also, I feel, been used to delegitimize science and journalism and create a "gaslighting" environment.
Listen Mick, I like anybody who likes Princess Bride and if we were in the stands cheering like mad I think we'd get along great while still thinking the other was totally wrong about political views, which, heck, is every family reunion in the country. You gotta trust me that I -- and I think pretty much everyone here -- is not trying to tank the economy just to hurt Trump. No one here wants you or anyone else's business ruined. Everyone here cares about the suffering and hardships of other Cardboarders and of people in general.
I don't know for sure what the right course is. I don't know what's going to happen in Santa Clara or Georgia. But I genuinely believe that the best course to save lives *and* to get the economy growing is to use Shelter-In-Places to really get things under control first, and to work like mad to get measures in place like testing, contact tracing, masks and PPE, best practices, sanitization, and everything. I genuinely believe people truly need to be very safe, and I think it's both a miscalculation (and wrong) to try to convince other people it's safe if I honestly don't believe that it is for me and my family. You know, maybe the Georgia experiment will be a success, and its success would provide evidence that other states should move faster. On the other hand, what if the Bay Area is right, and by July the economy is roaring and it will provide an example for how other places can get their economies moving in a similar fashion.
But I can assure you I don't advocate this path because I want to hurt one political party or because I don't care or am oblivious to human economic suffering. And plenty of us have been pretty po'ed at our local (Democratic) officials who have moved slowly on their end of getting this going with testing, contact tracing, and more. But I really believe it is the best, most effective and most responsible course. It's also one that other countries have followed successfully around the world.
So I just don't think it makes sense to use that term here on the Cardboard. Like I said, it's just weird for one Cardboarder calling another Cardboarder an "elite." Most of the people here live in Northern California -- with its high levels of college completion and the extremely high cost of living. Only about one-third of Americans complete college. So, far a Cardboarder to call other Cardboarders "elites" is like someone in Spider-Man cosplay calling someone wearing a Starfleet uniform a nerd at a sci-fi convention.
Second, I don't find the term "elites" helpful. It's used to sow divisions, it's used to imply other people are callous, out-of-touch and so well-to-do that they are cruel and oblivious in their mistreatment of the less fortunate, and with those connotations, used to sow divisions and de-humanize others. It's also, I feel, been used to delegitimize science and journalism and create a "gaslighting" environment.
Listen Mick, I like anybody who likes Princess Bride and if we were in the stands cheering like mad I think we'd get along great while still thinking the other was totally wrong about political views, which, heck, is every family reunion in the country. You gotta trust me that I -- and I think pretty much everyone here -- is not trying to tank the economy just to hurt Trump. No one here wants you or anyone else's business ruined. Everyone here cares about the suffering and hardships of other Cardboarders and of people in general.
I don't know for sure what the right course is. I don't know what's going to happen in Santa Clara or Georgia. But I genuinely believe that the best course to save lives *and* to get the economy growing is to use Shelter-In-Places to really get things under control first, and to work like mad to get measures in place like testing, contact tracing, masks and PPE, best practices, sanitization, and everything. I genuinely believe people truly need to be very safe, and I think it's both a miscalculation (and wrong) to try to convince other people it's safe if I honestly don't believe that it is for me and my family. You know, maybe the Georgia experiment will be a success, and its success would provide evidence that other states should move faster. On the other hand, what if the Bay Area is right, and by July the economy is roaring and it will provide an example for how other places can get their economies moving in a similar fashion.
But I can assure you I don't advocate this path because I want to hurt one political party or because I don't care or am oblivious to human economic suffering. And plenty of us have been pretty po'ed at our local (Democratic) officials who have moved slowly on their end of getting this going with testing, contact tracing, and more. But I really believe it is the best, most effective and most responsible course. It's also one that other countries have followed successfully around the world.