Elites
Once upon a time "elite' meant the best of the best. Olympic gold medalists were elite when they won. In America Navy Seals were seen as elite fighters. One could have no doubt that they deserved the honor.
But I have to note that, amazing as they are, Seals don't win wars - high tech weaponry wins wars. And the operators of that tech are an elite in their own right. Like - the people operating ballistic missiles or fighter jets are not amateurs.
I'm amazed at the skill athletes. How could Simon Biles possibly do what she does on a balance bar? She is definitely an elite athlete.
We can celebrate elite soldiers and athletes. But there is another meaning of elite that is as ancient as olympians - that is; the rich and powerful form a social elite - they are not elite because of capability but because of the family they were a part of.
Of course if you have an elite (rich and powerful) family you have way more opportunity to become elite in other ways. I imagine it's easier to become an elite gymnast if you don't need a day job that interferes with your training. Affirmative action can be seen as an attempt to level the playing field so that people outside of elite families have access to resources.
Democratic cultures seem to have a kind of schizoid reaction to elites. On the one hand they are powerful people who look down their noses at us. Elites are people who have unearned power that speak down to the hoi-poloi.
On the other hand, elite athletes become very rich celebrities.
Experts are a genuine sort of elite. They really do know more than the rest of us and are a valuable resource. Or do they? Depends on who you ask. Some people tell us to turn our backs on these elitist 'experts' who recommend vaccines.
The difference between elite athletes and political and scientific and religious elites is that the athletes don't tell us what to do 'for our own good.' Navy SEALS don't dictate to us either. They offer no choice. But scientists are stuck with having to demonstrate things using tools that most people can't comprehend to produce, not TRUTH, but the best we know.
I admit that there is a level of culture that I don't understand at all. I do appreciate the amazing skills of athletes but who says we need stuff like the Olympics that are hugely expensive and a huge security risk as well? Who says that the Olympics is a good way for a society to spend it's wealth? Vancouver hosted the Olympics 15 years ago. We have a speed skating oval that needs repair and that few people can use. Was that a wise use of funds when we couldn't (supposedly) train enough nurses because of a lack of facilities?
It seems that 'elites' have replaced experts who have studied an issue. It's kind of ironic that elites - whether social or political - tell us to ignore the experts and our own lying eyes and believe what they say.
What do you think?
I present regular philosophy discussions in a virtual reality called Second Life.
I set a topic and people come as avatars and sit around a virtual table to discuss it.
Each week I write a short essay to set the topic.
I show a selection of them here.