The country is "broken" because of the false philosophic premises of unreason, altruist sacrifice as the good, collectivism and statism. That is the fundamental cause. The corruption you describe is everywhere, but that is a consequence. It's one way the destruction is put into action as false ideas are believed and implemented.

Yes, however, those best and brightest are human and can be bought ... which appears to be the norm. The aristocrats do what it takes to promote themselves. Entities with money control the laws and the aristocrats. It is wishful thinking that these days, where power is in the hands of those behind the scenes pulling strings, are numbered. I am powerless, those like me are powerless, large groups of those like me are powerless, to wrest the power from the elites. It's simply not possible. Our country is broken.

Yes.

Tribalists do not lack a conscious mind.

The article redefines aristocracy, in the sense of government by those considered to be the best or most able, to mean legal robbers, which is an entirely different concept, and ignores the role of the philosophical ideas that the "aristocracy" today holds. Most of them are smarter or better educated -- in the realm of the intellectuals.

The political elites think that belief in statism and collectivism coupled with their education and 'quick minds' entitles them to rule others. They don't start with a premise of legal robbery. The problem is the dominant intellectuals' beliefs in altruism, collectivism and statism, not whether they pretend to be brighter than average, which most of them are and which is why they rise to the positions they are in over others with the same increasingly popular premises.

Obama did not "become president because he was black" and Hillary was not "next in line because she was a woman". They exploited those identities for their sales pitch but they rose because they are intelligent and because of their ideas and ability to promote them; there were millions of other blacks and women who did not. Hillary was a top student in school and became valedictorian of her class at Wellesley College. Obama learned his oratorical golden tongue at a prestigious private high school in Hawaii and was highly regarded at Harvard Law School. Democrats supported both of them because of their knowledge of and ability to articulate Democrat principles in ways others could not, not because of a concept limited to legalized robbery.

The fact that the best educated and brightest are always a minority does not mean that the fall of their statism is inevitable in days that are "numbered". If their ideas continue to spread the days of civilization are "numbered", but the rulers will have more power over less. The days of those in that kind of power are "numbered" in the same way as those of medieval kings who were always threatened by each other.

Fix the dominant philosophical ideas and the consequences of that for education and we need not be concerned about the role of the "elites": The best and brightest should be in positions of leadership -- if they hold proper ideas and not the dominant progressivism and pragmatist philosophy of the last century that has come to define the current rule by bureaucratic elite everywhere we look.

Exactly!...thank you. Identity, The "I" and the conscious mind naturally gives one a sense of self. Those without that universal identity, one's private IP address, so to speak; are naturally in conflict with a sense of self...it has to be made up, invented and that often goes wrong because it's based on subject standards that are often simply an observation of others or the opinion of others and usually the "Wrong" others. (phenomenology) - judging one's self or creating one's "self" bases on one's perception of how others are judging you...
That's why they don't like to be judged!

True. "an imitation conscience called a super ego"
The fantasy to hide the absence of actual self-esteem. As AR wrote, if ever faced, "...the next step is insanity of suicide."

Thank you. I physical division of the USA along ideological lines is probably a good idea.

Excellent essay! These Aristocrats (Dims, Media & others) have given themselves the supposed right of Coup d'etat of President Trump. They believe themselves the caretakers of those who they want to garner their votes to remain in power. Their rhetoric is also dividing the people of this country which could lead to another physical division of the USA.

Thanks a lot!

posted to facebook...another excellent presentation...just finished "Made in America"...the expose of the last 50 years of govt abuse....I highly recommend it...keep a barf bag close...

Thank you.

Excellent! Thanks once again for a breath of fresh air.

Thanks.

So, you have observed it too, others refuse to believe it but this is the only conclusion I can come to at this point in my studies.

Not aware, not aware of their own behavior equals, no conscience, not conscious, not human in the same sense that those Conscious are.

They are ruled by ego...a false identity and moderated by an imitation conscience called a super ego...how else could they possible think what they do, believe what they do or do what they do.
They clearly lack the "I" and a conscious mind.

It's a defect, clear and simple.

"I am not sure they are aware that they are really not worthy and would be found wanting if measured and weighed."

They are not aware and never will be..............they "blank out" to maintain pseudo self-esteem"..............have seen this for real in too many, too often over too many years (which ended in 1992 with semi-retirement).

Robert.........once again, excellent !!!!!!

Welcome.

Thanks, you made my day.

WOW!!! I wish I had an audience of some kind besides my family so I could read that entry by Mr. gore aloud to a crowd. It actually increased my heart rate while reading it . Overcoming my tachacardia pills.We all know by heart the plot of The Straight Liner's story, but it is rarely told in such a powerful and elegant way.

Here is a face that could replace that of the aristocrat on top of the article~

https://www.bing.com/images/search?vi...

I used to mock some of my military "aristocrats" to their face by occasionally referring to them as Count so-and-so, when I felt they were acting with undue imperiousness. Fortunately, my name tag game was widely known and appreciated, and only a few took it poorly, with most rethinking their actions. I decided the game was useless with the Washington DC bureaucrats, whose skulls proved too thick to understand even the mildest criticism.

Jonah Goldberg's latest column, http://www.nationalreview.com/article... observes the Hollywood aristocracy and their belief in moral superiority as an example of a self-assumed elite.

At the heart of any tyrannical government from Feudalism to Communism is the aristocrat: the person who thinks that they are better than others and that as such has a "right" to rule. That's one of the things that made Ronald Reagan such a great President - he was under no such illusion. Contrast that to Obama and Hillary Clinton, who disregard the laws as being "for others not them" - the classic symptom of the aristocratic mindset.

True freedom on the other hand lies in recognizing the equality of all before the law and the recognition in difference of talents as an opportunity for trade rather than an excuse to seek power.

I'll read it with interest. Thanks for your response.

I watched it. It was good to get the inside scoop on the 13. I'm skeptical that Trump's EO will enable him to go after the Clinton's. The EO may be unconstitutional and the Clintons would certainly challenge it as it is applied to them as US citizens. However, the guy does a good job documenting the interesting company the Clintons keep.

FYI, I wrote an article on the EO, "By Imperial Decree." The link:

https://straightlinelogic.com/2018/01...