The expert class is the modern equivalent of pre-industrial artisans being replaced by machines and assembly lines. And it will destroy society before it will allow itself to be replaced.
I think you are on to something - what we are seeing from our ‘elites’ is not confidence but terror. At some level they realize they are useless and their status, not to mention paychecks, are threatened. They see their social inferiors voting for Trump, or Brexit, or mocking their latest thoughts on gender or climate or other fashionable beliefs, and so make even more deranged pronouncements.
I expect this to be self correcting, but there will be many more victims along the way.
Bummed at the lack of political sophistication on display here. The notion that the capitalist class just ‘wants socialism’ should code as a) obviously untrue, and b) a regurgitated talking point from 1987.
Sheldon Wolin’s work on inverted totalitarianism is a good place to start for a better understanding of American political dynamics. More broadly, we live in what Gary Gerstle describes as the “neoliberal political order,” which governs most political behavior. The order masquerades as a bipolar ‘liberal’ and ‘conservative political spectrum…primarily on social issues, but there’s broad agreement among most political actors that things like “economic growth is good” and “we don’t want government agencies making iPhones,” etc. The order agrees on almost all major issues, and allows dissent on meaningless culture war issues to divide workers against each other—conveniently for them, that prevents us from rising up against the elites and the bosses.
So Bass’s analysis is completely upside down, even if he’s got some basic facts right. Nothing that can’t be overcome with a little light reading or a few hours of earnest inquiry on YouTube.
For starters, actual leftists like me have nothing but contempt for liberals and the Democratic Party; many of us believe universities are hedge funds with books, and that both parties are bought and owned by corporate interests. Those “elites” in education, banking, finance, oil, pharma, and tech have more contempt for us than they do for Trump…but you wouldn’t know that if you listen to NPR, Fox News, WaPo, or the New York Times. They pretend we don’t exist or dismiss us derisively as “Trump supporting populists.”
Anyway, thanks for reading with an open mind. My intention isn’t to offend, but the characterization of “socialism” was just way off base.
The expert class is not the capitalist class. They are the managerial class and the managerial class is more compatible with socialism than capitalism. This is especially the case because they are being phased out by AI. They are going to want their handouts real soon. It's about to get really nasty. We are only in the early phases of what is coming.
“The expert class will fight to the death to prevent this annihilation.
It will even destroy society to prevent it.”
Yep.
The terms capitalism and socialism are lacking in nuance within the current context. Depending on the industry, there’s a mix of corporate and government coordination to maximize profits and power for those at the top (since $$ win elections, profits and power travel together). Capitalism reserves its criticism for government, and socialism focuses on the sins of business. But greed is what drives both economic systems to a form of monopoly control, totalitarianism, fascism, collectivism, authoritarian tyranny, or whatever descriptor you want to use to describe the loss of individual liberty.
Greed is a very hard instinct to restrain on a society wide basis, but that restraint is a worthy ambition, IMHO. The term ENOUGH has an important place in the conversation, especially within a moral framework.
Moderating the long-term dystopian tendencies of both capitalism and socialism requires an informed and attentive electorate in a democratic system. Too big of an ask? I guess we’ll find out.
I think you are on to something - what we are seeing from our ‘elites’ is not confidence but terror. At some level they realize they are useless and their status, not to mention paychecks, are threatened. They see their social inferiors voting for Trump, or Brexit, or mocking their latest thoughts on gender or climate or other fashionable beliefs, and so make even more deranged pronouncements.
I expect this to be self correcting, but there will be many more victims along the way.
Bummed at the lack of political sophistication on display here. The notion that the capitalist class just ‘wants socialism’ should code as a) obviously untrue, and b) a regurgitated talking point from 1987.
Sheldon Wolin’s work on inverted totalitarianism is a good place to start for a better understanding of American political dynamics. More broadly, we live in what Gary Gerstle describes as the “neoliberal political order,” which governs most political behavior. The order masquerades as a bipolar ‘liberal’ and ‘conservative political spectrum…primarily on social issues, but there’s broad agreement among most political actors that things like “economic growth is good” and “we don’t want government agencies making iPhones,” etc. The order agrees on almost all major issues, and allows dissent on meaningless culture war issues to divide workers against each other—conveniently for them, that prevents us from rising up against the elites and the bosses.
So Bass’s analysis is completely upside down, even if he’s got some basic facts right. Nothing that can’t be overcome with a little light reading or a few hours of earnest inquiry on YouTube.
For starters, actual leftists like me have nothing but contempt for liberals and the Democratic Party; many of us believe universities are hedge funds with books, and that both parties are bought and owned by corporate interests. Those “elites” in education, banking, finance, oil, pharma, and tech have more contempt for us than they do for Trump…but you wouldn’t know that if you listen to NPR, Fox News, WaPo, or the New York Times. They pretend we don’t exist or dismiss us derisively as “Trump supporting populists.”
Anyway, thanks for reading with an open mind. My intention isn’t to offend, but the characterization of “socialism” was just way off base.
The expert class is not the capitalist class. They are the managerial class and the managerial class is more compatible with socialism than capitalism. This is especially the case because they are being phased out by AI. They are going to want their handouts real soon. It's about to get really nasty. We are only in the early phases of what is coming.
“The expert class will fight to the death to prevent this annihilation.
It will even destroy society to prevent it.”
Yep.
The terms capitalism and socialism are lacking in nuance within the current context. Depending on the industry, there’s a mix of corporate and government coordination to maximize profits and power for those at the top (since $$ win elections, profits and power travel together). Capitalism reserves its criticism for government, and socialism focuses on the sins of business. But greed is what drives both economic systems to a form of monopoly control, totalitarianism, fascism, collectivism, authoritarian tyranny, or whatever descriptor you want to use to describe the loss of individual liberty.
Greed is a very hard instinct to restrain on a society wide basis, but that restraint is a worthy ambition, IMHO. The term ENOUGH has an important place in the conversation, especially within a moral framework.
Moderating the long-term dystopian tendencies of both capitalism and socialism requires an informed and attentive electorate in a democratic system. Too big of an ask? I guess we’ll find out.