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Pastimes : JFK Jr., Is this an assasination? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Tom Clarke who wrote (444)	8/22/1999 10:42:00 AM
From: MNI	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 542

Charles, actually I have no idea how you have managed to be one ... <gg>. However it is not at all needed to be highly educated to be an elitist. Nor is it to feel part of an elite. For one thing there are very different kinds of elites: money-elite, power-elite, academic elite, spiritual elite ... elite fighters, elite peace campaigners, scientologist elite ... Most of those who feel belonging to one of those named elite's will not feel belonging to another one. Actually most who feel belonging to any 'elite' will feel that theirs is >>the<< elite.... For me an elitist is someone who thinks that some people should have more power of decision, some privileges (and, okay, you stated, also more responsibility) because of any one feature of those. Maybe you are not an elitist, but you sounded like one ... also elitists often have a strong interest in special, exclusive, or even hidden clubs ... I oppose elitism. I am an egalitarian. I am egalitarian although I know that not all men/women are equal. That is part of the calculation. It is a staing feature of human nature and human societies. However I think an free and egalitarian society is the simplest way of giving the best chances to the brightest (as it is not possible to determine their brightness without letting them find out themselves), and also the most effective way of government. It is the base of democracy. I didn't learn Latin while being part of any elite (nor did it give me that feeling). I learned it because I had to decide French or Latin, and Latin seemed easier. Okay, looking back it seems the right decision, because it stayed very well in my memory, actually better than English, as long as I didn't exercise the latter. I don't feel part of any elite, and if I did, I would feel awkward about it. That's it, really. But maybe that is an generation difference between you and me. I include some portion of my prior post to Colleen, as I think I cannot assume it worthwile for you to read all of that one...: "About the talk about the interactions of language and society I should add that I do not know whether what I said (I have learned about it at school, some 15 years ago) related to the US as well or only to Britain. Also I tried to make clear that it is more important how the possibilities and side-effects of language are used in any specific society / environment than what they could be in principle. " Best regards MNI.