Decius wrote:
I agree with most of what you've said here but I think you are being disingenuous when you argue that the term "elite" is used to refer only to those who think they know how to run other people's lives.

Anyone can misuse the term (knowingly or not), but when used appropriately in this political context, "elite" does refer to the control freaks who think that freedom is overrated (be they on the right or left). To equate the use of the term "elite" on the part of the right (be they conservatives, capitalists, or more specifically, Republicans) with an anti-education or anti-intellectual position is... disingenuous.

I do agree with you that politicians (broadly speaking) would rather keep us as uninformed as possible, and I think it's always been that way. I disagree that "anti-elite" and "anti-intellectual" mean the same thing, or that either the right or left has a particular animosity toward intellectuals. Both sides rely on them.

Decius wrote:
The term "elite" is constantly used by conservative commentators in the context of attacking law professors and the supreme court when the constitution is interpreted in such a way that it prevents conservative efforts to control people's lives with legislation.

Oh? One could just as easily assert that the term "elite" is constantly used by conservative commentators in the context of attacking law professors and the supreme court when the constitution is interpreted in such a way that it allows liberal efforts to control people's lives with legislation.

Decius wrote:
Conservatives [Republicans] are constantly trying to sell the idea that their party is interested in individual liberty and "leaving well enough alone" and frankly I don't find it credible at all.

On that point, I agree, and that's why I stopped supporting Republicans back in the late 1980s. Throughout high school and for most of my college years, the "lesser of two evils" concept was enough to keep me on board, but I eventually concluded that both major parties serve only themselves, not the people as a whole, nor even their constituents. The Libertarians aren't perfect, but at least I don't consider them to be merely the "least of three evils"... yet.

Decius wrote:
For example, a google search for "liberal elite" aclu returns about 13,000 results.

Yes, and without the quotation marks, there are 244,000 results. Also, there are 173,000 results for legislating from the bench. I'm not sure how that serves either of us, though. lol

Decius wrote:
Show me someone who thinks that Republican party is the party of individual freedom and I will show you someone who has rationalized that freedom and power mean the same thing.

THE party of individual freedom? No. More so than the Democratic Party? It depends. Are you talking about firearms or gay marriage? Are you talking about burdensome taxes that forcibly redistribute our wealth in the name of "fairness," or are you talking about the power to bypass warrants for searches, seizures, arrests, spying, etc. in the name of "security"?

In the image below, the spaghetti represents our individual freedoms. Does it matter which dog is the Democrat and which is the Republican?

RE: Clinton dismisses 'elite' economists on gas tax plan | Reuters