The highest standard of elite in a democracy is the authentic distillation, expression  and codification of the public’s authority.  Democracy is a public service. Yes, private individuals may have the power to trash the United States White House, but they are not the ‘elite‘ with the privilege of demolishing the history of this public place or our national story. That all citizens are in common and are to act responsibly in common will remain true as long as the Constitution of the United States still retains some purchase in governmental affairs.  Our current administration is acting on their belief the common public is subordinate to their private elite wishes. Perhaps their anti-democratic sentiments seem subtle to some people but the wrecking ball to our White House couldn’t be less abstract and overtly private and “Financial Elite” is not the term appropriate for these wealthy vandals. 

We should treat financial savants as we might a national champion Tetras competition winner;  “bully for you as far as that goes“.  We need to treat the misuse of power and subversion of democracy on a much different track.  These private business pirates certainly are not elite in a working democracy.  A healthy human being would see the accumulation of that much personal wealth without a substantive contribution of the values of their own culture’s democratic journey as at least a matter of great personal shame when not actually criminal.

A Common Person’s Modest Proposal for Good

There is nothing unique about a person like myself whose cash flow represents his meager fortune criticizing people so awash in wealth they are in the process of being floated to the sun.  As we know, their wings will melt, but that is another story . . .  There is nothing contra-magnetic between wisdom, generosity, and wealth.  It only looks that way when the wealthy act that way. There are traditions in most religions, including Christianity, that counsel the wealthy to put their wealth to charitable use including supporting the stranger, children, disabled and elderly.  Given the current leadership in our nation we seem in our actions to be actively moving away from the core spiritual and political values that constitute any kind of religion.  Still, the streets are full of people who know how to be kind and generous. We need to shift our frozen, wishful gaze from the so called “financial elite” and harvest the distilled power and authority of the people we actually know.  That would be good.  That would be democracy.