David Brooks, a renowned anti-Trump columnist for a reputable journal, recently admitted that members of the referred to “elite” use self-serving methods to maintain their power and moral superiority above Trump supporters, which many found unexpected. In an insightful post, Brooks asked readers to question the conventional wisdom that those who oppose Trump are always the good guys, and instead consider that they might be in the wrong.
Brooks highlighted the growing takeover of entire professions by the liberal elite, essentially excluding anyone whose opinions are different. He stressed the dramatic change in the media industry brought about by the dominance of recent college grads from prestigious institutions like the Ivy League.
He also pointed out how the educated tend to cluster in a small number of growing cities, further isolating themselves from the rest of the country. The political arena has become a playground for the powerful, who frequently advocate for measures that serve their own interests.
In this essay, the author explores how an academic meritocracy is maintained and reinforced. The gap between the educated and the less educated has widened in recent decades due in part to the practice of the wealthy sending their children to prestigious private schools.
The use of elitist language and terminology by the educated class was another thing that Brooks criticized. The growing gap between demographic groups is only exacerbated by the widespread adoption of jargon and buzzwords.
While Brooks has been critical of Trump, he did say that the candidate’s popularity among the working class can be seen as a backlash against the establishment’s self-interest. He understood that many people who felt marginalized by the educated class identified with Trump’s rejection of the elite.
Overall, Brooks urged self-reflection and investigation into how the educated elite’s behavior and outlook may have unwittingly aided the spread of Trumpism. For more social harmony and compassion, he urged people to examine their own prejudices and actions.