The Elites v. the Folks

Paul GleiserThe Elites v. the Folks

In my lifetime, there have been seven Republican presidents and six Democrats. Since 1995, following the Newt Gingrich-led Republican takeover of the Congress, Republicans have had outright control eight times, Democrats have had control three times and there have been three occasions when one party controlled the House while the other party controlled the Senate.

All to say that a constant back and forth between Democrats and Republicans has defined American politics for over a century.

As we covered last week, such is not necessarily the case today. Somewhere back there (we suggested last week that it was during the presidency of Bush the Elder), the contest quietly shifted from Democrats vs. Republicans to Elites vs. the Folks. In a sense, it’s almost as if new political parties got formed. And because the Folks were slow to notice, the Elites have had the upper hand for upward of four decades. For the most part, the Elites are aligned with legacy Democrats. But there are plenty of Elite-aligned Republicans. One of them was the GOP nominee in 2012.

The Elites have given us $30 plus trillion in national debt, debilitatingly costly foreign wars, a near complete breakdown in public education, decaying cities, a wide-open southern border, rampant crime, a couple of near economic collapses and now crushing inflation.

All the while, the Folks have had a time of it. Except for an all-too brief (but altogether great) interlude during the last three years of the Trump presidency, middle class incomes failed to outpace inflation and aggregate American wealth declined.

That’s not to say that no one got wealthy. A small cabal of mostly coastal, mostly Democratic Elites got filthy rich.The fact that you got poorer — widening the income gap about which they never stop pandering to their base — bothers them not in the least.

The Elites are divided into three groups.

The Political Elite. The Political Elite hold leadership positions within the respective parties. They mouth appropriate words to their respective bases and make all the requisite campaign promises. But their only real concern is the retention of power with the concomitant perks and financial rewards.

The Corporate Elite. The Corporate Elite sit in the executive suites of the largest companies. They have largely co-opted the legislative and regulatory apparatuses for the furtherance of their own personal and financial interests. The Corporate Elite can promote leftist causes such as gender equity and critical race theory with the impunity of knowing that as a practical matter, you can’t take your business elsewhere.

The Cultural Elite. The Cultural Elite control television, the movies, music, entertainment, theater, primary and secondary schools, universities, book publishing and journalism (if you can still call it that). From their commanding heights, the Cultural Elites can impose upon us a never-ending diet of liberal grievance, gay and gender grievance, racial grievance and environmental grievance.

About one thing you should be crystal clear. Elites of all stripes hold you — one of the Folks — in utter contempt. If you don’t live near the coast, if your college diploma (assuming you even have one) isn’t from a very short list of Elite-approved universities, if you earn your living in any way that involves actual physical labor, if you regularly go to church, and if you don’t know the finer points regarding the ordering of wine in a Five-Star restaurant, the Elites think you are smelly and deplorable. And they don’t think you are smart enough to order the affairs of your own life.

But for all that, there’s some good news. A growing body of evidence suggests that the Folks have had it with the Elites and are ready next week to make their displeasure unmistakably clear. Let’s hope so. Because time is short and the very future of the republic depends on restoring the political primacy of the Folks.

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Paul Gleiser

Paul L. Gleiser is president of ATW Media, LLC, licensee of radio stations KTBB 97.5 FM/AM600, 92.1 The TEAM FM in Tyler-Longview, Texas.

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10 Responses

  1. William Youngmeyer says:

    I am grateful for my friend referring me to your website. You are brilliant, a superb writer, and absolutely right. I look forward to your next writing.

  2. Jon and Brenda Nutter says:

    You did a fantastic job filling in for Jimmy today! And your You tell me Texas post was right on as usual! Thank you for all you do.
    Brenda and Jon

  3. Buddy Saunders says:

    The Elites have always sought to manage the Folks, we the little people, all those they hold in contempt, yet for whom they profess great concern. In the time of the Romans, the hoi polloi were managed with bread and circuses. Nothing has changed. Today vast government handouts are the bread, and for circus we have more entertainment by way of sports and popular culture than the Romans ever dreamed of.

    The Elites, including many in both our political parties, want us focused on bread and circuses. If we do so, the Elites will only grow richer and more powerful, all at the expense of our rights and freedoms.

    The Elites want Americans as divided as possible, with all of us at each other’s throats. The Elites understand America is not an evil nation of racists, and they know that their woke agenda is a crock, and they know that their green fantasies are nonsense, AND they know that it is impossible win elections with such an agenda. So, the Elites collude among themselves to censor and suppress news and to steal elections.

    To date Elites have enjoyed considerable success in deceiving the citizens of this nation. But as Paul has pointed out, the upcoming election is shaping up to bea turning point. In their arrogance the Elites have gone too far, become too greedy, become too arrogant in their imagined limitless power.

    Your vote and mine in the coming election will be the first step in putting the Elites in their place.

    • Greg R says:

      Paul, your excellent commentaries keep me coming back week after week. I also like reading the comments but for some reason today’s comments just seemed to be exceptional one and all. Let’s hope and pray that Nov 8 we can start to take our country back.

  4. Richard Anderson says:

    Once upon a time not so long ago, Bill O’Reilly, anchor of “The O’Reilly Factor” on Fox News Channel a prime time cable TV / satellite news program led his hourly time slot for approximately 20 years as he was dedicated to always looking out for The Folks aka “We The People.” This aspect of news journalism is lost on far too many in today’s newsrooms.

    In sharp contrast, the three major “alphabet” television networks, et.al., have long since lost “any” book of rules or of fairness in calling balls and strikes. Fortunately however, as of late, other networks and online internet news sources of more reliable journalism are filling that void so concerned citizens can become informed rather than be misinformed.

    Now thru November 8th, I say, the best action every concerned American can do to make a course correction for our beloved Constitutional Republic –The United States– is to vote conservative which means.. voting REPUBLICAN– from the top all the way down ballot.

    GOD bless The U.S.A.!

  5. Mike says:

    The simple truth of this matter can be summed up in the re-establishment of “Equal Justice for All.” Those who do not realize America has a two- or three-tiered justice system is either in denial or asleep.
    Until all three categories of Elite’s are held to the same judicial standards as the rest of us; tyranny and injustice will prevail on their side as it is now. We can vote until our fingers fall off; but until equal justice is applied across the board to everyone, nothing will change. Our society will only get worse and oppression will rule the day. Look at what is happening now. The FBI, under orders from the Biden Administration, can kick in any door of any one in America, at any time. That is authoritarianism at it’s worse. We MUST re-establish equal justice for ALL.

  6. James Lee says:

    Paul, what are we to do? I’m honest, respect everyone, protect our kids and grandkids. At 76 I am having a hard time getting a grasp on all of this. I’ve had a great life, a veteran, (an HP and Austin College grad). very smart excellent parents, and kids and grandkids anyone would be proud of. Sorry to unload. I really appreciate the work you do. Glad to call you a friend young man. Stay safe buddy.

  7. Richard Anderson says:

    Only two groups have the stature to affect the course of our country on a grand scale.

    One believes in high inflation thru excessive government spending, high taxes, has a “hate on” for fossil fuel aka diesel & gasoline for your truck, suv, or car, doesn’t like free speech, and wants control over every aspect of your life at any cost. That would be Democrats.

    Another believes in low to no inflation by ending the endless flow of money to Ukraine, low taxes, is for the use of our abundant fossil fuels at lower cost by drilling for more oil & natural gas on federal leases, is for more free speech not less, and believes Americans should be free to run their own lives unfettered by government interference. That would be Republicans.

    If you’ve been voting Democrat.. nothing will change but only become worse. So STOP doing it!

    If you want to FIX what Democrats have fouled up mightily.. VOTE Republican. Simple as that.

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