counter-elites

I was supposed to be at the top.

I spend most of my free time reading about politics, history, philosophy and economics. I live in the world of ideas. I think in terms of strategy. I want to lead. I want to tell other people who don't share my talent for strategic depth what my vision is and for them to implement it. But alas, that's not where I am, and that's not what I'm doing.

People like me, people with a sense of entitlement, that they somehow deserve to be heard over others but who think the only reason that they're not is because they got unlucky, or lack the right connections, or somebody pushed them out, are dangerous. We're dangerous because we're talented, motivated, and capable of sabotage. We think the people in charge are incompetent, evil, or some combination of the two, and if only they would just abdicate or be made to disappear, we could quickly seize the reigns and right a sinking ship.

Counter-elites serve an important role in any society. When systemic problems compound and fester, people become fed up and look for alternative explanations and alternative solutions. There has been an enormous decline in trust in legacy institutions over the last three years in particular. Counter-elites are doing everything in their power to capture that dissident energy and harness it to boost their influence. Whoever is not doing this right now is missing out on an opportunity of a generation.

You just have to know the right people and be in the right place at the right time.