To not know who "the elite" are?

[Fuzzyend]

Labour have announced a crusade against "the elite" but I'm not sure who they are.

When I think of elite people I think of sports stars, but I'm guessing Labour haven't got anything against Dina Asher-Smith or the England rugby team. So who the heck are "the elite" and why are they a bad thing?

Please everyone watch this. It left me in tears
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000772n/how-to-break-into-the-elite

Polpot was another one who thought the 'elite'' needed to be controlled (read purged). For him 'elite' was anyone who was not a farmer or a peasant or someone who worked with their hands. Anyone with an office job was the 'elite'.

Unless you are specific about what you mean about controlling the abuse of power, you can end up with this extreme.

By all means try to curb abuses of power and influence, but to do that you need to be specific about what you mean . Then again that would mean committing to some course of action which some might agree with and some might not.

With the word 'elite' , the majority of people can think ' that doesn't mean me of course'. For me it is a term used by cowardly, lazy politicians who want a soundbite for the majority of people to agree with, that means nothing and is in fact divisive and dangerous.

I don't have a problem with Labour saying they want to ban private schools. That is specific action, I may or may not agree but it is clear what they want to do. I have a very big problem with anyone saying they want to curb the power of the 'elite'

I am the elite. Make a banging spatchcock chicken

People like Soros. ?

Jewish people?
Very wealthy people?
People who fund universities?
Philanthropists?
Hedge fund managers?

There really aren't many individuals like George Soros, could both sides not focus on policies that would impact more people.

So, how much power or property is bad?

As a rule of thumb, that belonging to anyone who's got more than the person who's ranting about it

We could all debate the true meaning of "the elite", but in politics it seems to be more about classism, as in "you've not got something because that rich b**tard has got it instead"

Politicians love to use a subjective term like "elite" because people interpret it in whatever way fits their own personal perspective & no-one ever thinks it includes themselves. Thus enables the politicians to them make big sweeping statements, without actually specifically alienating anyone.

the textbook example is a Mr Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson.

others include Messrs Farage, Corbyn, Trump, Clinton, et al.

@Lifecraft I agree with you.

"The issue is when they earn that much that they hide their money in hedge funds, off shore accounts and manipulate every loophole in the system to greedily keep hold of everything they earn. "

It's a strong imperative. The same as tradesman offering you a discount for cash, to avoid taxes.

Obviously we're all more sympathetic to the more modest earning tax-dodgers but it's the same compulsion - to hold on to what you earn.

Every government promises to crack down on tax evasion but they don't - any of them - seem to make much progress. It's just an easy win, because going after rich tax dodgers won't face much opposition. It's a pity it doesn't, and won't ever, work.

It seems a bit silly to be scaring big business just now though.

"It's a strong imperative. The same as tradesman offering you a discount for cash, to avoid taxes."

Actually it isn't really the same is it. If you're exploiting loopholes you're practising the perfectly legal - if morally questionable - tax avoidance. Whilst the plumber practising tax evasion is, of course, illegal.

Anyone with money, power and privilege? Corbyn ticks all of those boxes. Exempting yourself from rules you apply to others has to be the most elitist action possible.

Every government promises to crack down on tax evasion but they don't

Evasion has always been illegal, please learn the difference between that and avoidance. Also, why would you pay more tax than you're legally obligated to, nobody pays taxes for moral reasons.

@milliefiori
Anyone with money, power and privilege? Corbyn ticks all of those boxes. Exempting yourself from rules you apply to others has to be the most elitist action possible

This totally. Hypocrisy at a shocking level.

To me, Elite is a social class above middle class. Same kind of cultural influence to a point but Witt higher salaries, more in savings and more property.

However, that’s a sociological take on it. I suspect Corbyn has specifics in mind.

Evasion has always been illegal, please learn the difference between that and avoidance

this is true of course. But just because something is illegal, doesn’t mean that it is policed effectively. Of course a government can promise to ‘crack down on tax evasion’

Anyone with money, power and privilege? Corbyn ticks all of those boxes. Exempting yourself from rules you apply to others has to be the most elitist action possible

Well, yes - but if you can persuade enough of the gullible that you're actually a snaggle toothed, horny handed son of toil instead you've probably got a decent gig going

Too bad it hasn't worked with the majority, even with the Lenin cap thrown in

The people paying for all the ‘free’ that that they people’ apparently deserve.

People who don't pay their taxes.

In all seriousness, the income disparity between an ordinary worker and a CEO has increased dramatically. 133 times as much. In 1998 it was 47 times as much.
Wealth disparity is a growing trend worldwide. It's not a good thing for the vast majority of people.
You don't have to be a fan of hardcore Marxism to think that a bit more equality of income in society is no bad thing.

But of course there's an election coming....

The richest people in the world are not those who have a high salary. They are those who own the most assets. Those people don't have jobs.

Bannon, Banks, Wigmore, Mercer etc.

The ultra wealthy and dodgy who can lie low and influence governments to smooth their way through life.

You're not meant to know who The Elite are Fuzzyend, because they are just an indefinable group, and you are supposed to feel that their position threatens your own wellbeing.

Once you feel threatened and vulnerable, you are more likely to vote for the party which you believe will protect your own interests most.

It's a well known political tactic, "divide and rule".

Corbyn is probably closer to that than he would ever admit. Laughable.

So looking at The Times Rich List - these are billionaires and obviously "elites". I see a Labour MP has called for billionaires to be abolished, thereby taking all their wealth with them .

Most on the list and not UK born, did not go to school here, and are self made. Doesn't exactly fit the Labour model does it?

For some balance, Dulwich College educated Nigel Farage has also declared himself a man of the people (which people?) and to be fighting the corrupt elite.

It's not just a Corbyn thing.

I'm guessing that the main political parties have interns monitoring social media? If any are reading this, I think the MN consensus is that the word elite should be dispatched. Instead, please be clear exactly who the villains are and what you're going to do about them.

"Evasion has always been illegal, please learn the difference between that and avoidance."

I know the difference. My posts make it clear I know the difference. What are you on about?

But some avoidance, practised by individuals employing teams of lawyers to find new loopholes and stay ahead of the legislation that's closing the old ones in a neverending game of cat and mouse, is not in the same spirit as, say, avoiding tax by maximising your ISA allowance.