People who think hodlers are the new elites are in a very serious bubble.
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So a very interesting possibility now is a Baudrillardian possibility: there are no true elites left because *all* elites have been revealed to be cosmetic elites. Simulations of simulations with no “virtues” at any limit points. Kardashians all the way up.
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In this view to unironically believe in an elite is to unironically believe in a virtue, and be trapped in the associated false consciousness/blue pill. Courage theater, altruism theater, compassion theater, intellect theater, etc etc.
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This is a kind of nihilism that’s always there among a subset of elites themselves (the “it’s all fake” style of condescension), but is uncommon as a mass attitude. Non-elites tend to hold at least 1-2 elite classes/embodied virtues as actually, unironically sacred.
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Venkatesh Rao (田 ) Retweeted David Manheim
Another interesting proposition. But then I’ve never seen a meme hero like “Chad” either leak out of subcultural zone or clearly map to any real group. Imaginary elites, like wizards?https://twitter.com/davidmanheim/status/1399420136667353092 …
Venkatesh Rao (田 ) added,
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Venkatesh Rao (田 ) Retweeted Chris Vermilion
Venkatesh Rao (田 ) added,
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Venkatesh Rao (田 ) Retweeted Ted Neward
I didn’t leave them out. I just don’t consider them elites by any meaningful candidate definition of elites. Historically they were often slaves (eg gladiators, harem entertainers, court jesters). At best they are like divine slaves-to-society like vestal virgins, devdasis etc.https://twitter.com/tedneward/status/1399426669287378948 …
Venkatesh Rao (田 ) added,
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They may become true elites if they make a ton of money and retreat from the limelight (a relatively new possibility created by mass media and royalties/residuals/advertising), but so long as they are servants of spotlights rather than masters, they aren’t elites.
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Venkatesh Rao (田 ) Retweeted Lily (will not DM you)
Cute, but no. Every generation has a vanguard ‘cool’ that rides a new medium to assert cultural presence, but it basically has nothing to do with elite roles in society, even if a few get rich.https://twitter.com/nope_its_lily/status/1399394509025275907 …
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Venkatesh Rao (田 ) Retweeted Andy Raskin
This is intriguing but I think flawed. Elite-makers are not elites because unlike monarchs of yore, journalists etc cannot guarantee anything. Their influence is unpredictably catalytic rather than determinative. Same goes for algorithms. Maybe Putin/Xi still have such power?https://twitter.com/araskin/status/1399424582008795142 …
Venkatesh Rao (田 ) added,
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graph elite status of julius caesar during the fall of the republic so i can make sense of this definition. (i’m a fan of ‘it’s always murky’)
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yeah...