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bobby408 wrote:Moreover, today's elites are the most powerful in history. these elites can do MUCH more than the elites of, say, the Roman empire, or even the British empire. My point is that this class is so powerful. It is so strong and has many ways of molding the government and public life to work for their interests.

You might find a recent book we read, The Limits of Power to offer suuport for your view. I don't believe that Bacevich uses the term elite, but the entrenched bureaucrats and "public servants" in Washington are in his view operating with little regard for the public they're supposed to be serving. This is a surprising assessment to come from a basically conservative, former military man.

Hi all,

Dwill, I bought "Limits of Power" a few days ago and have read a good portion so far. His analysis and grasp of recent history is extremely unique and useful. This country's self-indulgence goes back a long ways and we, the American people, are partly to blame for American imperialism. Even though lots of the "messy" wars were hidden from the American public, lots of people knew that there was something fishy going on. But they chose to look the other way because they were living comfortably. They wanted to blame others for their problems and not themselves. The opening statement of this book is "Set thine house in order." The author also mentions Jimmy Carter's outgoing speech to the American people, the "Carter Manifesto." Carter foresaw the country's addiction to consumerism and he chose to confront this fact of life to the American public, and in the process, he committed political suicide. The American people have not wanted to come face to face with their consumerist culture. They have ignored the potential negatives for far too long and now..... well now, it is biting all of us in the ass!!