The WASPS

Ross Douthat on why we miss the WASPS.

I'm old enough to remember when the WASPS ruled and maybe because I was young, or maybe because I was naive, but I don't remember a whole lot of people being very angry about the whole situation. Whereas now, it seems like everyone is angry and oftentimes about a lot of weird stuff.

Regarding the Meritocrats - the record on their rule hasn't been good. It seems to me the meritocratic play is to take over existing institutions and reshape them in their own image. But who thinks the University system, the Federal Government, Hollywood, or Wall Street has been improved by meritocratic rule?

The outlier might be Silicon Valley, but my impression is that Silicon Valley was built by the weirdos and is now also a meritocratic stronghold.

Color me skeptical of the meritocrats. Is there a walk of life they as a ruling class have made better?

UPDATE: And the journalism is worse. Much, much worse.