regarding fay vincent jr.<u+2019>s <u+201c> elite is not a four-letter word <u+201d> (op-ed, nov. 7): elites aren<u+2019>t the problem; rather it<u+2019>s the political elitists and their brethren, the self-anointed cultural elite, who are most deserving of our invective. legitimate elites, having achieved their elevated status through talent, education, meritocratic wealth accumulation or a combination thereof, are worthy of admiration. genuine elites lead by example; elitists prefer to lecture. elites use their powers of persuasion to get what they want; elitists use coercion. elites are recognized as such by others; elitists confer their status upon themselves. ronald reagan was certainly a member of the elite but governed as a populist. conversely, barack obama is an elitist who panders to populist notions. forget liberal or conservative. after eight years of elitist governance, is it any wonder that donald trump rode a populist wave to win the presidential election? it remains to be seen how that electoral strategy translates into a cohesive governing philosophy. bob dekker wilmette, ill.
we should encourage good elites, discourage bad ones - wsj
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