Elitists Neocons Neolibs, Globalists and Narcissists, oh my. What are they, who are they, and why should I care?

 Elitists Neocons Neolibs, Globalists and Narcissists, oh my. What are they, who are they, and why should I care? 

by Donald H Marks

Physician scientist

Reason, ethics, health equity, 3rd generation Veteran

Elitists, Neoconservatives, Neoliberals, and Globalists are all political ideologies that hold distinct beliefs and values. Knowing the differences is essential to starting a thoughtful discussion. 

Elitists believe in the rule by an elite class of individuals who supposedly possess the knowledge and expertise to govern society. They tend to favor a small, powerful government that is controlled by a small group of educated and wealthy individuals. Elitists often see themselves as the only ones capable of making the necessary decisions to run society effectively.

We all may think that we know what Elitism is, or that we can recognize or just somehow know or feel who an elitist is. To be sure, Elitism is the belief or notion that a select group of people have an intrinsic special quality, high intellect, wealth, power, notability, special skills, or experience. These so-called Elites are considered by some to be more likely to be constructive to society as a whole, and therefore deserve influence or authority greater than that of others. The term Elitism may be used to describe a situation in which power is concentrated in the hands of a limited number of people - the Elites. Sounds familiar? Beliefs that are in opposition to, contrary to, or in contrast with Elitism include egalitarianism, anti-intellectualism, populism, and the political theory of pluralism. Following is my ever-growing and changing list of specific Elitists and groups perceived to be Elites: 

Specific Elitists:

William F. Buckley

Michael Bloomberg 

James M. Buchanan

Hillary and Bill Clinton

John Edwards

Milton Friedman 

Matt Gaetz, Congress

Alan Greenspan

Al Gore, former VP and failed presidential candidate, who gave up too easily,

Friedrich Hayek 

Michael Kinsley

John Kerry, former SoS

Henry Kissinger, former SoS (you may enjoy my podcast on the SuperK http://bit.ly/3jlf76x)

Emmanuel Macron, French Pres

Ayn Rand, failed philosopher and absolutist,

Ronald Reagan 

Mitt Romney, Wealthy Mormon Governor, unsuccessful presidential candidate

Margaret Thatcher

Mark Zuckerberg, and execs at FB Meta Google Yahoo

celebrities and entrepreneurs Scott Baio, Peter Thiel, Stephen “The Other Brother” Baldwin

General Elitists

Any member of The Adam Smith Institute

The Corporate Elites, including Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, heads of multi-national corporations,

The Oligarchs (Russian, but also Western)

The Academic Elites (Ugh, don’t get me started!)

Medical opinion leader elites at MMC, universities, JAMA NEJM and government think tanks like CDC NIH 

Most MoC and ‘The Supremes’

All royalty, monarchs  oligarchs

Most members of organized religious upper levels, including Joel Olsteen.

Many A list entertainers (see references)

All attendees of Met Galas (see references)

LMK if I missed someone you think should be on my list of Elitists, or if you disagree☕

Inside my group of overall undesirables, in addition to Elitists, I add the group:  the Neocons - those titular conservatives who never-the-less believe in foreign intervention. Neoconservatives typically advocate the promotion of democracy and interventionism in international affairs (foreign policy hawks), including "peace through strength", USA involvement in proxy wars, and are known for espousing disdain for communism and leftist  political radicalism. In their actual policies, Neoliberals, according to @TNR t.co/WUfgPz164m focus on privatization of state enterprises, liberalization of trade, massive tax cuts, reduction of social services and welfare, anti-union drives, and, generally, the downsizing of government at all levels. The negative outcomes of these destructive policies are evident.

Neoconservatives - the Neocons - are a political ideology that emerged in the United States in the 1970s. They are characterized by their support for a strong national defense, interventionist foreign policy, and a commitment to America.  exceptionalism. Neoconservatives tend to be more hawkish on foreign policy and often advocate for increased military spending and intervention in other countries. 

You may find this Diagram of NeoCons, by  Peter and Maria Hoey, with comment by JEET HEER published in the 2008 Washington Post, to be helpful : https://sanseverything.wordpress.com/2008/02/03/neo-conservatism-the-chart/

This extensive chart traces the history of neo-conservatism from Leo Strauss and Leon Trotsky to the Bush White House. The chart accompanies a review of Jacob Heilbrunn’s book They Knew They Were Right: The Rise of the Neocons.

Prominent Neocons include: 

• Elliott Abrams, foreign policy expert

• Michael Bloomberg,

• Paul Bremer, diplomat, including post in Iraq

• James M. Buchanan

• Robert O’Brien, Bolton’s disciple and successor as national security adviser;

• Sen. Liz Cheney and Dick Cheney, former VP

• Eliot A Cohen, John Hopkins SAIS professor

• Sen Tom Cotton, a Bill Kristol protégé

• Paula Dobriansky of the foreign-funded Atlantic Council; 

• Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies;

• Eric S Edelman, Johns Hopkins SAIS;

• Evelyn N Farkas, failed congressional candidate and executive director of the McCain Institute

• Milton Friedman

• Alan Greenspan

• Sen Lindsey Graham 

• Reuel Marc Gerecht, former CIA

• Friedrich Hayek John Herbst, of the foreign-funded Atlantic Council; 

• Brian Hook, Special Representative for Iran

• David J Kramer, former aide to John McCain;

• Michael Kinsley

• Michael McFaul, former ambassador and MSNBC fixture .

• Richard Perle 

• Mike Pompeo, former SoS

• Donald Rumsfeld, former SoD

• Ronald Reagan, former president, proponent of the trickle-down theory that was targeted to but didn't work well at all for working class people, and B-list actor (Bedtime with Bonzo). A great communicator of often simplistic and seemingly self-evident policies which in many cases had harmful long-range results. I know, there I go again.

• Margaret Thatcher, former prime Minister of UK

• Paul Wolfowitz, former deputy Secretary of Defense, ambassador, Dean of John Hopkins SAIS, and visiting scholar at American Enterprise institute (need I say more)

• David Wurmser, a former adviser to John Bolton

Another group on my list of those to be disdained, avoided, doubted are the Neo-liberals:  The NeoLibs can be loosely defined as generally associated with the 20th-century resurgence of 19th-century ideas associated with free-market capitalism.  Neoliberals advocate  (potentially ruinous) policies of economic liberalization, including privatization, deregulation, globalization, free trade, austerity and reductions in government spending in order to increase the role of the private sector in the economy and society. And don't confuse Neocons with Neolibs. 

Neoliberals emphasize economic liberalism, free markets, and individual freedom. They believe in minimal government interference in the economy and support for deregulation, privatization, and free trade. Neolibs believe that the economy should be left to function on its own, and that government intervention in the economy will only lead to inefficiency and ineffectiveness.

Some Prominent Neolibs (IMO): 

• Michael Bloomberg 

• James M. Buchanan 

• Bill Clinton (see the referenced article in TNR)

• Al Gore

• Alan Greenspan

• Friedrich Hayek, influential Austrian economist 

• Milton Friedman 

• Michael Kinsley, political journalism commentator, and co-host of Crossfire

• Margaret Thatcher, former PM of UK

• Ronald Reagan

Any member of The Adam Smith Institute, and followers of Ayn Rand

You may have noticed some overlaps between these generally undesirable groups. Yes, it is quite possible to be a Neocon and a Neolib at the same time, as you will see by a review of my lists, above.

Finally, this discussion would definitely not be complete without a mention of the Globalists. They are generally disliked and often elitist individuals or groups that believe in the idea of a global community and the need for cooperation between nations to achieve common goals. They believe in the importance of international institutions and the need to promote global governance and cooperation. Globalists

 also tend to support free trade and the movement of people, goods, and ideas across borders, perhaps sometimes to the detriment of their own countries or for some greater picture.

I am not at all an exclusionist, not an Elitist (God-forbid), so if you disagree with my lists, or want to add someone, LMK.

Let me finish by discussing another group, the narcissists, who are easily confused with and who overlap with the Elitists. But they are different in key ways. Narcissists and Elitists of course at least superficially share some similarities in that they both have a high opinion of themselves and may be perceived as arrogant or entitled.  Narcissism is officially recognized as a personality disorder (DSM, Mayo Clinic), a mental health condition in which people have an unreasonably high sense of their own importance. They need and seek too much attention and want people to admire them. People with this disorder may lack the ability to understand or care about the feelings of others. But behind this mask of extreme confidence, they are not sure of their self-worth and are easily upset by the slightest criticism. 

The famous painting Narcissus, by Caravaggio shows how one picture can save a thousand

words.

A narcissistic personality disorder causes problems within and between many areas of life, such as relationships, work, school or financial matters. People with narcissistic personality disorder may be generally unhappy and disappointed when they're not given the special favors or admiration that they believe they deserve. They may find their relationships troubled and unfulfilling, and other people may not enjoy being around them.

Narcissists have an excessive sense of self-importance and a deep need for admiration and attention. They often lack empathy and are willing to exploit others to get what they want. Narcissists may have an inflated sense of their own abilities and accomplishments, even if they are not backed up by evidence.

Elitists, on the other hand, believe that they are part of an elite group that is superior to others. They may hold exclusive beliefs or values and have a sense of entitlement based on their perceived status or accomplishments. Elitists may not necessarily lack empathy or exploit others, but they may hold themselves above others based on their perceived superiority. 

Overall, while both narcissists and elitists may have a sense of superiority, I have found that narcissists tend to be more focused on themselves and their own needs, while Elitists I have known seem to be more focused on the group they identify with or belong to. 

In summary, Elitists believe in the rule of an elite class, Neoconservatives believe in a strong national defense, Neoliberals believe in minimal government intervention in the economy, and Globalists believe in the need for cooperation between nations to achieve common goal, which is arguably a reasonable view, but they fail, IMO, by tending to favor a more generalized approach to mankind and its problems, rather than a nation-specific viewpoint, thereby creating the possibility of weakening their home base.

Additional Readings on the subjects of Elitis, Neocons and Neoliberals

The Met Gala Guest List Sparked A Huge Debate About “Elitism” And Which Celebrities Should Be Invited After This Year’s Red Carpet Saw More YouTubers and TikTokers Than Ever https://www.buzzfeednews.com/amphtml/ellendurney/met-gala-guest-list-sparked-a-huge-debate-about-elitism

"Proudly Elitist and Undemocratic? The distributed maintenance of contested practices - Mia Raynard, Farah Kodeih, Royston Greenwood, 2021" https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0170840619874462

"Elite is now a meaningless insult that's used to silence criticism | Brexit | The Guardian" https://amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/07/liberal-elite-populism-brexit-elitist

"Elitist stars like Streep display petty attitude: Front Burner - Orlando Sentinel" https://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/os-ed-celebrity-elitists-are-bullies--front-burner--011817-2-20170118-story.html?outputType=amp

The Neocons Strike Back. Ryan Olbrysh.  TNR Jan 2020. https://newrepublic.com/amp/article/156266/neocons-strike-back?utm_source=pocket_mylist

Neocon think-tanks are driving Biden’s Ukraine policy. 

https://asiatimes.com/2022/06/neocon-think-tanks-are-driving-bidens-ukraine-policy/?amp_markup=1&utm_source=pocket_mylist

Is the Neoliberal Era Over Yet?  https://newrepublic.com/article/166742/neoliberal-era-end?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=EB_TNR&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1655302282-7

How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them, by Jason Stanley.

Additional writings of Donald H. Marks, physician-scientist

How Woke can we be? The meaning of Woke https://bit.ly/3Fd7fPy 

Reliable news sources: personal list used by Donald Harvey Marks, physician⚕ scientist🥼http://bit.ly/3kECPvr   

Fake News: Everything You Need to Know, 

by Donald Harvey Marks physician⚕-scientist🥼  http://bit.ly/345cj95 

Best Online Free Fact-Checking Tools, 

by Donald Harvey Marks, physician⚕-scientist🥼   http://bit.ly/3H97I44 

Fact-Checking: The Ways We Can Fight Fake News, 

by Donald Harvey Marks, physician⚕-scientist🥼  http://bit.ly/3qudEyX 

Infodemic: the epidemic of information, 

by Donald Harvey Marks, physician⚕-scientist🥼  http://bit.ly/3fV7BgN 

The Curious Case of Deepfakes, by Donald Harvey Marks, physician⚕-scientist🥼  http://bit.ly/3GZJdXhn 

My personal list of Red Flags🚩, Dog Whistles🛷, Buzzwords, Hot Button words and meaningless caricatures  that will drive toxic algorithms to heat and twist 2024 election 🗳☑ and trigger hatred on social media. by Donald H. Marks, Physician scientist 

http://dhmarks.blogspot.com/2022/05/my-personal-list-of-red-flags-dog.html 

Einstein, Relativity and Relative Ethics, by Donald Harvey Marks, physician-scientist   https://bit.ly/3gWWH9t   https://bit.ly/3rcqZMj 

What I Haven’t Told My Family on the Meaning of Time. by Donald Harvey Marks, physician-scientist  https://bit.ly/374cpzJ 

Jonas Salk, Polio Vaccine and Vaccinating Against Hate, by Donald Harvey Marks, physician-scientist https://bit.ly/3xjtosh 

Link to my Favorite Books📚 (and recent read list) 

My ever-updating fav list of coffee shops and espresso blends and locations 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-HXf36YBWMzsGgKhd5_gqRvnKoplLrYAgAl7k3qwpvU/edit?usp=drivesdk 

Elitists Neocons Neolibs, oh my. What are they, who are they, and why should I care? (this very article) http://bit.ly/3LMrs0e 

Review of Undermoney, a techno economic political thriller by Jay Newman. Reviewed by Donald Harvey Marks  https://bit.ly/3Fa4wqb

graphic, by DHM