“Only about 20% of all Americans say they believe their finances are getting better now. But among the Elite, that number more than triples to 74% who say they are better off.” Ever wonder what the 1 percent really thinks? What they think about themselves and about the 99 percent? That quote is from a new Rasmussen Survey, linked below, which was featured on the popular financial news and views site ZeroHedge. Rasmussen has a reputation for being one of the most accurate survey firms. ZeroHedge reprinted an Epoch Times article from which the insights below from that Rasmussen research based on the responses from members of the financial elites, the literal 1 percent.
Here below are some of what that their article found, with the actual survey called “Them vs. Us” sponsored by the Committee to Unleash Prosperity (CTUP) is linked here.
Part I
In that Rasmussen “…survey, the Elite, included only respondents with postgraduate degrees, household incomes above $150,000 and residents in a ZIP code with more than 10,000 people per square mile. Another [survey], Ivy League graduates, included adults who attended Ivy League or other selective private colleges such as Chicago, Duke, Northwestern, or Stanford.
You probably won’t be surprised that the large majority of this Elite feels economically well off. Nor, if you’ve kept up with recent changes in party identification, will you be much surprised that 73 percent of these elites identify as Democrats and only 14 percent as Republicans.
What is surprising is the extent to which this American overclass would deprive its fellow citizens of things they have taken for granted. Half of these groups, 47 percent of Elites and 55 percent of Ivies, say the United States provides people with “too much individual freedom.”
More than three-quarters favor, “to fight climate change, the strict rationing of energy, gas, and meat,” a proposition rejected by 63 percent of the public. Again, “to fight climate change,” between half and two-thirds favor bans on gas stoves (a recent target despite demurrals of Biden bureaucrats and New York state Democrats), gasoline-powered cars (heavily disfavored by Biden Democrats and California rules) and SUVs, “private” air conditioning, and “nonessential air travel.”
The ascetic economist Thorstein Veblen, in his 1899 book “The Theory of the Leisure Class,” argued that the rich engaged in “conspicuous consumption” activities such as golf, polo, and art collecting, for which ordinary people had neither the time nor the money.
A century and a quarter later, America has rich people hoping to deprive ordinary people of “conspicuous consumption” activities they can afford and where they clutter up the airports, interstate highways, and high-end malls.
For generations, Democrats have liked to portray themselves as the tribune of the little man, the defender of policies that enable ordinary people without special advantages, or with many disadvantages, to live comfortably, securely, and in dignity. There may be some condescension in this posture, but also a considerable element of respect.
This survey shows that today, this 1 percent of the public, which includes virtually all elective and appointive Democrats in Washington and states like California, New York, and New Jersey, tends to see the bulk of its fellow citizens as selfish and destructive, in need not just of discipline but deserving of harsh restrictions on their freedoms.
This attitude is echoed by the wider group of Democratic voters. A 2023 Pew Research survey shows that while 31 percent of Republicans, even with their party out of power, think America “stands above all other countries in the world,” only 9 percent of Democrats do so.
It’s an unstable and dangerous situation when a largely one-party elite looks, with fear and loathing, across what Rasmussen describes as a “Grand Canyon gap” between it and its multiparty fellow citizens. It’s reminiscent somehow of the “let them eat cake” French royalists in 1789 or Russian nobles in 1917. An overclass this disconnected and contemptuous risks disruption. …” the balance of their article is linked here. Again, the Rasmussen survey results are linked here.
Part II – More Masthead on MHProNews Facts and MHVille Editorial Analysis
Stating the obvious can be clarifying. Because people have been given free will by their Creator, we can believe whatever we chose to believe. However, our beliefs may or may not comport with reality. A case can be made that “The Elites” routinely grasp these things.
It may or may not be coincidental that Warren Buffett, currently one of the world’s centi-billionaires, has used the language of “the castle and the moat” to describe his discernment business and investment process. As MHLivingNews and MHProNews has long noted, thoughtful voices across the left – right divide have warned that there is a rising feudalism discernible in the U.S. and in other nations too. Once readers here grasp the significance of feudalistic thinking and behavior, it is then important to recognize that Buffett and many of this fellow top fraction of the 1 percent have chosen the Democratic Party as the focus of their political engagement.
Buffett has taken public swipes at Donald J. Trump, as the Guardian noted that Buffett – who backed Hillary Clinton – did in his 2019 annual letter to shareholders. People have egos, and billionaires perhaps have bigger ego more so than most others. Both men could fairly be described as having egos in abundance, as do other billionaires. Let’s dally for a few moments on what Buffett expressed. Per the Guardian on 2.23.2019: “Buffett, who supported Hillary Clinton in 2016, wrote that “it is beyond arrogance for American businesses or individuals to boast that they have ‘done it alone’…Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway is an investor in the Chinese electric car maker BYD Co. Trump has targeted China with tariffs and regular criticism. The US, Buffett wrote, should “rejoice” when other countries have bright futures…“Americans will be both more prosperous and safer if all nations thrive,” Buffett wrote. “At Berkshire, we hope to invest significant sums across borders.” Meaning, while Trump was striving to promote “America First” and “Americans First” policies, Buffett made it clear that he wanted and intended to be investing “significant sums across borders” including Communist China.
That said, let’s pivot back to the fascinating findings observed above in ZeroHedge and the Epoch Times article about Rasmussen’s research of the 1 percent.
Even the 1 percent are likely to have a significant “gap” between themselves and the ultra-financial elites, many of who live here in the U.S.A. Recall or refresh yourself on the findings of the Dark Triad qualities discerned by researchers at this link below.
We all have the ability to (mis)use our free will and ignore reality.
But we will then suffer the consequences of ignoring that reality.
People are free, for instance, to believe in so-called climate change in the sense that agenda driven politicos and advocates have been pushing in the past few decades. But it would be foolish to embrace that until the argument on the opposite side of that question is carefully and objectively considered with an open mind.
We can ignore reality when it comes to political questions too. What is political?
If you believe famous left-leaning New York Times columnist and economist Paul Krugman said: “Everything Is Political.” Krugman often carries whatever the Democratic talking points on a subject happen to be.
“Everything is political” means that not only issues about housing are political. Personal beliefs on religious, social, cultural, business, economic, whatever topic you care to mention is political to the left.
Quora notes that leftist Vladimir “Lenin understood “useful idiots” as people who serve the cause of Communism without sharing Communist values or objectives.” You don’t have to be a communist or a leftist in mind or heart to recognize the value to the ruling elites of so-called “useful idiots.”
That implies that we should not allow ourselves to be or become someone’s useful idiot. In truth, odds are good that we have at some point in time been someone’s useful idiot, but once we realize that we need to be on alert not to allow ourselves to be someone’s stooge again.
In the recent years, MHProNews has steadily gathered the evidence from sources that span the left–right divide in the U.S. that said the financial elites largely embrace the Democratic Party. If that seems counterintuitive to some, get over that quickly, because reality always is whatever it is.
Independent
Disclosing anew that for over a decade, the management of MHProNews’ parent company have been political independents. We are also pragmatic believers. As with most Americans, we know and interact with people across a broad spectrum of political, religious, social, and other beliefs. That doesn’t mean that we don’t have firmly held values. We do. But we also believe in some traditional sounding concepts, like half a loaf is better than none. True progress is measured by looking objectively at where things stand for you (or us) at this moment in time and then considering what can be done to improve our situation by doing whatever is legal, moral, and necessary. That said, in our view, the nation is not advancing. On a range of issues, problems are going backwards, including issues in our industry, which is shrinking despite an affordable housing crisis.
The evidence is clear. The billionaire class took control of the Democratic Party in the U.S. some years ago. Democratic Party leaders still posture being for the working class, minorities, unions, etc. That is evidenced by reports in left-leaning media, as well as more extensive recenter research that MHProNews has reported on.
That doesn’t mean that the Republican Party is immune from the Billionaire Class and their agenda. Vote-buying occurs there too. Whatever your thoughts on Trump, give the man his due. He is steadily transforming the Republican Party into a party for the working class, middle, class, retirees, and minorities of all kinds. There are still Nikki Haley and Chris Christie type candidates, not just running for office, but who are in office – think current Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell (KY-R). That McConnell-Bush wing of the party will still follow the money on numerous occasions. That’s an over-simplified, but reasonable accurate view of the political landscape on the right.
Millions still vote Democratic thinking that they are voting for the party that favors the little guy. That is possible because they may not pay close attention to the news and/or if they get their news from the left (which would be typical), because their favorite talking heads aren’t likely to blow the whistle on who is running the Democratic machine and for what purposes.
Currently in the U.S., there are routinely stated and then more obscured agendas. The gap between the stated and the obscured agenda can be significant. Paltering, posturing, and propaganda are all too common. It is so common that in 2022, Merriam Webster made “gaslighting” their word of the year.
Whatever one’s politics, the statement from the Rassmussen-CTUP survey is worth repeating: “Only about 20% of all Americans say they believe their finances are getting better now. But among the Elite, that number more than triples to 74% who say they are better off.” Similar to that finding, roughly 65 to 70 percent of the population says that the nation is on the wrong track. The last three years the federal government has operated under Biden-Harris Democratic rule. Democrats (and as noted, several Republicans) often say things that sound good to their base, but which they have little or no intention of doing. Why is that? What explains that phenomenon? It’s rather simple. Politicos often tell people what they want to hear and see. But then they do what benefits the Donor Class, the bulk of the left-leaning Billionaires and the top tier of society that does their bidding. This CTUP survey cited in Part I above underscores that impression.
The “elites” can’t rule openly, because doing so might invite revolt, as billionaire Nick Hauner observed. So, the elites are happy to keep “We the People” at each other’s throats on issues that on their face ought to be branded as ridiculous.
The so-called ‘party of science’ believes in things that are demonstrably contrary to science and contrary to traditional American moral beliefs.
But because they have such widespread control over the major mechanisms of communications, they have what former Democrat and former 17-year award-winning CNN reporter turned pundit Chris Plante has dubbed “information dominance.”
As Plante said on his nationally syndicated radio show yesterday (2.16.2024), the left has taken control of much of the media and big tech. It is not unlike the days, said Plante, when Communists who took power in a country would take over the radio stations, the TV stations, and the newspapers. With that “information dominance” established only “the Party’s” propaganda would follow. We have, observed Plante, a similar scenario in the U.S. today.
Note that Plante has a keen and often satirical wit and can make the news and commentary funny and more palatable. His insights into history are routinely sound and his familiarity with people in power and in both major parties is partially a product of years of meeting them and reporting on them while at CNN.
While their are big differences in style and more nuanced distinctions between what Plante thinks and what the Masthead holds, as the late Ronald Reagan said, ‘my eighty percent friend is not my twenty percent enemy.’ What Plante asserts about information dominance on the left and their donor class backers, MHProNews and MHLivingNews – entirely independent of that gent – has steadily been documenting. We have done so often from sources on the left, describing how things operate. See the reports linked above for examples and evidence for those remarks.
Back to the Survey on Elite Thinking
All that said, let’s return to that ZeroHedge take on Rasmussen’s cited surveys of the 1 percent.
In no particular order of importance, consider these pull quotes.
- “…if you’ve kept up with recent changes in party identification, will you be much surprised that 73 percent of these elites identify as Democrats and only 14 percent as Republicans.”
- “What is surprising is the extent to which this American overclass would deprive its fellow citizens of things they have taken for granted.Half of these groups, 47 percent of Elites and 55 percent of Ivies, say the United States provides people with “too much individual freedom.””
- “More than three-quarters favor, “to fight climate change, the strict rationing of energy, gas, and meat,” a proposition rejected by 63 percent of the public. Again, “to fight climate change,” between half and two-thirds favor bans on gas stoves (a recent target despite demurrals of Biden bureaucrats and New York state Democrats), gasoline-powered cars (heavily disfavored by Biden Democrats and California rules) and SUVs, “private” air conditioning, and “nonessential air travel.””
- “For generations, Democrats have liked to portray themselves as the tribune of the little man… This survey shows that today, this 1 percent of the public, which includes virtually all elective and appointive Democrats in Washington and states like California, New York, and New Jersey, tends to see the bulk of its fellow citizens as selfish and destructive, in need not just of discipline but deserving of harsh restrictions on their freedoms.”
Those points happen to align quite neatly with years of research on these issues in reports with analysis by MHProNews. Put bluntly, those who vote Democratic thinking that they are the party of “the little man” are voting for “elective and appointive Democrats in Washington and states like California, New York, and New Jersey” who “tends to see the bulk of its fellow citizens as selfish and destructive, in need not just of discipline but deserving of harsh restrictions on their freedoms.”
Unless you happen to be in that elite category yourself, and embrace the direction the nation is going, then common sense demands that you don’t feed the hands that are biting yours.
During primary season is when the so-called RINO Republicans can to some extent be weeded out so that America First backers remain. If you are a Democrat, this is an opportunity to vote against any incumbent who are essentially working against your interests.
In recent months, surveys reflect that something like 65 to 70 percent of the country believes that the nation is on the wrong track. It should be obvious that with Biden-Harris and Democrats in charge, they are the ones most responsible for runaway inflation, unpopular open borders, rising crime, and ever more unaffordable housing. Now stop and think about that for a minute.
Quoting the above from ZeroHedge’s summary of the Rasmussen survey again, the 1 percent think you: “need not just of discipline but deserving of harsh restrictions on their [i.e. your] freedoms.”” Your access to “gasoline-powered cars (heavily disfavored by Biden Democrats and California rules) and SUVs, “private” air conditioning, and “nonessential air travel” are just part of the plan for your future, if Democrats are left in power.
There are a million excuses not to vote and a million excuses not to vote wisely. Voting intelligently takes time. It requires research and reading. Walking into a voting booth and voting straight Democratic Party ticket is easy. Similarly, writing or calling your elected officials also takes time. But those are ways to get and keep elected officials working for “We the People” and the rule of law instead of for the elites and their full-time lobbyists.
The billionaire class, the 1 percent, and their de facto allies (numbers of whom are arguably what Lenin called “useful idiots”) are all too happy to have people voting essential for THEIR interests. Don’t do it. Failure to vote is also like voting for the status quo. Nor should prudent souls vote for the Democratic donor supported Nikki Haley types in the GOP.
You may love, hate, or feel meh about Donald Trump. All that is necessary is to consider Trump as nothing more than a practical vehicle for advancing your personal interests.
It should be obvious that “the Rigged System,” “the Establishment,” the “Donor Class,” “the Ruling Elites,” or whatever you want to call that group wants Trump out of their way. They would prefer to lock him up, to break him financially, or perhaps even to see him buried (some have said as much). Trump is at this time the only viable candidate to stop the billionaire donor class of Establishment elitists from keeping power. That’s why their left-leaning media outlets smear him. That’s why they barred Trump from so many of their social media platforms. They have tried all sorts of dirty, underhanded tricks against Trump.
Let’s be clear. Trump is not our Messiah. He himself has said as much. But Trump is a practical tool for possible reform of the rigged system.
A second Trump term is possible. Several organizations are working in tandem to prepare for a potential 4 more years with Trump in the Oval Office. One such plan is Project 2025.
Each of us, if we are pragmatic, should do what we can to encourage those in our circle to wake up to modern realities. Much of the 1 percent hate you. They think you are clogging their roads and airports. They want you living in a virtual world, because they want to own the real world. Don’t believe it? Never forget what the World Economic Forum (WEF) said during Covid19. Note that is was on the WEF website and was tweeted by the WEF as well. The WEF and “Davos Crowd” are widely considered to be dominated by the ruling elite.
There is indeed a “Grand Canyon” sized gap between the Establishment and the vast majority of our society. They are often godless would be dictators who want to rule you so long as your are useful to their interests. They have subverted and abused the U.S. political, legal, and economic system.
In drawing towards a close and to demonstrate the big gap between Democratic talking points and reality, MHProNews remind readers once more about how important it is to grasp the notions of paltering and posturing. Note that much of what follows from the Biden White House website is demonstrably true. We would editorially support SINCERE efforts to reign in the abuses that are listed below from their “Fact” page on competition. The facts below are broadly true. That said, if Democratic leaders sincerely wanted to do something about these problems, then they would have to use existing laws to ‘go after’ those causing these problems. Instead, there are reports that there are reportedly an unusually high number of mergers and acquisitions occurring since Biden took office. Meaning, the opposite is occurring of what someone who trusts team Biden would expect. Per Copilot, which cited Statista, the following.
- 2021:
- Value of M&A deals: Peaked at $2.6 trillion USD with targets based in the United States.
- This was twice as high as the previous year1.
That said, consider the fact above and compare it to these extended quotes from the Biden Fact Sheet on Competition in July 2021.
For decades, corporate consolidation has been accelerating. In over 75% of U.S. industries, a smaller number of large companies now control more of the business than they did twenty years ago. This is true across healthcare, financial services, agriculture and more.
That lack of competition drives up prices for consumers. As fewer large players have controlled more of the market, mark-ups (charges over cost) have tripled. Families are paying higher prices for necessities—things like prescription drugs, hearing aids, and internet service.
Barriers to competition are also driving down wages for workers. When there are only a few employers in town, workers have less opportunity to bargain for a higher wage and to demand dignity and respect in the workplace. In fact, research shows that industry consolidation is decreasing advertised wages by as much as 17%. Tens of millions of Americans—including those working in construction and retail—are required to sign non-compete agreements as a condition of getting a job, which makes it harder for them to switch to better-paying options.
In total, higher prices and lower wages caused by lack of competition are now estimated to cost the median American household $5,000 per year.
Inadequate competition holds back economic growth and innovation. The rate of new business formation has fallen by almost 50% since the 1970s as large businesses make it harder for Americans with good ideas to break into markets. There are fewer opportunities for existing small and independent businesses to access markets and earn a fair return. Economists find that as competition declines, productivity growth slows, business investment and innovation decline, and income, wealth, and racial inequality widen. …”
As noted above, much of that is demonstrably true. But Biden-Harris billionaire class backed Democrats have talked a good game but have apparently not implemented their words.
Biden Harris talked a good game on manufactured housing in their housing plan. What happened? Manufactured housing went into a sharp decline. So too has conventional housing.
The firms that are routinely engaged in M&A action happen to be members of the Donor Class or “the Establishment.” These are the same people that backed Biden and Democrats.
Do you see Warren Buffett, William “Bill” Gates III, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, George Soros, or a host of others like them being prosecuted? Are they in court defending their assets? No. Rather, it is Trump that is being prosecuted. Trump is in court defending his assets. Talk isn’t always cheap, talk (words) can be costly.
The quoted item above posted on the Biden White House website was on JULY 09, 2021. Democrats had plenty of time to do something about those issues. So where is their action? Action speaks louder than words alone. Or as — said, follow the money more than focus on mere words.
Facts are whatever they are. We strive to show you the facts and to connect the dots in our analysis. Believe it or not, that’s up to you. But no one can honestly say that we haven’t tried to consistent and persistently warn our readers of just how rigged the system is and precisely who has rigged it. It is often the very people who smile at your face, shake your hands, say or write nice sounding things, and they go laughing all the way to the bank and their fancy lives.
Honest vs. Dishonest Wealth
The Masthead doesn’t oppose honestly earned wealth. We do oppose dishonestly earned wealth and power.
What are the solutions?
- Break those corporate interests up with antitrust and other legal tools.
- Remove their corporate charters. As warranted, sue them and prosecute them.
- Make them suffer the penalties for their decades of dirty tricks.
- Don’t allow let them manipulate you with claims of phony philanthropy or what they say they will do but routinely fail to deliver.
Don’t let anything keep you from voting them out of power. The elites may have far more money. They may have big media and big tech dominance. But “We the People” have by far the most votes. We still have a Constitution and numbers of good laws that only need to be properly enforced.
We also have the power of the truth. We also have prayer and that can be powerful. Prayer and work. Pray like it all depends on God, and work like it all depends on you. Do these things, and victory over wealthy scoundrels, their allies and useful stooges are assured. ##
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Stay tuned for more of what is ‘behind the curtains’ as well as what is obvious and in your face reporting that are not found anywhere else in MHVille. It is all here, which may explain why this is the runaway largest and most-read source for authentic manufactured home “News through the lens of manufactured homes and factory-built housing” © where “We Provide, You Decide.” © ## (Affordable housing, manufactured homes, reports, fact-checks, analysis, and commentary. Third-party images or content are provided under fair use guidelines for media.) (See Related Reports, further below. Text/image boxes often are hot-linked to other reports that can be access by clicking on them.)
By L.A. “Tony” Kovach – for MHProNews.com.
Tony earned a journalism scholarship and earned numerous awards in history and in manufactured housing.
For example, he earned the prestigious Lottinville Award in history from the University of Oklahoma, where he studied history and business management. He’s a managing member and co-founder of LifeStyle Factory Homes, LLC, the parent company to MHProNews, and MHLivingNews.com.
This article reflects the LLC’s and/or the writer’s position, and may or may not reflect the views of sponsors or supporters.
Connect on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach
Related References:
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