(Not The Bee) Count me among the number of Americans who are largely ambivalent about the existence and influence of the uber-wealthy in our country. Observant enough to see the myriad of problems and pitfalls that exorbitant riches create, I don’t regularly battle envy of the billionaire class. Similarly, I don’t feel cheated, unrepresented, or otherwise abused if Jeff Bezos makes another billion.
Not that I don’t have my opinions over the manner in which the opulent few invest their seemingly inexhaustible dollars. For instance, I personally wouldn’t spend my own wealth funding abortion mills and some of the morally repugnant causes Bill and Melinda Gates have financed. I certainly identify with those who think Warren Buffet’s significant investment in left-wing political causes and characters is unwise. And as much as I am fascinated by space exploration, I’d probably prefer seeing Elon Musk invest more resources on reaching people down here than reaching planets out there. But ultimately, it’s not my money, so it’s not my burden.
All that said, I have to admit that it’s becoming increasingly difficult not to take interest in and thoroughly appreciate what that latter billionaire is doing right now to the establishment class with his Twitter takeover.
I should define my terms. When I speak of the “establishment class” in this context, I’m talking about the political and cultural commentariat – those who hold traditional positions of influence in those realms – media personnel and public office holders, to be precise. The former believe their journalism degrees and credentialed pedigree means they boast a more sophisticated understanding of the world they report on than the ones living in it. The latter believe their position in the public trust is less about an opportunity to serve and more about a chance to rule. These are the ones who scoff at the “bloggers” and condescend to the peasantry.
Given the transparent ideological bias of modern media, it’s no surprise that much of this establishment tilts more than a little leftward. And with the Left’s preoccupation over classism and identity politics, Twitter was always a great fit for them. There, with the validation and endorsement of its far-left overlords, they created a perfect playground of invincible blue-checkmarked “haves” (them), bullying the oft-suspended, censored, and shamed “have-nots” (us).
The blue badge was a sign of prestige, dignity, and authority. I hope I’m not losing anyone with this analogy, but they were the star-bellied Sneetches of Dr. Seuss fame. All until Elon Musk rolled up in his hilarious $8 star-off machine.
Suddenly, this eccentric billionaire genius who historically had favored left-wing social causes, revealed himself to be a populist hero putting up a mirror to the knighted ones’ nakedness. Musk strolled into Twitter headquarters, began cleaning house, and then dropped the news that those blessed and beloved blue badges were now for sale. Just $8 could get you all the “expert” prestige you could want.
Speaking on behalf of the political class, Democratic-Socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whose own website charges people $58 if they want a periwinkle sweatshirt emblazoned with her name, was one of the first to bristle at the prospect of paying $8.
