Elitist corporation tells us we are elitist

The word elitism has been hijacked by the very people who are, by definition, elitists. I am of course talking about the aptly named News Limited corporation – there is constant referral to the ‘Latte-sipping inner- city elite’ in op-eds throughout what can be only described as the most powerful media empire on the planet.

Elitism in this case refers to those who consider themselves more intellectually advanced than others, and look down on those who don’t understand the same concepts or vocabulary.

Those who are against learning are just as nauseating as pompous snobs who think they are better than others. It seems their argument is that the aspiration to acquire more knowledge is a bad thing.

And while Australians aspire to elite athletes, we seldom celebrate our brains. It’s a collective tall-poppy attitude that no doubt originates from convict ancestry and a colonial past.

In News Limited’s case, the pressures of producing copy for the never- ending theatre-driven media-cycle has resulted in sneering at anyone who doesn’t fit into their narrow world view.

And this is their ultimate downfall. The media, like politicians, should always aim to transcend ego and personal vendettas and provide good judgment and leadership. But if working for Murdoch, I imagine that would be a difficult task.

Elitism is not a bad word, but it is a distraction from the only truth I know: every human is born with a yearning to learn, experience and love. Learning becomes knowledge, and knowledge can, hopefully, become wisdom.

I know this ‘cause I read it in a book somewhere.

Those with true wisdom never look down at, or point to the failings of others, and they certainly don’t end up working for sanctimonious self- righteous dinosaur media conglomerates. I am feeling some sense of irony here, so, in conclusion:

Thank you Henry Lawson, thank you Mark Twain, Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Nikola Tesla. It’s through these elitists that we may keep evolving and continue to explore inner and outer space.