13153: Burnham replies to Dorce Re: 13130 re: elite debate and brass tacks (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: thor burnham <thorald_mb@hotmail.com>

Dorce Writes:

"No Thor, none of the people you mentioned in the above group (especially
me!) >would I put in the category elite." But in the way we are discussing
....we>mean the ruling elite of Haiti.  Not the smartest or the best or the
richest >or the most educated.  I'm not talking about that kind of
elite......

Dear Kathy:

    Kathy, if you were to ask many of the Haitians here described as members
of the "ruling elite" they would react in the same way you just did. And
this is my point. Some, not all, of the people described would laugh out
loud at the power and status ascribed to them by virtue of colour, lodging
and the car they drive. So let's complicate the debate.

    And this is really what i'm after here. I wanted to know how you are
defining your use of the word elite, and how you are using it to make your
arguments. I now have a much better idea of the definition you are working
with and what you are trying to describe and the questions you are
ultimately posing. This is what Hudicourt and Desmangles were trying to do
by asking: (my paraphrasing)"How are you using elite and what do you mean by
it? "

   Although you don't consider yourself part of an elite, you can be
categorized as such, will be categorized as such, and have been categorized
as such (whether you know it or not, and/or whether you like it or not).
This can depend not only on the definitions being used to slot you into a
particular category, but also on who is doing the defining.
   In my own case I am constantly reminded that I possess "white privilege",
whether i want to admit it or not. I am also regularly reminded that as a
white male I am part of an internation cabal of white males who conspire to
keep everyone else down. (I'm exaggerating and half-kidding, to clarify, but
i have been told that to my face on more than one occassion; yet one can't
ignore the realities of the historical process). And, obviously, the Bush
administration is doing nothing to help this perception. In other words,
although "i only bank at Chase Manhattan" other people may assume I'm a
Rockefeller whether I like it or not.
   Be that as it may, you are starting to go where I want to get to, and
that is specifics. Who are we talking about when we talk about the
ruling/power elite of Haiti? It has been mentioned in several posts that
this information was published during the coup d'etat. Can someone re-post
it? What are the specific financial and political interests that these
ruling elite protect, foster and/or hide? Let's get down to brass tacks and
start in on the evidence.
  In other words, WHO is the problem? WHY are they a problem? WHAT
specifically are they protecting? WHERE are they? and HOW do they maintain
their "ruling elite" status?

best,
Thor Burnham

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