The latest insult: To be called an elite

JC student flamed for his letter on ITE realises he sounded 'arrogant, obnoxious'

http://www.edvantage.com.sg:80/edvantage...

He was branded an elitist, a snob and a class A clown.

We have baggage of religion, race and now social class. In this sense we are no different from other societies. Some like this boy had the misfortune of learning it the hard way. He had recent company though, in the guise of minister Grace Fu.

To be called an elite must surely rank with expletives in our present environment. It is well on the way to become the severest insult. I wonder what it brings to our understanding of meritocracy.

Meritocracy is pure and simple in a simple society where you mostly compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges. In a complex economy like ours where often judgement is needed, what is meritocratic is controversial. It also opens up opportunities for abuse beginning with accusations of nepotism and favoritism.

In time to come, we will have many versions of meritocracy but practically all of them will not be meritocratic. Truly a time when one man's meat is another man's poison. I sense the forces of division in our society is greater than those uniting us. God forbid, but a perverse solution is to find a common enemy. That would be the beginning of the end for us.

The elites is the head on the shoulders of the broader society. If society rejects them, they are decapitated. The onus is on them to adapt especially when they have exhausted their moral and intellectual capital. They need to start from ground up again or society will throw up another band to replace them. A new group that cares for the people and are prepared to be sacrificial leaders. It is also possible that we end up with people worse than those we run out of town and rob us of our reserves.

How would we know which we would get? By our graciousness and maturity in deposing the incumbents.