Last week, Rep. Nancy Pelosi found herself in a challenging situation while debating populism at Oxford Union. With no scripted talking points and absent a friendly press corps, Pelosi was bound to reveal her candid thoughts. She didn’t hold back.
About halfway through the debate, Pelosi made the following statement:
We’ve seen demagogues come down the pike [and] destroy the press. What is it that Republicans say? Fake news. So, they’re diminishing [the press] in the eyes of these poor souls who are looking for some answers. We’ve given them [answers], but they’re blocked by some of their views on guns. They have the three Gs, guns, gays, God. And the cultural issues cloud some of their reception, reception [to] an argument that really is in their interest.
Perhaps realizing the impact of her remarks, Pelosi stated, “We don’t accuse people of not knowing what they’re doing. They know what their personal interest is. We respect that.” However, by asserting that certain views prevent people from understanding their own interests, she effectively implied that they do not know what they are doing. Referring to the “three Gs” as she did is not a demonstration of respect.
In his book The Vision of the Anointed, economist Thomas Sowell extensively examines the attitude exemplified by figures like Pelosi. This vision suggests that many in politics, academia, and the media believe that third parties can make better decisions for individuals than they can make for themselves. These Anointed view themselves as morally superior, demonstrated by their compassion for the poor, support for the oppressed, and concern for the environment. Those who disagree are deemed not just wrong, but mean-spirited, with hidden motives that must be unveiled. If they persist, they must be overridden by the Anointed’s views, enforced through government power, Sowell argued.
Pelosi regards a populist like Donald Trump not just as someone with different societal ideas but as a “snake-oil salesman” selling the vulnerable “a bill of goods.” She claimed his primary objective was to implement “a tax bill that [gave] 83 percent of the benefits to the top 1 percent.” This allegedly favored his “big, dark, rich, billionaire donors who don’t want to pay taxes.”
More of Pelosi’s Accusations
Pelosi further accused populists of cruelty, alleging they aim to suppress “the vote in our country,” “take away … health care,” and allow the fossil fuel industry to “suffocate the airways.”
Such sentiments are not new for Pelosi. During the Obamacare debates, she remarked, “You’ve heard about the controversies within the bill … I don’t know if you have heard that it is legislation for the future, not just about health care for America, but about a healthier America … but we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it. Away from the fog of the controversy.”
Essentially, Pelosi was saying: “The arguments against Obamacare are just distractions. And for those who oppose it, trust us to do what’s best for you because we are smarter and more ethical.”
Biden Administration as Anointed
Most politicians, irrespective of their affiliation, possess the Vision of the Anointed to some extent. However, some exhibit it more strongly than others. From student loans to health insurance subsidies to massive spending bills, the Biden administration has shown no hesitation in imposing its judgment over that of ordinary Americans. The issue is that the Anointed, like Biden and Pelosi, do not face the direct consequences of their decisions. These typically affect the people for whom the decisions are made.
Biden’s Green New Deal is a prime example. Part of this agenda included halting new oil drilling on federal land, which has led taxpayers to bear the cost of higher gasoline prices and heating costs, all while keeping the presidential limousine running and the White House comfortable in winter. These taxpayers will have to manage their increased gas prices and heating bills on their own.
Adults are best suited to make their own decisions as they directly bear the consequences if they err, providing them with a strong incentive to make wise choices. As election season approaches, it is vital to remember that many politicians do not respect this fundamental principle.
