VICTOR JOECKS: Are the elite idiots, ignorant or evil?

Are the elite who run the country idiots, ignorant or evil?

Many of them gathered this week in Davos, Switzerland, to attend the World Economic Forum. One theme is the world is “straining under the burden of its own complexity.” The forum seeks to bring together “leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.” Basically, it’s a meeting of would-be Bond villains who believe prosperity hinges on them — humanity’s elite — acquiring and wielding more power.

There are lots of problems with this mindset, such as its disregard for the concepts laid out in the Declaration of Independence. But consider this obvious one. The elites keep messing up in ways that are both boneheaded and deeply damaging to society more broadly.

As used here, “elite” means those who have obtained a place of prestige, wealth or power and want to accumulate power to steer society. They don’t believe you and I — the little people — can be fully trusted to manage individual rights and the spontaneous order of the free market.

There have been many high-profile examples of elite failure in recent days. Start with Dr. Anthony Fauci. Last week, he did a transcribed interview before the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. According to Chairman Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, Fauci said the “six-feet” social distancing standard wasn’t based on data. Instead, Fauci admitted, “It sort of just appeared.” He was apparently too polite to say someone pulled it out of their backside.

Another example. Shortly before the 2020 election, The New York Post reported on the contents of a laptop Hunter Biden left at a computer store. Along with pictures of him doing drugs and cavorting with prostitutes, it contained evidence that Joe Biden might be corrupt. Yet, more than 50 senior intelligence “experts” told the public that the story had “all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.” Social media companies censored the report. But in court filings on Tuesday, the Department of Justice confirmed what you already knew. The laptop was Hunter’s.

The supposed adults in the Biden administration oversaw sky-high inflation, surrendered Afghanistan to the Taliban and didn’t even know when the secretary of defense was hospitalized.

Back to the original question. Despite frequently embarrassing themselves, the elites aren’t idiots. Ignorance isn’t a satisfying explanation either, because they know many details even as they draw wrong conclusions. Evil is an easy default, but they sincerely think they’re doing what’s best.

Here’s a nuanced answer. Without a belief in God, the elites have unbound themselves from the principle that all men are created equal and endowed with unalienable rights. They know best, even when it necessitates trampling those rights or ignoring basic moral tenets, such as telling the truth. They’re ignorant as to why communism and socialism have failed repeatedly. They take for granted the wealth created by the free enterprise system that has lifted a billion people out of poverty.

This toxic combination produces results that range from embarrassing to evil.

Victor Joecks’ column appears in the Opinion section each Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. Contact him at vjoecks@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4698. Follow @victorjoecks on X.