Thursday, July 01, 2010
'For the rest of your life, you belong'
France's elitist education system keeps producing arrogant swells. Now they're trying to change it a bit. ... Loved this line: "The problem is not simply the narrow base of the elite, but its self-satisfaction." See arrogant-swells link above. ... The U.S. has its own elitist problems. A quick glace at the resume of your average Obama cabinet member proves certain university graduates are overrepresented in government. But France's institutionalized elitism is far more extensive, reaching deep into business, the arts and almost every facet of life. There's a "republican" element to it, for sure. But there's also a stifling insiders-club mentality that doesn't look kindly upon the French equivalent of a Reed College dropout.
France's elitist education system keeps producing arrogant swells. Now they're trying to change it a bit. ... Loved this line: "The problem is not simply the narrow base of the elite, but its self-satisfaction." See arrogant-swells link above. ... The U.S. has its own elitist problems. A quick glace at the resume of your average Obama cabinet member proves certain university graduates are overrepresented in government. But France's institutionalized elitism is far more extensive, reaching deep into business, the arts and almost every facet of life. There's a "republican" element to it, for sure. But there's also a stifling insiders-club mentality that doesn't look kindly upon the French equivalent of a Reed College dropout.
