This was John Adams's point 2 centuries ago when he declared that the British government could not be depended upon to act in its own interests. It is the fly in the ointment when one tries to predict the future actions of an institution, a government, a class by describing the objective interests of the entity concerned. Carrol <<<<<>>>>>
re. power elite, conservative elite poli sci guy thomas dye - he of a series of books entitled 'who's running america' (note: running not ruling) - that argues for about 5000 'positions of control' in industry, banking, utilities, govt, media, foundations, universities, civic and cultural orgs - maintains that u.s. political problems stem from emergence of narrow, short-sighted, self-serving elite, he (and his _irony of democracy_ co-author harmon ziegler) characterize last 40 years of foreign policy as elite failure to lead (vietnam), elite leadership restored (gulf war), elite objectives unclear (iraq)...
re. adams (the american edmund burke, whom adams mistakenly associated with english reaction because of burke's fondness of 'the crown'), he believed that progress is slow, arduous process dependent upon conservative institutions and will of god, he rarely placed much confidence in his own generation, much less future ones... michael hoover
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