I think elites, or especially their advisors, have a pretty good knowledge of anarchism or especially Marxism, very well. In fact, a lot of Marxists and anarchists have made this point repeatedly.
UT Economics Prof. Harry Cleaver, an autonomist Marxist (author of _Reading Capital Politically_), writes specifically about how capitalist ideologues have used Marxism to their own advantage and mentions a long list of pro-cap theorists that have employed Marxist thought. They turn the formula upside down, as it were. Noam Chomsky has mentioned this as well -- that the ruling class has learned more from Marxist thought, and probably understands it better, than working class folks, who are generally frightened away from it by the same people in elite positions who know it inside and out.
Another example of elites using Marxism to their own ends I found in a used textbook I picked up, _The Labor Relations Process_ (by William H. Holley and Kenneth M. Jennings). It's audience is MBA types who will be in management positions after college. In this textbook I learned more about Marxism and the labor movement than almost any handbill I was given by Marxist or labor groups. Nuts and bolts stuff. In the text are extensive sections on the early militant CIO, the IWW, the Knights of Labor, how exactly folks can join a union, explained step-by-step, and how to legally stymie every worker attempt at doing so (without endorsing illegal tactics, though they are also discussed). The writers know their Marx and their labor history, alright.
-B.
Tayssir John Gabbour wrote:
> I really suspect that many leaders understand
anarchism. Maybe they
> hadn't read anything serious on it, but I keep
hearing the word
> "anarchy" from them when they start considering some
sufficiently
> serious form of democracy.