[lbo-talk] Twililght of the Elites

[David Green]

Are we supposed to believe that our current plight lies with the nature of the meritocracy, rather than its simple existence in a capitalist framework? Has the meritocracy "gone wrong?"
 
http://www.thenation.com/article/168265/why-elites-fail?rel=emailNation
 
Twilight of the Elites: A Conversation with Christopher Hayes and Katrina vanden Heuvel
 
Thursday, June 14, 2012                                          7:00 p.m.  
Over the past decade, Americans watched in bafflement and rage as one institution after another—from Wall Street to Congress, the Catholic Church to corporate America, even Major League baseball—imploded under the weight of corruption and incompetence. 
In the wake of these failures, Americans have historically low levels of trust in their institutions. The social contract between ordinary citizens and elites lies in tatters. How did we get here? With his new book, Twilight of the Elites: America After Meritocracy, MSNBC host and Nation editor at large Christopher Hayes offers a radically novel answer. 

Join us for a conversation between Christopher Hayes and Nation magazine editor and publisher Katrina vanden Heuvel about social distance, the new American elite, and ways we can bring about change. A welcome and introductions will be offered by David Scobey, executive dean of The New School for Public Engagement. 

Sponsored by The Nation and The New School.