| Sumario: | The terms “elite” and “elitism” have come to be used as political slurs in both Great Britain and the U.S. in recent years. In the U.S., however, “elitist” is usually applied to liberals, whereas in Great Britain it is used to describe conservatives of various types. The Republicans are currently describing Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama as an elitist, although his is a story of earned privilege through scholarships, hard work, and intellect. In Great Britain, a Labour Party candidate from his background would be described very differently by the opposition. Epithets with “elite” at the root bear about as much relation to the real problems faced by either nation as charges of witchcraft, and they no longer have a place in political discourse.
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