Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Redfairen

(1,276 posts)
Sat Dec 21, 2013, 06:48 PM Dec 2013

Wall Street Journal editorial says America was better under white rule

There are a lot of problems in Washington, D.C these days, but not many solutions to them. Inefficiency, an allergy to cooperation, and stiff resistance to pragmatism have all ground the federal government to a stand-still. But one op-ed contributor to the Wall Street Journal knows what the real problem is: not enough rich, white men.

In Saturday’s paper and online, author Joseph Epstein mourns the collapse of what he describes as the “genuine ruling class, drawn from what came to be known as the WASP establishment,” (WASP, the commonly-held acronym for White, Anglo-Saxon Protestant). Instead, he argues, we are living in a meritocracy, governed not by an elite subset of the uppermost crust of society but rather by a group of people who overcame some kind of adversity and achieved success thanks to their own merits, not based on what family they were born into. This, according to Epstein, is a tragedy.

Epstein’s embrace of white privilege (or is it power?) is almost too transparent, resembling something closer to satire than to outright racism. And yet he gives no reason to believe that he isn’t completely serious when he argues that modern day “corruption, scandal and incompetence” are hallmarks exclusive to this new era of non-white rule. Or when he memorializes the virtues of keeping those not born into the “WASPocracy” away from the halls of power. Or when he faults the leadership of the country’s top colleges for its role in ending white rule by “lessening the number of legacies automatically admitted, and using racial preferences to encourage the enrollment of blacks.”

Instead, Epstein argues, we should return to an era of WASP rule. Why? Because rich, white men born into rich, white christian families would never lead the country astray:

"A financier I know who grew up under the WASP standard not long ago told me that he thought that the subprime real estate collapse and the continuing hedge-fund scandals have been brought on directly by men and women who are little more than “greedy pigs” (his words) without a shred of character or concern for their clients or country. Naturally, he added, they all have master’s degrees from the putatively best business schools in the nation. Thus far in their history, meritocrats, those earnest good students, appear to be about little more than getting on, getting ahead and (above all) getting their own. The WASP leadership, for all that may be said in criticism of it, was better than that."

http://thinkprogress.org/home/2013/12/21/3098361/wall-street-journal-bemoans-end-white-rule-united-states/

28 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Wall Street Journal editorial says America was better under white rule (Original Post) Redfairen Dec 2013 OP
WATER WATER PLEASE!!! I NEED WATER!!!!! Schema Thing Dec 2013 #1
Right. Specifically those times when "white rule" resulted in two depressions. idwiyo Dec 2013 #2
When did Phil Robertson start writing for the WSJ? Brigid Dec 2013 #3
We only need to remember one thing ... lpbk2713 Dec 2013 #4
Does this Epstein fellow DonCoquixote Dec 2013 #5
I would lose the little respect I had for The Wall Street Journal... Mike Nelson Dec 2013 #6
WSJ Editorial Page - How Rich White Guys Talk to Each Other When they Think No One Else is Listening JPZenger Dec 2013 #7
But they forgot something: Brigid Dec 2013 #9
LOL Skittles Dec 2013 #8
I believe someone over at the Wall Street Urinal needs an ass kicking. madinmaryland Dec 2013 #11
I would not waste my time on those greedy bastards Skittles Dec 2013 #16
Once again I thought this was an Onion headline n/t lordsummerisle Dec 2013 #10
There is no such editorial. former9thward Dec 2013 #12
Maybe it's on the WSJ website? Brigid Dec 2013 #14
The OP says it is in the print edition and online. former9thward Dec 2013 #15
op-ed Enrique Dec 2013 #21
No it was not an op-ed. former9thward Dec 2013 #28
Huh? Ya mean like g Wasp type leaders? RobertEarl Dec 2013 #13
Duck call. GeorgeGist Dec 2013 #17
Off To The Greatest Page !!! WillyT Dec 2013 #18
The leaders of the Confederacy were all WASPs. Tierra_y_Libertad Dec 2013 #19
Um...besides Pres. O, Jamaal510 Dec 2013 #20
We're not supposed to have "rulers"..... Wounded Bear Dec 2013 #22
"QUAAAACK, quackquackquackquack." sibelian Dec 2013 #23
Well he must have been writing about his boss malaise Dec 2013 #24
Epstein on Gays.... Ichingcarpenter Dec 2013 #25
Let Murdoch get his claws on one of the papers of record... Orsino Dec 2013 #26
In my time, I've been screwed over by my white dudes than by anyone else Orrex Dec 2013 #27

idwiyo

(5,113 posts)
2. Right. Specifically those times when "white rule" resulted in two depressions.
Sat Dec 21, 2013, 07:20 PM
Dec 2013

It was a stroke of a genius governorship. Both times. No doubt about that.

DonCoquixote

(13,616 posts)
5. Does this Epstein fellow
Sat Dec 21, 2013, 07:35 PM
Dec 2013

even realize what those Wasp's would call HIM? Even Nixon called Henry Kissinger a nasty epitet for Jew behind his back.

Skittles

(153,150 posts)
16. I would not waste my time on those greedy bastards
Sat Dec 21, 2013, 09:05 PM
Dec 2013

I believe they have to be sociopaths to not give a damn how they wreck America as long as their pockets get lined

former9thward

(31,989 posts)
12. There is no such editorial.
Sat Dec 21, 2013, 08:40 PM
Dec 2013

I have the Saturday, Dec. 21 edition in front of me and their are two editorials. One is on Obamacare and the other is on Bloomberg's final speech. Dishonest headline.

Brigid

(17,621 posts)
14. Maybe it's on the WSJ website?
Sat Dec 21, 2013, 08:58 PM
Dec 2013

I can't access their site since I'm not a subscriber, but a Google search turned it up and said they could not access it.I think WSJ has all of their content behind a pay wall.

former9thward

(31,989 posts)
15. The OP says it is in the print edition and online.
Sat Dec 21, 2013, 09:05 PM
Dec 2013

December 21st WSJ editorials: Obama Repeals ObamaCare
The 'Labor-Electoral Complex'

Opinions

Josh Tavlin: A Short Guide to Company Christmas Giving

RAYMOND ZHONG THE WEEKEND INTERVIEW
Andrew Haldane: The Banker Who Cried 'Simplicity'

PEGGY NOONAN DECLARATIONS
The Most Memorable Words of 2013

I looked online and the WASP article is filed under "Essays" in the Weekend edition. They are not editorials and not even opinion pieces.

former9thward

(31,989 posts)
28. No it was not an op-ed.
Sun Dec 22, 2013, 11:13 AM
Dec 2013

Op-eds are opposite the editorial page and I listed them in post #15. This was in a completely different section of the paper called the Weekend Review and is listed as an "Essay". For the OP to call it an editorial is like calling a letter to the editor an editorial. An editorial gives the position of the paper. So yeah it was dishonest.

 

RobertEarl

(13,685 posts)
13. Huh? Ya mean like g Wasp type leaders?
Sat Dec 21, 2013, 08:41 PM
Dec 2013

I bet ol' Epstein just loves President Obama. What a damn whiner Epstein is.

 

Tierra_y_Libertad

(50,414 posts)
19. The leaders of the Confederacy were all WASPs.
Sat Dec 21, 2013, 10:16 PM
Dec 2013

I guess it all depends on what he means by "leading the country astray".

Jamaal510

(10,893 posts)
20. Um...besides Pres. O,
Sat Dec 21, 2013, 11:11 PM
Dec 2013

I'm pretty sure that the vast majority of our government officials are......WHITE.

Ichingcarpenter

(36,988 posts)
25. Epstein on Gays....
Sun Dec 22, 2013, 06:16 AM
Dec 2013

"if I had the power to do so, I would wish homosexuality off the face of the earth, because I consider it a curse, in a literal sense."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Epstein_(writer)

Orrex

(63,204 posts)
27. In my time, I've been screwed over by my white dudes than by anyone else
Sun Dec 22, 2013, 09:37 AM
Dec 2013

I imagine I'm not alone in that experience, either.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Wall Street Journal edito...