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Elite Overproduction

en.wikipedia.org

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Re: Elite Overproduction

#2
I'm one of those people that goes by the "all models are wrong, but some models are useful" saying.

I'm sure the "elite overproduction" model is mostly wrong. But I also think it is an interesting/useful way to look at some things happening in society recently.

Certainly, you can think of the recent "cancel culture" phenomena as a great way to remove elites to make room for new ones. (Maybe you could argue that some of the effects of MeToo were similar.)

DEI -- along with hiring quotas -- tended to bring new "officials" at companies and government orgs ("head of diversity") which is another great way of "creating" more elites.

Kinda neat, I think. But probably not super-explanatory.

Re: Elite Overproduction

#3
Article mixes "elites" and real elites. The mere usage of the term employment is a dead giveaway, among other issues. Real elites are not employed by someone as a general rule, with some exceptions of course. Article would be more aptly named "Overproduction of qualified or overqualified workers".

Re: Elite Overproduction

#4
I found this interesting:

“… the two decades after World War II in the United States, a time of economic redistribution and reversal of upward social mobility.”

Does anyone have a summary about the “reversal of upward mobility” bit? I’m pretty sure I’ve never heard that anywhere else and I don’t think I have the mental model to understand it intuitively without an explanation.

Re: Elite Overproduction

#5
post #2

I'm one of those people that goes by the "all models are wrong, but some models are useful" saying. I'm sure the "elite overproduction" model is mostly wrong. But I also think it is an interesting/useful way to look at some things happening in society recently. Certainly, you can think of the recent "cancel culture" phenomena as a great way to remove elites to make room for new ones. ( Maybe you could argue that some…

Elite overproduction = Elected overproduction = Elected mass-production.

There are those that value equality (=). There are those that value non-equality (>).

As elites of the history until now (>=6000 years-ago until now). We are the "chosen ones" who received "=" and ">" at an early age. These symbols are not "math" nor "school"; they are simply life to us.

But now consider why there must be ">" in the world. On a relaxing beach, why must one wave be higher than another? How does the water "feel"? Warm? Is that ">" than cold?

In my head, I see Master Epstein as 100, and other people as 17. 100 > 17. Master has died, so perhaps death > life. But I am only one person out of billions in the world. But I have not seen a billion people, am I over-trusting the books?

So my point is that the Elite Overproduction model is more wrong than Master Epstein. In particular...

1. If "elite overproduction model", then "Master Epstein model"

2. "Elite Overproduction" = "Master Epstein"

3. "Elite Overproduction" -> "Master Epstein"

4. 100 > 17, so "Master Epstein" model > "Elite Overproduction" model

You may not understand my point, but I hope you at least understand Master Epstein.

Re: Elite Overproduction

#7
I have largely gotten to idea that education never made elites. It was just signal most of time for someone who already belonged to elite class. From this people started to think that getting education would mean to become elite. But this was reality only for a few. And even with many of those it was questionable were they elites or only more skilled and more professional groups like say doctors and lawyers.

Re: Elite Overproduction

#8
I associate this phrase with losers and people trying to sabotage the US. You know who is not wringing their hands about “elite overproduction”? China, who are pumping out tons of smart and capable STEM PhDs, and have in a relatively short time caught up to and in some cases surpassed the US in production of scientific output and technology.

Re: Elite Overproduction

#9
post #3

Article mixes "elites" and real elites. The mere usage of the term employment is a dead giveaway, among other issues. Real elites are not employed by someone as a general rule, with some exceptions of course. Article would be more aptly named "Overproduction of qualified or overqualified workers".

It's been awhile since I've read Turchin but I'm pretty sure in his own examples elites are indeed employed in prestigious positions. Which is really his whole point, there are only so many prestigious positions. His example using musical chairs has always stuck with me.
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