This election will determine whether we are a free nation or whether we have only the illusion of democracy, but are in fact controlled by a small handful of global special interests rigging the system, and our system is rigged. This is reality, you know it, they know it, I know it, and pretty much the whole world knows it. The establishment and their media enablers will control over this nation through means that are very well known. Anyone who challenges their control is deemed a sexist, a racist, a xenophobe, and morally deformed.

Source: Read Donald Trump’s Fiery Speech Calling Accusations Against Him ‘Outright Lies’ | TIME – 10/13/2016.

Search results for “Trump, meltdown speech”

For context and for the record: BackChannels has been supported by curiosity, editorial and entrepreneurial zeal (it hasn’t raised a dime but it’s been rewarding nonetheless), and semi-retired time (its ageing editor is not done with striving in his arts).  America’s “Fourth Estate” — The Media — represents a still broad and independent multitude of national and international voices.  Some, as noted in these virtual pages, may be partisan and inclined toward steep slants propped up by disingenuous observations and worse, but most observe from the same world and comment on its various facets.

Today: is there a global intelligentsia?  Yes — and I’m certain BackChannels is not unique receiving viewers from more than 140 nations, including North Korea and Vatican City (once).  🙂

Are there intellectual elites?

Quora, an “answer site”, has an answer at least in affirmed and estimated numbers of Ph.Ds worldwide.

Note that for those PhDs employed in their fields, they are paid to contest one another in the advancement of knowledge.  As regards influence, attach each to academic and research institutions or to consultancies to known figures in power.

Are there global business, financial, and political “elites” as defined by their proprietary clout and wealth?  Yes — and you may look them up and read about them in Forbes (Forbes Billionaires)and the Wall Street Journal (“WSJ, billionaires” – search result).

Such powerhouses have names.

Add the titular but still present kings and queens of Europe, the still formidable same elsewhere in the world, then presidents and prime ministers and, perhaps, their “inner circles” and closest advisors.

Some, like Paul Manafort, may be shadowy figures, but none are themselves shadows.

Related on BackChannels:

Putin – Yanukovych – Manafort – Trump

Anthropolitical Psychology