Provoative column by Brooks today

New York Times columnist David Brooks has a provocative column on elites, their nature today and how elites have evolved in American leadership. This part is sure to attract debate ....

The best of the WASP elites had a stewardship mentality, that they were temporary caretakers of institutions that would span generations. They cruelly ostracized people who did not live up to their codes of gentlemanly conduct and scrupulosity. They were insular and struggled with intimacy, but they did believe in restraint, reticence and service. Today’s elite is more talented and open but lacks a self-conscious leadership code.