This framework explains so much. I know a bunch of these precarious elites. I clearly remember an argument with a friend during Hillary Clinton's campaign. Her reason for why I should vote Hillary was that she had 'paid her dues' and it was 'her turn' to be president. When my friend said this I went off.

"The presidency is not a fucking butcher counter! You don't get to take a number and wait your turn. This is the leader of the most powerful country on Earth! This person is entrusted to safeguard the future of the free world! The best the Democrats can do is to promote the next person in line? We're all doomed." smdh 🤦‍♂️

Years later, another friend of a friend, a white woman, 'paid her dues' and was hoping for a promotion. Except her place of employment has an explicit policy to promote minorities over white people. She got passed over in favor of a less qualified minority candidate and was salty about it. Lol wat? Why would you work somewhere like that? She still works there AFAIK.

I now understand it's because she is a precarious elite, struggling financially in a low-paying job, under a crushing debt load taken on to pay for her prestigious degree, exploited by her employer, and simultaneously unwilling to do 'lower' forms of labor for better working conditions.

These are the folks trying to tell us how to run things. These are the folks who cannot comprehend why they lost the election so badly. I'm suddenly feeling better about my decision to get out of academia and get a real job.

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