Smith talks specifically of ‘clergy’ and ‘religion’, but for some time liberalism has taken on the role of religion for the unchurched, and the elite are very much its clergy.

When I was writing of Anne Bingamen and James Barksdale above, and their family connections, the thought struck me that the legal profession is akin to the Roman Catholic clergy of feudal Europe. Every powerful family of nobles had a son or two in the church heirarchy. Every politician and corporatist CEO seems to have a connection to the law industry these days.

And as far as “vulgar barbarism” goes, Rahm “Shower Power” Emmanuel would seem to fit the description a lot better than, say, Sarah Palin.