Possessing inside technical knowledge lets ordinary citizens feel superior to activists

Evidence

From the protesters’ point of view, the main point was a general political and moral one; but, if protesters were trying to make a general, political point, Fred proudly missed the point. Some country-western men spoke as if they were the powerful ones looking down at the ineffective crybaby protesters. And indeed, sometimes they did have some knowledge that only a person working on the inside would have. — Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding politics, 989

Categorization

• XREF: The ‘inside dopester’ posture—knowing that others are ignorant—echoes Riesman’s typology cited in the text and the contemporary dynamic of anti-expertise as its own status marker. — connects to: Activists pursue technical expertise to win credibility in public debate — Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding politics: how Americans…, 1421; Technical credentials shield citizens from being dismissed as irrational spouters — Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding politics: how Americans…, 1439; Technologically educated masses paradoxically exhibit readiness to accept despotism (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• Activists pursue technical expertise to win credibility in public debate #contradicts (0.85) — Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding politics, 1421
• Asymmetries of knowledge and power divide humanity into tuners and the tuned #expands (0.80) — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 1060
• Technical credentials shield citizens from being dismissed as irrational spouters #qualifies (0.75) — Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding politics, 1439
• Technologically educated masses paradoxically exhibit readiness to accept despotism #exemplifies (0.75)
• Technocracy is the power of experts to discipline citizens. #complicates (0.72) — Clara E. Mattei, Escape from Capitalism, 216