The Bobos

The French have a great saying to describe their progressive liberals: "La gauche caviar," the Caviar Left. This is a reference to the Left's hypocritical preaching to the masses about equality while living high off the hog behind the scenes -- or even in front of the scenes, given that the European politicians are a deservedly and publically acknowledged elite class of human being.


[Thanks to nitedine.com for the photo.]

I didn't realize we have a similar phrase, perhaps coined by Ilya Shapiro here: "Bobos," short for Bourgeois Bohemians. (No, see comment by Professor Arnold Kling. This term was coined by David Brooks in his book Bobos in Paradise. Thank you, Professor.)

I like that. Although I must say, in this country we've got a combination of both, Bourgeois Bohemian Caviar Leftists, in the persons of John Kerry, Ted Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, George Soros, Warren Buffett, et al.

Oh, the economics of politics.