Andrei Raevsky's Superb Take...

 ... on the "competence" of current "elite". It is superb not because Andrei validates a lot what I write about, but because he is insider. Here is an excerpt from a great article:

I decided to chime in, because I know from the inside what Martyanov describes from the outside, so I want to share with you my own observations on this topic. I studied in the USA for five years, from 1986 to 1991 and I got two degrees in this time period: one BA in International Relations from the School of International Service (SIS) at the American University and a MA in Strategic Studies from the Paul H. Nitze School for Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at the Johns Hopkins University. During these same years I also worked for several (very conservative) think tanks.  The following is a summary of observations I made during this time period and after. First, and I think that this is crucial, I would argue that a generational change took place in the late 80s, but it all truly began with Ronald Reagan’s Presidency.  Let me explain.

Read the whole thing and it will also help to understand why I long for American "elite" of the past with who you could have a dialogue and even handshake agreements, and why today what passes for "elite" in US is a combination of amoral, uneducated and incompetent fanatics.