Sorry, I should have added ‘’ around ‘privileged elite class’ to be more clear that it is certainly a label up for debate.

Unfortunately, with the destruction of many jobs due to outsourcing and the shrinking middle class, there are a growing % (and number) of citizens who would consider tenured professors (and their surrounding bureaucracy) an elite institution that looks down on their way of life. Treading this carefully might be necessary since their voting power is growing.