Perhaps there is a confusion between elitism and nepotism or other forms of favouritism towards the "right sort". Or possibly there is elitism based on merit, and then elitism based on connections.
Is someone with all the requisite skills but not in possession of the necessary social connections part of an "elite"?
Or to look at it another way is it fair that about 50% of Oxbridge places go to people educated at public schools. One can certainly argue that more intelligent students are more likely to be found at public schools, but it seems dubious to me to claim that intelligence is so strongly correlated with worldly success.
It all comes back to how exactly one defines elitism.
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Is someone with all the requisite skills but not in possession of the necessary social connections part of an "elite"?
Or to look at it another way is it fair that about 50% of Oxbridge places go to people educated at public schools. One can certainly argue that more intelligent students are more likely to be found at public schools, but it seems dubious to me to claim that intelligence is so strongly correlated with worldly success.
It all comes back to how exactly one defines elitism.