That is a fair point and this question is deep enough to be out of scope for HN comments. However, I think there may be a legitimate reason for an existence of a ruling class, or more like "leading class": if that class is accepting people based on their merits, like human decency or intellectual capability.
Leaders in various contexts are fine, but the whole notion of "class" needs to go away. Classes are just constructs of culture, politics, and law that are contrived to keep the people with power in place so they can take advantage of their special status.
Comments
They are at the moment, in an ideal world they should not be.
In an ideal world, there would be no ruling class.
That is a fair point and this question is deep enough to be out of scope for HN comments. However, I think there may be a legitimate reason for an existence of a ruling class, or more like "leading class": if that class is accepting people based on their merits, like human decency or intellectual capability.
Leaders in various contexts are fine, but the whole notion of "class" needs to go away. Classes are just constructs of culture, politics, and law that are contrived to keep the people with power in place so they can take advantage of their special status.