I probably should have clarified what I meant by ‘elite’. In this article, elite refers not to education, but to being part of the establishment (with the connections, the money, the right titles etc.) For example, I would be part of the ‘elite’ by education, but I would not be part of the ‘elite’ by the definition of this article, because I don’t have the right ‘background’ to be part of it, and because I reject the establishment consensus too often.

I associate critical theory with the establishment (and hence the status quo) because the replacement of liberal values with the critical theory worldview is rooted in an emerging consensus within parts of the academic establishment that liberalism is wrong and critical theory is right. This consensus was formed without the input of most people (including people with adequate education but no avenue to be heard), hence it is a product of establishment power.

I totally agree that, if critical theory were to be honest, it would be shooting itself right now, because it is being developed and pushed by establishment forces right now (unlike in Horkheimer’s time). Of course, the establishment being the establishment, it would never undermine itself with such honesty. Hence, in a way, critical theory has basically become what it started out to critique.