I also feel that to be elite in science should not be a dirty word. It means that you have done exceptional work for a long time and been able to demonstrate proven results that are helpful to your field and possibly humanity. Yes sometimes new results can be met defensively by established scientists but I believe the truth wins out when these results can be replicated by other investigators in controlled settings.

It is true that the peer review process is not immune to failure, but I think it’s a huge exaggeration to say political and science motivation are equal.