On the subject of experts controlling the conversation, here is William James:

• There is only one thing a philosopher can be relied upon to do, and that is to contradict other philosophers. (238)

How many other fields can be substituted for philosopher here, at least on bad days? We get the picture of a profession as a closed system, powerful because it controls its realm, and weak because it can't imagine a reason to open the borders for commerce.

Open the borders.

[The Oxford Book of Aphorisms, John Gross, 1983.]