Pretty much echoing sek69's words, but here's my take on it.
Anime has pretty much developed into a universal term. You say cartoons to a person and they might think of the Powerpuff Girls or South Park, but if you say anime, they'll more often than not know what is implied. Sure, there is a hint of elitism in the term, but it's recognized as a term for animation from Japan.
As for the "anime > everything else" argument, it's bullshit. Japan creates great animated shows, but it also creates utter shit just like everybody other country. I think alot of the elitism comes from the people that either don't realize or turn a blind eye to the fact that the really awful shows are hardly ever brought over domestically. Hence, the illusion is created that everything from Japan is great when it couldn't be further from the truth.