Gransnet forums

News & politics

The people who have everything also run everything.

(237 Posts)
Lessismore Fri 05-Jul-19 11:14:44

An interesting quotation from Gary Young's article in todays Guardian.

Day6 Sun 07-Jul-19 18:57:31

Whatever someone may believe about perceived inequalities, that is an appalling thing to say about anyone's background

Indeed Callistemon. shock

The level far-left wing columnists will sink in their politics of nasty hatred is appalling. Dim-witted Antifa idiots/fascists and the like read this sort of leftist hateful bile regarding anyone not obviously working class and act on it.

Day6 Sun 07-Jul-19 18:49:46

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Callistemon Sun 07-Jul-19 18:24:28

Now, if the remark about the gene pool was made about those who go round stabbing fellow Londoners, blaming their bacground, I presume you would be very angry MD

Always so predictable grin

Entrepreneurs who strive and build businesses giving employment to others can't win, then, even if they pay their taxes in full and help others by wirking hard for charity too.

I never knew that paying your due taxes was called noblesse oblige that's a new one!

If the Guardian is only mildly left of centre why are they employing Gary Younge?

He's hardly mildly left of centre.

MaizieD Sun 07-Jul-19 15:20:46

Whatever someone may believe about perceived inequalities, that is an appalling thing to say about anyone's background.

Oh, I don't know. Having today read about the antics of the Bullingdon Club in the 1980s (our current contender for PM, and the one that pitchforked us into the current mess, being members in that period) I think that 'gene puddle' is a most appropriate description.

One incident she recalled at Magdalen College involved “a large galleried room that had just been refurbished with expensive wood panelling. Every piece of furniture that could have been broken was broken, every liquid sprayed around the room, the panelling was cracked, and everything was piled in a heap in the middle of the room. The college door to Magdalen was smashed to pieces.

“I remember the clerk of works looking at the mess in complete dismay. The college had spent a great deal on the refurbishment. All the students who heard this late-night destruction were terrified, I remember.”

Bullingdon members “found it amusing if people were intimidated or frightened by their behaviour. I remember them walking down a street in Oxford in their tails, chanting ‘Buller, Buller’ and smashing bottles along the way, just to cow people.”

www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jul/07/oxford-bullingdon-club-boris-johnson-sexism-violence-bullying-culture

MaizieD Sun 07-Jul-19 15:10:28

Of course, if as a result they become wealthy themselves, they will be damned by such as the Guardian and those with envy,

What a stupid remark, Callistomen. The mildly left of centre Guardian champions fairness and equality; questioning the need for a tiny percentage of the UK population (indeed, of the world population) to keep the greater part of the country's (or the world's) resources for themselves. They're not, as in the wilder imaginings of the comfortable middle classes, calling for a communist style levelling (with, of course, a very comfortable elite) to make everyone poor; they just believe that the world's resources should be more equably shared so that everyone has a reasonable standard of living.

however much they may give back to society in the form of taxes and charitable works.

I'm afraid that noblesse oblige doesn't really hack it in this day and age.

GracesGranMK3 Sun 07-Jul-19 14:49:54

Wretched thing. Damned not dampened!!! Although, when I think about it, our spirits may be dampen by such hauteur.

GracesGranMK3 Sun 07-Jul-19 14:45:31

Dampened with faint praise I would call that Grandad. [Grin]

Callistemon Sun 07-Jul-19 09:40:31

Grandad 6-Jul 16:53
You have made some very interesting points.
Even some from a supportive background may fail to thrive in school - often the entrepreneurial type of personality, although these days schools are far more encouraging of this. These people, if encouraged and helped through further learning, may become the innovators and business people of the future, employing others, both highly qualified and less so.

Of course, if as a result they become wealthy themselves, they will be damned by such as the Guardian and those with envy, however much they may give back to society in the form of taxes and charitable works.

Callistemon Sun 07-Jul-19 09:28:28

From the Guardian article:
the gene puddle from which the elite siphons its ranks has become shallow and fetid

Whatever someone may believe about perceived inequalities, that is an appalling thing to say about anyone's background.

GracesGranMK3 Sun 07-Jul-19 09:27:35

Going back to the early post I see Day6 (Fri 05-Jul-19 14:15:51) has stuck with her usual far-right views.

The haves and have-nots have always existed. What's new?
Are we saying we should somehow cull the bright, rich, privileged and get them all wearing hoodies and using food banks?

You may not believe that "God made them, high or lowly, And ordered their estate." but those farthest to the right will always tell you that this is how it is, and how it has always been; as if the human race cannot develop. The farthest to the right, of course, will accept slavery as being the natural course of things. They will also express views about everyone having the capacity to improve themselves and see the fault of the poor and destitute for being poor and destitute as their own.

It is also a far-right and far-left view that the world is full of tribes. It is those farthest right and farthest left that have voted to cut us off to make us small again in an attempt to enable their tribe to have power. The UK hasn't, as far as I can see, ever had such extremes in my lifetime.

Is this because of the recent rise of liberalism in the world? At least in the western world. The days of the old powers of farthest right and farthest left are dying and this may be one last throw of the dice for each to try and return to them. The farther right (not the farthest yet) have the power and they have grabbed it through their accumulated wealth. The farther left (not the farthest yet) is trying to grab back the power by using and taking to themselves the power of people to use the state.

Is this all because of the changes in tribes or classes? The working class, the middle class, the upper class gave people such comfort. The knew where they belonged and didn't have to berate themselves if they couldn't get to the very top of the tree, they could be a success within their class.

We now have the cognisant and the none cognisant class and knowledge and ability to learn may be what we need for the future. The right, with their accumulated wealth (little or nothing to do with what people earn), tried to buy into this. The left insisted the state provided this. But neither has succeeded in keeping the reverence of this group, as the cognisant class tends to be more volatile, less attached to one group.

And they tend to be more liberal. This means they accept people who are different, are not tribal. They believe everyone is equal however they differ from themselves. They oppose attitudes which oppress others interests not just their own. They find and defend boundaries where, without the law, one group can oppress another. The law is most important to the liberal view. And we have seen nothing but flouting of laws in recent times.

lemongrove Sun 07-Jul-19 08:40:01

That’s the trouble with being a blind supporter of any party,
You fail to see the good things being brought in by the other one.
Both political parties have brought about some good policies to improve lives of the ‘average’ person.

lemongrove Sun 07-Jul-19 08:35:09

Eloethan..... so that’s why Conservative MP’s improved the income tax situation for low earners then?!

MissAdventure Sun 07-Jul-19 08:27:31

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/website-where-users-rate-mps-on-their-sexiness-was-the-most-viewed-banned-site-in-parliament-last-10356624.html

I'm glad we're being looked after by such conscientious, intelligent people.

Dinahmo Sun 07-Jul-19 07:39:21

Interesting to read that the Guardian is in favour of divide and rule. Surely that's the prerogative of the Tory party?

Lilyflower Sun 07-Jul-19 05:32:23

The Guardian’s USP as a leftwing organ of communication is divide and rule between the classes. Gary Young, in particular, has a chip the size of Rutland on his shoulder.

I should take plenty of no notice. Anyone with brains, nous and a work ethic can succeed in our country where education is free and open to all and nothing prevents anyone from attending university.

I was a very poor girl when young and married a lower middle class boy. On the strength of our hard work and continued efforts alone we made it to the top five per cent of earners for a while. We are poorer now we are retired and made redundant but we did not splurge cash on ephemerals when we were making it and have a safety net we now live on.

I don’t envy anyone. People in charge often work insanely hard and clever people marry other clever people so their children are smart and successful. Then they put their resources into education to maximise the effects of intelligence. Would anyone rather the fools, the lazy and the incompetent were running the country?

Eloethan Sun 07-Jul-19 00:54:47

POGS You ask what is the difference between a rich and well educated Conservative MP and a rich and well educated Labour MP. The difference is in what they do when they are in office. The Labour Party has introduced policies that improve the lives of the average person, such as the state pension, the NHS, various employment rights, outlawing of discriminatory practices, etc, etc. The Conservative Party has almost always opposed such policies.

MissAdventure Sat 06-Jul-19 23:24:18

Oh thank you. smile
I had lots of kind messages whilst I was away.
I did read them all, but I didn't feel up to much (see? I'm still a lazy sod!)
I've been sorting out the work situation too.

Nice to be back.

lemongrove Sat 06-Jul-19 22:32:18

.....just realised! MissAdventure you have returned to GN
smile so welcome back.There was a thread a while ago wondering where you were.

MissAdventure Sat 06-Jul-19 22:29:29

Well, we can all agree on that, at least.

Lessismore Sat 06-Jul-19 22:18:33

We need all kinds of people to form a society.......this is the message of the original article.

lemongrove Sat 06-Jul-19 22:16:05

The spectrum is very wide, and all are different GG13
The first hurdle for young autistic people is for employers to give them a chance, and their second hurdle is being able
To do that job successfully.I hope your DGS ( and mine) will be lucky in that respect.smile

GrannyGravy13 Sat 06-Jul-19 22:11:07

lemongrove, those on the "spectrum" are intelligent and when that is realised and channelled they can contribute to society in a multitude of ways.

lemongrove Sat 06-Jul-19 22:10:42

It’s how life just is though lessismore not all can be (as a poster has said) movers and shakers, wealthy or gifted or beautiful. We need all kinds of people to form a society, and the more lowly jobs are still necessary ones.

lemongrove Sat 06-Jul-19 22:05:52

GG13 yes, my DGS too, although he is intelligent, not especially gifted.

Lessismore Sat 06-Jul-19 22:01:18

er no. I don't feel relieved. I feel sad for people.