A fascinating argument, but as the comments show 'classism' is deeply ingrained. To me the distinction is how long can you survive when your entitled source of income (salary, wages, benefits, pensions which you have earned by and through your labour) ceases to be paid. The rentier class owns assets and while they sweat these assets they receive income for which they do not have to labour. In my childhood 'middle class people' had trust funds, investments, pots of money etc and they could draw on these assets to fund luxuries/private school fees/ski holidays etc while still labouring for an income. While the idle rentier class remain, it seems to me that the slush funds for 'middle class people' are diminishing, making more and more of them fully dependent on their labour - ie, working class....
Brilliantly written... and true. What we need is "solutions" based journalism that will liberate the maker class by seizing the profits from the taker class. Voting does not work. The ruling class will never let you vote away their power. "Peaceful" protesting is a weapon used by the oligarchy to suppress the masses. Power never concedes without retaliation.
Beautifully expressed argument on how to re-imagine modern society, particularly here in the UK. Off course, it’s not quite so black and white between Makers and Takers (ie there are certainly Takers that work their butts off to fulfil their insatiable greed!!)..…just as the crossovers and blurred lines have always been there between the working and middle classes. What I love about your argument is the encouragement it gives to the 99% of us Makers to recognise the commonality there is between the ‘traditional’ working and middle classes and join together against the Takers (a so much more powerful and correct description of the so called Elite class!)….for the betterment of our collective lives. Love the inclusion of the Fakers too!!
I would love to see the class rift heal, and agree that the working class and middle class have more in common with each other than they have with the takers.
However, on the ground, as a working class person, the distinction is quite apparent. I think the middle class often identifies more with the takers than the working class do, and see themselves as better than the working class.
Ahh, I'm not so sure about the middle class seeing themselves as 'better'... a lot of 'middle class' people I know try to claim to be working class as its seen as more 'genuine'... however, this is an England-specific perspective, and may not hold true everywhere else.
According to the pronouncements of the MSM, me and most of my friends would be (apparently?!) "middle class" - even though most of us are barely above minimum wage
And on the other hand, I know plenty of reactionary boomers who definitely have (or had) working class jobs, but who endlessly simp for the Takers.
I don't care what job a person does, so long as they are not robbing me (Taker) or simping for someone who is robbing me (Faker)
I'm in Canada, and wonder if we're not seeing class from a different angle.
Societally, at least here in Canada, if you're working class it gives a certain segment of the middle class permission to look down on you and treat you in a certain way. There's a sense of superiority. Maybe that's not the case in England, but it certainly is where I live.
And it doesn't have anything to do with age. Hopefully this is changing with younger generations, which would be a step in the right direction.
A fascinating argument, but as the comments show 'classism' is deeply ingrained. To me the distinction is how long can you survive when your entitled source of income (salary, wages, benefits, pensions which you have earned by and through your labour) ceases to be paid. The rentier class owns assets and while they sweat these assets they receive income for which they do not have to labour. In my childhood 'middle class people' had trust funds, investments, pots of money etc and they could draw on these assets to fund luxuries/private school fees/ski holidays etc while still labouring for an income. While the idle rentier class remain, it seems to me that the slush funds for 'middle class people' are diminishing, making more and more of them fully dependent on their labour - ie, working class....
Brilliantly written... and true. What we need is "solutions" based journalism that will liberate the maker class by seizing the profits from the taker class. Voting does not work. The ruling class will never let you vote away their power. "Peaceful" protesting is a weapon used by the oligarchy to suppress the masses. Power never concedes without retaliation.
Beautifully expressed argument on how to re-imagine modern society, particularly here in the UK. Off course, it’s not quite so black and white between Makers and Takers (ie there are certainly Takers that work their butts off to fulfil their insatiable greed!!)..…just as the crossovers and blurred lines have always been there between the working and middle classes. What I love about your argument is the encouragement it gives to the 99% of us Makers to recognise the commonality there is between the ‘traditional’ working and middle classes and join together against the Takers (a so much more powerful and correct description of the so called Elite class!)….for the betterment of our collective lives. Love the inclusion of the Fakers too!!
Absolutely!!! 🎯
I would love to see the class rift heal, and agree that the working class and middle class have more in common with each other than they have with the takers.
However, on the ground, as a working class person, the distinction is quite apparent. I think the middle class often identifies more with the takers than the working class do, and see themselves as better than the working class.
Ahh, I'm not so sure about the middle class seeing themselves as 'better'... a lot of 'middle class' people I know try to claim to be working class as its seen as more 'genuine'... however, this is an England-specific perspective, and may not hold true everywhere else.
According to the pronouncements of the MSM, me and most of my friends would be (apparently?!) "middle class" - even though most of us are barely above minimum wage
And on the other hand, I know plenty of reactionary boomers who definitely have (or had) working class jobs, but who endlessly simp for the Takers.
I don't care what job a person does, so long as they are not robbing me (Taker) or simping for someone who is robbing me (Faker)
I'm in Canada, and wonder if we're not seeing class from a different angle.
Societally, at least here in Canada, if you're working class it gives a certain segment of the middle class permission to look down on you and treat you in a certain way. There's a sense of superiority. Maybe that's not the case in England, but it certainly is where I live.
And it doesn't have anything to do with age. Hopefully this is changing with younger generations, which would be a step in the right direction.