Posted by Peter Ceresole on February 06, 2006 at 16:30:29 from 80.177.22.49 user PeterC.
In Reply to: Re: Ransome Article in Todays Guardian - Holding Our Kids to Ransome posted by Peter H on February 06, 2006 at 12:25:49:
The 'give away' here was the wording used - 'aristocrat', 'bourgeois' and 'peasant' - words redolent of the 18th and early 19th centuries but not found today except in old Marxist tracts.
By golly, Peter, you certainly don't get around much.
'Aristocrats'- a precise word in this context. It's not the same as 'upper class'; class is to an extent mobile. Aristocracy is not, and it's a crucial difference. No other word would do.
'Bourgeois'- more accurate than 'middle class' because bourgeois attitudes can be held regardless of class; by members of the aristocracy and the 'working class', both.
'Peasants'- a term of contempt used by drunken aristos at hunt balls to describe non-aristos. Sometimes jokingly used by sober aristos. Never by nice ones. Also used by the drunken rich such as City traders- and by sober ones too. Never by any with style or manners, of course. It's used about people like you and me- unless of course you are very wealthy.
All current.
Marxism be blowed. I've experienced Marxist states; I'm a solid social democrat. I've maybe experienced a bit more than you have, but this language is relevant to the people who were under discussion in this thread.