No, Jules, I did not miss my first point, the little blurb at the beginning of "Let's Talk About Our Feelings". When I started this thread I envisioned it as a place where everyone was welcome. It was not created as a forum where a small group of elitist college graduates with almost no understanding of what is actually happening on the planet right now, or much concern either about global issues, would discuss almost nothing in smug tones ad nauseum so that the common people they look down upon would not be able to participate.
This is where my reference to the French Revolution came in--I meant it in the sense that the elite seems to think they can simply protect themselves from the lower classes with better security systems and more weapons, but ultimately there may be so many angry disadvantaged people, cheated out of their share of resources, that there is upheaval. Of course the intellectuals were fomenting it--they tend to have a bit more of a sense of justice than the elite. Of course, someone had to rush in to display her superior knowledge of French history, which is typical of the way people act over here, totally missing the point.
Endless discussions of designer sunglasses, bizarre recipes, opera, and smelly fruits just are not interesting to me. I certainly would defend everyone's rights do talk about these things, but they are not what I am about. I myself have a husband who is not a college graduate, but who reads more really serious books than I do, and understands more about art films than I do, as well, and has a much better handle on the French Revolution and history in general. I am glad I am not going to the SI picnic, because now I discover that there are people here who would not want to socialize with him.
I still find it very rude to judge everyone in the "lower" classes the way they have been judged here. None of the later explanations mitigated Alexa's original comments for me. I won't even get into her making fun of someone in the Navy with green teeth, who obviously had a problem relating to a disadvantaged background, but was willing to risk his life to defend her freedom to make fun of him.
I like to talk about things that are more serious, and to me, at least, more relevant, than what passes for conversation over here. I live in a world where I have real friends who did not complete college, and find that they contribute a lot, and are intelligent and add something to my life. I am really concerned about the attitudes of the elite, because I think the planet is in actual danger of not surviving much longer unless we figure out some way to spread our resources around in a manner which is more egalitarian. Paternalistic good works like the ones Alexa has described being involved in are certainly kind, but as long as so many poeple stay disadvantaged and those at the top of the mountain look down upon them and ridicule them while performing charities, nothing will change.
Obviously, this is no longer a forum for serious issues. Enjoy your durian. |
