I think he means the sad sacks in charge

We are mostly descended from the underclass. That's one of the reasons we tend to get so irate when somebody gets "snooty".

But an undercurrent of that is a fairly continuous worry that we're overstepping our bounds. Very few Americans I know are immune to it, though reactions to it vary. Some people are timorous, some overcompensate by being boisterous and overbearing, some accept it to the point of attack [tourists in Madras-plaid Bermuda shorts]; but there's always some evidence of our class origins, and a little nervousness that we aren't behaving quite correctly or don't know the fine points of etiquette in situations.

Which is ridiculous. Two hundred and twenty-four years; Great Britain has been a country, with no hiatus, for longer; how many more such are there? In point of actual fact, we're not a young country any more -- we're quite an old country. La belle France? Pooh. Not even sixty years; why are we listening to these parvenus? :-)

of monumental scope - and the secret worship of the Rich is the partial result. It was at least reasonable.. to despise the arrogance of the landed gentry - while simultaneously admiring their er discrimination, the fruits of an expensive education.

But somewhere we went all simplistic - and thought we were admiring them, mostly: for the fact that they'd stolen a disproportionate share of *everything* ie.. were 'rich'. So.. any fool saw he* could finally become (merely) rich too. Just spend a life making that your only goal, become obsessive and never learn shit about anything but $.

* she too.. but only a few at first. Took til 1920 afore females were deemed to be just as capable as the men - of voting for assholes who talked pretty, but spent 90% of their term raising $ for the next one.

Eureka: the nuvo-riche! - and on their walls.. not a Picasso, but a rilly expen$ive (signed and numbered) Soup Can; the Rolex not the (who ever heard of.. Vacheron et Constantin?) .. and on down to the 1959 FIN (with attached Cadillac). Excess was sure to follow. (And we wonder about.. bloatware ??)

Well - something like that.

Ashton Analyses Ltd
we'll tell ya went wrong
(but we don't fix stuff)

Post #24,807 by boxley 1/18/02 9:09:48 AM Reply	I think he means the sad sacks in charge My Dreams aren't as empty as my conscience seems to be
Post #24,879 by Ric Locke 1/18/02 8:36:40 PM Reply	No, all of us -- or most, anyways. We are mostly descended from the underclass. That's one of the reasons we tend to get so irate when somebody gets "snooty". But an undercurrent of that is a fairly continuous worry that we're overstepping our bounds. Very few Americans I know are immune to it, though reactions to it vary. Some people are timorous, some overcompensate by being boisterous and overbearing, some accept it to the point of attack [tourists in Madras-plaid Bermuda shorts]; but there's always some evidence of our class origins, and a little nervousness that we aren't behaving quite correctly or don't know the fine points of etiquette in situations. Which is ridiculous. Two hundred and twenty-four years; Great Britain has been a country, with no hiatus, for longer; how many more such are there? In point of actual fact, we're not a young country any more -- we're quite an old country. La belle France? Pooh. Not even sixty years; why are we listening to these parvenus? :-) Regards, Ric
Post #24,897 by Ashton 1/19/02 5:49:45 AM Reply	The sense of ineptness may come from a misunderstanding of monumental scope - and the secret worship of the Rich is the partial result. It was at least reasonable.. to despise the arrogance of the landed gentry - while simultaneously admiring their er discrimination, the fruits of an expensive education. But somewhere we went all simplistic - and thought we were admiring them, mostly: for the fact that they'd stolen a disproportionate share of everything ie.. were 'rich'. So.. any fool saw he* could finally become (merely) rich too. Just spend a life making that your only goal, become obsessive and never learn shit about anything but $. * she too.. but only a few at first. Took til 1920 afore females were deemed to be just as capable as the men - of voting for assholes who talked pretty, but spent 90% of their term raising $ for the next one. Eureka: the nuvo-riche! - and on their walls.. not a Picasso, but a rilly expen$ive (signed and numbered) Soup Can; the Rolex not the (who ever heard of.. Vacheron et Constantin?) .. and on down to the 1959 FIN (with attached Cadillac). Excess was sure to follow. (And we wonder about.. bloatware ??) Well - something like that. Ashton Analyses Ltd we'll tell ya went wrong (but we don't fix stuff)

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