Britain's Ruling Elite

[roaminblue]

Re: Britains Ruling Elite

It did happen to him on at least a couple of occasions, mainly in meeting those higher in the food chain (so to speak). Although I may be mistaken in that it was a question of which University rather than secondary school.
He went to one in the Midlands iirc.

I can imagine University being brought up, that said there are more and more non-Oxbridge/warwick/lse types entering en masse these days. But if he is a decade (or more) into his career, I can imagine it being even more of an obstacle.

 

[SWP's back]

Re: Britains Ruling Elite

You cant be serious here surely?

There is not one media outlet apart from maybe the New Statesman that is remotely left wing. Oh and the Morning Star which is hardly mainstream.

Oh just stop now, I love you to bits but just stop!!

Which part of the media do you consider left wing then?

Im really at a loss.

UKIP and the far right have the Mail, Express, Telegraph, Sun etc the middle ground has the Indy, Guardian and Mirror. the left has the Morning star.

The BBC does as its told by who is in power to protect its funding. Sky has Murdoch who is extreme right wing. Look at Fox news FFs

Only a Communist would say the Indy and Guardian are centre.

 

[roaminblue]

Re: Britains Ruling Elite

Well fair comment, I can't really argue with that,.... however, the point I was making is it is sometimes possible to get to the top from humble beginnings, Harold Wilson and Margaret Thatcher being but two examples.

Sydney Weinberg's story is a fantastic example of this.

 

[SWP's back]

Re: Britains Ruling Elite

Ever get annoyed when you're driving home in your 15 year old astra and some 18 year old whizzes past you in a car you could never afford but his dad could? Does that annoy you that you work hard you have had to battle, start in the shit shuffling department, working your way up but he gets his nice things because his dad worked hard? Well times that by 1000 and that's the injustice of a private education!

No because I worked hard and smart enough to not drive a 15 year old Astra.

 

[SWP's back]

Re: Britains Ruling Elite

This definitely happens. My Cousin works in the City earning 100k plus a year and is often asked what school he went to by colleagues etc. When he says 'Manchester Grammar' there's always an atmosphere. He says it's like they can't understand how he infiltrated their world.

I'm sorry, but this really isn't true.

Firstly, the finance world has so many people from all over the world, that a lot of these old grammar don't even register on their radar. Secondly, the banking industry is not as homogeneous as that at all. For a start, European, American and Japanese banks all retain their own culture to an extent; and once again, the school that staff members went to when they were 15/16 has absolutely no bearing on their career. Even in British banks, there are so many different nationalities there it remains an irrelevance.

What probably is more important is the University that an individual went to. Should there be more diversity in students at the top universities? Its hard for me to say, because the University I attended again, was predominantly made up of Europeans, Indians, and Chinese students.

However, the Brits I have met from places like Cambridge, Oxford, St Andrews, etc on the whole do not really fit the mould of Old Etonian. Sure, there are one or two who have shades of Boris about them, but I'd say most of them come from a pretty mixed backgrounds. Some private, some comprehensive.

Anyway, I digress slightly. The differentiating factor these days, for a career in finance at least, is University, not public school.

As someone working in the industry at a high level I can confirm this is correct. People always ask about schools and universities but it's the uni that people are more likely to take the piss about.

 

[roaminblue]

Re: Britains Ruling Elite

As someone working in the industry at a high level I can confirm this is correct. People always ask about schools and universities but it's the uni that people are more likely to take the piss about.

I managed to avoid the piss-taking. Thankfully, I went to a public school, so there was no danger me not getting into a top university.

I'm joking of course. I was merely privately educated

 

[mackenzie]

Re: Britains Ruling Elite

It did happen to him on at least a couple of occasions, mainly in meeting those higher in the food chain (so to speak). Although I may be mistaken in that it was a question of which University rather than secondary school.
He went to one in the Midlands iirc.

I can imagine University being brought up, that said there are more and more non-Oxbridge/warwick/lse types entering en masse these days. But if he is a decade (or more) into his career, I can imagine it being even more of an obstacle.

He is 40 now and is leaving the UK to settle in Australia later this month.

 

[mackenzie]

Re: Britains Ruling Elite

Well a recent previous head of the Metropolitan police went to Fearns comprehensive school in Stacksteads, Bacup, so there's always hope.

So you are holding up some bent copper as one of our leading intellectual heavyweights?
Frankly I'm amazed that the head of the Met went to school at all, unless Planting Evidence, Lying Under Oath, Falsifying A Statement, and Shooting Brazilian Electricians are subjects on the syllabus at comprehensive schools nowadays.

Well fair comment, I can't really argue with that,.... however, the point I was making is it is sometimes possible to get to the top from humble beginnings, Harold Wilson and Margaret Thatcher being but two examples.

Didn't both go to grammar schools? And I'm assuming they were non fee paying?

Politics aside, the scaling down of non fee paying grammar schools wasn't a good move.

 

[yerwot?]

Re: Britains Ruling Elite

the discussion has gone off track, most of those in banking are neither rulers or elite, far more concerned with bonuses than looking after ''old money'' and privilege. The enormous fortunes that accrued from the Norman invasion, the depredations of the empire, the slave trade and the industrial revolution have not gone away, it created all-powerful dynasties that exist to this day.
They are the real ruling elite, above the law, above politics, beholden to noone.

 

[brass neck]

Re: Britains Ruling Elite

I just don't get these fuckers who when you talk about injustice, go on about "chips on shoulders" or "inverted snobbery"

These lot are keeping EVERYONE down, they laugh at all of us, even the ones who have convinced themselves they are up there with the elite because they have worked their boxes off and can afford a 5 series BMW and a mock Tudor house in Bramhall.

These fuckers are pulling the strings, they have us working for them, they get all the top jobs, they keep zillions in personal wealth, they keep money in the family, they have taken over politics and WE, US, YOU are paying for it.

These people who think they are sitting on the top table with these leeches are feeding on nothing more than scraps from their mouths. Anyone who defends them has some sort of Stockholm syndrome. "Jealous" "bitter" you bet I fuckin am. People from my background get put down by being called jealous, kept from questioning whether it's fair for so few to have so much, it's like the slave master calling his resentful prisoners jealous.

We are being had. Look who has the top jobs in all walks of life. Not many scousers heading up the top companies, not many Geordies making the big military decisions, not many Cornish voices in government.

What is it about people that thinks it's ok to be ruled by a particular class that would never allow us to be part of their gang. I wouldn't mind if they were any good but most of them are shit. IDS failure at everything he's done. Gideon Osborne, a 2:1 degree in modern history but weirdly allowed to run our nation's finances, would a moss side lad be allowed that leg up? Would he fuck.

The minute we get rid of this cloud over our country is the minute we can move on.