Asprilla

Sure! You're an idiot! A "working class" accent would be one of the following: Scouse Leeds Manc Brummy Cockney Geordie Glaswegian Anywhere in fact, where there's a history of coal mining/ship building/cotton mills and other similar physical occupations. I don't make the rules, so don't blame me.

If you break a cup do you put it under your mug-tree to create that autumn effect? 36549[/snapback]

No, I'm not scared of that. It also doesn't happen because I don't have a "working class" accent. It seems both sides are as tribal as each other to me.

No, you just have old Tony+Cherie grinning at you everywhere you went! 36496[/snapback] but NOT their kids, aunties, nephews etc 36543[/snapback] What do you think would happen to their kids? They'd get cushy "jobs" and make a fortune. Their contacts would be such that they's always be ok. Look at the Churchills or the Kennedys or the Thatchers on the Annans. What's worse too is that it would all be away from the public gaze.

Yep, that's the one! FWIW as I've said before, the most irritating assumption of being middle class is that you don't work hard. BTW, where did your other post go?

Het it's ok, I've watched ITV. Of course I can comment. My best mate lived on a council estate and I ended up working with him and his dad on building sites for a year. My mother's parents lived on a council estate and had very little money. By the way, which class would you call yourself? 36519[/snapback] Probably working class, although I don't really think about it much. 36524[/snapback] What do you do for a living? 36527[/snapback] Stalker alert! 36530[/snapback] Nice try at diversion. Chances are you're in an office as you are using a computer. From a long list of recruitment consultants are you? Ee, when I were a lad me dad used to 'ave to type 'is own bloody letters out. ON PAPER!!!

Het it's ok, I've watched ITV. Of course I can comment. My best mate lived on a council estate and I ended up working with him and his dad on building sites for a year. My mother's parents lived on a council estate and had very little money. By the way, which class would you call yourself? 36519[/snapback] Probably working class, although I don't really think about it much. 36524[/snapback] What do you do for a living?

Het it's ok, I've watched ITV. Of course I can comment. My best mate lived on a council estate and I ended up working with him and his dad on building sites for a year. My mother's parents lived on a council estate and had very little money. By the way, which class would you call yourself?

Working class: You piss in the bath Middle class: You piss in the "barth"

Aren't you middle class and from a middle class background though? 36513[/snapback] Yep. Your point? Put it this way, would you rather be working class or middle class? I'm sure you're going to hate it, but I have an idea for a marvellous new thread......

You're calling me a whinger? Twat.

Most working class people who make good eventually turn their backs on their roots. Estates are not normally the most wonderful places and most people can't wait to leave them. Any previous camaraderie will become resentment once you do well. The bonds of friendship in poverty are real, but vanish when there is financial imbalance. If you look at sports stars or lottery winners from poor backgrounds, they all get the fuck out of their previous environments, only to find that they don't necessarily fit in with their new "class" mates. Wouldn't you say?

No, you just have old Tony+Cherie grinning at you everywhere you went!

Just trying to get a bit of conversation going tbh. It strikes me that there's an element of paranoia and self-consciousness up here about what the "south" or "ver media" thinks of the NE. In my opinion, I don't think it's actually there at all which is why I was interested. 36422[/snapback] How was asking what class people are going to get to the bottom of that then? 36481[/snapback] Because all northerners are working class and all southerners are middle class.

Allelujah! A sensible comment! Do you find yourself acting differently around more working class people to try and fit in? Do you ever feel too working class if you're in a meeting or something?

Bush would never have been elected if it wasn't for his father. His brother is the governer of Florida which was a key area and his cousin is a big cheese at Fox news. If that ain't nepotism I don't know what is. 36465[/snapback] But its not ingrained in the system as it is here - a lot of people here say"if we didn't have the Queen we'd have <name someone, anyone> as head of State" well why not? the rest of the world does pretty well that way I doubt it saves money on the actual HoS - look at France or the USA for example - but at least we don't pay for all their relatives for ever and ever................ 36473[/snapback] We pay for all France's farmers instead-who incidentally replaced the monarchy.

No, that's not what I wanted. There are a lot of fucked up views on both sides of the argument and I was hoping for a bit of honesty.

Congrats on missing the point. 36460[/snapback] Congrats on being wrong as to who invented the 'shoulder chip' and congrats on still having biggest one on the board. 36463[/snapback] I know what my issues are. I'm even brave enough to lay them open here. I was trying to have a decent debate about the very things that hold us back. If you don't want to play, cool.

Bush would never have been elected if it wasn't for his father. His brother is the governer of Florida which was a key area and his cousin is a big cheese at Fox news. If that ain't nepotism I don't know what is.

I agree with passing on wealth but I think you'll probably find it hard to justify the state paying out because someone's ancestor locked his nephew in the Tower once! I thought this debate had stretched far beyond just the Royals though, it seemed to have become a bit of a class issue. That's what I thought NJS was commenting on. Anyway who really cares, if you look at the money they take out of the system in real terms, does it have an impact? Maybe Rob would be able to put it in terms of extra hospital beds or something. The Dutch have a royal family too, from what I can tell from my Dutch mates it's just not an issue in the same way as the UK, although it's really a bad time to try and make that argument... 36450[/snapback] I agree. I think the problem is more one of perceived injustice, when in reality, the Royal family do generate income. There are far more people we don't see that are born into privileged positions. It's about envy and perhaps a lack of belief that we will ever better our own circumstances. As unfashionable as it sounds, I believe attitude is the biggest hurdle to success. There are Asians in this country. There are Black people in this country. The Asians are doing better by and large. In general terms they have complained less and worked much harder. No that's not racist. That's unfortunately just how it is at the moment. 36453[/snapback] What a load of bollocks. It's not about envy, it's about inequality and injustice. And just to let you know, I would ban all private healthcare and education too. Well, ideally that's what I would like to do anyway. I have no objection to people having money and enjoying it, but I do object to them using it to perpetuate the class system through education or jump ahead in operation queues. 36459[/snapback] How do you define inequality? As for private health care and schools, I largely agree with you.

Congrats on missing the point.

What attitude? I'm answering your question. The difference is Harry gets money from the Civil List because of who he is, not because of what he does. Shearer's kids won't. 36427[/snapback] If anything the Royals are at more of a disadvantage than Shearer's kids yet they will both enjoy unearned privilage. What's the difference? Paris Hilton? George W? Lord Sainsbury? Prince Harry? 36443[/snapback] The royal family have power beyond their wealth, this is what I object to, and what makes them different to all those you listed. For instance, I don't know if you realise this, but the queen is actually head of state, she is the equivalent of our president, purely through a fluke of birth. Can you see the difference? I would abolish the monarchy immediately and let them stand on their own feet. With it, I would scrap the house of lords and all other institutions that balatently operate on hereditary privilege. This is supposed to be the 21st century ffs! 36455[/snapback] Ever heard of George W Bush? Bush/Queen, Bush/Queen etc etc. Also why do you pick and choose who you think should have inherited privilege? That's precisely why I asked about Shearer's kids.

No, I think you're just a stereotypical whinging Pom. You're still going on about all of that? I think you've made your point about that on here already. "But I'm from London and my accent's different wah wah wah." Shut the fuck up. 36454[/snapback] Didn't Australians INVENT the shoulder-chip? Also, fuck off.

I agree with passing on wealth but I think you'll probably find it hard to justify the state paying out because someone's ancestor locked his nephew in the Tower once! I thought this debate had stretched far beyond just the Royals though, it seemed to have become a bit of a class issue. That's what I thought NJS was commenting on. Anyway who really cares, if you look at the money they take out of the system in real terms, does it have an impact? Maybe Rob would be able to put it in terms of extra hospital beds or something. The Dutch have a royal family too, from what I can tell from my Dutch mates it's just not an issue in the same way as the UK, although it's really a bad time to try and make that argument... 36450[/snapback] I agree. I think the problem is more one of perceived injustice, when in reality, the Royal family do generate income. There are far more people we don't see that are born into privileged positions. It's about envy and perhaps a lack of belief that we will ever better our own circumstances. As unfashionable as it sounds, I believe attitude is the biggest hurdle to success. There are Asians in this country. There are Black people in this country. The Asians are doing better by and large. In general terms they have complained less and worked much harder. No that's not racist. That's unfortunately just how it is at the moment.

Maybe I do have a chip on my shoulder. I'll admit that it annoys me when people make assumptions based on my accent. It annoys me when people think that white people never struggle. Or that being middle class means you don't work hard. There, I've done it. Anyone else want to try?