I wrote this post 6 years ago now. It is interesting that very little has changed. I still get asked about this topic (I rarely bring it up) and find, despite being asked, then get the same comments trotted out time and again. The same answers come back to shut the discussion down and usually bear little resemblance to the reality of matters nor evidence that much reading or learning of the key issues has gone on.
I am increasingly of the view that the issue is middle-class fragility. I rarely want to have these conversations these days because I find them largely pointless. They happen because I am asked to comment on them and, when I do, it become evident what I have to say isn’t welcome. The defensiveness is strong and the results rarely lead to much light, mainly just aggressively defensive heat.
But this one is worth re-reading. These lines are not compelling but they are amongst the most frequent I hear. It is also worth reading the linked article within the article, as it lays out as clearly as I am able what I (and most others I am aware of) are not saying and never have been saying.
The subject of the English class system is something that the posts here that I have been reading over the years has prompted me to think about, but my lack of any reading or educational qualifications in any related subject, such as sociology, has inhibited me from commenting.
However, I have wondered whether what might be called a ‘social psychoanalysis’ of the class system could produce evidence to link it back to the Norman invasion of 1066, and thereby explain the current conflicting attitudes (and any resulting animosity) between the classes. This isn’t the place to explain more, but I thought I’d mention it as relevant to this article.