guardian.co.uk/commentisfree … -privilege
I’ve tried to subject this article to a serious, unbiased critical analysis, whilst keeping in mind the fact that my mental abilities in that area, aren’t exactly up to scratch. I found myself, unreservedly agreeing with every point Gary Younge raises.
Take care,
Vic
Yup.
H
Me, too.
Here in America the privileged class is really the poor. The Upper Class engineered things that way so they could have a zombie “voting class”.
Now politics, corporations, and special interest groups have always run politics. The sad thing is its almost as if people are just becoming aware of this fact. Long after all the laws and regulations have destroyed the world economy.
But what do you expect from a populace that has no idea who their own representatives are but yet argue over contestants on American Idol and Biggest Loser every day.
I think if we turned politics into a reality show people might actually get involved. Until then rest assured that countries that have some form of voting will suffer from the dumb ass vote button mashers of the world. The politicians will capitalize on this, the hard working people will suffer for it. In the end its the same as it ever was. Corrupt, unfair, and geared towards “the illusion of equality” when in actuality the politicians see us as serfs and themselves as the “ruling class” all hidden under a veneer of empty promises.
Most discouraging, at least in contemporary USA, is the ease with which kleptocrats persuade ordinary folk to campaign and vote against their own best interests. It’s nothing new, but it does seem to have reached historic levels lately.
Phil
I have an eye, and I am critical so do I have a critical eye?
Only slightly more seriously: Who cares?
Now that you are all calling me names, here’s my point: The world has always been controlled by a few “elite” and all the so called “revolutions” have been nothing more than a switch in who is the “ruling” elite. If you work for change you are the elite.
Yes I am a cynic. Add to that a complete of lack of trust of the ruling aristocracy, parties, organizations, capitalism, socialism, *-ism, and anyone that is not vic-k.
That last one disturbs me quite a bit… I need to go drink more.
And you think my wife has problems. 
If this is true, then we need to quit worrying about how unfair it is, and stage a “revolution” so that I…I mean we…can be the “elite”. I think the problem is that we’re missing out on the fun.
You hit it on the head. There is no way to have “fairness” in government, society, religion, etc. Fairness is the only real “placebo of the masses”.
I’m not sure that is an original statement, but it is the only logical conclusion.
I never claimed to not have problems Just look over -->
There’ve always been neo-fascist capitalists who have the universe by the balls. (I say “always”; I mean at least since the French and American revolutions.) The issue is how hard they squeeze.
Today in the Anglo-Saxon world inequalities in wealth and income are now statistically so much greater than they were 30, 40, 50 years ago, the justifications for such inequalities in terms of talent, experience, skill or wisdom so nakedly lacking, and the squeezing of the so-called middle classes over a long period of time so transparently clear, that “Unfair!”, however unrealistic and jelly-like a concept it is, is the only thing you can say. Very very loudly, again, and again and again.
This is my first time here in an effort to learn how to make sense of my book. My addiction to coffee and caffiene made Latte my first port of call.
guardian.co.uk/commentisfree … -privilege
So in an effort to locate a programme to help me organise the beginnings of my book I came across an excellent programme called Scrivener. My addiction to coffee and caffeine made Latte my first port of call and here the moderator attempts a critique on the article above.
Born British and brought up in Ireland I have been known to be somewhat a polemist, motherhood, I thought, had extinguished that exuberance, not afraid to say what I see. With enough life experience to fit into one hundred rather than forty-eight years I knew I wanted to write, and that is how I linked into Scrivener.
I like the Guardian, it reports news, most tabloids I think are palaverous and we would do best to stare at a blank wall, better still, look inside our minds, there is more knowledge in there than you could imagine. Take time to think and you will see what part you play in the grand scheme of things. So I revert to the Guardian and Gary Younge. A say it as it is man. That is what he does, and very difficult to disagree with.
But is he telling us something we don’t know? Most certainly not. In my youth I harped on about the classes, for years. My peers mocked down my comments but even then I felt we oiled the wheels of meritocracy and here it is again, a rhetoric article with class entrenchment in capitals. This is not something new to read, it is written well but it is old news. I think rather we are in danger of history repeating itself but applying new labels for what was once known as the Bourgeoisie and Proletariat, indeed a society like this is developing because the goal posts are moving. Capitalists are the only people rewarded by Capitalism. This should invoke an awakening en masse? Whatever currency they trade in it is not enough, for power and power alone is the only currency today. The world is fragmenting and we will be further lost in their race for that power. Unfortunately we suffer Political fatigue, we have become desensitised and that will bring disaster.
Jill Lennon
(so the pilot light ignites)
What’s the point of doing anything, really? Revolutions invariably are horizontal, not vertical; the masses don’t rise as kleptocrats and oligarchs descend in shame, or better yet, in chains; what appears to be a transformation is a transition – the metaphor is a revolving door.
And yet we keep on hacking away at it, as if we really might make something happen. And we do: We antagonize friends, lose sleep, grow ever more cantankerous, learn to live on bile and frenzy. I haven’t yet begun snarling at strangers in the street… I don’t think I have; Nancy’s not so sure.
I rouse myself to semi-literate broadsiding now and again, but make contact only with the converted. Why bother with any of it? Why not sit in the sun and watch TV and sign up for Facebook, or whatever the nonce technowhizzery is?
Why go through the agony?
Because we’ll go even crazier if we don’t.
Frustration is better than despair. Healthier.
Phil
Young Jill, hi-ya,
Welcome to the, Miscreanti, the motley crew of the old pirate tub, Scrivener. Of course, the ANFT Latte forum, languishes in the bowels of the ship, which, upon reflection, is probably where it belongs. This is where the ship’s intellectual elite hang out (see above). Most of the other decks (fora) are full of boring techie type pedantics. Your writing carreer is now, unfortunately, helter-skeltering, on the good old downward spiral. Tough call, but there y’ go. 
A hearty welcome aboard Jill.
Take care
Vic
The assumption that I think I disagree with here is that there are only two options: frustration or despair. I hold there is at least one additional option which is agnosticism. How about we sit in the sun discussing the latest vic-k-ism while drinking some southern sweet tea and completely ignore those things which we can’t change?
Should I fight the fact that I am from West Virginia? That I have a daughter? Or a son? I can not change these things any more than we can change the reality that the power games that hold us “hostage” are not games in which we are allowed to actually play.
I suggest that we simply stop playing. Vote. Participate. Pick a side. But let us not delude ourselves to ever believing that “fairness” is ever anyone’s objective. Lying to ourselves is the one universal sin that every religion or non-religion agrees exists.
Maybe I am closer to political apathy than political agnosticism, but I will be sane while those around me go nuts fighting a war that will have no winners.
Thank you very much kind sir, though I am not sure (actually I am ) that I have earned a place with intellectuals, though procrastinator or not, it is nice to know an honest critique is available for I do appear to have a glitch in the mechanics of my writing, though I fail to see it, perhaps with your permission I should post?
Best Wishes
Jill
Please do. My head hurts and I need something less painful to occupy my cranial cavity.
Which is funny since my cranial cavity hasn’t been seen since I have been frequenting these dark alleys of the internet.
With respect kind sir, the glitch would appear to be past, present and future. I completed my first piece of flash fiction and was rejected . No fear, I can learn from this, but only I feel, if I see where I err. This is my first piece towards what I believe to be a huge book, however, I am probably a zillion years away thus far
My opinion on your Gaurdian article is part belief and part prosomething, I like to debate so my flas fiction is completely different.
Should the post be attached here or to yourself via a differnt method?
Regards
Cranial Cavity Alert Triggered
If you would like a larger audience to leisurely comment (their leisure, not yours as there are a number of excellent critique present) on your work you should consider posting in the “scrivenings” forum. Folks will be both honest and gentle.
Or you could divert the current topic and post it here.
Or you could PM it.
The only rule is that you struggle to understand the rules. Which is, by itself, interesting as the plurality of rules seems to contradict the singular statement.
i believe the lack of cranial cavity is now explained.
Well,
You did make me laugh! I must say, not wanting to break any rules at this stage (having just begun the game) I am more than happy to PM. I feel very welcomed here and would be most grateful of your crainal knoweldge in what seems to be a wobbly first step.
Regards
(I keep having visions of one eye looking at me, lol, is that normal)