Anti-Thatcher protest in London's Trafalgar Square

[whathehell]

33. Since I'd guess that people of every nation on earth impart different levels of "prestige"

to different members of their respective societies on the basis, at least in western countries, of education, occupation, and income, I think I should define my terms.

When I use the term "class system", I refer to a collection of people whose authority is passed on from generation to generation relatively intact. An aristocracy with inherited power would be one example of this and a group of people with extreme inherited wealth that provides them power way beyond their numbers would be another example.

The US has no aristocracy with inherited governmental power. Hereditary titles for governmental office holders are prohibited by the Constitution.

The US had a group of extremely wealthy people with political power who could pass on their wealth and the powder with it to succeeding generations. This peaked during the gilded age, but was weakened by the inheritance laws and graduated income tax that were imposed during the early 20th century.

I recognize that there is an effort underway to return to the inherited economic advantages in place during the gilded age, and I assume that the members of this forum are trying their utmost to prevent this.

From a different perspective, I know of three Brits -- two personally -- who moved to the States and started careers here, citing the "class system" in the UK as their reason. One was a crack engineer who told me he had moved here because there were companies there who would never hire him, ability be damned, because of his "accent" (Northern/Geordie). As he said to me "You know that would never happen here", and I agreed, because endangered as it currently is, the concept of the "meritocracy" in the US has traditionally been far stronger than it's been in Britain.

The second was a pilot who, despite a stellar job reviews, and timed served in the RAF, was unable to get a commercial flying job at home. He claimed interviewers there seemed as interested in his father's lack of a college degree as in his ability to do the job. Since neither I, nor anyone I've talked to, can even IMAGINE an interviewer asking such a question here, I don't know if the government has bothered to make it illegal. .


The third is well-known actor, Michael Caine (real name Maurice Micklewhite) who came out publicly some years back, to express his affection for America and his deep appreciation for the huge part he felt it it played in his success. Michael Caine was the son of a fish monger and he claimed that in Britain, his chances were limited due to his "lower class" origins. He contrasted that with America, where he's been a huge success for decades, starting with his lead role in the 1960's flick "Alfie".