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[Politics] Tory meltdown finally arrived [was: incoming]...
- Thread starter TomandJerry
- Start date
Hi Lever,
Haha, I don’t know really.
In my professional life, I think it may have given me a determination to ‘never let the ******** grind you down’, as the old saying goes and I’ve also had a bee in my bonnet about injustices in life and I think that may have been as a direct result of my experiences, as does my survival instinct.
Of course, my experiences were 60 odd years ago and life at boarding school was completely different to what it is today. Neither parents nor pupils would put up with it, and quite rightly so. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, although there are peers of mine who claim to have loved it. Personally, I think they are bullshitting or have very rosy coloured specs.
I find it difficult to answer your question as I just don’t know!
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Good post... here is the blurb about the book....
In 1975, as a child, Richard Beard was sent away from his home to sleep in a dormitory. So were David Cameron and Boris Johnson.
In those days a private boys' boarding school education was largely the same experience as it had been for generations: a training for the challenges of Empire. He didn't enjoy it. But the first and most important lesson was to not let that show.
Being separated from the people who love you is traumatic. How did that feel at the time, and what sort of adult does it mould?
This is a story about England, and a portrait of a type of boy, trained to lead, who becomes a certain type of man. As clearly as an X-ray, it reveals the make-up of those who seek power - what makes them tick, and why.
Sad Little Men addresses debates about privilege head-on; clearly and unforgettably, it shows the problem with putting a succession of men from boarding schools into positions of influence, including 10 Downing Street. Is this who we want in charge, especially at a time of crisis?
It is a passionate, tender reckoning—with one individual's past, but also with a national bad habit.
I didn't attend boarding school or private education but I think the writer has expressed a view that should be taken very seriously....
Is it PotG?
Thrifty non-licker
The Jam did a song about their custard, jelly and sponged based dessert.
The Eaton Trifles.
Thanks, I will seek that out. There is a very limited breadth of books written about the boarding school experience. I do not think that is a coincidence.
"Stiff upper lip. Swallow it down. Gally on".
Can be a useful philosophy in the short term. Not a healthy way to live one's life. Not a healthy attitude to hand down to your children. Not healthy for having honest relationships with people. IMO.
schmunk
Centrist Dad
Public school pudding joke? What a Mess!
Thank you for an honest appraisal. My criticism of the schooling I received is about the values and culture generated - totally academic without life skills, a strange combination of self importance and servility, a clear but narrow life and work path. What we didn't have, that Beard explores in private schools is the sense of entitlement and the idea that everything, absolutely everything is a big game.....
Bob!
Coffee Buyer
- Jul 5, 2003
- 11,485
It's all thatchers fault!
(but we knew that anyway, I suppose)
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/may/30/age-of-inflation-economy-rentier-capitalism
(but we knew that anyway, I suppose)
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/may/30/age-of-inflation-economy-rentier-capitalism
Is it PotG?
Thrifty non-licker
According to THAT balanced 'paper', what isn't attributable to her?
Hello again,
Unlike Beard, I must say, I cannot recall a sense of entitlement or the feeling that everything was a big game back in those far off days. As a young lad 62 years ago, my first impression of my public school was that the size of the grounds and buildings were rather overwhelming and I was unsurprisingly full of trepidation. As I had been a boarder at prep school, I was used to being away from home, unlike some of the other boys. We actually thought some of the eldest boys were masters, they were so much older than us.
We were told by staff and parents that we were fortunate to be at such a school, but entitlement never came into it. Of course, over the years, one came across some obnoxious boys, but they may well have been obnoxious whatever type of school they went to and are probably obnoxious old gits nowadays. As for everything being a big game, I just don’t see this at all. Our school was pretty austere and certainly didn’t engender a big game ethos.
I know Beard went to school after me, but in my day, it was quite possible for middle class parents to afford the fees to schools like mine and many of those parents themselves were not ‘entitled ‘ types, perhaps that reflected on us. Nowadays, public schools are largely the preserve of the wealthy due to the massive increase in fees, even taking into account inflation. Middle class parents such as mine have been priced out. I have no connection with today’s public school pupils so I have no idea if they have a sense of entitlement or not.
Anyway, I survived and hope I have been a good citizen, husband and father.
As I said previously, the day I left school was one of the best days of my life and I embraced the freedom and quickly shook off the oppressive shackles of life as a boarder at public school. Life skills were there to be learnt and girls were to be discovered…….
I began to live, at last.
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beorhthelm
A. Virgo, Football Genius
- Jul 21, 2003
- 35,826
always amazed at the reach and influence of Thatcher, problems facing countries world wide are all down to one lady's policies of 40 years ago.
Baldseagull
Well-known member
As she allowed the sell off of council homes, blocked councils building new ones, and kicked off privatising utilities, I think we can safely say we are feeling the effects of Thatcher still today. I can't promise we wouldn't have a worse set of problems today without her though, or let all the subsequent Goverments off the hook for not amending any of it, but she did set us on this path.
Yes, those of us who 'always' vote X and 'never' vote Y are expert at cherry picking positive and negative justifications for both. At the moment those who always vote labour have it pretty easy cherry picking all the saint Starmer and bad Johnson reasons for doing so. When Theresa May was up against Corbyn it was the other way round. As an apparent Labour acolyte I am proud to say I urged people to vote against Corbyn. And after he went, and Starmer came along, I rejoined the party (that I had quit over Blair's pathetic decision to use taxpayers money to fund all religious schools). So while I agree with you completely, I do feel a tiny bit virtuous and, yes, smug
And how did that work out?
Bet you feel pretty darn stupid now when we ended up with criminal Johnson and his bunch of corrupt cronies.
I can't stand Starmer; to me he is a Tory wearing a red tie but I would NEVER advocate voting against the Labour Party just because I didn't much like the leader. Look what happens when you do a stupid thing like that.
Somehow I don't think I was responsible for Labour losing to May and then to Johnson.
In any case I didn't rejoin Labour till after Corbyn walked. If he were leader now we would be guaranteed another 5 years of the fat oaf.
Politics is the art of the possible. Starmer is possible. Corbyn isn't
Incidentally if you can't stand Starmer, will you be campaigning for him or against him? Or are you one of those people so disgusted with not getting exactly what you want all the time that you are not going to bother to vote?
vegster
Sanity Clause
- May 5, 2008
- 28,186
Just as labour were blamed for the World Financial crisis .
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
Privatising energy companies promised choice and lower prices, but we are now back to a select few companies with others going bust. There is no competition even though the wholesale price of gas has actually gone down.
Water companies are paying out loads in dividends to shareholders whilst pumping raw sewage into our rivers and seas.
clapham_gull
Legacy Fan
- Aug 20, 2003
- 25,721
Quite how the "evening birthday celebrations" got lost along the way is anyone's guess. It isn't the "Abba" one.
ITV ran the story about it January.
https://www.itv.com/news/2022-01-24...day-bash-during-lockdown-itv-news-understands
ITV ran the story about it January.
https://www.itv.com/news/2022-01-24...day-bash-during-lockdown-itv-news-understands
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
[tweet]1531026403352887297[/tweet]
Bit of a slow burner, but it does continue to burn. Guardian reporting that the number of "known" letters to the 1922 is now 26. There will be more that haven't been declared. Question is, how many more? It's going to happen at some point, just a matter of time I think. With Boris, we just know that there's going to be more things surface. Every time something does, the slow trickle of letters will get a small boost.
Hello again,
Unlike Beard, I must say, I cannot recall a sense of entitlement or the feeling that everything was a big game back in those far off days. As a young lad 62 years ago, my first impression of my public school was that the size of the grounds and buildings were rather overwhelming and I was unsurprisingly full of trepidation. As I had been a boarder at prep school, I was used to being away from home, unlike some of the other boys. We actually thought some of the eldest boys were masters, they were so much older than us.
We were told by staff and parents that we were fortunate to be at such a school, but entitlement never came into it. Of course, over the years, one came across some obnoxious boys, but they may well have been obnoxious whatever type of school they went to and are probably obnoxious old gits nowadays. As for everything being a big game, I just don’t see this at all. Our school was pretty austere and certainly didn’t engender a big game ethos.
I know Beard went to school after me, but in my day, it was quite possible for middle class parents to afford the fees to schools like mine and many of those parents themselves were not ‘entitled ‘ types, perhaps that reflected on us. Nowadays, public schools are largely the preserve of the wealthy due to the massive increase in fees, even taking into account inflation. Middle class parents such as mine have been priced out. I have no connection with today’s public school pupils so I have no idea if they have a sense of entitlement or not.
Anyway, I survived and hope I have been a good citizen, husband and father.
As I said previously, the day I left school was one of the best days of my life and I embraced the freedom and quickly shook off the oppressive shackles of life as a boarder at public school. Life skills were there to be learnt and girls were to be discovered…….
I began to live, at last.
Thank you. Respect. I am sure you are entirely responsible for being the valued and valuable member of society that you have become. Clearly there is a thin dividing line between 'a sense of privilege' and the darker 'sense of entitlement' - but some measure of humility is the best trait for the privileged few and you clearly show that!
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