Hate, Tribalism and Tax

triple nipple

So I've been reading alot of posts latley on taxation (water charges, USC etc) and the one thing that comes across to me is the amount of miss directed anger between people, namely people who believe they belong to a certain class or portion of society, eg working or upper middle class.

Alot of statements like "people on the dole are getting everything for free" and "people on the dole don't want to pay for water because they're used to having a free ride at the tax payers expense" and "people on over 100,000 should pay the tax instead of us !"

So my question is when did we become a class based society ? and why is there so much fighting between people of diffrent economic backgrounds. Discuss.

diomed

Show us your triple nipple.

Right Turn Clyde

triple nipple wrote: »

So I've been reading alot of posts latley on taxation (water charges, USC etc) and the one thing that comes across to me is the amount of miss directed anger between people, namely people who believe they belong to a certain class or portion of society, eg working or upper middle class.

Alot of statements like "people on the dole are getting everything for free" and "people on the dole don't want to pay for water because they're used to having a free ride at the tax payers expense" and "people on over 100,000 should pay the tax instead of us !"

So my question is when did we become a class based society ? and why is there so much fighting between people of diffrent economic backgrounds. Discuss.

Interesting topic. But less of this 'discuss' business. You're not a university professor. Why don't you give us your opinion. You've clearly thought a lot about it already.

triple nipple

diomed wrote:

Show us your triple nipple.

what kind of car do you drive ? ;-)

diomed

triple nipple wrote: »

what kind of car do you drive ? ;-)

It is the garage at the moment. The bus driver did not let me drive this morning.
I drive a nice car.

BoJack Horseman

Every society has a class structure.

It isn't new or unique to Ireland.

Ever thus.

triple nipple

diomed wrote:

It is the garage at the moment. The bus driver did not let me drive this morning. I drive a nice car.

I hate bus drivers. But on a serious note, I think the whole division of society, be it class or otherwise, probably starts by the time people hit school. People learn to divide themselves pretty early on and carry it through the rest of their lives.

I'm not 100% convinced it's innate in people as you rarely see this kind of thing in preschools. So maybe it's a learned behaviour ? Also I think the media and government are very good at creating a culture of hostility between the so called classes.

That's my two cents maybe three. keen to aee how others view it.

Gannicus

diomed wrote: »

Show us your triple nipple.

From what I can tell we have always been a class based society. Is it not basic human nature to be classed based or have a societal pecking order (for lack of a better term). I mean look back through history. The Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Mesopotamians have always had classes or hierarchies.

Potatoeman

People working dont like taxes and people living on benefits dont like benefit cuts so they are both blame the other.

diomed

We might have moved to
(1) work for government class
(2) information worker class
(3) unskilled/semi-skilled class

(1) civil servants, teachers, gardai, health service, doctors, dentists
(2) IT workers, accountants, solicitors, mechanics
(3) casual, factory production line, delivery, retail

Group (1) is increasing in size and cost
Group (3) is diminishing and vulnerable as systems improve.

Cpt Sh!t Craic

triple nipple wrote:

So my question is when did we become a class based society ? and why is there so much fighting between people of diffrent economic backgrounds. Discuss.

There is the working class and there is the upper class of government and big business.

In order to for the minority upper class to maintain control and expand their wealth, they must keep the working class from uniting. So, a society where having a nicer car than my neighbour or nicer cloths than my neighbour is promoted. It eventually leads to all kinds of problems including beliefs of racial superiority etc etc within the working class. Thus the working class is kept divided and the oligarchy prospers.

It's called capitalism, and the reason you're noticing more divisions within our own society is because it's taking over.

RoboRat

Tribalism is and innate human trait, men v women, class v class, race v race, town v town, county v county etc etc. Its existed since we have, so its not likely going to change any time soon.

Zubeneschamali

triple nipple wrote: »

So my question is when did we become a class based society ?

We always were. Landlord/tenant. Ascendancy/peasant. Protestant/Catholic. Bosses/workers. Leafy suburb/urban tenement. Trinity/UCD.

FG: Business and big farmers.
FF: Small farmers, shopkeepers, civil servants
Labour: Unionized working class

mad muffin

Ireland has always been a tribal society. Province vs province. Town vs country. County vs county. And even town vs town in the same county.

whiskeyman

I'm getting one of my servants to think of witty response while another servant types this for me.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

triple nipple wrote: »

So my question is when did we become a class based society ? and why is there so much fighting between people of diffrent economic backgrounds. Discuss.

I don't believe that, as a society, we are class obsessed or bickering. I believe it's just the imbalance that seems to be on Boards. I only see such comments on boards and never in real life. Nobody in my local community, family, socialising, etc comes out with anything like the vitriol that appears on Boards in general and After Hours in particular. I have reason to mix across a wide range of backgrounds and, while people certainly complain about the economy or other government decisions, the whole class envy\hate dimension doesn't raise it's head.

Grayson

Ariadne Rhythmic Casket wrote: »

I don't believe that, as a society, we are class obsessed or bickering. I believe it's just the imbalance that seems to be on Boards. I only see such comments on boards and never in real life. Nobody in my local community, family, socialising, etc comes out with anything like the vitriol that appears on Boards in general and After Hours in particular. I have reason to mix across a wide range of backgrounds and, while people certainly complain about the economy or other government decisions, the whole class envy\hate dimension doesn't raise it's head.

Boards is still more moderate (at least in response if not in opinion) in than the journal or politics.ie.

Arsemageddon

whiskeyman wrote: »

I'm getting one of my servants to think of witty response while another servant types this for me.

I say chaps, look at the peasant with only two servants!

mad muffin

Arsemageddon wrote: »

I say chaps, look at the peasant with only two servants!

Jolly good show old bean! One does not call ones self posh with only two servents. Why my servents have two of their own.

Isn't that right Cameron?


*cleans ones corner of ones mouth with ones pinkie*

<sounds of chortling and guffawing>

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

mad muffin wrote: »

Jolly good show old bean! One does not call ones self posh with only two servents. Why my servents have two of their own.

Isn't that right Cameron?


*cleans ones corner of ones mouth with ones pinkie*

<sounds of chortling and guffawing>

One should initiate legal proceedings against one's private school, for failure to endow it's students with the talents they need in high society. Good grammar is a must in today's upper echelons.
Perhaps in reality our society is not as divided as one might think.

Hoop66

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

Landlord/tenant. Ascendancy/peasant. Protestant/Catholic. Bosses/workers. Leafy suburb/urban tenement. Trinity/UCD.

Daddy/Chips

mad muffin

Ariadne Rhythmic Casket wrote: »

One should initiate legal proceedings against one's private school, for failure to endow it's students with the talents they need in high society. Good grammar is a must in today's upper echelons.
Perhaps in reality our society is not as divided as one might think.

Smithers… release the hounds!