My Ancient Enemies
Aug. 24th, 2007 01:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Aristocrats are my natural enemy. This is because the root of aristocrat's power is the idea they deserve their position, wealth, influence, and power, simply based on who their parents or grandparents happened to be and happened to have done. Which is, to put it bluntly, a steaming pile of crap. Outside of the genetic influence on your abilities and personality, who donated that genetic material doesn't justify your position in life. Being fortunate enough to grow up somewhere well off, with plenty of opportunities and education and food and the other necessities of life doesn't make you a better person. That's up to you.
Now it's true the modern world has gotten rid of a lot of the old style royalty, and many of those who're left are just figureheads, there's still plenty of aristocrats around. Not just ancient landed families, though there's plenty of those kicking around with wealth and castles and titles. There's plenty of rich families who either inherited their wealth or want to make sure they can pass their wealth and position on to their heirs, and make sure those heirs have a nice big chunk of the pie, even if that means the pie's smaller than it should be. Better off relative to everyone else, rather than being wealthier on an absolute sense, but the gap being smaller between them and everyone else. They are, by definition, short-sighted and self-interested. There are a fair number of wealthy people who don't buy into this garbage, often wealthy people who've made their money themselves. Well, them and luck (and occasionally criminal business practices, you know who you are).
Of course, because of the format of blogs and LJs, the followup post that will tie into this will be on top. But that's okay, since it should be able to stand on its own, anyway.
Now it's true the modern world has gotten rid of a lot of the old style royalty, and many of those who're left are just figureheads, there's still plenty of aristocrats around. Not just ancient landed families, though there's plenty of those kicking around with wealth and castles and titles. There's plenty of rich families who either inherited their wealth or want to make sure they can pass their wealth and position on to their heirs, and make sure those heirs have a nice big chunk of the pie, even if that means the pie's smaller than it should be. Better off relative to everyone else, rather than being wealthier on an absolute sense, but the gap being smaller between them and everyone else. They are, by definition, short-sighted and self-interested. There are a fair number of wealthy people who don't buy into this garbage, often wealthy people who've made their money themselves. Well, them and luck (and occasionally criminal business practices, you know who you are).
Of course, because of the format of blogs and LJs, the followup post that will tie into this will be on top. But that's okay, since it should be able to stand on its own, anyway.