Doing my head in....

[Denzark]

To me, it's not inherited wealth.

The stereotypical chinless Eton nightmare has no more to do with their situation than some poor soul born to junkie parents.

But, it's the lack of appreciation. Me, I count myself lucky. Mum and Dad were by no means wealthy when I came into the world, but they provided a solid home life for me. I was missing various advantages, but on balance I did pretty well out of it all. Supportive family, blessed with a decent brain and skills in demand for the modern world. My current position is particularly favourable due to the right combination of the right opportunities, and the right attitude to said opportunities.

Sadly, there are those who just can't, or worse won't, appreciate their fortune. I know various people born into wealth. Captain Pyman of Her Maj's Armed Forces is one of them. And he's a really, really lovely bloke. Ridiculously posh and proper, but he's completely aware of it, and it's not 'heirs and graces', it's just him being him. Then there's an ex-girlfriend of mine, who is nowhere near as wealthy as she would have people believe. You'd struggle to find a more out of touch person, or indeed someone much more obnoxious. She genuinely believes that only the nobility should have any say, and I quote 'the problem with the UK is the House of Commons, the clue is in the name'.... Yeah. I know. What was double amusing? Being Scottish, and a Landowner, I am part of the nobility (though to be fair in my case, that should definitely be spelt with a silent k)...her, not at all. Daughter of a dentist....

In short? When someone from wealth looks down on those with less money, simply because they have less money and have had far fewer opportunities and leg ups as a result, I'm going to take issue with them.

But to pretend there's any kind of equality in Britain is a joke.

MM your last few posts have possessed eminent common sense. The amount of bank balance is not a suitable measure of 'worth' and indeed I am not convinced anyone who thinks it is, is worth listening to. On the subject of equality - I know we have massively digressed off topic - there are some people in this life who are genuinely more intelligent/physically healthier than other people. I believe if the UK took all its assets, liquefied them and spread them equally 70m ways (or whatever the figure is now) within 12 months, and probably within 12 weeks, you would have some people massively rich and some massively poor by comparison. I don't want to be trite about it, but that's Darwin, and as a result, true equality is probably impossible.

Equality of opportunity is a whole different matter. The degree to which you consider what constitutes equality of opportunity is a massive political debate. But there are people in this country who take the basic opportunities (free shelter, free healthcare, free education until 18) and flourish from it so that their heirs and successors have nice expensive shelter, private healthcare and private education. Money makes it easier to do, but money has to come from somewhere.

[Haighus]

MM your last few posts have possessed eminent common sense. The amount of bank balance is not a suitable measure of 'worth' and indeed I am not convinced anyone who thinks it is, is worth listening to. On the subject of equality - I know we have massively digressed off topic - there are some people in this life who are genuinely more intelligent/physically healthier than other people. I believe if the UK took all its assets, liquefied them and spread them equally 70m ways (or whatever the figure is now) within 12 months, and probably within 12 weeks, you would have some people massively rich and some massively poor by comparison. I don't want to be trite about it, but that's Darwin, and as a result, true equality is probably impossible.

Equality of opportunity is a whole different matter. The degree to which you consider what constitutes equality of opportunity is a massive political debate. But there are people in this country who take the basic opportunities (free shelter, free healthcare, free education until 18) and flourish from it so that their heirs and successors have nice expensive shelter, private healthcare and private education. Money makes it easier to do, but money has to come from somewhere.

The word we've been taught for that is equity, but yeah, things should be equitable, so equal opportunities, but will never be totally equal, because that would homogenise everything, and frankly just wouldn't work. Someone gets hit by a lightening bolt? Well, they get exactly the same amount of money per year for healthcare as everyone else, so they better not get ill for the rest of the year. Equality is impossible, but equity, we could at least get very close I think.

[Mr Mystery]

So we need to do something about the inequality we can do.

For instance, Oxbridge still take students from private schools over those from state schools, regardless of exam scores. That's just snobbery, and perpetuating the old boys network. And remember, your A-Level results only really matter for getting into Uni. So where is the drive for kids from state schools to push to really excel themselves, when the door is possibly going to slammed in their face in favour of Tarquelle Poncington-Smythe, who got the same marks, despite having the very best education money can buy?

And that's just one of the issues.

Me, I'd love to live in a meritocracy, but we're far, far off.

[Wolfshade]

Refer to oxbridge as camford, it makes it sound better

[Mr Mystery]

Nevar!!!!

It's Oxbridge!

[eldargal]

Hyphenate. Camford-Oxbridge.

Sounds like a name.

'Oh look mater, there's Rollo Camford-Oxbridge!'

[Psychosplodge]

OH FFS! While I love halloween, It's the first of October not "the first day of halloween"

[Wolfshade]

Hyphenate. Camford-Oxbridge.

Sounds like a name.

'Oh look mater, there's Rollo Camford-Oxbridge!'

We used to play polo together...

- - - Updated - - -

OH FFS! While I love halloween, It's the first of October not "the first day of halloween"

Hallowe'en.

And yes, the crass commercialisation of it is just like Christmas, I actually saw an advert for it.

[Kirsten]

Hallowe'en.

Hop tu naa

[Psychosplodge]

An advert? what the bloody hell were they advertising?