Hmmm

[darren_stranger]

(via Greylock)

'Australia no longer a 'classless society': researcher'

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200411/s1239336.htm

"A meeting of local councils in Canberra has been told Australia is fast developing into a society focussed solely on income.."

Not much that wasn't already obvious, though i found this bit interesting:

Dr Mackay says Australians are feeling uncertain about their future and want a return to the old days.  "It's the same motivation that drives the rise of fundamentalism in religion and feminism and environmentalism and economic rationalism," he said.  "People are saying I want the comfort of simple certainty, I want black and white simplicity."

That would fit with a lot of what's going on in the world right now, not just Australia.

Comments

[bar-bar-ella.livejournal.com]

I think the whole 'classless society' thing was always a myth anyhow. I like the warnings he's giving about governments responding to prejustice and making ugly laws, though.

[andricongirl.livejournal.com]

I though we always had classes from where i've been looking ..

[strang-er.livejournal.com]

I'm not quite sure what the 'classless society' bit means anyway, given it's more a spectrum of wealth and privilege than distinct 'classes' in the old sense, unless he's talking about widening gaps between levels of wealth and opportunites etc (missing rungs on Latham's Ladder maybe).

The whole concept of 'class' seems a bit murky anyway. People still seem to talk in the old terms of 'working' or 'middle' class etc, when that system doesn't really apply any more. Now it just seems to be vague ideas of income brackets. (When people say 'working class', 'middle class' or 'upper class' these days, it seems to mean 'blue collar', 'white collar' and 'filthy rich', which as i understand it is far from what the terms are supposed to mean).

The other points seem quite valid though (if obvious).

[reddragdiva]

It's a lot more visible in the UK.

British: "Are we becoming more classless?"
Australians and Canadians: "You've got to be fucking joking."

[velvetclaw.livejournal.com]

Agree with all above.....


... completely OT - do you know a Melbourne charity that accepts Used Stamps as a donation (that isn't Christian - apparently there are two that are, but my friend doesn't want to donate to them)

Thought you might possibly know.......

[strang-er.livejournal.com]

No idea, i'm afraid.

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