Is there an 'underclass' on MN?

[wildswans]

I have name changed for this.

I have been on MN for about 6 months - off and on - and one of the most interesting aspects is the insight into people's lives and the contrasts and similarities. You can communicate with others you probably wouldn't meet in RL and in circumstances where they feel able to be completely open and frank about themselves, their families, their worries, their aspirations etc.

However, I can't help wondering if there is an 'underclass' who subscribe to MN. I have noticed, in particular, that any site which relates in any way to money or status - such as jobs and level of earnings and spending or whether a SAHM or WOHM - provokes very strong reactions. By this I don't just mean engaging in heated debate - which is part of the fun - but there is an undercurrent of envy and spite, which is very unattractive.

There are clearly a lot of high earning, highly successful women in MN and a number who have DHs who are well off. There are also lots who are earning less but do worthwhile and fulfilling jobs and others who are happy to care for their DC full time. Most MNs agree that it's all about choices and it doesn't really matter what you choose as long as it's right for you.

Yet the 'underclass' often seek to highjack interesting and constructive threads by pouring scorn on anyone who is a high earner, can afford tickets to the theatre (or even the zoo in one case!), or go on decent holidays. Presumably these are the ones who want the entrepreneurs to be taxed into exile and for a 'mansion tax' to be imposed. I can tell you that you don't get a 'mansion' for £2m in london or the South East, so what is that all about? In my view, it's nasty spiteful class envy and emanates from a small number of people on MNs who haven't achieved much in their lives so don't think anyone else should either.

Has anyone else reached this conclusion or AIBU?

Roger I'm so disappointed in you! Seriously when I took part in your joky thread I had no idea that you were basically a misogonyst.

Oh I'm ignoring this except to say that I live in flipping Barnes, and £2m gets you an incredible house. A modern mansion, if you will. So I think you may have lost a little perspective, OP.

I read this and am pretty shocked that OP would refer to any class of people as an 'underclass'. Very derogatory and insulting. Maybe some posters are jealous or maybe they just believe that higher earners should pay more tax. Neither of which reasons mean they deserve to be called an underclass. OP, I think you come across as someone who is unable to debate intelligently so instead resorts to name calling.

lesley33 I cannot even spell misogenist so I have no idea what it means
(I am an idiot and I have done a thread saying so)

so please forgive my idioty ramblings

I'm with HandMadeTail, I think it's useful for those of us who can afford to spend £100 quid on a meal out or whatever to be reminded occasionally that that's a week's food budget for many families.
And one of the interesting features about MN is that behind the cloak of anonymity people are a lot more honest about money than they are in RL.

Every now and then it does become a bit unpleasant, but that's rare, and I've certainly read an enormous number of threads about iPads, Disneyland Florida, Anglomania frocks etc etc in which nobody jumps in and throws buns.

And the only underclass on MN are the ones who don't use capital letters.

What are the bloody poor people doing having Internet access anyway?

Never mind expressing opinions.

They should be seen and not heard, well preferably not seen either.

Roger okay, apology accepted. Misogonyst basically means anti women. In the same way somebody saying all men are violent is basically anti men imo

lesley33
I am not anti women. I am a SAHD and spend most of my time with them at toddler groups and coffee mornings. How many men do you know who would go on monthly meals out with up to 14 women and no other men?
I had enough of the macho sexist bullshit when I worked and find women more easy going but as a chat site you must admit that MN is more agumentative than others

I haven't noticed it.
Sometimes people have to point out that some people can't afford private education if they cut back on spending-they don't have holidays and nice cars to cut back on. There can be people who just don't understand it and it needs to be pointed out.

Roger I accepted your apology. But saying all women are bitches is imo anti women.

MN is not more argumentative imo than other lightly moderated sites that invite differences of opinion. Some sites are highly moderated.

everlon
I am only calling the spiteful and bitchy ones spiteful and bitchy

Op, I have encountered exactly the same as you on many threads, naturally not all directed at me cos I am not rich. (Not by what I consider rich at least) but towards other posters.

I have been accused of boasting when I started a thread agonizing over which pair of glasses to chose, or maybe go for both. I never anticipated vitriol over buying glasses. Not done so in 6 years, and desperately needed new ones. But no, I was accused of boasting that I could afford two pairs, and should maybe be more tactful to those who could not afford two pairs of glasses. Madness.

I have not noticed whether it is the same poster. I don't memorize nastiness.

I've noticed lots of nasty green envy on here so I totally agree. It's quite off putting.

I don't like the way OP has put it, but MN is inherently concerned with issues raised by posters who are overwhelmingly from the rich, developed world.

We are all the lucky ones in global terms.

A straitened food budget is a hell of a lot better than picking through ant heaps to see if there is any grain there. And no-one here is facing random shootings by their government.

I am fully expecting to be flamed for reminding people this - I've seen other posters being absolutely torn apart for similar. I wouldn't dream of posting like this on a thread which was worried about her circumstances as comparisons often aren't helpful Including that in OP.

Roger - I don't know what is going on for you. But maybe now isn't the best time for you to be posting here?

And no you most women are bitchy and spiteful. Not x is bitchy and spiteful.

I was right with you until you seemed to disagree with the mansion tax. I agree with PessimisticMissPiggy in that its quite progressive. I was appalled when the VAT went up, as that hurt a lot of our countries most vulnerable people, but I'm afraid, as a socialist that I believe the rich should be diverting some of their extra funds to the state. A mansion, I'm afraid, is not a necessity. if they can't afford one due to new taxes then I am sorry, must be upsetting. But my sympathy lies with the people who struggled to afford food for their children due to VAT increase.

I think the buyers of these homes could possibly afford to pay more tax....

OP, I think you are completely unaware of your own privilege, or just how unusual you are in the context of the UK as a whole in the middle of a recession in being so financially comfortable. Open your eyes to the reality of other people's lives, and please lessen the sense of entitlement which you seem to feel allows you to dub people who are poorer than you an 'underclass' - revolting word, and very revealing of your snobbery and blinkeredness - and to require those people to rein in what you see as 'unattractive' envy and spite.

People who are struggling don't owe you anything, and the implication that they should be doffing their caps on an internet forum at your supposedly superior achievements would be funny if it weren't so insulting.

It's not even that your post is 'unreasonable' - it shows a depth of political naivete and dimness that is frankly astonishing.

I agree with hardcheese. Btw the Daily Mail says there are only 155,000 houses in England and Wales worth more than £1 million. 81% of houses worth more than £2 million are in London and 40% of these are in Kensington and Chelsea. But this falls to only 4% in Richmond.

*QuintessentialyHollow

Op, I have encountered exactly the same as you on many threads, naturally not all directed at me cos I am not rich. (Not by what I consider rich at least) but towards other posters.*

I had you pegged as rich.

Is it psychoanalyse MN week?

I am not well off. Between myself and my partner we bring in about 2k a month. I have a mortgage for 70k which is a modest 2 bed house in a mostly ex council estate. I have friends who earn 45k and I have friends living on benefits. I envy the one on 45k because he never has to worry about bills, can have holidays, buys what he wants, has savings. I envy the one on benefits because she doesn't have many bills to worry about, she doesn't seem to go without, she doesn't have to do a job she hates. They both envy me because I'm so settled and happy with my lot and am careful with money and sensible with little debt. Point being its pretty normal to envy others, it's not a class thing. I try to tend to stay away from classes as the full class system is a outdated load of bollocks. Underclass particularly.