The Off Topic Topic

[celedhring]

holy shit.  You're the last of the Mohicans.

My brother has as child. He's our last hope.

[Admiral Yi]

That's a thin thread.  You better go knock up some Venezuelan refugee.

[Grey Fox]

I'm not running out but my dad's sibling are down to 3 from the original 9. That generation is ending.

[Legbiter]

Me and my sisters have 7 (soon 8) boys in total so we're keeping pace and then some with natural attrition. Hopefully I will never need to launch Operation Abraham like celed.

[Josquius]

Is it just me, or is there a weird pattern in the world.
Once upon a time the hard right would be dominated by middle class people pretending to be upper class.
Now the hard right is dominated by middle class people pretending to be working class (with one or two throwbacks).

[celedhring]

Is it just me, or is there a weird pattern in the world.
Once upon a time the hard right would be dominated by middle class people pretending to be upper class.
Now the hard right is dominated by middle class people pretending to be working class (with one or two throwbacks).

I'm not sure of that. Vox, for example, is far less successful among middle income cohorts than higer and lower ones.

[Sheilbh]

Is it just me, or is there a weird pattern in the world.
Once upon a time the hard right would be dominated by middle class people pretending to be upper class.
Now the hard right is dominated by middle class people pretending to be working class (with one or two throwbacks).

I'm not sure that's right.

Historically if you look at the formation of fascism then there is a really important role played by the peasantry, smallholders, petty bourgeoisie who I do not think are aspiring to be "upper class". Historical fascism in part comes from a narrative of a failure of the established elite. Normally there is a compromise with the elite though that allows the fascists to exercise power.

There are variations - I think the Iberian and Latin American experiences of fascism and the far right is far more closely linked to elites (my guess is because of the role of the Church and anti-clericalism as forces).

What I wonder might be happening is that in the past the peasants and smallholders were somehow the nostalgic soul of the nation/people v modernity. I think nostalgia for a class is always a sign that its role is over - so I wonder if in post-industrial, de-industrialised economies the industrial working class is playing a similar role for the far-right now? They are to the contemporary west what the peasant and small holding folk were for the far-right in the late 19th/early 20th century?

[crazy canuck]

My son pointed out that Homer Simpson was a lower or middle class guy, but having a home, two cars, three kids, a dog and cat, and vacations on just one income now means he makes a lot of money.

[Barrister]

My son pointed out that Homer Simpson was a lower or middle class guy, but having a home, two cars, three kids, a dog and cat, and vacations on just one income now means he makes a lot of money.

How on earth is he a lower class guy?  He's a nuclear safety inspector with a university education (though I don't think a degree).

This link suggests the average salary is $72k US for a nuclear inspector.

https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Nuclear-Safety-Inspector-Salary#Yearly

I mean obviously the show is unrealistic in many respects (like the many countries they have visited, or the many non-nuclear jobs Homer has also had), but the same basic set-up seems attainable.  And it's not like the cars are new - they've had the same ones for decades!  And how long did it take them to move to a flat screen tv?!

[DGuller]

He's a nuclear safety inspector precisely because that job didn't require a college degree.  The Brain can explain how that works.

[Barrister]

He's a nuclear safety inspector precisely because that job didn't require a college degree.  The Brain can explain how that works.

No, he's a nuclear safety inspector because he led protests against the nuclear power plant after he had been laid off, but then Mr Burns bought him off with the safety inspector job.

His job did require a university education, which is why Homer had to go to university and take a course in nuclear physics.

[DGuller]

He's a nuclear safety inspector precisely because that job didn't require a college degree.  The Brain can explain how that works.

No, he's a nuclear safety inspector because he led protests against the nuclear power plant after he had been laid off, but then Mr Burns bought him off with the safety inspector job.

His job did require a university education, which is why Homer had to go to university and take a course in nuclear physics.

That's not my recollection.  My recollection is that Homer was clearly not college material when he graduated high school, so his guidance counselor suggested being a nuclear safety inspector, as that was the only job that required only a high school education.  Later on, inspectors did take issue with him not having a college degree, and that's why he started attending college, but that was long after he was already employed as a safety inspector.

You have to be careful with later episodes of The Simpsons, they often take some liberties with reality.

[Barrister]

He's a nuclear safety inspector precisely because that job didn't require a college degree.  The Brain can explain how that works.

No, he's a nuclear safety inspector because he led protests against the nuclear power plant after he had been laid off, but then Mr Burns bought him off with the safety inspector job.

His job did require a university education, which is why Homer had to go to university and take a course in nuclear physics.

That's not my recollection.  My recollection is that Homer was clearly not college material when he graduated high school, so his guidance counselor suggested being a nuclear safety inspector, as that was the only job that required only a high school education.  Later on, inspectors did take issue with him not having a college degree, and that's why he started attending college, but that was long after he was already employed as a safety inspector.

You have to be careful with later episodes of The Simpsons, they often take some liberties with reality.

Yeah, but the episodes we're talking about are all very early.

Fair point about the high school guidance counselor, but remember he didn't start out as a safety inspector.

And it's not as if Mr Burns is above putting an unqualified person in a job until being called out by the regulators.

I wonder if Homer ever actually graduated from that class.  If you'll recall he failed, but the ners hacked the school computer and changed his grade.  Marge then said that in order to set a good example he needed to re-take the course.  Then all we get are a series of images while the credits roll of Homer in various college shenanigans.

Edit: let's also not forget it's a union job.

[crazy canuck]

My son pointed out that Homer Simpson was a lower or middle class guy, but having a home, two cars, three kids, a dog and cat, and vacations on just one income now means he makes a lot of money.

How on earth is he a lower class guy?  He's a nuclear safety inspector with a university education (though I don't think a degree).

This link suggests the average salary is $72k US for a nuclear inspector.

https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Nuclear-Safety-Inspector-Salary#Yearly

I mean obviously the show is unrealistic in many respects (like the many countries they have visited, or the many non-nuclear jobs Homer has also had), but the same basic set-up seems attainable.  And it's not like the cars are new - they've had the same ones for decades!  And how long did it take them to move to a flat screen tv?!

You missed one of the jokes in the show.  He is an uneducated dolt working in a nuclear plant that is next to a lake with three eyed fish.

[DGuller]

He's a nuclear safety inspector precisely because that job didn't require a college degree.  The Brain can explain how that works.

No, he's a nuclear safety inspector because he led protests against the nuclear power plant after he had been laid off, but then Mr Burns bought him off with the safety inspector job.

His job did require a university education, which is why Homer had to go to university and take a course in nuclear physics.

That's not my recollection.  My recollection is that Homer was clearly not college material when he graduated high school, so his guidance counselor suggested being a nuclear safety inspector, as that was the only job that required only a high school education.  Later on, inspectors did take issue with him not having a college degree, and that's why he started attending college, but that was long after he was already employed as a safety inspector.

You have to be careful with later episodes of The Simpsons, they often take some liberties with reality.

Yeah, but the episodes we're talking about are all very early.

Fair point about the high school guidance counselor, but remember he didn't start out as a safety inspector.

And it's not as if Mr Burns is above putting an unqualified person in a job until being called out by the regulators.

I wonder if Homer ever actually graduated from that class.  If you'll recall he failed, but the ners hacked the school computer and changed his grade.  Marge then said that in order to set a good example he needed to re-take the course.  Then all we get are a series of images while the credits roll of Homer in various college shenanigans.

Edit: let's also not forget it's a union job.

Even if he finished that class, you need about 120 credits to get an undergraduate degree, or 36 credits to get a masters.  One class can usually give you 3-4 credits max.