Aristocracy's bitter fruit
It is embarrassing to me to see that so many educated American citizens are "star-struck" by wealth such that, to them, wealth itself seems to be an end justified by any means ("Lording It Up," Jan. 6). This show is about aristocracy. Aristocracy has been recognized as a crime against humanity. All of the pretty little fantasies about aristocracy (kings, queens, princes, etc.) are incomplete without the truth of the subjugation of millions in each of the respective countries and the refusal by these aristocrats to recognize the pain and suffering of their fellow human beings, while keeping to themselves all of the wealth of their respective countries, violently where necessary.
This show is a disgusting display of how that money, the wealth of nations, was used by a few who "assumed" power to give themselves an opulent lifestyle. Why would Americans, people who fought to free themselves from one of the worst tyrants in history, King George III, allow themselves to become so unaware of this history that they allow themselves to be "charmed" by this garbage?
Edward McAuley
Tiburon
My reply was e mailed on Tuesday 15th January and follows.
Sir,
Living, as I do, in the Antelope Valley, I have grown accustomed to the ranting of the ill informed in our local newspaper but had expected a higher standard from the Los Angeles Times. Sadly, I was to be disappointed. I read Edward McAuley's nonsense (LA Times Feedback 01/13/2013) and was struck by the excessive and incorrect use of quotation marks almost as much as the sweeping generalizations employed throughout his diatribe. First and foremost let us remember that this is a Television show, from the mind of one Julian Fellowes. Nothing more and nothing less. It is not a metaphor for the England of the time. Rather, it is what we used to call faction. A fictional story woven around a few specific facts in a given time period. The sinking of the Titanic, World War 1, changing role of women etc. That being established, I do not take issue with the idea that aristocracy in certain countries subjugated millions while enjoying the fruits of their labour, much as say the Walton family and others do in the United States today. The real life Crawley family, if indeed they ever existed, often employed entire communities on their Estates. Communities that might otherwise have struggled to survive. In exchange for their labour, wages were paid and in many cases houses were (and still are) provided along with the job. The Industrial Revolution began the fall of such families and the sea change in attitudes following WW1 continued their decline. The Depression and WW2 completed their fall and many of these great and stately homes are now controlled by The National Trust and other public bodies. Everything Mr. McAuley targets seems to me to be representative of 18th or 19th century France prior to their Revolution and not the United Kingdom in which I was raised. You might however visit the history of WW1 in which Public Schoolboy subalterns led the cannon fodder to their deaths. When Field Marshal Haig was considered passe because his family was in "Trade". There you might vent your considerable anger.
Mr. McAuley writes that "This show is a disgusting display of how that money, the wealth of nations, was used... " Rather, it is a display of how the English aristocracy was stuck in the previous century, in their deeds and thoughts. Thus the Earl of Grantham loses all his family fortune as well as his wife's money on a foolish Stock market gamble (more echoes of us today?) and becomes dependent on his son in law to keep the family afloat. Why would Americans be enraptured by this show? Because it is a soap, a well written and well acted production but a soap nonetheless. If you are embarrassed by your fellow Americans star struck by wealth Mr. McAuley then you must have slept through the last fifty years. Do the names Kardashian or Hilton mean nothing to you? Famous for their wealth certainly not their talents. America adores wealth. "Greed is good, greed works" always has and always will. Wealth is to the USA what the Class system was to England. Finally, King George the third - "one of the worst tyrants in history" - Farmer George? Are you serious? Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, Mao and that English guy what was his name? Oh yeah George the third. As they say in my part of Ulster, Catch yourself on Mr. McAuley, catch yourself on.
Vic Boyd
aL
As you can plainly see, this guy pissed me off with his nonsensical over written rubbish so hey this is 2013 so why not reply????????????
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