What irritates me is that the lower stratum of the upper class have a habit of ignoring massive injustice to the lower classes while being very concerned with minor injustices directed at their own class.
No, it’s not a perfectly rational irritation. But it does exist, and I don’t think it should be ignored.
Tangential, but possibly illustrative: my Mum is a very good person. Empathetic, kind, caring, responsible; now that she’s retired, she keeps busy by being the volunteer mental health ombudsperson (i.e. making sure that involuntarily admitted psych patients aren’t being abused) for her district.
Although we didn’t have much money when I was growing up, these days she is more than comfortable. Worked her way to a senior executive position in the public service, married a successful academic, invested in high-gain real estate, etc.
She’s also a lifelong supporter of centre-left politics, who is intellectually revolted by bigotry and injustice. Those issues lead her to vote for lefty candidates and occasionally make a small political donation.
But you know what really got her fired up to the point where she got seriously involved in political activism?
Someone put in a development application to open a Bed & Breakfast on her street.
Aboriginal health, refugee internment, war and torture: these get a letter to the editor. Increased traffic and parking shortages in her neighbourhood? Full-effort campaigning and marching in the street.
