Posh and Posher: Why Public School Boys Run Britain | Social Class Documentary

[@Benjamin.]

Just wanted to thank everyone for their discussion and interest in this fantastic documentary. As stated in the description, this is a compilation of the fragments I managed to find across the web and put into the full documentary, so please excuse the changes in resolution throughout. Thanks.

[@e.mz1781]

thank you

[@rhonwenbaker2448]

17:19 "I'm a man of the people"... quotes in Latin 🤣

[@user-tl4fi6oy8d]

Rees Mogg is the British politician I would most like to punch. I think just about everyone would and I'm sure his dad had to pay off someone to keep him from getting beaten during his school days, when you just know he wore a suit and carried a briefcase from the age of 10.

[@MySensualWorld]

Politics was always ran by the rich in England, in Great Britain.

[@NoirL.A.]

here in the states we call that "the golden rule". whoever has the gold makes the rules.

[@freedomwatch3991]

not just England, but everywhere.

[@crazyforcoffee5950]

@@freedomwatch3991 not here in Australia

[@Thesun_135]

Too bad the poor can’t talk they only know how to swear

[@esnova11]

The scary part its same circle of ppl and connections and all them taught not to hv no emotions since childhood and no remorse for any their actions.

[@fellspoint9364]

Behavior of a sociopath

[@TheLazyGeneTV]

The fact that they don't admit it shows the contempt they feel for those who are unpriviledged

[@neb4587]

But I’m sure if they did admit it you’d be having a go at them for being snobby and arrogant. They’re just kids who are growing up lucky. How is that such a bad thing?

[@simple.stuffs]

If I was born from a wealthy family then I would have a go at you. I'll say it in your ear that you're poor so you can clearly hear what you want to hear. 😂

[@matthewcoombs3282]

Change the title of this video to "Why Public School Boys RUIN Britain". Yes I am talking about you Cameron and Johnson........

[@Faridbuza]

Thanks for sharing this important documentary.

[@tayetrotman]

I am surprised by the honesty of some of the teenagers at Westminster school

[@crh7742]

You look at the kind of people this school breeds (the Boris Johnsons, the Jacob Rees Moggs) and you wonder why any parent would send their children here. As one wise person said, "Eton is Hogwarts for wankers". I've met many English public schoolboys at university and at work and a posh accent and a smattering of Latin has never impressed me. Sadly some people are dazzled by these so-called "qualities".

[@minno234]

Why, oh why do so many British people have such pronounced chips on their shoulders? 'Hogwarts for wankers' - that's a profound statement, a bit like calling everyone from Liverpool 'Scouse scroungers'. I'm not a particular fan of either Johnson or Rees-Mogg, but to damn all Etonians - all 20 prime ministers and several Nobel prize winners, never mind 37 VCs amongst them - because you don't like two people's politics doesn't sound like the action of a very intelligent person.

[@crh7742]

@@minno234 Bit sensitive aren't we? For any Americans reading this, being accused of having "a chip on your shoulder" is a trite response to anyone who dares to criticise someone richer than them in Britain. You mention the 20 PMs who went to Eton - yet they're ALL Conservatives. You can't see that Eton is mincemeat for the mind, setting them firmly on an unwavering path to right-wing ideology (or, even worse, a job in international banking)? All that money spent on Latin, lacrosse and an anachronistic uniform straight out of the 18th century and yet this so-called elite school's pupils seem woefully incapable of thinking for themselves. Yeah, sure, it's a first-rate school...you carry on believing that, you sad, deluded plonker.

[@andiemorgan961]

Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees Mogg attended Eton during the late seventies, early eighties. Even an establishment such as Eton has changed over the past forty odd years. Prejudgement is a common trait on KZbin comment sections.

[@joelhall5124]

I feel lucky that in the mid 90s I went to a grammar school, and we still have them in Bucks.

[@purplelove3666]

Blessed

[@EllaBella-76]

@joelhall5124 •Grammar as big a problem why not mixed Comprehensive ?I went to Secondary Modern that was closed by the Conservative Party-Changed to the Grammar I had originally wanted to go there ?I hated the place both speak of Separation /Class devision ?Lots of kids are coached now to get in then can’t cope ?It’s never going to change in Kent I think there would be a riot I refused put my son in for Kent Test .

[@joelhall5124]

@@EllaBella-76 class division? Do you know what a grammar school is?

[@mnledesm]

all of that and david cameron is still not considered upper class by the upper class - aka the british aristocracy. he's a solid middle class chap with money - and all of us know, money does not make you a british aristocrat and noble.

[@timrobin4767]

Very insightful, thank you

[@Maya_Ruinz]

Its not that much different here in the US when it comes to powerfully rich families and cultures infiltrating political and financial centers in Washington and Wall Street. It is possible for middle class citizens to get into elite schools and make their way up the chain but even those exceptional individuals will reach a limit that only certain families can pass.

[@flight101]

If you haven't got the brains, you won make it. We had pupils who got scholarships by the skin of their teeth but they simply could not do the work ! the education level was beyond them, so excelling at one thing is just not enough. You have to be smart, speak well, present yourself..

[@itoo3654]

But because America separated from the aristocracy in Britain, and those who came over, we're not necessarily aristocratic, it is much, much easier here! money REALLY rules! if one has manners and polish (and not even necessarily that!), and one went to a nice school, and, perhaps boarding school (not a requirement), then manners and money, help WAY more than bloodlines, here. One can become ANYTHING. It's one's inner drive and talent and networking , here. One can BUILD a country estate, if one has the funds. One can go straight to the TOP. Now, pretentious nouveau riche or the dwindling "400" may not admit one to their social circle, 😂,but one can still become a political bigwig. God bless America.

[@davidsphere]

I've never been around more public school (ps) people, than when I worked in Display advertising at The Times and Sunday Times in the 90´s. Advertising was my only way into full-time work in national newspapers in the UK even though I was a journalist by experience. But even in advertising I was there on merit only. I came into the advertising department with overall newspaper experience which none of the "ps mob" could claim. And I was perfectly aware that I would be fired, at the drop of a hat, anytime I fucked up. This however did not apply to the "ps mob" as they were connected, ...they actually fucked up on a regular basis, and on occasion managers would come to me and ask me to repair the damage mostly due to their innate laziness and inabiliy ...like during The Times "Rebuilding Kuwait" Special Report which we needed to get out at the time for I was lead to believe were "political" reasons. It was clear to me that none of the "ps mob" really had a right to be in the sales department based primarily on ability. It was clear privilege; school nepotism and the "network" had aided them in this career. Not to mention Free Masonary ...on at least two occasions I drew reference to large rings that the "bejewelled ones" would reverse on their fat fingers. Accompanied by a chorus of me bemoaning "Its fucked up, man" To be perfectly honest the "ps mob" were actually for the most part "nice people" ...intellectually harmless, never happier when partying, but there were those deluded individuals that actually believed they were ace newspaper sales people and had actually done something to gain their exalted positions in the industry - none more than the useless advertising director of the early 90´s. This paranoid and mean character would purposely demean his staff publically so I was not unhappy to have heard from a driver that he had just been in a car I was in crying like a baby and begging from the backseat of a limo to keep his job. Live by the sword ... I could have told him how it was going to end, but it was better that he experienced it. And I was the first one in the department that heard about it! Anyway I digress. I would find it unfair that the "ps mob" were allowed to produce 2 page special reports with a meagre 20% advertising/80% editorial split when I produced the largest special report in The Times history in 1992 of 20 pages with a more than 60/40 split. Yes it SHOULD have been bigger. And in addition I sold the advertisements by myself at full price NO DISCOUNTS. I understood leverage in a deal. I had the advertisers over a barral because of a devious gameplan. The result the "ps mob" were in awe. They didn't know what to say. And I loved it. I mean, I even got the Guardian to advertise in The Times! Any idea how big a deal that is? ...that hurt those liberal dickheads sales reps at the Guardian who were exactly of the same mold as The Times. And dont get me started on the Daily Telegraph where I worked in spitting distance of Boris Johnson. (I remember Boris on the restaurant boat outside the Daily Telegraph building, lounging in a retarded way, which I latter understood was the Eton way, abusing some African service staff who were actually Doctors, but to Boris they were clearly just blacks - I did nothing, I guess it was fear of losing my job, he had the power. You just kept your head down at The Telegraph, I knew the real politics.) I digress again, anyway, what was my reward for the biggest Special Report in the history of The Times? I saw my inept PS colleagues get the promotion and I was told I was more productive where I was, WHICH was code for, be realistic you are a working class, mixed race 20 something, be happy for what you have. And you know what ...they were right. The newspaper advertising industry in the UK was rife with racism and I do not believe the new boss was racist at all but he was afraid that I was not the right image of The Times/Sunday Times if they gave me advertising agencies where I would be dealing with more PS mob. BUT you know what I had the power and I made them give it to me ...so I actually know my boss was right. Mind you it just meant I worked harder for less but I still got more than the PS mob. That WH SMITH report was just one of three special reports I got out in March 1992 while my colleagues could barely scrape in business At the time news international was in financial trouble. The Times was being sold at 1 pound a copy in an effort to boost circulation and SKY TV was in deep financial trouble. And a mixed race working class employee had just made them close to half a million pounds. I dont know for sure if it was connected but I do clearly remember Andrew Niel when he was editor coming on the floor at the time and standing behind me for a while, seeming doing nothing but waiting in the advertising department. I felt he was seemingly expectant of a greeting from me. I was certainly an unusual sight. But my mind was a mine filed of resentment and as he was editor of the Sunday Times at the time I thought he was just another toff and I simply ignored him, just like I ignored the rest of the department and got on with my work. I want to be clear; I am no ignorant "oink" (there were to describe the working class) I loved the arts, I loved books. I loved intellectual pursuits BUT my colleagues just loved their filofaxes, braces, Laura Ashley dresses and dinner parties. There was nothing I could talk with them about. I suppose, in my embittered triumph I just wanted to show him and them that they did not matter to me. Of course they did. Everyone wants acceptance. But I could never have knowingly acknowledged that and won as I did at the time But I do wish I had possessed the courage to have turned around and say to him "These bastards are useless" not that it would have helped but I would have loved to have that as a memory. And it would have been absolutely brilliant if Andrew Niel had answered "Yes, I know" 30 years later a friend, suffering from Parkinson's, who worked on The Sun would tell me what I thought no-one saw at News International. He said he had seen the film Atonement and that the lead character in it reminded him of me at The Times "They tried to defeat you all they time and you beat them every time" It is true, I really did, I really did. I saw that film soon after and it actually made tears well up in my eyes. It was like watching a type of experience I could recognise that I had experienced.. But, the tears was eclipsed by the feeling of shame. It was all too raw. Someone saw. How many really saw? I am not blowing my trumpet here. To be honest I have found out that most people are more crap than I am the best. And public school types are uber useless for the most part BUT they were given the privilege of being allowed to fail. If I failed I was out. When I handed in my notice I was asked not to leave. But I was so fucked off with the system I got out of there. Now 30 years later I can see that Britain isn't finished, but the Public school democracy will finish us off for sure. Like I say I am a newspaper man. I sold football newspapers as a nipper, made the tea for journalists,d worked in production, circulation, sat on quires of newspapers during delivery, was a journalist before advertising and after advertising I was an editor and publisher of various publications. I call myself the toilet cleaner because i have done it all. My old dad would call that the best newspaper education you can get. You dont earn that at public school no matter what you pay.

[@helenchelmicka3028]

Wow, an absolutely fascinating first hand account of things! Thank you so much ☺ Its def such an irony bc it's the ppl who work the hardest and have such wide experience and an amazing work ethic that are the people you want. Wish someone like you could be the editor of a national paper - it would do the whole country so much good!

[@davidsphere]

@@helenchelmicka3028 Glad you enjoyed the read. Believe me this is just the tip of the iceberg. The public thinks its FAKE NEWS they should be afraid of, but it's always been the privileged PS mob on all national newspapers, even inside the gutter press, that have been patronizing the public in the UK ...since the publication of the Lloyds List.

[@minno234]

Wow! All those hard-working and dedicated boys (and girls) who passed public exams to go to great universities and then on to decent jobs in every field conceivable, from medicine to the law, from public service to the arts damned by one man's perceived experience in the Times' ad department. At least public school boys and girls don't bleat about the system but realise it is for what it is and work within it. Life must be awful when you're always looking for someone else to blame.

[@revol148]

Three of my cousins were packed off to boarding school at 7 whilst their parents worked in the middle east. If anyone here regards that as privilege then I don't really know where to start - the fact that it was (and still is) a school "for the thick kids of rich parents" simply adds to the horror. Oh and three decades later neither of them could afford to send their own kids to that very same school.

[@GeorgejamesB01]

The irony being of course that Harold Wilson sent his kids to one of the most exclusive private schools in London. And I have no doubt that if Neil had children he would’ve done the same thing.

The so called meritocracy witnessed the decline of the British civilization and the dissolution of the empire. It was the 19th century enlightened aristocracy that enabled the peak of the autonomous empire. Some tradition and generational experiences are something that exam scores fail to capture.

[@fellspoint9364]

A bit too convenient an argument

@@fellspoint9364 Not for me personally. I am a China-born single child previously under communism

[@GriffinWulf]

reminds me of pythons "upperclass twit of the year"

[@migueldecarvalho8012]

This is a problem that is unlikely to be solved in the near future. For starters, the problem wasn't even properly defined. First: are we only represented by people who look like us, speak like us and work in similar fields? I believe this is a dangerous path to follow. Second: why are the state schools failing to awaken their students to political participation? That could be the initial premise instead of blaming independent schools for their success. Third: is this phenomenon caused by schools, universities, families, or culture? Correlation is not causation. A few more questions: Is entering politics the best barometer for success? If Oxford offers a path to politics, do other universities also offer such paths? Are they just less successful or do they have different goals, preferring to create paths to other ends? What paths are there to politics? The predominance of PPE could leave a deficit of scientific knowledge in politics, for instance. We could be here all day asking questions. I thought this was a simplistic approach that described much better than it explained.

[@sixbells99]

Yes of course we need to elect people like us, otherwise they will only work for people like them. We need to ban private schools as they have done in other countries, this will force the rich to take an interest in improving state schools

[@vivienne9162]

Insightful observation.

[@gabsi64]

@Tubo Tuba nope, it’s a great example of the division (that has only become more profound since this was made) and gap between rich and poor - I couldn’t afford to intern at Westminster….. and nor can most ordinary people. Social mobility in the UK has become a distant memory.

[@lauren9004]

Exactly! Nobody wants to have difficult conversations 🙄

[@shortmashins4031]

Interesting, i would be interested to know if there will be a shift of teaching young people to become innovators and entreprenuers to begin a start up company that will change the world, in England. In the US ivy league schools like Harvard produce politcians, and other schools produce innovators and groundbreakers.

[@eazypeazy33]

I feel like This story has been written over and over..

[@calistacarinka8705]

Thanks

[@johnallison1362]

Abandonment Bereavement Captivity Disasociation, the ABCD boarding school path to emotionally disturbed rulers!

[@georgeharding7949]

when was this documentary produced?

[@lauren9004]

No one wants to have difficult conversations 🙄

[@BritikoBeats]

13 years later ...

[@KingCharles3]

16:50 😂

[@mtsenskmtsensk5113]

A free, or freer press would help, as now journalists just spout the government line and no critical appraisal of government is permitted by the press watchdogs. Freedom of speech and a fairdays pay,, would be a return to traditional values that chime with most people.. A return to one income being able to bring up the family would help enormously, and no professional lobbying of MPs to be permitted on pain of imprisonment. The political corruption is now blatant, and there is no free press to expose it on peoples television sets, honesty and honour are dirty words in westminster, where to be caught out now, is a rite of passage. A return to the nation state and stopping the de industrialisation of Britain and making proper jobs with 40 hour weeks and no zeero hours contracts would also change peoples lives for the better. In short government has become extremely American and robbing the poor to create and sustain the rich is no sensible way to run a country, unless you are a sociopath, with elitist fantasies with delusional overtones.

[@tomkent7690]

I should think, the chap that invented, Neil’s ‘hair dye’ went to Eaton 😉

[@aldershot5100]

Sad little men.I played at a cricket club made up of 30 to 40 people. mainly Public School. There were at least 10 people with narcissistic tendencies. They were bloody awful .Their time running this country will soon be over.They have destroyed it socially p olitically and economically.

[@billyliar1614]

Having said all that, I think the debate is bigger than Neil's frame of reference which in a way is kinda endorsing the elite's rules. It's not being unable to ''compete'' in the ''game'' that is wrong so much as the game itself. It's competition itself which is the problem, the narcissistic obsession with proving one's own superiority. It's a peculiarly Anglosphere vice which arguably has been at the root of many of our misfortunes. Seeing everything as a big competition, a system predicated on competition for profit rather than empathy and opportunity. The boy from Eton said matter of factly, as though axiomatic : "life's a competition''. But is it ? Or, moreover, is that all it is or is that what it should be ? From the mouth's of babes - that's clearly what he had been taught, what had been instilled within him by those in whom it was instilled before him, and so the cycle is perpetuated, the cycle of toxic, predatory narcissism, wasted potential and unstable, inefficient social structures . Ultimately, it's a cycle that can only result in destruction . Fact is, in modernity there is a reduced need for slaves to perform the menial roles to keep the infrastructure going. Many jobs are already unnecessary in the bureaucratic sphere and exist one suspects merely in order to mop up labour which would otherwise be unoccupied. With AI we're moving more and more in that direction. There are far too many of us and not enough fields to plough. What to do with redundant serfs eh ? Well, I'll tell you - Rather than asking for fair chance to be the cow that is able to get out of the barn, sit with the farmer and lord it over those still left in the barn (sleeping in cowshit), better to burn down the whole ruddy farm and for us all to live as equals, in peace love and understanding with the farmer ? I know he'd thank you for it eventually, the miserable old sod ...

[@robertskolimowski7049]

7.20 How about their moral standards?

[@MySensualWorld]

Thatcher was an almost unbelievably uppity politician.

[@danube466]

The Roman prided themselves over the British whom they identified there systems of government as inherently primitive, base and barbaric... exemplifying the special place god had for his chosen ones as opposed to the barbaric heathens.. who would sell the sacred in order to for wealth...

[@iranianembassy7514]

bro at my school grading is so biased

[@premierleague3099]

Nigel farage is so correct about all this

[@robanks3895]

Such a shame that only rich posh people get the best jobs and opportunities in Britain. Just imagine how many more inventions etc. we have missed out on if the working classes had had the same schooling and opportunities.

[@Thesun_135]

They didn’t miss out on anything they can go to any school only a limited number of seats available

[@onenanathreekids5662]

They won the debate with "birth" is more important than "ability"? Really? I would think that the more able and intelligent, the better they would apply new knowledge. Posh bologna. Much of what determines our ability comes from drive and purpose. Often we do not have drive and purpose until we find that area of interest that becomes our focus. To shunt a person's future into a rut with one test at the age of 11 is horrible. Students can be grouped by ability for each different area of study. In one class they may be at a high level and in another an average level but all having the same excellent teaching and with all subjects available to them. They will still be able to compete in various areas without shutting any out of opportunity because they fall short in one area.

[@threshingfloor8591]

Fabian hit piece.

[@BP-xv7fj]

Money has nothing to do with class lmao.

[@liberalbias4462]

?????????????

[@Thesun_135]

Lower class don’t know how to talk so it does

[@karenlouisefletcher5719]

I wanted to watch this but I found Andrew Neil a bit whiny. Does he dye his hair?

[@dan11438]

So what if he does? Women do it

[@Johnnyfive55]

Listen to yourself Karen.

[@Thesun_135]

@@dan11438offended snowflake ??

[@Thesun_135]

@@dan11438don’t be so sensitive

[@adeel-eh7xq]

Why does he have so many self portraits? Isn't that a little weird?