Theodore Dalrymple - Life at the Top: The Worldview That Makes the Elites

Theodore Dalrymple is well-known on both sides of the Atlantic for his incisive writings chronicling the devastating effects of progressive ideas on those they are intended to help.
In Life at the Bottom: The Worldview That Makes the Underclass, Dalrymple showed how the root causes of poverty are to be found in ideas, promoted by our elites and adopted by the most vulnerable classes, excusing violence, drug use, and wanton behavior. In his first-ever lecture in Washington, D.C., Dalrymple will examine the flip side of the coin and discuss the prejudices of these elites. He will explain how their moral cowardice and the self-flattering nature of their beliefs account for their callous indifference to the ravages they have wrought. Dalrymple will shed some much-needed light on the appeal of liberalism and the psychological underpinnings of the elite liberal worldview.
~ A Russell Kirk Lecture at The Heritage Foundation’s B. Kenneth Simon Center for Principles and Politics ~
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[@TheHeritageFoundation]

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[@martyduke3139]

weèweèèlhmf.èweèweee,oèèèeeeèeeeee

[@libbykajet5375]

Such a privilege to hear this mans talk. Thank you for posting it.

[@paulg444]

On top of the natural genius and keen insights into human nature, just a fantastic sense of humor!

[@apexclip3458]

Mr Dalrymple is for an American the epitome of spoken English at its finest. In both style and content. His humor and self deprecation is razor sharp. His description of the elites on the left describes why democrats think and behave the way they do. I very much enjoyed listening and learning from this gentleman. A true intellectual.

[@frasersutherland1834]

Also, and perhaps more importantly, an exceptionally intelligent man.

[@paulg444]

Dalrymple and Roger Scruton, more intellectual heft than one nation deserves!

[@paulg444]

@anti stuff , keep smoking pot, everything will work out for you.

[@paulg444]

@anti stuff , you, like all drug addled stoners are too easy to figure out, I've never met one that wasn't dumb as a stump whie convinced that he is a genius. Take another toke, and a blow for your nose.

[@paulg444]

@anti stuff keep smoking pot, it makes you a genius and grows your ego.

[@paulg444]

@anti stuff yeah, I can imagine the horror that the totalitarian Leftist feels when someone tells them that they are not owed their leisure by men that work for a living. Take another toke pot head, youll be a genius by night fall.

[@harrytd]

@anti stuff I am impressed by your ability to hurl insults. You are indeed the best illustration I have seen in while of the truism that the level of insult is inversely correlated to the depth of argument. Well done, take a bow.

[@nancybaumgartner6774]

This is a lovely, brilliant man .

[@paulg444]

he is simply put, the perfect gentleman. And I mean literally perfect.

[@casperme6552]

I'd heard of 'Theodore', but hadn't read him, or heard him speak. I saw his conversation with JBP yesterday, and was amazed that he isn't better known...

[@rja421]

The unnamed journalist he talks about is Polly Toynbee.

[@saltburner2]

That soon became apparent!

[@casteretpollux]

His characterisation of what she said was childish hyperbole. Why did he give her an interview if he had contempt for her and her newspaper ? Self interest?

[@friendofjesus1680]

His british accent is simply wonderful.

[@Johnconno]

No. It isn't. Unless you swap magic beans for a horse.

[@watcherwlc53]

well.... he is British

[@Slavianophile]

A very enjoyable talk.

[@doc2146]

One of the best introduction of a speaker I’ve seen.

[@NothingHumanisAlientoMe]

Very expressive hand movements. A composer of contemplation.

[@m.burgesszbikowski8049]

Bravo. Very satisfying.

[@jccusell]

When a 29 year old starts his introduction with "When young people ask me..." you know you have found yourself amongst a Conservative crowd.

[@dustyfairview9062]

"Infected by statistics and reasoning" what an opener. Ugh gross

[@JanStue]

Thank you for the great content!

[@Patrickkanefan88]

Well done sir.

[@jamesstuartbrice420]

I have read a book by Dalyrmple about his experiences in Africa, and it was very interesting, and also I think I heard his views on social programs, and they seemed good too. So, I think he has a lot to say.

[@lizgichora6472]

Well explained, thank you very much.

[@lindalambert8727]

A great thinker!

[@autofreak7]

It starts at 5:00

[@alexcarter8807]

To really understand this writer you need to read his books, at least "Life At The Bottom". I'd heard of it years ago, and recently regained interest when I came across it in my local used book store. Mainly it illustrates through his years of hard-won experience, how different a Universe the underclass lives in. I've been poor. Very, very poor. Hell I'm quite poor now (although saving up money like an Asian grandmother these days) and even to me, the difference is stark. The world owes you a living. Feels before reals. Have a child, sired by "whoever" so you'll have someone to "love" you. (Said "love" doesn't mean you'll let baby food take precedence over the purchase of another tattoo...) And speaking of tattoos, get one to mark any occasion or none at all - they're lasting accomplishments! Did I mention the world owes you a living? This is the over-arching principle if you're in the underclass. Those velvet-lined shackles feel sooooo good!

[@saltnlightblondie1]

well said

[@Johnconno]

@carter. A genuine blue-chip imbecile. Do you mind if I piss down your back then convince you it's raining?

[@marymolloy562]

@@Johnconno actually he's right on!

[@Johnconno]

@@marymolloy562 I bet all his 'friends' are as well. Self-made the lot of them, ever since boarding school.

[@marymolloy562]

@@Johnconno I know the class system is still big in England. And now all the woke people want to make it an issue everywhere.

[@LadyD2r]

Mr. Dalrymple is insightful, funny, and brutal. The only problem is that one needs a classical education to realize exactly how insightful, funny, and brutal he really is. Most Americans, being rather direct, have to make an extra effort to "get it". It's well worth the effort. Liberals, on either side of the pond, will never make the effort.

[@marielouise2787]

Thank God I was educated by Catholic nuns.

[@LadyD2r]

Robert, I think that Marie was referring to the classical education that she received from the nuns. That doesn't seem to be universal (across the globe) anymore, in public or religious schools. Sad. Children are now stuffed with facts, but never learn to connect the dots.

[@ericlubisse8461]

You make some great points about the need for education. The only thing I'd like to add is that education doesn't need to be confined to the school system. I'd also say that it can continue in some shape or form for the duration of one's life. We live in an age where information is widely available and a lot of it for free. If anyone missed out when they were young, they'll have plenty of opportunities later in life.

[@AleadaA]

Brash we may be - but the leftists were blind sided by the USA voting in President Trump and our economy is growing by leaps and bounds and we are looking forward to more growth and prosperity when Trump gets another term in 2020 !

[@timsteinkamp2245]

@@AleadaA Look what we got. False Russian agent. Impeachment 1. Impeachment 2. Trump Derangement Syndrome. Removed from Facebook. Removed from Twitter. Pandemic started around the world blaming him. Lost the election by cheating. No court will look at the evidence. Accused of a riot and insurrection at the capital. Loss of freedom of speech for all. Someday it will all come out what Trump went through.

[@Prompea]

He reminds me of what Thomas Sowell said when it comes to wealth in a group; same conclusion was made that culture plays a remarkable role in group wealth.

[@magicsinglez]

'a negative hallucination' i have to write that down. .

[@seantaylor8162]

lecture starts 5:00

[@gosiachaaban2484]

I love the sense of humour...especially about the journalist from Guardian.

[@marielouise2787]

London BY WILLIAM BLAKE I wander thro' each charter'd street, Near where the charter'd Thames does flow. And mark in every face I meet Marks of weakness, marks of woe. In every cry of every Man, In every Infants cry of fear, In every voice: in every ban, The mind-forg'd manacles I hear How the Chimney-sweepers cry Every blackning Church appalls, And the hapless Soldiers sigh Runs in blood down Palace walls But most thro' midnight streets I hear How the youthful Harlots curse Blasts the new-born Infants tear And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse (in case anyone is interested)

[@drewconlin9452]

Q

[@johnmartin2813]

Thankyou!

[@gracentien]

a great one that brings up the fact that the plights of the British underclass have existed always, unprotected by institutions and economics but barely contained by customs. Nowadays it is moreover plagued by a lack of customs though economics has been more resolved - any poor British individual is wealthier than the poor in many other countries who eke out a living where money cannot be got for hard work.

[@casteretpollux]

Could be New York.

[@ggrthemostgodless8713]

Just to point out that even though I do agree with Mr. Theodore in GENERAL, the point the presenter makes introducing him about, "rapists, murderers, drug addicts, wife beaters, and thieves" and thus "he knows the underclass"... it needs saying that those types of people exist in all classes, though of course the "underclass" is more numerous by far and so it is more visible or prevalent there, but those people exist in all levels of social economic and educational levels; as anyone in the middle, upper middle, and upper class can tell you. If you separate lower and middle and upper in other than economic terms a whole different picture emerges.

[@prahamama8915]

Oh, Yt, Gates of Vienna.. I miss you. Thank you💐🙋🏼🇺🇸❤️🎺🙏🏻

[@ZephaniahL]

American political tradition distinguishes between federal, state and local levels of "state" authority. Do these distinctions, or a more general concern with local vs central authority, feature in Dalrymple's thought or British conservative thought more generally? If so, it is not obvious from this talk.

[@martavalenzuela8480]

Lovely sense of humor.

[@michaelduffy6874]

He certainly finds himself very funny.

[@apebass2215]

@@michaelduffy6874 clearly other people do too.

[@chrisharrison763]

Starts at 05:01

[@ovidiucroitoru2290]

0:00-05:06 introduction

[@duncefunce1513]

He seems to be about two years ahead of his time. I guess that probably exposes my own ignorance

[@vcab6875]

Genius

[@TheHeritageFoundation]

Thanks!

[@ggrthemostgodless8713]

"...in fact, we prefer our worldview than the world itself..." that's sounds abut right, includes everyone. So the worldview must necessarily be very different from the top and the bottom.

[@MrMjwoodford]

Is family solidarity less among British Bengalis than among British Sikhs?

[@thevo4100]

21:06 Polly Toynbee

[@Paelorian]

Thank you. This lecture would benefit from footnotes naming all those who Mr. Dalrymple by his sense of propriety would not, instead only identifying by hints.

[@anonymoussource701]

Yes Polly Toynbee definitely not a chuckle smith

[@Frederer59]

His words are golden, but it pains me what the low dias is doing to his poor neck and shoulders.

[@NPFederation0]

The world is built for short people. At 6’2 I am glad basketballers get paid what they do because I couldn’t possibly imagine bring 6,6+ and broke.

[@mariakatariina8751]

View of the "Elites"; the View From the Top of the Tallmudberg.

[@JRRodriguez-nu7po]

In almost every case, perhaps all cases people WILL worship. If not God, then most often the State or some cultist figure. In fact worship and starting fires are the ONLY unique characteristics of the human animal. I wonder what Dr Dalrymple worships.

[@grosvenorclub]

Interesting that this was in 2014 . Much has changed since then in terms of the EU , not sure about the people at the top or the bottom .

[@FurryAminal]

47:30 note how he actually avoids the question.... Who, Mr Dalrymple, is closest to your view? Don't tell us what we already know about Cameron as it looks like you were suddenly worried about what people back here in England would say if you named names that DO agree with conservatism....

[@weareanalog]

+FurryAminal I don't think he would have any qualms with saying UKIP, I think any half conscious conservative would vote for them but it is still rather debasing for Dalrymple's view of conservatism to call the UKIP lot conservative. They seem to be completely lacking any arguments for why we should oppose progressive ideas that are destroying our society. They may oppose them but one doesn't know why.

[@subversiveuntermensch3866]

Accepting the premise of nationalism, there's no better reason to oppose progressive ideas than to avoid their deleterious societal repercussions. I presume you harken back to a mode of conservatism which would sooner appeal to tradition or spirituality as an intellectual basis for policy?

[@michaels4255]

The Scots were certainly a very talented people at one time. I am not sure that is still true after 200 years of brain drain. After all, ability is heritable.

[@johnhanson5943]

Believe it or not, there are some excellent Scots still about - even in Scotland. Mainly the ones who try to counter the petit national socialism, incompetence, corruption and unpatriotic blight of the SNP.

[@sovereigncitizen8963]

Check Scottish IQ on Wikipedia… 🤕

[@prahamama8915]

Charles Murray Book " Suicide of Europe " Must If you wish To see Your self In few year.

[@cascadehopsrule]

The irony that the heritage foundation upload this speech

[@jasonbeary8427]

The old saying applies: Born on 3rd base and thinks he hit a tripple.

[@pajeetsingh]

They sure don't make videos and post on KZbin.

[@williamneumyer7147]

I would remind the young woman that the word she wanted is "anecdote," not "antidote." I've just watched another video in this series in which a speaker with whose views I am in agreement was guilty of more than one solecism, and who couldn't pronounce foreign names at all. Please! Let's have literacy on our side! (Correct and meaningful use of language being something the other side is against on principle.)

[@sovereigncitizen8963]

Guessing that Robert Maxwell was the left wing media magnate. John Simpson the BBC journalist…

[@jamesstuartbrice420]

I find the talk a bit rambling, and simply do not have the patience to listen from the start to get to the point. One would have to be in the mood to hear various anecdotes to get the message they illustrate. Perhaps some other time I will try listening again.

[@timsteinkamp2245]

Half way through I started reading comments and I can't read and listen at the same time.

[@jeanneroberts9989]

I would have found this 'talk' more effective if the speaker had been able to recite more than a few words without checking the script. I admit I couldn't do it either, but then I'm not on KZbin speaking to the Heritage Foundation.

[@petboy5051]

Still. It's pretty good. There's a lot to it.

[@a.brekkan4965]

+Jeanne Roberts I gather you don`t like the script either.

[@Hoops590]

17:50 laughable, clubbable, interlocketer, - british talk

[@jlandles]

+Hoops590 interlocutor.

[@Hoops590]

+InsignificancePersonified ok interlocutor - a person who is having a conversation with you and it was affable not laughable so what does clubbable mean - a person who frequents clubs? it means someone who is suited to membership in a social club after looking it up

[@jlandles]

+Hoops590 I understood it perfectly well. But then again, I am Australian and that's almost as good as being British.

[@subversiveuntermensch3866]

I believe "clubbable" people are those with access to bourgeois social circles and institutions.

[@trevorbailey1486]

I believe it is the converse of Dr Johnson's famous description of Sir John Hawkins as "a most unclubbable man". Hawkins was not well-liked, had had an argument with Edmund Burke (thereby putting him on the outer with members of Johnson's literary club, 'The Club') & was known to scrutinise a tab in the tavern in a fashion which set him apart from his sociable companions. It's all in Boswell's "Life of Johnson".

[@michaelduffy6874]

He needs a bigger collar size.

[@deroconnor4621]

Entertaining presentation of a disaster

[@mydh122]

So what was the point of his talk? There were many amusing anecdotes, but it seemed to me like he could have said in 5 minutes that liberal statist policies don't work.

[@enkidusaxe8076]

mydh122 then, Mr Dalrymple wouldn't make money being a wordsmith

[@michaelcarey299]

mydh122. You are an idiot, is that concise enough for you?

[@tonysabell7737]

Perhaps Dalrymple typifies the perfect example of a man who is a master of prose but who possesses not a shred of charm or public speaking ability. His books are highly informative and engaging. I have his "Our Culture, What's Left of It: The Mandarins and the Masses". Though this book was released in 2005 it may well wind up a classic in socio-political/cultural commentary once the cultural marxists no longer impose their stranglehold of political correctness over us. The book was and remains a brilliant work--I couldn't put it down....Regrettably, however, Dalrmple needs to be a little less convoluted while speaking publicly--and loosen up man !!

[@michaelcarey299]

tony sable You say he possesses not a shred of charm, you must be moron.

[@stevena8719]

This man is fucking based and redpilled

[@yodrewyt]

11:32 He shows his hand. We're done, Mr Dalrymple. Being and Consciousness are axiomatic concepts. Neither can be reduced to the other. Neither determines the other. Being is what it is (identity). Consciousness is conscious of it (identification). This is their objective relationship. Which neither materialist nor spiritualist can imagine, apparently. They are forever cut off from the opposite halves of themselves, embodied hatefully by their antipodes across the aisle. Conservatives are as hopeless as communists. When individualists finally make their appearance, then we can make a life together. We'll turn a blind eye when townspeople take their local psychopaths to the edge of town to kill and bury them. The rich will make work requisite for their children to receive trust funds. Children will be free to escape abusive parents, to work, and to arrange their own education. And people who want roads will see that they're built. Until then, we have fashionable idiots like Dalrymple to forget about asap.

[@Johnconno]

The great and good once again lecturing poor people about how to live correctly.

[@harrytd]

@jaye see I think you are fighting a class war from fifty years ago. If you take the blinkers off you'll find that it is the left-leaning, professional middle classes drawing their income from the public purse that push the poor around far more than the likes of Mr. Daniels (Dalrymple). That's one of the strongest reasons why they kicked the hive over with Brexit and Trump.

[@Johnconno]

@@harrytd Oh fuck off, please! The Class War as you quaintly call it is worse than it was 50 years ago. Because people are busy pretending it's gone away. It's part of the DNA of this grim, misanthropic little backwater.

[@harrytd]

jaye see You seem like a sane and reasonable chap 🙄

[@Johnconno]

Thankyou, that's nice of you to say.

[@casteretpollux]

Nothing great or good about him.

[@adamsmith3242]

A great writer, a hopeless speaker. The camera would be better positioned looking up from his notes. His delivery is halting, his gesticulations spasmodic.

[@perperson199]

What about his thoughts and if observations? Surely that is the point

[@Rugia-ox7hx]

The man is boring because he is describing the situation we find ourselves in but not the source of the problem.

[@elky360]

He waffles a lot

[@bluevan12]

People like wafflers these days it seems.

[@erpollock]

While I read Dalrymple, listening to him is difficult. He is not at ease with public speaking, and his nervousness gets in the way of his message. Yes, one must make the effort to "get it" as someone put it, but he could use some help with his delivery. He's an awful chore to listen to.

[@apebass2215]

I didn't get the impression he was nervous at all, his delivery is fine.

[@cherokeeschill]

What a waste of space.

[@michaelcarey299]

Cherokee Shill Your stupid comment is you idiot.

[@Slavianophile]

A very enjoyable talk.