I feel I should just point out the flaws in Gervase's disturbing and anti-social 'observations' and opinions.

Unfortunately there will always be a class system in England - it seems to be hard-wired into the Anglo-Saxon psyche,

Not that 'anglo-saxon' could really be a distinct type of person in modern England or could a social behaviour as complex as is being discussed be hard-wired into the brain. If class really was hard wired, we could not have had a change from slave to feudal to capital based class society. So I have reasonable faith that we can change again.

and the more money that the great mass of the pople have (thus eroding the economic distinctions) the more that the behavoural and cultural distinctions will come into play

Actually economic class are now even more distinct the more money the 'mass' of people have because the rich have even more, as the figures I quoted earlier show.

as people adopt or even invent shibboleths to show that they are in some way superior to someone else.

Not me.

Just pick up a copy of the Daily Mail or the Express and you'll see a host of articles designed to reinforce the worst kind of societal distinction.

I agree.

Even if we were to become an idealised socialist state, you'd still find a nomenklatura and a pool of people desperate to ascend to that status.

Socialist state is an oxymoron, if something is socialised then it cannot at the same time be a centralised power structure. You might find the need to feel greater status than others.

It's one of those depressingly English things - as if the trainspotter's urge to pigeonhole and collate everything has been applied to people, underpinned with a large slice of insecurity and prejudice.

I'm interested in class because it explains a lot about the workings of society. You could equally say that those who live off the backs of others, naturally, are insecure and prejudiced against the people, who they live off, understanding social relations in class terms.

The true working class and the upper class have far more in common, including a disdain for class distinctions

Well obviously I'm not true working class, I won't do any tomorrow and think the bills paid and the food into the cupboard.

TerryK, I had a feeling you could not back up your statement about TRTP.