Reverse Snobbery

I had to post a comment to my previous post simply because I have to admit a kind of reverse snobbery being now a citizen of the USA, a commoner, and a socio-econimcally in between regarding social rank in this nation now.

I studied sociology in college at Michigan State University, and because I came from an ordinary, middle class family, who had been deprived due to the depression of the 30's, I had no social pretensions of any kind. The one person with whom I can identify the most in all of these many historical lifetime figures is probably Alexander the Great.

Why? Well, for this reason. Alexander came from Macedon, a region known for its crudities more than its class, elegance, or sophistication. The inhabitants were people of the land, farmers, miners, and hardworking people, and Philip and his kingdom were considered a bit crude and rude in comparison to the highly educated elite of Athens, Greece.

The men of Macedonia and Philip's court and army were tough, mean, brawling, drunken, and disciplined men, as was Philip. Alexander is a bit of a different character, choosing to distance himself from his father more than emulate him in many respects. His mother influenced him from her telling him stories about gods and divinity that probably Philip did not encourage as much in the training of his son for the military life.

How I would relate to that today in my life?

Good question. I will try not to embarrass any of my relatives by admitting too much to how my family has had its share of drunks, farmers, miners, and military in it...just suffice it to say that that is one way in which I relate, although we had a few who did get a higher education, and attained success that way also before I and my brother and cousins likewise did the same.

The reverse snobbery is that today as a commoner, a citizen of the USA I have been educated to have a kind of disdain and contempt for the royal class in society.

I had always taught the USA is a country which has no kings or queens, and that we are a people who practice law and order based upon service, desire, and public popularity rather than by bloodlines and family...all Royals are born to rule, but in a democratic republic all elected officials are elected to office by the will of the people, and by following certain required laws regarding eligibility and fitness and readiness for the office. Of course, all these rules and laws are often taken very lightly regarding the latter qualifications.

So when I was browsing through the topics of kings and queens, I was also unknownst to myself laughing at myself, but not realizing it.

In my opinion, I would light into Alexander for all the reasons that historians do...since all the stories told about him come from only a few sources, and nobody really knows him (except me, of course, now after all this time)in today's world except what they have read and learned through many generations of time passing distorted stories down to one another. What kind of real idea is that? That Curtius, Arrian, or some other historian, Plutarch, could know anything about him other than what they had copied and rewrote from their own sources. It is all so ridiculous as to be unbelievable, but I will admit that some of it probably has happened, and some records were probably kept and copied that remained close to the truth.

My last vision of Alexander was not very long ago; in fact, two were in about the same time period. I have not had any more time returns to the SunKing since I left Paris, France a year ago this month. I had some experiences there that confirmed for me something that I believe about Philip, his brother, and I came into knowledge of things in the Chateau that proved to me that my visions are a match to the reality.

But Alexander is a real flesh and blood man, who actually loved his reckless style of living, and who relished the aspect of a conflict in which he could turn lose his Macedonian soldiers to wreak havoc if defied.

While it was all hard work, laborious, and tedious, it was also exhiliarating, exciting, and dangerous. Alexander thrived on that kind of adrenalin rush, but because he was also a slavishly devoted man to the gods of the time, he created a sense of duty that was awesome to those who were a part of it. Altars had to be built, sacrifices had to be given, and devotions had to be made so that his cause would be fulfilled. On one hand, he is driven to excell, and on the other hand, he is thrilled by all the action and labor, no matter how difficult. It is all a challenge that he intends to meet and therefore does.

So while one can criticize him for being somewhat maniacal, cruel, and heartless, he
demands that he be honored and respected for his authority as the King of not only Macedon but all Asia.

He has been labeled all kinds of dishonest terms in my opinion, as has Louis XIV,after I finally learned all that I could about him as well. While Alexander seems to heap ridicule upon himself at this games and entertainments in wearing strange and unusual costumes, appears to be always under the influence of omens and oracles from strange priests and priestesses, goes against the grain of the advice of his generals and soldiers, wearing clothing that offends, marrying women who are not met with approval, he still is recognized as the only leader who can hold this assortment of many soldiers from many tribes and villages together. He increases his military as he wages war against his adversaries.

So we have Louis XIV then influenced by this strange man from Macedon so that Louis also believes that he can rule and lead to be another Alexander. While Alexander wore a variety of strange paraphernalia as helmets on his head, and posed as lions, tigers, elephants, etc., Louis then donned wigs to give him a few inches in size to maintain a decorum at his court that today looks odd, peculiar, and what many people call a fop. He wore pumps or high heels, extravagantly well made clothing, and strange wigs. He built a huge chateau for himself when France already had how many numbers of chateau available throughout the land...Why another?

So sure, it is easy to critize, and I will continue this essay later...