VULGAR, BUT COMPETENT. Kids, when I was your age I had no idea of how much some people looked down on the middle class. This review of a book on de Tocqueville (who was a genuine aristocrat) quotes the following passage from de Tocqueville’s notebooks: “One thing is incontrovertibly demonstrated by America which I had doubted until now: it is, that the middle classes can govern a State. I do not know if they could emerge with honour from really difficult political situations. But they are equal to the everyday business of society. In spite of their petty passions, their incomplete education, their vulgarity, they can demonstrably supply practical intelligence, and that is enough.†Note the use of the words “honour” and “vulgarity.”
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Even besides the mention of “honour” and “vulgarity” de Tocqueville is very reluctant in his praise! He sounds like he’s talking about a bunch of dirty children that are barely toilet trained. I suppose he expected Americans to be grateful for his praise. At the time, perhaps he was the only European aristocrat to be paying them any compliments at all, grudging and derisive or not. In history class I was taught that de Tocqueville was fascinated by America and took excellent notes and admired how the country was shaping up. Now I have a different opinion on him.
I now think that de Tocqueville was for an aristocrat unusually favorable to the middle classes. It took me many years to realize how aristocrats look at the middle classes even now.
I’m noticing that only certain members of the British Parliament were able to look at America without blustering pride during the years working up to the Revolution – Military Men and William Pitt.
All the rest simply express indignation about the uncouth, ignoble Americans have burnt their customs agents in effigy and how they must be punished.
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