[jensen123]

This article basically says that having a wealthy non-working elite is bad. However, I'm not so sure. This non-working elite won't simply sit staring into a wall all day. Aren't many of them likely to get into cultural and artistic stuff?

Take language, for example. I think it's interesting to look at French. Seems like the guttural r became common after the French revolution. Why would anybody use that sound for communication? It's basically the same sound that you make when trying to get rid of slime from your throat. I can imagine that French used to be a really beautiful language, back in the day when France had an aristocratic elite. Seems like the French working class has basically ruined it. Or is this just a coincidence?

The English language in the USA has not suffered as badly. But I find it interesting that Americans put more weight on the r sound than the British. I've come across people who like the guttural r because they say it makes them sound more "authoritative". I guess people who have poor self-esteem often compensate with brand-name clothing and other status symbols. Maybe they compensate with language, too? Other than that, a non-working elite will have much more time to develop a refined taste, which in the case of language, is something that everyone will benefit from (assuming everybody else ape this elite).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guttural_R#French