This came up in the "People ask" questions:
Whenever I come across bourgeois, I always question just exactly what it means. I believe one of the definitions I came across in the past was the bourgeois are a class of people below the highest, elite class that they aspire to be themselves - IOW, elite wannabes. So, a negative connotation. I do not think of the middle class generally as bourgeois; in fact, just the opposite. I've always felt that in the U.S., the regular middle class is who's supporting both the poor and the rich, are very hardworking, charitable people who truly care about others and generally want life to be happy, productive, and reflective of Christian-type values. Unfortunately, they also tend to be bought into the whole honor your country proudly via military service and don't think about the full ramifications of that at all. The upper middle class may be closer to the bourgeois definition in that they most likely think of themselves as well above the hoi polloi (have fun looking that one up) and do everything they can to stay on an upward trajectory in every way. My take anyhow.
Because of the whole mask thing, and because I'm retired and don't have to go to a job, I stay home most of the time. I did go out to do some food stocking just in case things really go south after the election. It depends on the situation as to whether I put on my homemade, netting mask or not. I was prepared to wear it at one store I hadn't been to in months - which refused to even take a returnable glass bottle in April - but spotted a man leaving maskless, so I didn't wear one in either. The bottle can be returned now, but must be cleaned rather than just rinsed out. So the paranoia has lessened some. No one said a word about my not wearing a mask.
I wore my mask while shopping at Aldi and it didn't bother me at all, yet in a different local food store, I had to pull it down beneath my nose/mouth because it became uncomfortable. No idea why one store was fine and the other wasn't. I went to Kroger two days later and decided not to wear the mask at all. It was quite surreal as I was probably the only maskless person in the entire store and the PA system was constantly spewing about Covid safety measures and get your flu shot. I went about my business and avoided eye contact while also giving everyone lots of space. No one questioned me or bothered me in any way. Noticed some missing product - some frozen vegetables and freezer storage bags not fully available. I did self-checkout and the store clerk managing that area was next to the machine I was using. Never said a word. I did feel like I had walked into a completely dystopian reality, nightmarish in the unbelievable level of compliance by the masses. My main thought - 'sheep' for brains!
I really feel for those of you in countries that have gone full Nazi with this Covid scam and that it happened so fast! I guess in a sense this is WWIII and every country on the planet is going to be fully in this fight sooner or later. Because it has yet to get that bad here, I'm a bit in denial perhaps although I keep thinking about what is inevitable and unavoidable whether Trump wins or not. "Just be calm and patient" > in this case, Trust the Plan!
, and she includes an instruction manual for those who don't quite understand:
