Defend your bullshit: no.
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Politeness is an attribute of any ruling class. In 16th century England, the nobility was polite and restrained while the peasantry spoke their minds. Politeness is a tool for rulers to say: "See? We deserve to rule specifically because we're more civilized." Whereas the ruled say: "Well, what we are, is we're getting screwed, and it's pissing us off."
Politeness isn't about race, but it is definitely about power.
Spoken like a true leftist.
Politeness is how a normal person navigates the world without upsetting everyone.
Politeness for a revolutionary is a method to force people to behave in a way you demand.
He's not completely wrong, but mixing degrees of the concept. It's true that the higher the social class, the less time spent actually working, the more dead time to fill with markers of exclusivity. The that's why "common courtesy" has the qualifier. It's the level of politeness that is expected from all people in a society. As opposed to the polite manners of knowing which way a desert fork should face.
Trying to conflate the performative politeness of the elite with the politeness of basic social interaction is bad faith.
If he'd couched it that way, sure. But he didn't, and he has a history of arguing in bad faith.
You don't have to be a Leftist to recognize that social class exists. You kind of have to be a self-deluding kind of person to pretend that it doesn't.
No but you are one.
I am most certainly not. I am not remotely a fan of the woke or of Leftists.
Politeness is speaking softly while carrying a big stick. It's choosing to usediplomacy over aggression when possible for the mutual benefit of all. If there's any connection between politeness and a ruling class, it's solely due to the wisdom of such a policy elevating it's adherents.
Gay.
Jews are not polite.
Politeness is about civilization. It's the necessary social restrains needed to have thousands of people living in close proximity.
People who have no cultural concept of civilization do not understand politeness.