On: Apple design chief Jonathan Ive is knighted

[arethuza]

'It's very much a "class society" thing'

Given that knighthoods are usually handed out based on merit I think that's pretty much the opposite of the UK class system (which is not based primarily on wealth and therefore doesn't have an implicit link to merit).

[sambeau → arethuza]

Cough. Splutter.

While the lower orders of knights are generally given out on merit the higher orders are not. At least as far as I'm concerned.

The UK Class System is inherently based on a pecking order and the top of the pecking chain is kept for those who are more anointed than useful.

Take a look at this list. It is two orders higher than most Knights (and therefore two orders more special). Are they two orders more deserving?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Victorian_Order

[arethuza → sambeau]

I guess my comment (note the "mostly") was based on the assumption that more of the bog standard knighthoods are handed out rather than the fancy ones.

[tomjakubowski → arethuza]

Wealth implies merit? Have you been asleep the past three or four years?

[excuse-me → arethuza]

That's the problem - it's mostly a "jobs for the boys" Almost all the civil service above a certain rank get knighted same with the armed forces and retired politicians. They throw in a few show biz celebs and the occasional worker.

It would probably better if the system was a sort of "living blue plaque". There are people who have genuinely made the country a better place, either in business, arts, science etc - they should get recognition above those who simply became a permanent secretary.