I *broadly* agree with you, extreme politics has a very unfortunate “hardening” effect, it seems to blind people to how beautiful this world is.
If I were a close friend who could talk to you plainly, I would warn you to guard against reacting into snobbery.
I would “dare” to have a portrait of a working class man at a colliery pit head on my wall, he was my great-grandfather and studied engineering through the Victorian-Edwardian working men’s schools despite leaving school at 12 when his mother was widowed. It’s natural to have pride in hard work, determination and grit.
Also, please don’t assume all working class people are/were Marxists. I hardly count anymore, both parents university educated, but nor will I ever be a gentleman (or try to pretend to be). I hope to be a good man.
You’ve accidentally (?) touched on why I dislike communism so much, opening up sharp wounds between classes and backgrounds. Self-improvement, hard work and gradual political reform are the traditional way in the parts of Scotland where I come from, the ideal of the “lad o’ pairts”.
I am sorry your friend/sweetheart was criticised by your family — it was cruel and thoughtless on the face of the description here. I wish you both well.
That said, there will be good in your family, there’s good in most people and you must strive to see what is lovable.
The USW post is really brilliant. If you’re a Christian, Christmas is a feast of the love of God, if not, then Yule was a much older excuse to have a jolly binge in the midwinter. Make it your task to keep your family cheerful — who knows, they may even be grateful.