Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am an Existentialist, which is a particular movement in philosophy. One of my areas of interests is in social issues. Which is to say; I apply philosophical rigor and insight to social issues and situations, in an effort towards greater understanding and hopefully solutions towards solving those problems. It's too bad my prose intimidates you, but if you opened your mind you might learn something. I've read and contemplated about racism in the US a WHOLE LOT MORE than you.
There are plenty of thinkers about race in the US that if you wanted to learn more you should read. Howard McGary, Lewis R Gordon, Cornel West, Michael Dyson, Linda Martin Alcoff, Naomi Zach, Anthony Appiah and Jorge Garcia. These are only a few, there are plenty more. All of them are contemporary American thinkers, who have thought deeply and written extensively on race in the US. I have read them all, how about yourself? Yeah, I didn't think so.
As for Tom Cruise, he hit the "nail right on the head," and revealed Matt Lauer for what he really is. An overpaid "know-nothing" who lacks the ability to form intelligent opinions on his own.
Philosophy, huh? You've read more? You "think" more? You've "contemplated" more? Someone pays you to do this? How do you apply your "philosophical vigor" to issues and why do you think doing so makes you more of an expert on this subject compared to the rest of us on this board?
Perhaps you need to take your head out of the books that spew the same tripe and get out and see what is happening outside of the ghettos. Go to any big corporations offices, and I can guarantee you they have some office or department specifically geared toward diversity. Racism works both ways my friend and the overt practice of racism against white people is accepted and considered "progressive" yet when some idiot calls a group of women "nappy-headed ho''s" all hell breaks loose. Anybody who truly wants to end racism, regardless of their color, would fight against ALL forms of racism regardless of who the victim is.
I sure hope you don't think a mental midget like Tom Cruise has more intellect than Matt Lauer.
Congratulations to MANY fine thinkers....I've been reading with great interest, encouraged by the depth of thought many of you have demonstrated (and you others know who you are..).
Let me add just a few 'off the cuff' remarks if I may..
(1) AS many of you have noted, there's fine line between genuinely owning up to societal discrepancies, and surrendering to a general, all-encompassing ethnic guilt. One is "good" while the other is a form of narcissism..and is certainly not good for one's "victims", either..
(2) I simply do not accept that the "racism" being discussed by today's 22-year olds in any way resembles the systemic racism of 35 or 40 years ago....not even close. It's certainly open to discussion, but to make THAT broad comparison is just silly, and anyone who does so loses his credibility, IMHO..
(3) Much "ethnic pride" does, in fact, come perilously close to racism in itself. When the mayor of a huge American city can urge humane treatment of illegal immigrants by concluding his speech with the phrase "WE CLEAN YOUR TOILETS", that's divisive, I don't care how you explain it away..."WE" meaning The Mayor and his ethnic comrades, legal citizens or not, as opposed to "Your", meaning everyone else. It would have been FAR better, FAR wiser, and FAR less divisive, had the mayor urged humane treatment of illegals by saying that, "after all,THEY clean OUR Toilets" Two ways to seek considerate treatment for illegals....one, by appealing to racism and ethnic division, the other by appealing to inclusiveness.
(4) Lastly, being married to a "victim" myself, I've spent many years learning that condescending attempts to "help" and understand can, and do, insult their supposed beneficiaries.
My own father-in-law had a terrific sense of humor about this. (He passed away 20 years ago). He frequently joked about the time many years ago when he was involved in a bitter court case in which a "rich guy from the East" tried to take away a large parcel of the family's ranch lands by 'legal maneuvering'. The family's attorney was successful in 'saving' the parcel, but he did so by testifying before the judge about his clients' status as "These uneducated Indians".
Obviously, the family was glad not to be 'swindled' out of their land...however, they didn't necessarily feel 'complimented' by their own attorney's remarks. My FIL was able to get a 'laugh' out of this....but it MIGHT have caused resentment in someone less "flexible".
(5) Lastly, nobody has ever REALLY clearly stated the definition of 'racism'..certainly not in a way that everyone would agree on. When will 'racism' ever officially be declared "dead"?...when all ethnic groups achieve total economic parity? When the last minority gang-banger, in the last minority neighborhood, "retires" and there are no more gangs, ever? When America elects a Muslim president? When our prisons become overcrowded with white inmates? In fact, NONE of these things would be seen as an 'end of racism',...certainly not by everyone...in fact, "these things" would more than likely provoke FURTHER charges of 'racism' in their OWN right...
My own feelings? I don't think we'll ever SEE the true end of racism, because multiracial, free societies are very rare around the world, and there's little 'track record' of such, to really compare ourselves with in our 'performance'...and secondly, as long as there's a race card at ALL, anywhere, SOMEBODY is going to 'play it'. THat's just human nature. And as long as FIVE PEOPLE are left in the US, 'playing the card', then those folks are going to be insisting they're "where they are" because of racism. That much, we can count on. It's really not a 'logical' debate for the most part, it's an emotional one.
Back to "white guilt" once again...it's MY personal belief that "white (protestant) guilt" is a fragile concept, a product of a unique combination of Protestant "thought processes" and great affluence. In order for it to occur, BOTH must be present.
Japan and Singapore are both very affluent societies, but not "white"...therefore, no 'white guilt".
Albania and Bulgaria are both "white" societies, but not affluent...therefore, no 'white guilt".
White guilt requires both Western protestant culture AND affluence in order for it to take place. I can think of no better illustration of it, than a well-meaning mother admonishing her eight-year old, "Eat your broccoli, Billy....twenty million kiddies in China are starving, and would LOVE to have it"
If you've ever heard anything like THAT, then you've seen "white guilt" in action....no matter WHAT color you are....
Does that mean as we become more third world and more various shades of color, that guilt will dissipate? Whew, what a relief....
I'm confident you can rest assured in that. OTHER problems, of course, may crop up from time to time (maybe even BIG problems).....but the "guilt", for the most part, will become a thing of the past....like Lawrence Welk music, and Victorian morals.
Back to "white guilt" once again...it's MY personal belief that "white (protestant) guilt" is a fragile concept, a product of a unique combination of Protestant "thought processes" and great affluence. In order for it to occur, BOTH must be present.
Japan and Singapore are both very affluent societies, but not "white"...therefore, no 'white guilt".
Albania and Bulgaria are both "white" societies, but not affluent...therefore, no 'white guilt".
White guilt requires both Western protestant culture AND affluence in order for it to take place. I can think of no better illustration of it, than a well-meaning mother admonishing her eight-year old, "Eat your broccoli, Billy....twenty million kiddies in China are starving, and would LOVE to have it"
If you've ever heard anything like THAT, then you've seen "white guilt" in action....no matter WHAT color you are....
Great insights.
Why are Catholic countries such as France and Spain bereft of White Guilt or Western Guilt?
Why are Catholic countries such as France and Spain bereft of White Guilt or Western Guilt?
Honestly, I don't know (as a Catholic myself). Traditionally, The Church has viewed "the poor" as close to the heart of Christ (who spoke often of them), and, in a roundabout way, in Catholic culture it's almost a "badge of honor" to be poor. It's "easier to get into the Kingdom", etc etc.
Surprisingly (I only found this out myself a few years ago) the early-day Puritans who started America not only didn't attach any 'romance' to being poor, there was actually some "disapproval" of them..the thinking being that those who had 'tidy barns, weed-free fields, well-kept homes' etc were somehow basking in God's approval, while the down-and-out were seen as having "invited' their fate, by 'sloppy living' and 'loose morals'....at least that's the way it was explained to me. I'd never given it much thought.
Traditionally, Catholic culture has been much more "other-worldly" in its focus than protestantism. Much more fatalistic, too. The poor are poor "because it's God's will"....Catholics are morally obligated to "help" the ppor, yet there's little notion of ever eradicating poverty. As Catholics, our rewards are in Heaven, not here....and in Catholic nations, it's basically Jesus' favored "little ones",(the poor) struggling under the oppression of the "evil" rich..(who are REALLY going to 'get theirs' when the judgement comes).
Protestantism is much more into improving ones' life and situation HERE...perhaps the 'protestant work ethic' ties in with this. Working hard, and 'keeping your nose clean', in itself, is seen as a form of "praising God"...which MAY be why Protestant nations have tended to be so much more progressive and 'outward' looking than Catholic ones...
Don't know how accurate this is..just my thoughts..
Of course you cant acknowledge that what you obsess over is largely a figment of your imagination. But I'm fine with that too.
Additional rubbish.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
).
