purple_lean
New Member
Only 10% of snakes are venomous but most everyone has a fear of snakes regardless of the type or at the least gives them wide berth.
Discuss.
America has gone crazy
- Thread starter djjaycool
- Start date
Only 10% of snakes are venomous but most everyone has a fear of snakes regardless of the type or at the least gives them wide berth.
Discuss.
I always felt the 'melting pot' image the US projected to the world was always a bit of a myth, a misnomer, a pr exercise, to show how much more idealistic and meritocratic the US was compared to the backward, warmongering, persecuting Europeans, from whom many of its citizens had fled. It may have been made up of countless nationalities, but fundamentally the WASP was still top dog and everyone else subservient to their powerbase in politics, industry, wall street, the military. But now WASP america is frightened, losing its influence, ageing, and declining in numbers -not remotely comfortable with the genuinely evolving melting pot which inevitably means there is no such thing as a typical american anymore fewer and fewer of whom are rallying around the god'n'guns mantra of yore. Its paranoia fuelled only further by one-offs like 9/11, whilst still choosing to ignore the factors which bred the lunatics behind that attack. This is why the US would be MAD to retreat into the 'comforting' arms of someone like Palin. Put up the walls, fortify the castle, and then watch as the rest of the world gradually overtakes..
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You hit the nail on the head. The melting pot are separated by race, religion, economics. America has gotten better over my life time, but is not perfect by any means. That is why wackos like beck and Palin gain traction with people. The snakes analogy doesn't hold water, because you are comparing animal instincts to a thinking human being. I laugh at people who think the area around the 9-11 site is some hollowed ground. There are strip joints fast food and all sorts of other establishments there. The proposed center will have space for other religion and activities. The way forward should be inclusion not isolation.
stivi
Well-Known Member
aye but what really makes america look crazy is the amount of support he gets from fellow citizens. that's really scary.
You are correct my dear sir on that point it is shocking. He has turned the spotlight on the under belly of American society that people said was gone with the election of the first black President.
paulhinrichsen
Active Member
I just wanted to chime in here to say that the melting pot image of the United States was once a very true thing. From the 1700s to 19xxs (im honestly not sure when the EU started to comingle so much) but from that time period, the US was a country of people who immigrated from every corner of Europe, and even a large amount from Asia/South America. The rest of the world was much more confined to their own countries, and they were much more nationalistic. Germany and France in the 1900s...you would be hard pressed to find a significant amount of foreigners. In America however, cities were divided up into quadrants, its still somewhat accurate today where you have large concentrations of Chinese, Jews, Italians, Germans and so on in a specific part of a city. This cultural divide was happening WAY before Europe started to blend, which is why the USA has always spoken about how its a melting pot. Now, besides most of Africa and Asia, the entire world is a melting pot and people are moving more freely between borders than ever before (although ironically it doesnt seem like it because of the news). America was just way ahead of every other country for the most part when it came to this, now all major European countries are just as mixed if not more than the USA.
Also a side note- When the melting pot image of the United States existed between 1700-WW2ish, people saw Germans, much different from the British that came for instance. The world was much more religiously segregated, and people didnt speak the same language. Now all the white people you see in America (well 95%) have been here for a hundred years or more, and have no ties to their native language, which used to be very different than english, are predominantly less religious, and likely are a mix of every European countries' background. Many people here are part Irish, German, Italian, and English...just a complete mutt of traits from Europe. So people that once would've been considered different have just blended together much more so than they were before through language/physical traits/religion/culture etc. Hell i even have multiple friends who celebrate Christmas and Hannukah and are atheists. The USA is just a giant blender, but that doesnt mean everyone mixes nicely together
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America has had people from many nations and the new comers have always been treated as an other. The melting pot was an ideal not a reality. The anti-immigrant and xenophobia raising its head when people from Asia, the middle east, Africa or south/ central America want to immigrate to the USA. The rise of right wing and Trump is just the latest example of that.I just wanted to chime in here to say that the melting pot image of the United States was once a very true thing. From the 1700s to 19xxs (im honestly not sure when the EU started to comingle so much) but from that time period, the US was a country of people who immigrated from every corner of Europe, and even a large amount from Asia/South America. The rest of the world was much more confined to their own countries, and they were much more nationalistic. Germany and France in the 1900s...you would be hard pressed to find a significant amount of foreigners. In America however, cities were divided up into quadrants, its still somewhat accurate today where you have large concentrations of Chinese, Jews, Italians, Germans and so on in a specific part of a city. This cultural divide was happening WAY before Europe started to blend, which is why the USA has always spoken about how its a melting pot. Now, besides most of Africa and Asia, the entire world is a melting pot and people are moving more freely between borders than ever before (although ironically it doesnt seem like it because of the news). America was just way ahead of every other country for the most part when it came to this, now all major European countries are just as mixed if not more than the USA.
Also a side note- When the melting pot image of the United States existed between 1700-WW2ish, people saw Germans, much different from the British that came for instance. The world was much more religiously segregated, and people didnt speak the same language. Now all the white people you see in America (well 95%) have been here for a hundred years or more, and have no ties to their native language, which used to be very different than english, are predominantly less religious, and likely are a mix of every European countries' background. Many people here are part Irish, German, Italian, and English...just a complete mutt of traits from Europe. So people that once would've been considered different have just blended together much more so than they were before through language/physical traits/religion/culture etc. Hell i even have multiple friends who celebrate Christmas and Hannukah and are atheists. The USA is just a giant blender, but that doesnt mean everyone mixes nicely together
paulhinrichsen
Active Member
Oh definitely, but its a smaller amount than people think, most Americans arent that ignorant. Not even most Trump supporters would agree with what he says regarding that. A lot of people voting for Trump are simply tired of the political system here and would sacrifice his xenophobia for a disruption to current politics.
Myron Gaines
Active Member
Actually I think it's fair to say that race relations have worsened since Obama became President.
Moha
Well-Known Member
Are you serious?
A Donald Trump supporter has been charged with assault after multiple videos showed him sucker-punching a protester at a campaign rally in Fayetteville, N.C.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...-punched-at-north-carolina-rally-videos-show/
They have not gotten worse, the cooks have come out of the wood work. It started before his election when his place of birth was questioned by the birthers.
Myron Gaines
Active Member
Examples? From where I'm sitting the BLM protesters have been causing the most trouble and then there's people's recent support for the black panthers lol. Things have gotten worse.
paulhinrichsen
Active Member
Again, you cant judge an entire group of people by a few...Yea there are certainly just straight up racist people in America voting for Trump. Thats absolutely true. But there are a lot of supporters who are affluent, that would sacrifice the xenophobia he brings out for a disruption to the political system.