10 Things About Yourself

[Ali]

I love it when people say "All things being equal......yada yada yada destroy indidenous cultures with joyful abandon...."  In the history of the world, has there even been one time where "all things were equal?" 

[harte.beest]

7. Feel uncomfortable around jews.

Care to elaborate here?

Everyone keeps trying to kill them, but there still here ....it's awkward is all I'm saying

[En_Route]

I love it when people say "All things being equal......yada yada yada destroy indidenous cultures with joyful abandon...."  In the history of the world, has there even been one time where "all things were equal?" 

So what about a culture in which a woman who commits adultery gets sentenced to death?  There is nothing sacrosanct about a culture simply because it is indigenous.

[Ali]

Will. Not. Take. The. Fucking. Asshole. Bait.

[Ali]

I love it when people say "All things being equal......yada yada yada destroy indidenous cultures with joyful abandon...."  In the history of the world, has there even been one time where "all things were equal?" 

So what about a culture in which a woman who commits adultery gets sentenced to death?  There is nothing sacrosanct about a culture simply because it is indigenous.

Mmmmm.  I guess I just hope that we don't throw the baby out with the bath water.  Like, 100 years ago in the US, women couldn't vote.  And I realize that's not as extreme as being setenced to death, but I think that probably every culture has some beauty and some evil, and the hope is that they grow and evolve rather than being wiped off of the face of the planet.  And for record, what have Eskimos ever done to anyone?  That's what started this conversation, isn't it?

[En_Route]

Will. Not. Take. The. Fucking. Asshole. Bait.

Vehemence is a poor substitute for disputation.

[Tank]

Just a little more rope I feel.

[Ali]

Will. Not. Take. The. Fucking. Asshole. Bait.

Vehemence is a poor substitute for disputation.

There is no point in disputing this particular thing (aka the fucking asshole bait.)  Don't worry, Shel, my little outburst had nothing to do with you.

[En_Route]

I love it when people say "All things being equal......yada yada yada destroy indidenous cultures with joyful abandon...."  In the history of the world, has there even been one time where "all things were equal?" 

So what about a culture in which a woman who commits adultery gets sentenced to death?  There is nothing sacrosanct about a culture simply because it is indigenous.

Mmmmm.  I guess I just hope that we don't throw the baby out with the bath water.  Like, 100 years ago in the US, women couldn't vote.  And I realize that's not as extreme as being setenced to death, but I think that probably every culture has some beauty and some evil, and the hope is that they grow and evolve rather than being wiped off of the face of the planet.  And for record, what have Eskimos ever done to anyone?  That's what started this conversation, isn't it?

I think this is wishy-washy liberalism. The idea that we must respect all cultures  equally and accept them on their own terms and whitewash them is a reaction to the imperialism and colonialism which has besmirched the histories of our nations. Some cultures are brutal and oppressive and it is invariably women who get the rawest deal under their auspices. .So I'm not voting to perpetuate them in the hope that eventually enlightenment will dawn while in the meantime cruelty flourishes unchecked and fellow human beings suffer all manners of horror.

[En_Route]

I love it when people say "All things being equal......yada yada yada destroy indidenous cultures with joyful abandon...."  In the history of the world, has there even been one time where "all things were equal?" 

So what about a culture in which a woman who commits adultery gets sentenced to death?  There is nothing sacrosanct about a culture simply because it is indigenous.

Mmmmm.  I guess I just hope that we don't throw the baby out with the bath water.  Like, 100 years ago in the US, women couldn't vote.  And I realize that's not as extreme as being setenced to death, but I think that probably every culture has some beauty and some evil, and the hope is that they grow and evolve rather than being wiped off of the face of the planet.  And for record, what have Eskimos ever done to anyone?  That's what started this conversation, isn't it?

I know nothing about Eskimos so I can't comment.

[En_Route]

Just a little more rope I feel.

Aha!

[Ali]

I love it when people say "All things being equal......yada yada yada destroy indidenous cultures with joyful abandon...."  In the history of the world, has there even been one time where "all things were equal?" 

So what about a culture in which a woman who commits adultery gets sentenced to death?  There is nothing sacrosanct about a culture simply because it is indigenous.

Mmmmm.  I guess I just hope that we don't throw the baby out with the bath water.  Like, 100 years ago in the US, women couldn't vote.  And I realize that's not as extreme as being setenced to death, but I think that probably every culture has some beauty and some evil, and the hope is that they grow and evolve rather than being wiped off of the face of the planet.  And for record, what have Eskimos ever done to anyone?  That's what started this conversation, isn't it?

I think this is wishy-washy liberalism. The idea that we must respect all cultures  equally and accept them on their own terms and whitewash them is a reaction to the imperialism and colonialism which has besmirched the histories of our nations. Some cultures are brutal and oppressive and it is invariably women who get the rawest deal under their auspices. .So I'm not voting to perpetuate them in the hope that eventually enlightenment will dawn while in the meantime cruelty flourishes unchecked and fellow human beings suffer all manners of horror.

I think your mom's wishy washy liberalism.  

I get what you're saying, I guess that my point was about the whole "all things being equal" argument.  Like, I look at some of the problems within the Native American communities here in the US, and it's just....not all things are equal.  Dire poverty, alcoholism, racism, the systematic obliteration of a whole culture and religion, the loss of land and game...it's just not equal.  

[DeterminedJuliet]

7. Feel uncomfortable around jews.

Care to elaborate here?

Everyone keeps trying to kill them, but there still here ....it's awkward is all I'm saying

Are you awkward around chickens? They get killed a lot.
(*FYI to everyone else* I'm not comparing Jewish people to chickens in an attempt to be belittling, simply to point out that it makes no sense to be awkward around ANYTHING because "everyone keeps trying to kill them".) 

[En_Route]

I love it when people say "All things being equal......yada yada yada destroy indidenous cultures with joyful abandon...."  In the history of the world, has there even been one time where "all things were equal?" 

So what about a culture in which a woman who commits adultery gets sentenced to death?  There is nothing sacrosanct about a culture simply because it is indigenous.

Mmmmm.  I guess I just hope that we don't throw the baby out with the bath water.  Like, 100 years ago in the US, women couldn't vote.  And I realize that's not as extreme as being setenced to death, but I think that probably every culture has some beauty and some evil, and the hope is that they grow and evolve rather than being wiped off of the face of the planet.  And for record, what have Eskimos ever done to anyone?  That's what started this conversation, isn't it?

I think this is wishy-washy liberalism. The idea that we must respect all cultures  equally and accept them on their own terms and whitewash them is a reaction to the imperialism and colonialism which has besmirched the histories of our nations. Some cultures are brutal and oppressive and it is invariably women who get the rawest deal under their auspices. .So I'm not voting to perpetuate them in the hope that eventually enlightenment will dawn while in the meantime cruelty flourishes unchecked and fellow human beings suffer all manners of horror.

I think your mom's wishy washy liberalism.  

I get what you're saying, I guess that my point was about the whole "all things being equal" argument.  Like, I look at some of the problems within the Native American communities here in the US, and it's just....not all things are equal.  Dire poverty, alcoholism, racism, the systematic obliteration of a whole culture and religion, the loss of land and game...it's just not equal.  

I'm obviously not arguing for the exploitation and expropriation of native peoples, simply dissenting from the view that  the usurpation of  an indigenous culture is ipso facto to be deplored.

[DeterminedJuliet]

I love it when people say "All things being equal......yada yada yada destroy indidenous cultures with joyful abandon...."  In the history of the world, has there even been one time where "all things were equal?" 

So what about a culture in which a woman who commits adultery gets sentenced to death?  There is nothing sacrosanct about a culture simply because it is indigenous.

Mmmmm.  I guess I just hope that we don't throw the baby out with the bath water.  Like, 100 years ago in the US, women couldn't vote.  And I realize that's not as extreme as being setenced to death, but I think that probably every culture has some beauty and some evil, and the hope is that they grow and evolve rather than being wiped off of the face of the planet.  And for record, what have Eskimos ever done to anyone?  That's what started this conversation, isn't it?

I think this is wishy-washy liberalism. The idea that we must respect all cultures  equally and accept them on their own terms and whitewash them is a reaction to the imperialism and colonialism which has besmirched the histories of our nations. Some cultures are brutal and oppressive and it is invariably women who get the rawest deal under their auspices. .So I'm not voting to perpetuate them in the hope that eventually enlightenment will dawn while in the meantime cruelty flourishes unchecked and fellow human beings suffer all manners of horror.

I think your mom's wishy washy liberalism.  

I get what you're saying, I guess that my point was about the whole "all things being equal" argument.  Like, I look at some of the problems within the Native American communities here in the US, and it's just....not all things are equal.  Dire poverty, alcoholism, racism, the systematic obliteration of a whole culture and religion, the loss of land and game...it's just not equal.  

I'm obviously not arguing for the exploitation and expropriation of native peoples, simply dissenting from the view that  the usurpation of  an indigenous culture is ipso facto to be deplored.

I agree, which is why I said it depends on the definition of betterment. There are some things that I think some indigenous groups legitimately do better than colonial groups. There are examples of brutal and harmful superstition, but there are also examples of surprising egalitarianism.  For example, our current views on sexuality have a lot of baggage left over from Christian doctrine. A number of indigenous groups have, in my opinion, much healthier views on human sexuality. They just see it as part of human nature and remove the moral/sin values that we still seem to place on it.

I have no interest in leaving my cushy modern life to go live an indigenous lifestyle - but I think it'd be mistaken to argue that colonization always works towards "betterment" by any scale.