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patriotism/nationalism
Ozymandias:
I would posit that true racism has fallen out of favor in America, even among racists.
By true racism, I refer to considering a person better or worse because of the genetics and physiology. The old idea of racism from which eugenics emerged, the idea that flaws in a person's character come from genetic background rather than upbringing.
It has been replaced with a cultural racism, the idea that black people come from inner city lower-class culture and the like, so they prefer to be uneducated and ghetto, or that hispanic people come from recent immigrants, legal or otherwise, and do menial labor.
It's much easier for a person to be judged by the conditions around their life that turned them into the person they are rather than the genetics that decided the color of their skin in modern America than it was 50 years ago. I call that progress, because it at least makes a grain of sense.
KharBevNor:
--- Quote from: mooface on 09 Aug 2008, 10:44 ---ahahahaha... what? i can't speak for every european country, but i'll just go ahead and speak for italy. i honestly have no idea what the immigration process is like, although i am sure it's less invasive & strict than the american way. but at least you have the option of eventually becoming an american citizen once you've been here long enough. in italy and several other european countries (i am pretty sure germany and france operate along the same lines) you really have no chance of ever being considered a citizen, no matter how long you live there, unless you are married to one or have family originally from there. even your children won't be considered citizens, even if they are born there, if they are not descended from citizens!
--- End quote ---
The Italian immigration system is unusually harsh, has come under strong criticism from the EU and is probably going to be changed soon anyway. Besides which, Italy is hardly the definitive example of a European state. The French, German, British, Spanish, Polish, Swedish, Austrian (etc.) immigration policies are not as harsh. Plus, we don't have the same institutional racism as the states. Oh, it's there, but nowhere near on the same level. The thing about America is that it is wrong to be openly bigoted, but all that really means is that the endemic racism built into American society is swept under the table. Look at the figures for black and latino families living below the poverty line. Blacks and latinos with no health insurance. Blacks and latinos behind bars. Racism isn't just calling someone spic or nig[ger, and you're a fool if you think hushing down open bigotry ends racism. Sure, European countries have our problems with racism, especially in the baltic and environs (ie italy) with gypsies and such forth. What I'm objecting to is the painting of America as some sort of halcyon utopia where people of all creeds and colours are welcome and treated as equals. Bullshit!
Furthermore, he was not saying he loves his country because he was bought up there. What he said was he has undergone a rational process of weighing up all the countries in the world and America is best because he was born there. Then he trotted out all this absurd jerking off on the fucking stars and stripes land of the free bullshit. Tell it to the fucking Sioux.
Ozymandias:
Judging a country you've never been to that spans 3.89 million square miles, has a population of 300 million people, and consists of hundred of distinct cultures as one particular thing sure is easy.
KharBevNor:
Hundreds of distinct cultures?
Please, holmes.
Vendetagainst:
Well that was certainly a well thought out response! Do you really think that the scraps you've been spoonfed represent America as a whole? Do you think that you could go to New Orleans or New England and get basically the same experience? You're just clinging to some half thought out idea out of a determination to hold a grudge, you don't understand anything and you should just shut your damn mouth.
You're being irrational and xenophobic, basically.
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