From: erilar on
In article <0c2tg31c5u7bdp9f1fircq3885kuosfihf(a)4ax.com>,
Hatunen <hatunen(a)cox.net> wrote:

> I suppose you mean "And what portion of
> Americans does the American right-wing represent?" I think some
> actual number would be far more useful.
Any number would be a meaningless number: where to draw the
line?
> Or is that a personal
> observation, that they give YOU the impression they speak for
> those who cringe at what they say?

They DO give that impression because they are so loud and overbearing.
Far too many people say nothing despite their disagreement. And _I_
don't believe they speak for anywhere near as many people as they try to
claim, but far too many people do.

--
Mary Loomer Oliver (aka Erilar)

You can't reason with someone whose first line of argument is
that reason doesn't count. --Isaac Asimov

Erilar's Cave Annex: http://www.chibardun.net/~erilarlo


From: Jack Campin - bogus address on
> But what if people of a particular race or culture share an attitude that
> is utterly abhorrent to our own moral standards? What if the person comes
> from a culture where theft and corruption are serious problems, where the
> treat women like third class citizens, allow no dissension and will not
> tolerate religious beliefs that differ from their own? Sure, they have put
> on a friendly front and be polite and solicitous, but you know that they
> have this underlying attitude that is so much at odds with what your
> personal views?

Not *everybody* from Texas is like that.

============== j-c ====== @ ====== purr . demon . co . uk ==============
Jack Campin: 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland | tel 0131 660 4760
<http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/> for CD-ROMs and free | fax 0870 0554 975
stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 557
From: EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque) on


Geoff Miller wrote:

> EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque) <evgmsop(a)earthlink.net> writes:
>
>
>>Hmmmm....
>>1) We may have improved somewhat since the early twentieth
>>century, but to the rest of the world (and to many of our
>>own citizens) the U.S. is still a nation of comparative
>>cultural barbarians!
>
>
> That's just your way of keeping your dignity and self-esteem
> intact, having been surpassed in every way by that young,
> upstart nation across the pond. It's just human nature that
> one's own geopolitical irrelevance is difficult to accept.

Uhhhh.... In case you hadn't noticed, I, too, am a
native-born citizen of that "young, upstart nation".
However, unlike you I can perceive my country's faults.
(And contrary to the mouthings of our current president and
his cronies, that doesn't mean I am less a "patriot".) I
would simply like us to regain our standing in world
opinion. (Something we will never do if we cannot admit we
fall far short of perfection in many areas, when compared
with most European countries.)
From: EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque) on


Dave Smith wrote:

> Doesn't Frequently Mop wrote:
>
>>
>>Let me give you four cases which illustrate why I don't judge comments
>>on race:
>>
>>1. I like Chinese food (OK)
>>2. I don't like Chinese food (OK)
>>3. I like Chinese people (OK)
>>4. I don't like Chinese people (&$%#ing RACIST!!!!)
>>
>>
>>>But if you can't see the harm done by makign bigoted comments and
>>>jokes in public, far be it from me to interrupt your cognitive
>>>dissonance.
>
>
>
> But what if people of a particular race or culture share an attitude that
> is utterly abhorrent to our own moral standards?

First define "our"! More and more, in the U.S., members of
the religious right are defining "America" by their own
narrow, fundamentalist Christian viewpoint. (Even though
our "moral" standards have actually become MORE rather than
less diverse, in actual fact.)

> What if the person comes
> from a culture where theft and corruption are serious problems,

As they seem to be becoming here. It's just that our
politicians are better at hiding the facts, thanks to
complacence and lack of attention on the part of our
citizens. (Despite visible evidence to the contrary, too
many still believe in the theory of "It can't happen here".)

> where they
> treat women like third class citizens, allow no dissension and will not
> tolerate religious beliefs that differ from their own?

Under the Bush administration, "Women's Lib" has been set
back at least fifty years. As to "tolerating religious
beliefs that differ from their own", listen to any
evangelical preacher in the U.S. Most of them would be
right at home with Hitler's "Kinder, Kuchen und Kirche".
From: EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque) on


erilar wrote:

> In article <0c2tg31c5u7bdp9f1fircq3885kuosfihf(a)4ax.com>,
> Hatunen <hatunen(a)cox.net> wrote:
>
>
>>I suppose you mean "And what portion of
>>Americans does the American right-wing represent?" I think some
>>actual number would be far more useful.
>
> Any number would be a meaningless number: where to draw the
> line?
>
>>Or is that a personal
>>observation, that they give YOU the impression they speak for
>>those who cringe at what they say?
>
>
> They DO give that impression because they are so loud and overbearing.
> Far too many people say nothing despite their disagreement. And _I_
> don't believe they speak for anywhere near as many people as they try to
> claim, but far too many people do.

Precisely why I have become far more politically active
since the religious right took over than I ever was even in
my college days! One voice alone can't accomplish much, but
if each of us takes a stand, we may persuade others to
express their views that differ from those of the
(perceived) "majority".