# Has pathological greed destroyed the Occident? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 15, 2016, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-pathological-greed-destroyed-the-occident/762876 "2016-08-15T04:46:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-pathological-greed-destroyed-the-occident/762876/21 "2016-08-15T18:13:36Z")
> [@Pork\_Rind](#): > > …and I’ll follow up with this (audio-only) track. I defy anyone here to go the full 90 minutes. I’ve done it, twice. It’s mind bending. My favorite-Marcel Marceau’s cover of Simon And Garfunkel’s “The Sound Of Silence”! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-pathological-greed-destroyed-the-occident/762876/22 "2016-08-15T18:16:32Z")
Everyone watch [AMBIANCÉ](http://www.thelongestfilm.com/), then we can discuss it. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-pathological-greed-destroyed-the-occident/762876/23 "2016-08-15T18:25:26Z")
did we get whooshed by a spammer? ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-pathological-greed-destroyed-the-occident/762876/24 "2016-08-15T18:32:01Z")
> [@Pork\_Rind](#): > > …and I’ll follow up with this (audio-only) track. I defy anyone here to go the full 90 minutes. I’ve done it, twice. It’s mind bending. Goddamnit. It ruins the joke if I don’t post the link. > **[SEATTLE SCHOOL AURAL CLEANSER.mp3 | Powered by Box](https://app.box.com/s/o4gqmaxhtt)** > > 1. Play MP3 through headphones. > 2. Listen to entire file for 93 minutes. > 3. Once you hear Love, your Sense of Hearing will then be properly re-calibrated to 100%. > > Thank You, > Seattle School > http://www.seattleschool.net/ ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-pathological-greed-destroyed-the-occident/762876/25 "2016-08-15T21:02:14Z")
> [@iLemming](#): > > Please refer to this _History Channel_ documentary, [_How is China Dying…?_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhLBIMwvnYA), before replying. > ( **NB:** The title is misleading, as to the documentary’s content.) > > Further pertinent viewing / reading: > [_China Uncensored_](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgFP46yVT-GG4o1TgXn-04Q) – YouTube series broaching Chinese and broader Asia related news > [_China Smack_](http://www.chinasmack.com/) – English language, Chinese current affairs, blog style reporting > > If a society delegates its leadership roles to mendacity ingrained lawyers; avarice afflicted banksters; career fixated, establishment cokewolds _et al._, is it any wonder that that society gets taken to the Chinese dry cleaners? > > When will the West bring cessation to this self-defeating and immolating, recidivist behaviour of sociopathic materialism and begin to learn to derive the brain’s pleasure-causing chemical releases from more fruitful endeavours than nihilistic, infantile-minded hording of wealth, that coming at anyone’s (even their own / own children’s) expense? > > Or is it too all late – have corporations sold us too far down the toxic Yangtze already, leaving us only with the recourse of floating further out, past the effluent estuary, into oblivion; or taking the more humane and dignified route, and drowning ourselves now – while we still have the option to do so…? In fact the Occident is as clever as ever, and superfluous attention as yours more than makes up for decadent strife masked as ignorance. Lugubrious pronouncements widen the chasm of understanding that much more, feeding angry existentialistic Tao sifu’s misrepresentation of enlightenment, to which the sparrow would blindly sing songs about. Nihilism was a gift, a present, as is the present, the waves that cleans the beach do so at the behest of the world’s left. Consider then, what is worth considering? That aside, the following video may be NSFW if you are not in a cosmic star nursery, so ingrained are we to mundane spectacles that clear elucidation cannot snap us from our doldrums. Worth watching? Must man wend through the extrasolar to the specific? [What choice do we have?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRZ2Sh5-XuM&list=FLZUp9mI23ODBqBYOWA3sXKg&index=4&feature=plpp_video) Chinese kith may take opposing dichotomies, as the Yellow river begets and takes life, the waters are ever churning. Such gimcrack cannot light ere the day, withhold your judgement lest conversational bric-a-brac be unsatifactory. After all, they make all of our iPods. No fooling the glomax, the intensity is inherent. Be not unaware or else [inevitability follows](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C_HReR_McQ). Sam is as strong as ever, as virile as ever, a million parents follows a million million children, each tendril suffused with Juffo-Wup, growing turgid, let violent action ensue ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-pathological-greed-destroyed-the-occident/762876/26 "2016-08-15T21:07:48Z")
wow that was the best bit of pseudo philosophical hornswoggle ive heard in years And probably makes just as much sense and has as much logic as the op and his videos ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-pathological-greed-destroyed-the-occident/762876/27 "2016-08-15T21:41:43Z")
Color me confused by the OP and his join date. I will also weigh in that I considered “Occidental/Oriental” at best dated with shadings of racism. Doing a quick check online as to how racist the term actually is, however, it seems that it might not be widely considered derogatory amongst the US Asian community. [LA Times OpEd on “Oriental”](http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-tsuchiyama-oriental-insult-20160601-snap-story.html) If anyone’s really interested, a poll might be started… ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-pathological-greed-destroyed-the-occident/762876/28 "2016-08-15T21:48:32Z")
> [@ddsun](#): > > Color me confused by the OP and his join date. > > I will also weigh in that I considered “Occidental/Oriental” at best dated with shadings of racism. Doing a quick check online as to how racist the term actually is, however, it seems that it might not be widely considered derogatory amongst the US Asian community. > > [LA Times OpEd on “Oriental”](http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-tsuchiyama-oriental-insult-20160601-snap-story.html) > > If anyone’s really interested, a poll might be started… It’s ridiculous that people find the terms racist. But when has that stopped the crowd looking to be perpetually outraged? And I’m glad that that author agrees > [@](#): > > I don’t see it that way; I see self-righteous, fragile egos eager to find offense where none is intended. A wave of anti-Oriental discrimination is not sweeping the country. Besides, the term has been steadily falling out of circulation since the 1950s, and it’s mainly used today by older Asians and the proprietors of hundreds if not thousands of restaurants, hotels, shops and organizations with Oriental in their name. The well-intentioned meddlers will create trouble for exactly the population they want to defend. Not that I feel I need the permission of someone from an ‘in-group’ to hold an opinion. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-pathological-greed-destroyed-the-occident/762876/29 "2016-08-15T23:33:31Z")
No need to focus on the antiquated, but not particularly racist, Orient/Occident terms. We have “taken to the Chinese dry cleaners” offered up in the OP, which is mild, but still a nod to an offensive stereotype. ---
**Author:** ![iLemming](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90db22/32.png) [@iLemming](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iLemming)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-pathological-greed-destroyed-the-occident/762876/30 "2016-08-16T00:02:27Z")
“Idiot American” – the most apt phrase every syntaxed, in _any_ language¹. (¹World Linguistics Organisation) Never has insecurity-manifested-through-arrogance met ignorance in a more perfect storm. You’re your own “Antichrist”. Yet, instead of looking into the mirror, you ineffectually prostrate to the heavens and then stick your heads back into the sand when invariably met with only tinnitus. “The Devil” did not even have to try. **NB:** Fret not – in this link, there are only two(2) words that require one’s reading skills to be exercised: [https://i.imgur.com/uddd3Ug.gif](https://i.imgur.com/uddd3Ug.gif) ---
**Author:** ![Chihuahua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dec6dc/32.png) [@Chihuahua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chihuahua)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-pathological-greed-destroyed-the-occident/762876/31 "2016-08-16T00:20:31Z")
Yawn. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-pathological-greed-destroyed-the-occident/762876/32 "2016-08-16T00:21:28Z")
Don’t wanna click on that. Could you just use your words and tell us what it says? Oh never mind. That was weak. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-pathological-greed-destroyed-the-occident/762876/33 "2016-08-16T00:21:39Z")
> [@ddsun](#): > > Color me confused by the OP and his join date. > > I will also weigh in that I considered “Occidental/Oriental” at best dated with shadings of racism. Doing a quick check online as to how racist the term actually is, however, it seems that it might not be widely considered derogatory amongst the US Asian community. > > [LA Times OpEd on “Oriental”](http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-tsuchiyama-oriental-insult-20160601-snap-story.html) > > If anyone’s really interested, a poll might be started… That’s a weird article. It has quotes from [Grace Meng](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/16/Grace_Meng_Official_Congressional_Photo.jpg/220px-Grace_Meng_Official_Congressional_Photo.jpg), [Jeff Yang](http://a3.res.cloudinary.com/talent/image/fetch/t_face_s270/http://speakerdata.s3.amazonaws.com/photo/image/833390/images.jpeg), and [Erika Lee](http://www.continuum.umn.edu/continuum/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/erika.jpg). And then concludes with, “The well-intentioned meddlers will create trouble for exactly the population they want to defend.” Because despite the only people complaining about this term being actual Asians, this is somehow white people’s fault. Of course, it’s not actually that hard to figure out the author’s angle. She dismisses the negative reaction to the term as, “In other words it makes Asians sound exotic because it was in circulation at a time when exoticizing stereotypes were prevalent.” And then she signs her piece as, “Jayne Tsuchiyama is a doctor of acupuncture and Oriental medicine.” In other words, she’s a woo peddler, banking on precisely that aura of a “ancient wisdom from the Orient” to gull the suckers into letting her stick pins in their chakras. I mean, not to say that an Asian person can’t legitimately not care about being called “Oriental,” I’m just not seeing this article as being written by someone who is particularly insightful or entirely trustworthy in their arguments. As to the term itself, it seems to me that it’s a lot like calling someone a “negro.” The term isn’t inherently insulting, but it’s so old-fashioned and out-of-date, it’s hard not to suspect that there’s some ulterior motive in using that term, versus something more contemporary. 'Course, most of the time, it’s just someone who thinks long, slightly archaic words will make them look smart. (It doesn’t.) But there is the occasional actual racist out there, throwing the term out like a lure to see if anyone like-minded is in the same pond and paying attention. ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-pathological-greed-destroyed-the-occident/762876/34 "2016-08-16T00:22:25Z")
“Occidental” means anywhere West of the “Orient”. Tottenham, Chelsea and Crystal Palace to name but a few. But the Orient moved out of Clapton in 1937, so the goalposts have been moved. I hope this has been helpful. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-pathological-greed-destroyed-the-occident/762876/35 "2016-08-16T00:23:56Z")
> [@ddsun](#): > > Don’t wanna click on that. Could you just use your words and tell us what it says? Oh never mind. That was weak. It’s a gif of Spider-Man villain Venom, apparently from a video game, saying “Game over.” Clearly, all our arguments are now meaningless. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-pathological-greed-destroyed-the-occident/762876/36 "2016-08-16T00:50:58Z")
You know… I’m thinking rant. Go wild. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-pathological-greed-destroyed-the-occident/762876/37 "2016-08-16T00:57:16Z")
> [@iLemming](#): > > “Idiot American” – the most apt phrase every syntaxed, in _any_ language¹. > (¹World Linguistics Organisation) > > Never has insecurity-manifested-through-arrogance met ignorance in a more perfect storm. You’re your own “Antichrist”. Yet, instead of looking into the mirror, you ineffectually prostrate to the heavens and then stick your heads back into the sand when invariably met with only tinnitus. > > “The Devil” did not even have to try. > > **NB:** Fret not – in this link, there are only two(2) words that require one’s reading skills to be exercised: [Imgur: The magic of the Internet](https://i.imgur.com/uddd3Ug.gif) A note of caution: posting gibberish with an air of superiority is a really poor way to attempt to persuade others to one’s position. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-pathological-greed-destroyed-the-occident/762876/38 "2016-08-16T01:03:31Z")
Are we going to hear from this guy again after school starts? ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-pathological-greed-destroyed-the-occident/762876/39 "2016-08-16T01:21:46Z")
> [@YogSothoth](#): > > In fact the Occident is as clever as ever, and superfluous attention as yours more than makes up for decadent strife masked as ignorance. Lugubrious pronouncements widen the chasm of understanding that much more, feeding angry existentialistic Tao sifu’s misrepresentation of enlightenment, to which the sparrow would blindly sing songs about. > […] > Sam is as strong as ever, as virile as ever, a million parents follows a million million children, each tendril suffused with Juffo-Wup, growing turgid, let violent action ensue Who can argue with THAT? Could not have said it better myself. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-pathological-greed-destroyed-the-occident/762876/40 "2016-08-16T02:22:50Z")
Just to clarify: I didn’t say Occident(al) [or Orient(al)] **was** racist. I live in an area with a lot of anti-Chinese sentiment and I might be a tad oversensitive. I did ask that the OP clarify, but since that will never happen I’m willing to accept **octopus** ’s theory of just going for a big word unnecessarily. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-pathological-greed-destroyed-the-occident/762876.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-pathological-greed-destroyed-the-occident/762876.md?page=3)