Bawhaaaa… I was waiting for some college brat to raise this point, cultural relativism, that’s rich, GaWd and Achilles. Do you really think this is a case of the big bad ole’ USers condemning a culture they “just don’t understand” and consider inferior? What world do you live in? I don’t think you’re going to get even the most culturally sensitive, PC bedwetting crybaby to back you on this issue. Cultural relativism, sweet, heh. You guys are too much. Please remove your nutsacks, dont breed. As a sort of bonus you could participate in the rich and beautiful African tradition by selling them. Fucking pompous ivory tower pussies. So browbeaten and afraid of being labeled "insensitive, " that you will only call an atrocity an atrocity if it is commited by white, christian men?
Have a nice day 
Start a thread about atrocities being perpetrated against any humans and I will bet that you’ll get a fair number of dopers up in arms about the injustice and expressing their hope that such suffering will one day end.
Your form of isolationism is particularly cruel, since by hiding behind the fact that Americans and Western Europeans have made mistakes in the past to justify your indifference, you absolve yourself of the need to feel any type of basic human decency for these unfortunates. It’s also hypocritical: denying there’s a problem since it’s gone on for hundreds of years is the same as building a wall at America’s borders and pretending the rest of the world doesn’t matter and isn’t a part of the greater community of humanity.
Shodan, the idea that you can ignore the fact that who we are culturally, militarily and politically is the cause of global hatred of us is absolutely mind blowing. In a childish display to you, I will reciprocate the middle finger extension.
mhendo, thank you for your very thoughtful posting. I will mull it over and think on it very carefully while deflecting the personal insults certain other idiots can’t seem to stop themselves from hurling. You’ve made very good points.
Sam
labmonkey, you’re an idiot, so I won’t even respond to your points.
IvoryBill- I’m not denying it exists or is disgusting, reprehensible or(insert adjective here). What I was suggesting was that the people who responded to this thread who were of the “poor little savage, christ will save you”, or “let’s build a wall around Africa and fill it with water”, crew cease and desist from using some sort of western moral meter-stick to judge another culture.
I think I’ve been very clear about this. If not, I apologize.
Sam
Well, I’m one of those sorry types who believe that American citizens in general ARE the govenment. “We, the People,” and all that. So it is incumbent on us to force our “employees” (yeah, I’ve been through THAT shitstorm before) in the Executive and Legislative branches to do what we told them to do or else fire them. Their job reviews are coming up in November and I fear some of them haven’t been fulfilling their contracts.
“labmonkey, you’re an idiot, so I won’t even respond to your points.”
Thanks asshole, I found your points sheer genius, very enlightening. My God its been lovely, but I must away, asshole.
“…but I must away…”
Huh? anyhow…word.
Sure.
I was just trying to make the point that i see no hypocrisy in American individuals, groups, or organizations claiming to support the UN standards, because those individuals, groups or organizations may not support the government’s position vis-a-vis the UN.
For the government itself to make official pronouncements calling on other nations to obey their UN commitments would, in my opinion, be the height of hypocrisy, given its conduct over the past couple of years.
You’ve been somewhat clear in that, but less clear in being receptive to the idea that these people aren’t so much as using a “[W]estern moral meter-stick” as a human rights moral meter stick. It’s possible to be aware of (and sensitive to) past cultural transgressions while at the same time finding that this goes so far beyond the pale as to warrant action from whatever quarter. If Al-Queda wanted to go down there and put a stop to this, I’d probably support them.
It would be different if the nuns were objecting to a special circumcision ceremony or earlobe modification or tattooing or some other practice. We’re objecting to the forcable castration of unwilling participants. Certainly you see the point. Don’t you?
O.K., now I/m really confused. GaWd and Achilles are espousing the opions that cultures should be left alone, and it is not acceptable for others outside that culture to interfeare.
The why are they critizing america for its culture of interfering with other cultures? They seem to think cutting the balls off of children is morally superior to trying to improve the lot of others. There people make me cry for the future of mankind.
-It’s not a thesis, and I did not proof it like it was.
Yes, that’s right. I come from a culture with a rich history of kicking ass and taking names, when-ever, and where-ever we want to. You nut jobs who would judge us best get out of our way, as our culture marches gloriously to victory over the sad-sack cultures that have tried their best to kick our ass and take our names, but have been bent over and reamed instead.
Who are you to judge us, you closed minded bigots. You need to get over it an move on. It sounds reprehensible, indefensible, and cruel to you, but it is culturally acceptable in America. You’re being way too ethnocentric, whether or not you see it.
So you’re effectively saying that I’m not allowed to have an opinion of someone if I don’t think they should have an opinion of another? therefore, nobody is allowed to have any opinions, ever?
And who ever espoused the idea that there is some supposed moral superiority in lopping off a child’s nuts? It’s not right, and it’s not acceptable, and I don’t think anybody here has suggested otherwise. I will admit that when I said this:
I was not being honest with myself, but acting indignant due to some of the attitudes expressed early on in this thread.
If you are referring to the African people this story directly relates to, then your comment once again proves my point. This “pat the native on the head” imperialism is disgusting and that’s my only problem with this thread at all.
Hell, you didn’t proof it at all…
No, moron. In criticising American culture, you are doing the same thing as the people who are criticising African culture. So why is it ok for you to suggest American culture is rehensible and should change, but not ok for them to suggest african culture is rehensible and should change? And don’t say it is because your are part of American culture, becuase that is a moronic justification.
Culture shock- There is nothing wrong with judging my own society, whether you like it or not. I’m in the shit, the thick of it, and I don’t like what I see. That’s way more than enough justification IMO. I’m sorry if you find it “moronic”, but I think you use that word so much because you can actually spell it without fucking it up.
This is not “African culture”, this is “local African cultures”(probably very specific ones at that). Also, I’m not criticizing “American culture”, I’m criticizing the idea that we can impose our values upon other cultures. I can tell that you can’t see the difference, but that’s not really my problem.
I’m not criticizing “African culture”, I’m criticizing the idea that they can cut the nuts off children. I can tell that you can’t see the difference, but that’s not really my problem
So part of American Culture is the idea that it is acceptable to impose our cultural beliefs (such as not cutting off childrens nuts) on others. However, criticizing this is not actually criticizing American Culture, but is something else entirely. However, criticising african for cutting off children’s nuts is imposing out culture on africans, and in unacceptable. Humm.
Ow, my head is about to explode.
[QUOTE=GaWd]
Culture shock- There is nothing wrong with judging my own society, whether you like it or not. I’m in the shit, the thick of it, and I don’t like what I see. That’s way more than enough justification IMO. I’m sorry if you find it “moronic”, but I think you use that word so much because you can actually spell it without fucking it up.
[QUOTE]
Why, are you from Texas? Are your from Houston? Are you a baptist? If not, why the hell are you trying to impose your culture on me? That, my small minded friend, if why trying to claim you are part of this culture but not part of that culture, is moronic. We are all human, and we all live on earth. Anding cutting the nuts off of children is wrong.
- Correcting other spelling is the last refuge of the moron.
And, in this case. “who we are culturally” means that we object to castrating children.
And “who you are culturally” condemns us for it.
Apparently you mean it.
You sick, sad, sorry sack.
It talks like a human. It types like a human. It may even look like a human.
But it isn’t. It’s something that blames 9/11 on the fact that we don’t think castrating children is a good idea.
Apparently you are outside my culture, which has a certain concern for innocent suffering. Yours does not.
Let me know when someone starts slicing on you so I know not to interfere, m’kay?
You’re an ignorant, obtuse, angry person Shodan. You apparently can’t separate one subject from another. Once again, get a clue.
And spewing forth poorly phonetically spelled wordage on a website and whinging when someone comments on becoming tired of trying to wade through your crap to put together a concise message is just so terribly weak.
Poorly Phonetically or Poorly, Phonetically? The second makes sense, but that is not what you typed. You typed the first. Are you the director of Phonetic spelling? Or are you a cultural imperialist insulting my ebonic English? Just because I did not grow up in a upper-class, lily white, queens-English speaking, suburb like you undoubtedly did, does not give you the right to criticize my culture. I though you were arguing against this kind of stuff. Hypocrite.
Hijack:
While I was in school, there was a joke in Cambridge regarding the conclusion one could draw when you noted that someone was in the express line with too many items:
- They went to Harvard and could not count.
- They went to MIT and could not read.
I’d rather be able to count, thank you. Math is universal. I haven’t seen a Noble Prize awarded for typing or spelling lately.