Savant

African-American

EUROPE: How do YOU view AMERICANS?

If Ebola sets foot in this area I might introduce him to some BUTT KICKING brothers. LOL!  (3 hrs ago | post #561)

African-American

HATING EUROPE? Do American Whites Despise their Ancestral Homeland?

Sorry. I meant to say some progressive fellow students from India whom I met at Vanderbilt told me these things. And I should have spelled NEHRU's name correctly.  (3 hrs ago | post #1057)

African-American

HATING EUROPE? Do American Whites Despise their Ancestral Homeland?

Well progressive fellow students whom I met at Vanderbilt, and a couple whom I know here in Balimore, suggested there is a kind of Hindu fundamentalism there that can be quite vicious. If so, and if India does become an imperial power, Indian politicians could possibly appeal to undemocratic tendencies in that tradition as our right wing politicians appeal to Christian right authoritarianism. Empire probably will not appeal to honorable spiritual leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, or statesmen like Hehru.  (3 hrs ago | post #1055)

African-American

HATING EUROPE? Do American Whites Despise their Ancestral Homeland?

America has always been an imperial republic, and there has always been a tension between her "deep democratic traditon" as Cornel West puts it, and "the oppressive and racist corruptions of empire." (DEMOCRACY MATTERS, p. 15). In fact, it began while we were still English colonies; but it expanded even more after winning independence. Ideas such as Manifest Destiny helped to bolster American imperialism. This idea of America as a "model city on a hill," whose moral superiority entitles her to teach the rest the world how to live--often as much by means of the Marines as missionaries--has all contributed to the formation of the Yankee imperial juggernaut. And under all the highsounding words about making the world safe for democracy, or being leader of the free world, has lain that inexpunfable motive of economic interests dressing itself up in the garment of high morality. The decimation of the native Americans, the conquest of Mexico, invasions in central America, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, the rape of the Philipinnes, the diastrous wars in Vietnam and Cambodia, the current military adventures in the Middle East, and scores of coup d'etats against other governments (democratic ones included), and the propping up of tyrants (including Saddam Hussein and Talibans theocrats) are all part of the ugly record of American imperialism. I, for one, will neither support nor condone by my silence the perpetuation of this barbarism...not even in the name of patriotism.  (3 hrs ago | post #1054)

African-American

HATING EUROPE? Do American Whites Despise their Ancestral Homeland?

Now what you and Attai write underscores my point. British repression in Kenya, French repression in Algeria, German repression in Namibia--these things would make understandable the antagonisms some Africans or Asians may feel towared Europe. But antagonistic white American attitudes toward Europe is more odd. Indeed, the British oppression against which Jefferson or Washington fought was child's play compared to what colonized people in Algeria, Kenya, Namibia, India or Vietnam faced. When Frantz Fanon writes "Leave this Europe where they are never done talking of Man, but murder men wherever they find them, at the corner of every one of their streets, and in all the corners of the globe"--I grasp the anguisn and alienation of colonialist enslvement which provokes this admonition. It was a man who witnessed tortures and murders in Algeria who would write "When I search for Man in the technique and style of Europe, I see only a succession of negations of man, and an avalanche of murders." But America never suffered such atrocities at the hands of Europeans. Well...native Americans experienced atrocities at the hands of British settlers in Virginia and Hew England. At the hand of the Spaniards in Central and South America. And I am a descendant of Africns forcibly deported here by European slave traders. But most white Americans have not experienced atrocities at European hands. Yet much of white American sways between celebrating Europe as the apex of civilization, and disdaining her as corrupt, effete, gay, godless, Commie, immoral, etc. I'm wondering if this isn't some form of schizophrenia.  (4 hrs ago | post #1052)

African-American

HATING EUROPE? Do American Whites Despise their Ancestral Homeland?

I could be wrong but I doubt that India is on the way to becoming and empire. Of if she does, then it might be of some good if she and China kept each other in check. But at present, China seems to have greater prospects of becoming and empire...though I'm not sure on what scale.  (4 hrs ago | post #1050)

African-American

EUROPE: How do YOU view AMERICANS?

Progressive white people, or even just decent and intelligent ones who reject white racism and white privilege, are regarded by OhREallyStupid as pansies, white self-hating race traitors, etc. And while he has probably not read a single book or article by an Afrocentrist writer, he imagines that I'm an Afrocentrist. Espece d'idiot!  (4 hrs ago | post #558)

African-American

EUROPE: How do YOU view AMERICANS?

Are you a Swedish person?  (5 hrs ago | post #556)

African-American

EUROPE: How do YOU view AMERICANS?

I'm a little reluctant to make generalizations about what Americans think of the British. Also, attitudes toward UK varies over time. Probably today, Britain is largely seen as America's closest ally in foreign policy matters. Some American intellectuals are Anglophiles. They even used to wear tweed suits in imitation of the British (or what they thought was British). Such Americans may see Britain as the apex of Western culture. Some Americans see Britishers as stuck up, and socially distant.Almost aristocratic. One colleague of mine mentioned the experience of a friend who, on very short acquaintance with a British person,began addresssing him in the very casual way we Americans often do. Now we see this as being friendly. The British person then replied: "I beg your pardon, sir. But have we been INTRODUCED?" Our casualness, which we see as being friendly, may be seen as off putting to many Britishers or other Europeans. To some Americans, British manners of speech may seem classy or aristocratic as well. If you've ever seen the 1960 movie SPARTACUS, you might notice that the slaveowning Roman nobles are played by British actors, and the slaves are mainly played by American actors. Probably this was because the British "KIng's English" sounds more like what the producers imagine a Roman noble would sound like. of course, there other British dialects besides that....but, that is what the producers preferred. Now that's is just some things off the top of my head. Another American might very well give you a different picture of how Americans view Britishers. On the whole, there is probably a higher opinion of the British (at least in some quarters) then of other Europeans.  (5 hrs ago | post #555)

African-American

EUROPE: How do YOU view AMERICANS?

In fact, my post was DIRECTLY to you and what you said. But I questioned the accuracy of what you said. Try READING it.  (5 hrs ago | post #553)

African-American

EUROPE: How do YOU view AMERICANS?

Oh no. Max has crafted at least one stupid hate thread against me, as has OhReallyStupid. But any attack on white racists? From Max? Don't hold your breath. I've not made any thread against anybody, but I challenge them--black, white, Asian or whoever--when they talk BS. Hence there are both blacks and whites whom I respect, and others whom I disdain. and interestingly eoough, both black and trolls often prove to have more in common with each other than with more openminded and humanistic blacks and whites. I've seen OhreallyStupid, Max Azzhole and REalFruitcake, operating on the same team to trash Donivan (really cool white cat from Bmore), myself and others. Coincidence? Sure: when I start believing in the tooth fairy.  (5 hrs ago | post #552)

African-American

EUROPE: How do YOU view AMERICANS?

I'm not so sure that America was unwanted during WWII. Probably most French and British were not unhappy to see America fighting against the Nazis. America's role after the defeat of Nazism may have been a different matter. And, of course, WWI was a different matter also.  (5 hrs ago | post #547)

African-American

EUROPE: How do YOU view AMERICANS?

This dimwitted buffoon doesn't even know that the post that he's replying to was directed toward Max.  (5 hrs ago | post #544)

African-American

EUROPE: How do YOU view AMERICANS?

So, in your opinion there is mutual misunderstanding between Americans and Europeans? Or at least between Americans and Britishers?  (5 hrs ago | post #542)

African-American

EUROPE: How do YOU view AMERICANS?

Keep in mind tht while there are Americans who support the bullying imperial projects of our rulers, there are many of us who oppose. In short, the jury is still out on the meaning of America.  (5 hrs ago | post #541)