I think we just need to drop this, because it's classic Korzybski Semantics ocurring here. We're both looking at the same apple and we aren't seeing the same apple.
On this site, plenty of people put things in their profile that aren't true. Perhaps it's to preserve some secrets just for close friends or just to fuck around with the minds of the casual visitor.
I regret opening my mouth in an effort to be funny. It was totally misinterpreted. And it was based on my own erroneous assumptions and misinterpretations.
I was just being an insensitive twat on the assumption that there was no serious background to the german references. Then the Leiderhosen subject came up and my assumptions were turned upside-down. Caught off-guard. There is nothing more to it. I was insensitive. I'm sorry.
***
After realising that I WASN'T connecting like I thought I was, that my personal...how do I express this...'instruments' for gauging personality and responses were totally not working with you, I decided that I'd better get to know you a little better before I add your name again.
I didn't expect to be talking to you again actually. So I took your name down. Just like I fully expected my short discussion with Lux to terminate once we had said our piece and I never put her name up at all. And it has, so far. Your name was up because what you say is interesting to me and different from me. If I had never mentioned Germany and the Leiderhosen, I expected the exchange of posts to die down but I'd have your name up to check in on what you said now and then, not necessarily to post anymore. You're frankly an enigma to me and I connect with you not at all on any level and that makes me intensely curious why. We speak english to each other but it's like two foreign fucking languages sometimes. But if I'm stepping on toes and it just gets ugly trying to find common ground, then it's not worth it and I back off. There are a million other people in the world I can try to get to know.
You're a strong personality. You know who you're friends are. Why would my removing your name be such a big deal to you from a guy you have no idea about?
***
RE: Reform
I've read about the white slave trade as well and yes, the impression from the literature is that the white slave trade has never been bigger. Sex slaves, young girls lured by jobs out for the poor Eastern European countries and Russia. It's horrible stuff. Also young women from Nepal, Tibet, India, Cambodia and other parts of Asia.
Unless of course, I've completely misinterpreted you again, so I'll go put your name up and remove it again from my list...
I had to go away and think on this a bit. You don't think how I think, you don't see things the way I see things. SO that makes me think harder on how to phrase it as close to your own language as possible so you don't read into things that don't exist, yet can still call on me on bad assumptions or data I have used.
When I speak of reforms, I speak of less of 'direct-money-in-the-hand' assistance. This is what those 'reperations leaflets' sound like. That's the assumption I'm playing with. I don't know what assumption you are playing with. SO right from the start, there is a possibility all my arguments are for naught.
Anyway: The management of money, and the wisdom of how best to make that money work for everyone seems to be rare as a natural gift, and the person you're giving the money to, is more likely to just blow it all on immediate, short-term pleasures. But that is not a race thing, ALL humans are guilty of this at some time in their lives.
I was thinking more of how educational investment was being done. Or how public development was being done.
I remember reading an issue of New Scientist. It is a British science periodical, and it is one the best science magazines I've read. They had an issue dealing with ethnicity in Science. Since this discussion was started by your own comment on a leaflet profiting from black slavery, this piece of information floated to the top.
The various articles discussed the lack of representation in scientific circles by blacks but most specifically by AMERICAN and BRITISH blacks, the segment of the population the issue focused on. Ambitious mainland African men and women have put out a steady stream of doctors, lawyers and teachers. Perhaps their own troubled lives and nations provide the impetus to do something about their situation. SOme use their degree as a ticket OUT of their country, others use their degree to help their country.
They mentioned how the analogues for success in the American and British black communities are limited to just two overblown types: Entertainer and Athlete. Either you rap or you run-jump-punch for 'true success'. Which is unbelievably unrealistic. Imagine trying to get a young black kid from a poor D.C. borough interested in a good job researching DNA that will nurture his mind while being bombarded 24/7 by the lifestyles on MTV Cribs and the NBA, drugs and guns and frankly, a shit school. It's really stereotypical, I know, but it makes sense.
So how does this tie in to reform? Well, to skip to the point. When I mention reform, it sounds like I'm thinking the 'big-evil-WHITE-gov't' needs to change a few things. Well sure, it needs that anyway, for more than just the race/slavery issue and not because of it.
But it also was aimed at their own situation. A reform in ideas, choices and the infrastructure to support it.
***
RE: My German Thing
I think we just need to drop this, because it's classic Korzybski Semantics ocurring here. We're both looking at the same apple and we aren't seeing the same apple.
On this site, plenty of people put things in their profile that aren't true. Perhaps it's to preserve some secrets just for close friends or just to fuck around with the minds of the casual visitor.
I regret opening my mouth in an effort to be funny. It was totally misinterpreted. And it was based on my own erroneous assumptions and misinterpretations.
I was just being an insensitive twat on the assumption that there was no serious background to the german references. Then the Leiderhosen subject came up and my assumptions were turned upside-down. Caught off-guard. There is nothing more to it. I was insensitive. I'm sorry.
***
After realising that I WASN'T connecting like I thought I was, that my personal...how do I express this...'instruments' for gauging personality and responses were totally not working with you, I decided that I'd better get to know you a little better before I add your name again.
I didn't expect to be talking to you again actually. So I took your name down. Just like I fully expected my short discussion with Lux to terminate once we had said our piece and I never put her name up at all. And it has, so far. Your name was up because what you say is interesting to me and different from me. If I had never mentioned Germany and the Leiderhosen, I expected the exchange of posts to die down but I'd have your name up to check in on what you said now and then, not necessarily to post anymore. You're frankly an enigma to me and I connect with you not at all on any level and that makes me intensely curious why. We speak english to each other but it's like two foreign fucking languages sometimes. But if I'm stepping on toes and it just gets ugly trying to find common ground, then it's not worth it and I back off. There are a million other people in the world I can try to get to know.
You're a strong personality. You know who you're friends are. Why would my removing your name be such a big deal to you from a guy you have no idea about?
***
RE: Reform
I've read about the white slave trade as well and yes, the impression from the literature is that the white slave trade has never been bigger. Sex slaves, young girls lured by jobs out for the poor Eastern European countries and Russia. It's horrible stuff. Also young women from Nepal, Tibet, India, Cambodia and other parts of Asia.
Unless of course, I've completely misinterpreted you again, so I'll go put your name up and remove it again from my list...
[Edited on Aug 20, 2003]