Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id AAA06420 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Fri, 10 May 2002 00:08:14 +0100 X-Originating-IP: [67.248.27.177] From: "Grant Callaghan" <grantc4@hotmail.com> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: Fw: future language Date: Thu, 09 May 2002 16:02:32 -0700 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Message-ID: <LAW2-F1145Rw1SSfWXW0000215d@hotmail.com> X-OriginalArrivalTime: 09 May 2002 23:02:33.0036 (UTC) FILETIME=[9A2148C0:01C1F7AD] Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>Subject: Fw: future language
>Date: Thu, 9 May 2002 21:45:00 +0200
>
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: Scott Chase <ecphoric@hotmail.com>
> > > Well, to make some crucial qualifiers to what I've said about
>diversity
> > > preservation, I'd not lament the loss of cultural practices like
>female
> > > circumcision, cannabilism, honor crimes or others of that
>reprehensible
> > ilk.
> > > Here in the U.S. we've managed to eliminate some of our more
>reprehensible
> > > practices and institutions like slavery and added a couple good ones
>like
> > > women's suffrage and civil rights though patriarchy and racism have a
>ways
> > > to go before going extinct. Good riddance when (or if) they do.
> > >
> > > But, I still think there's a lot to be learned and even more reasons
>for
> > the
> > > maximization of diversity, as long as said diversity doesn't involve
>the
> > > violation of basic human rights.
> > >
> > > Hi Scott,
> > >
> > > I think you are in the wrong here concerning that it is a good point
>to
> > get
> > > rid of racism or whatever is being seen as " wrong " out there !
> > >
> > > Don 't get me wrong me, though, I recognise that racism is no good at
> > > all, but you can 't just eliminate it by making up laws ordering
>people
>to
> > > do so_ that implies, involves the violation of basic human rights !
> > > If, racism has a genetical or for that reason a memetical bias you
>just
> > > can 't forbid people to be racistic, it won 't work !
> > > If you do, you set up people against their inner themselves and that
>is
> > > in my book perversive to the extreme.
> > >
> > > In my country, Belgium, it is by law forbidden to express oneself as
>to
> > > be anti-semitic, we have a few anti- racistic laws to, even a centrum
> > > for equality and human rights. All for the best, I know and I presume
>it
> > > is, but try to understand what went on in our minds in the period of
>the
> > > Israel- Palestinian clashes. Pro- Palestinian demonstrations were beat
> > > up, basically due to the anti- racistic anti- semitic laws, where do
>you
> > > think my basic human freedom to protest was !?
> > >
> > > What Israel did played up my emotions and there was no platform, no
> > > public forum avaible left to express mine and our feelings !
> > > Do you think that is good or right ! I don 't !
> > > And concerning this thread, banning racism as a word can 't bann the
> > > fact of it !
> > >
> > > Regards,
> > >
> > > Kenneth
> > >
I think there is a lot of misunderstanding about the use of the term racism.
People of different cultures have natural preferences that favor their own
culture that have nothing to do with race and everything to do with the
memes they have inherited in the form of language and religion and who is
good and who is bad. People who don't understand our language and customs
are thought of as barbarians in almost every culture I have encountrered in
the world. But from a racial point of view, what are the racially
distinguishing features of protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland?
What racial features separate Serbs and Croats? How are the Flemmish
racially different from the French? And yet you have the same hatreds and
prejudice between each of these groups as you have between black and white
or Asian and black. The mainstream Japanese are prejudiced against the
Ainu, the Hindu is prejudiced against the Muslim, and the Hindus themselves
are diveded into castes that act toward each other the same way whites act
toward blacks in South Africa. People will always find ways to look down
their noses at other groups and divide themselves into people and
barbarians. It is a fact of human nature and I have no doubt that it is
genetically built into us because it is so universal among the human race.
I don't know of a single culture that doesn't have some other culture it can
look down upon. And usually, race has little or nothing to do with the
feeling. Culture is by far the most divisive feature of war and separation.
We often refer to that as racism, but it's not. It's cultural division
and plain old human nature and not likely to be legislated out of existence.
Grant
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