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Nope, but met loads of them in the Netherlands and their actions speak for themselves... they beahave just the same like White Dutch people - they are "direct" (read "rude" and "cold") to you, but somehow dislike it when you return them the favor.
On the other hand I rarely get into their games, I am eager to please people, not someone that is rude or something...so I get hurt a lot when I am treated like that. I got smirks, the evil eye or passive-aggressive remarks daily. Many people pushed me around physically like overstepping my boundaries. I've never felt so oppressed in my life. For this reason now I avoid even looking at Dutch, Germanic, etc. people anymore, I really avoid looking at their way, I go past them like they're not there on the streets or in stores, avoiding them. Mind you I AM never rude about it, I just don't communicate with White people from Germanic-speaking countries. And it's not just me, I even know a guy from Italy that does the same. I feel much better sticking to non-Germanic expats.
I think it's not their genes but their culture, as Germanic Americans are very nice and friendly usually. So not some warrior, viking/Germanic gene haha. I guess their cultures need to be changed and made more like the one of the USA where people in general are friendlier and positive rather than negative. Or become more like Italy, Spain, or if you want colder-climate examples Hungary or Czech Republic where people are friendlier. It's funny how with so many Muslims and Turkish people in the Netherlands the White Dutch haven't learned anything from their values for example and being friendly, soft-spoken, be laid-back with time matters and not brassy and OTT bossy, what gives?!
America is great BECAUSE it embraces ALL values and usually treats everyone with dignity and respect. In the Netherlands they say "Doe normaal" - Be Normal, which is the only way is the White Dutch one. Instead, they should embrace some Mediterranean/Eastern values.
It's about how EE is looked down upon and some Americans saying things like "white guilt" are universal.
The only place an EE/CE is really accepted is in EE/CE or the USA and Canada maybe. Save for the "white guilt" issues sometimes arising like Yourgermanicanish said. I mean I bet there are very ignorant people in the USA thinking all white people are the same (i.e. they see them as having slave owners ancestry). This is ignorant and stupid. How is a white Bulgarian or Czech to blame for what the Dutch, the UK, etc. people did some eras ago? Heck, even descendants of colonial people are not to blame for the past IMO.
Not sure about Latin America and Australia/NZ. But UK, France, all the Germanic-speaking countries like BeNeLux, Germany, Scandinavia... dislike EEs and are very openly xenophobic.
Some people may be (like anywhere) but most people in these countries aren't openly xenophobic.
I think most people know that only a few European countries had long-term and large-scale colonies. The OP seems to have a lot of weird and false assumptions about Western Europeans.
Ah, thank you.
OP, who is pushing "white guilt" on you? Where did you get this idea? Reading too many blogs, perhaps? Most Bulgarians have never heard of such a thing.
I'm sorry you've run into negative attitudes towards Balkan countries in Western Europe. But the reason "Westerners" feel superior to E Europeans is simply because those countries were such backwaters under Soviet influence. They failed to develop economically, much, and to modernize. Although, personally, I think the traditional village life that's been preserved is part of the charm of those countries.
The difference with the USA is that the USA embraces everyone usually.
European Germanic societies are inflexible however. They say conform or else. So you basically have to dress like the (White) majority, to like the things they like, etc., to be tense, rude and brassy (In Bulgaria we DO have some brassy/manly females but in the Netherlands that unladylike-like behavior is the norm. Well you can be empowered and modern without behaving like a butch lesbian haha) That's crazy. One would think they would become more like the immigrants - starting to value their relatives more, families becoming closer, parents not kicking out their children at 16, etc. Sure, it's good that they accept LGTB people, but apart from that they seem very cold, they don't value their extended family, grandparents rarely get to see their grandchildren, everyone needs an appointment for everything, etc. Too sterile, too impersonal a society. USA at least has more small talk and general friendliness, but go to a Dutch bus stop - no strangers will talk to you at all or if they do it will be very short. In the USA there's more small talk b/w strangers and usually it goes into friend-making. In Turkey a driver might offer you to sleep in their house and give you food. Not so in Germany, the NL, etc. The things that make us believe in humanity, you know?
This thread is not about white guilt anymore. It is how the OP is treated sooooooo horribly and given the "evil eye" while labeling all Germanic cultures as awful.
When hitchhiking in Turkey one would expect the driver to offer them food or even a dinner with their family. When in Bulgaria, people often small talk all the time with strangers on bus stops. Not so in the Netherlands and I bet it's the same in Finland and Germany. Can't you see what's wrong with those societies? Why can't they have both liberalism, LGBT rights AND be friendly to strangers, invite them to parties/dinners, open to small talk with strangers on the bus stop or shop, etc.? Even in the USA you get people talking on grocery store lines all the time and some great friendships are born that way. In the Netherlands people in the line never share more than a word or two and that's it.
No one in the Netherlands comes to me for small talk or to try to help me with directions, etc. like they would do in some other countries. Heck, you can be passing out without food and water and they will avoid you. I guess Spain showcases that you can have friendly people AND be generally well-off financially. Same for Ireland.
Should the Japanese who visit Hawaii and the Arizona memorial have guilt about the attack ? Should modern Germans have guilt over the crimes committed against the Jews, poles and others ?
Should modern day Mongols have guilt over the numerous slaughters perpetuated by their national hero Ghengis Khan ?
Should all modern man feel guilt that we wiped out the Neanderthals that came before us ?
Haha, Mongols--guilt? They're too busy reviving their pride in the Great Khan, now that the Russians are gone. Well, from outer Mongolia, anyway. They're still very much around in the Mongol regions of Russia. But guilt on a national scale is an alien concept to Mongols.
Nope, but met loads of them in the Netherlands and their actions speak for themselves... they beahave just the same like White Dutch people - they are "direct" (read "rude" and "cold") to you, but somehow dislike it when you return them the favor.
On the other hand I rarely get into their games, I am eager to please people, not someone that is rude or something...so I get hurt a lot when I am treated like that. I got smirks, the evil eye or passive-aggressive remarks daily. Many people pushed me around physically like overstepping my boundaries. I've never felt so oppressed in my life. For this reason now I avoid even looking at Dutch, Germanic, etc. people anymore, I really avoid looking at their way, I go past them like they're not there on the streets or in stores, avoiding them. Mind you I AM never rude about it, I just don't communicate with White people from Germanic-speaking countries. And it's not just me, I even know a guy from Italy that does the same. I feel much better sticking to non-Germanic expats.
I think it's not their genes but their culture, as Germanic Americans are very nice and friendly usually. So not some warrior, viking/Germanic gene haha. I guess their cultures need to be changed and made more like the one of the USA where people in general are friendlier and positive rather than negative. Or become more like Italy, Spain, or if you want colder-climate examples Hungary or Czech Republic where people are friendlier. It's funny how with so many Muslims and Turkish people in the Netherlands the White Dutch haven't learned anything from their values for example and being friendly, soft-spoken, be laid-back with time matters and not brassy and OTT bossy, what gives?!
America is great BECAUSE it embraces ALL values and usually treats everyone with dignity and respect. In the Netherlands they say "Doe normaal" - Be Normal, which is the only way is the White Dutch one. Instead, they should embrace some Mediterranean/Eastern values.
Not even Irene during her period can come up witch such idiotic and ignorant assumptions.
I'm gonna report this thread. It's completely pointless.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jakeryan
When hitchhiking in Turkey one would expect the driver to offer them food or even a dinner with their family. When in Bulgaria, people often small talk all the time with strangers on bus stops. Not so in the Netherlands and I bet it's the same in Finland and Germany. Can't you see what's wrong with those societies?
When hitchhiking in Turkey one would expect the driver to offer them food or even a dinner with their family. When in Bulgaria, people often small talk all the time with strangers on bus stops. Not so in the Netherlands and I bet it's the same in Finland and Germany. Can't you see what's wrong with those societies? Why can't they have both liberalism, LGBT rights AND be friendly to strangers, invite them to parties/dinners, open to small talk with strangers on the bus stop or shop, etc.? Even in the USA you get people talking on grocery store lines all the time and some great friendships are born that way. In the Netherlands people in the line never share more than a word or two and that's it.
No one in the Netherlands comes to me for small talk or to try to help me with directions, etc. like they would do in some other countries. Heck, you can be passing out without food and water and they will avoid you. I guess Spain showcases that you can have friendly people AND be generally well-off financially. Same for Ireland.
Because they're not Slavs or Latins, OP. Or Turks. It sounds like you've been going through culture shock.
And look, since you're comparing everything to the US; generic Americans tend to be friendly on a more superficial level. Many don't really know the true meaning of friendship. In the Slavic world, being a friend means you stick with someone through thick and thin, you help out when needed, you're supportive through troubled times, and share the good times together. Many Americans don't get that deeply involved with people. In fact, many don't really have time for that type of friendship. Friendship takes a certain time commitment.
There's no custom, for example, of going visiting, of dropping in on friends to share tea and a good conversation. This is part of normal daily or weekly life in Russia and E Europe, but not in the US. Nowadays, people don't even telephone each other to chat, which used to be quite a thing back in the last century. Nowadays, people only email or text each other. They're isolating themselves more and more from human contact.
Last edited by Ruth4Truth; 12-01-2016 at 09:19 AM..
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