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You're excused. The point is, those 'British' (?) who started the ball rolling here..(mainly because they were sick of Britain), were an odd bunch. They specifically set out to include OTHERS, ("all men", etc), in their society, though this would mean they'd have to 'share'. They had some problem accepting 'others', and some problems with racial intolerance...at a time in history when MOST societies had no racial minorities at all, and when any sort of 'tolerance' was an alien concept. They preached 'self-rule', when 99% of the human race was ruled by brute force from above, with a small dose of 'sheer terror' thrown in for added effect.
They had slavery..then suffered an attack of conscience and abolished it. They invited people from all over the world, asking in return just an assimilation of a few common 'core values'. This was MOSTLY done on the 'honor system', rather than required by law. These 'early founders' simply assumed that those who came here would be grateful and happy, and would WANT to 'fit in' on their own. For many decades, it worked. We all became 'one', and we built the world's leading democracy.
Now it appears that that 'honor system' is being called into question. People want to come here and enjoy the 'perks', but want to live and act as if they were back home.
It would be well to remember that if we all 'acted' like back home...our society would BE LIKE 'back home'.....and I thought the reason we came here was to NOT end up like the folks 'back home'. Isn't the sorry condition of 'back home' one of the main reasons we left?
Guess I'm missing something here....
'
precisely my point...there WOULD BE NO OPEN ACCEPTANCE of multiple cultures had there not explicitly been a provision for such included by [u guessed it] non other than the oft vilified Britains. There were some (MANY) atrocities committed at the hands of the British, but one thing that any one must return to is the fact that they were also the ones who sought to establish a nation of equality. THEY did, not the Spanish, not the French, not anyone else during exploration. People can vilify the Anglo/British (deal with it) culture all they want. But they cannot say that that very same culture did not enable us all to live freely and in a nation of equality. And that is the very ethos of this nation imo.
I think it sad that govt. must enforce our underlying culture and value system, simply because the honor system is being dishonored by new age immigrants. As you stated, if we ALL act like back home, we would be in WW3...Can anyone imagine how this country would be if we accepted the Russian culture's intolerance of the Asian or black race?
Doh!..That flew right over my head (not surprising, eh?), and I knew that Macmeal usually makes terrific points and I always catch his sarcasm, and frequently find myself repping him. Which is why I was awaiting his enlightenment on the issue. I figured that if anyone could sate my thirst for enlightenment on settlement patterns it would be him...lol
You'll have to join everyone else here macmeal in excusing my ignorance
Solytaire, You are far from ignorant.....
Macmeal has his ways and words, and I'm still trying to "catch up " to him....
Macmeal has his ways and words, and I'm still trying to "catch up " to him....
He is on "our side" ....
I think.....
thanks borderlord...he can be quite clever with his expressions at times, but where ive had a lapse in intellect, I try to compensate by knowing that in the end, he shares the common sense approach to the enforcement of illegal immigration that more of our compatriots need to adopt.
thanks borderlord...he can be quite clever with his expressions at times, but where ive had a lapse in intellect, I try to compensate by knowing that in the end, he shares the common sense approach to the enforcement of illegal immigration that more of our compatriots need to adopt.
precisely my point...there WOULD BE NO OPEN ACCEPTANCE of multiple cultures had there not explicitly been a provision for such included by [u guessed it] non other than the oft vilified Britains. There were some (MANY) atrocities committed at the hands of the British, but one thing that any one must return to is the fact that they were also the ones who sought to establish a nation of equality. THEY did, not the Spanish, not the French, not anyone else during exploration. People can vilify the Anglo/British (deal with it) culture all they want. But they cannot say that that very same culture did not enable us all to live freely and in a nation of equality. And that is the very ethos of this nation imo.
I think it sad that govt. must enforce our underlying culture and value system, simply because the honor system is being dishonored by new age immigrants. As you stated, if we ALL act like back home, we would be in WW3...Can anyone imagine how this country would be if we accepted the Russian culture's intolerance of the Asian or black race?
Yes....it DOES make a difference whether one settles his arguments by a stinging letter to the editor, or perhaps a lawsuit.....or decides to hack his neighbor to pieces with a machete, or to burn his house down. Whether an outgoing President leaves with a handshake...or is dragged from his house by an enraged mob of the 'opposition'....does, I think, make a lot of difference. There are all SORTS of ways of 'dealing with things', in many societies...but not all of them are ways we'd want to see happen here, in my opinion. On the whole, I trust our system over most others. That, of course, is only a generalization.
after reading all the thread... wow mach, riverfan, 1guy, et al! you guys really shut them down. good job.
i think the topic is done.
keep it up 1guy and mach. always a pleasure reading your posts. highly intelligent and informative. and not just in comparison to the fruits and nuts we find in this forum.
OK..still friends. However, I have to ask...WHY is it, do you suppose, that these diverse people you mention (above), manage to 'get along' here in the US, when they might NOT have gotten along elsewhere? It's not the water; it's not the air; it's not the climate. Must be 'the system', it seems to me....and that system was not designed by YOUR ancestors, nor by mine...nor by Mr. Herrera's....and he and I both recognize that fact, and both Mr. Herrera, and I....(and I believe you, too, and all those diverse folks you mention) are now able to live peacefully and happily here, because of that 'system' that was invented and made into law....by a certain group of "you-know-who", whose language HAPPENED to be English. WHY this works, I don't know...but it does, and Mr. Herrera recognizes that, and so do I, and I believe, so do you. MY ancestors certainly never came up with a 'system' like this, but I'm glad someone did.
The reason is economics actually. The system really started during hte 1600s with Descartes, Hobbes, Locke, and Hume. Not to mention Spinoza (though more on religion, his thoughts were consistent to the times). This time period with philosphers all over Europe led to US, Republican France, Haiti (a tad later, but the same premise), and the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth...among others. So as you can see, our foundings were not uniquely Anglo. Other cultures had the same idea.
What's interesting to note is that the idea of Hispanic culture being non-Western is a VERY new construct. This came with the neocolonist attitude in the 1800s. Which is why the enlightenment also touched the Latin American independence movement. The same principles and philosphies used to justify the United State's independence were used to justify Latin America's independence.
AS for the food, as I said, I don't care. I can eat any kind of food I want...and often do. So do you. But FOOD isn't what I'm referring to in speaking of basic culture. Our basic culture of 'openness' and inclusiveness is what makes it possible for you and I to be ourselves, and not worry about being killed or our homes being burned down because we're 'different'.
Your idea of lack of openness of other cultures is VERY flawed. MOST cultures and nations are quite open. Ours nation being an "open" nation is also relatively new. For much of our existence we killed native Americans. We had slaves. We didn't allow Hispanics and Asians the ability to live where they wanted. We had internment camps for Asians. Some people were worried about "being killed or our (their) homes being burned down because they were different".
There really seems to be a reading comprehension problem by some in here. All I have said is that we have a BASIC culture and it is and has been based on White European culture mostly from British roots. That wasn't to imply that we have a homogenous anglo culture just that it is the basics of our culture. I am done trying to explain the obvious to some in here.
If you can't explain the obvious, it may be because it's not so obvious. Meaning that quite possibly there are many distinct cultures within the US that have more complex interactions than what is stated by many posters.
If you can't explain the obvious, it may be because it's not so obvious. Meaning that quite possibly there are many distinct cultures within the US that have more complex interactions than what is stated by many posters.
One unifying factor here in the USA is not only the English language but; that legal immigrants adopt their ancestral culture to our dominant WASP one-------------not the other way around*. Which includes quite a few Latinos coming out against illegal immigration because it is very insulting to those Hispanic folks who played by the rules.
*I am not referring to certain types of food, music, dress etc. but, the Rule of Law in particular.
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Doh!..That flew right over my head (not surprising, eh?), and I knew that Macmeal usually makes terrific points and I always catch his sarcasm, and frequently find myself repping him. Which is why I was awaiting his enlightenment on the issue. I figured that if anyone could sate my thirst for enlightenment on settlement patterns it would be him...lol 
