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I guess the whole question hinges on what one considers "America's identity." If it's nothing more than a collection of tastes, interests, or fashions, it's doomed, because all those things are subject to change, and none defines us as a nation.
Hunting and BBQ, art museums and a night at the opera, hot dogs at Yankee stadium and crawfish etouffee in New Orleans, Chinese food and tacos and pizza, Amish women in long skirts, girls in bikinis at the beach, and yes, women wearing hijab, are all part of our identity. But our identity is so much more than any one of those things: it's our ability and willingness to accept the part of America that is not part of our own experience. America, and its identity, is as broad and vast as the land between the oceans, and as diverse as the people within its boundaries. We will only lose our identity when we try to limit it to the familiar.
What, precisely, are you proposing as a solution to the problem? What do you mean when you say "the same people?" A reply free of insults and swearing would be deeply appreciated.
The world is carved into "Nation-States". A Nation is a "tribe". European countries are for the most-part, just ethno-national states, reflecting basically tribal boundaries.
If you were to go back a few decades, pretty much every European country was nearly 100% homogeneous. Immigration is destabilizing those countries.
So the question is, "Why does immigration exist?" Why did America ever let in immigrants to begin with? Because we're so nice?
Immigration exists today, for the same reason it has always existed. Primarily, cheap labor.
The United States was never really an ethno-national state. Though in its early years, the individual states were largely autonomous, decentralized, and were de-facto ethno-national in character. This continued until the mid-1800's, when there was a sudden flood of Irish immigrants to work in the factories, which caused many Americans to form an anti-immigration party, called the "Know-nothings".
While America brought in immigrants for cheap labor in our fast-growing industry, there was a lot of xenophobia and pressure to assimilate. But American industry continued to grow heavily throughout the late 1800's, into the early 1900's. With growing hostility towards immigrants, until 1924, when immigration was more-or-less shut down entirely.
From then until 1965, there was almost no immigration. And it was over that period of time, especially as a result of WWII, that America became something like an ethno-national state.
As Charles Murray said in his book, "We used to talk of the American way-of-life, and people knew what you were talking about. But what does it mean now?"
This is a very good video to watch to understand what I'm talking about.
America seems to be ripping itself apart. Globalism is trying to replace nationalism, and it is failing.
I think you've got your head in the sand.
I don't think there is any way to save this country, because everyone seems to be heading in opposite directions. And I think you already know what I want to do, but you would never agree with me, so why bother?
"If you lose your identity," Lawrence said, "What are we? We're not a country anymore."
I'm actually disappointed it wasn't higher. You people disappoint me.
Well, yeah. Isn't that obvious.
See, most people attribute some meaningless crap to "being an American." It doesn't mean owning a gun, going to church, protesting, or whatever. America's founding principles is, in my mind, not terribly complicated. How was political life to be structured according to the founding fathers. Well, 1) it had to be free and open, which is no longer is (as evident by the fact that when people read this, those on the right will blame the left and those on the left will blame the right) and 2) it was meant to be bottom up. Now, that's not me saying the federal government is evil, but saying that most people don't know who their mayor is.
There's was a time (and I'm far too young to remember it) when political discussion was not a national thing. You talked more about what your state government was up to than your federal government. And people knew what was going on in their city government and cared about it. But that changed with mass media. For a while it wasn't a problem. Newspapers stuck with local issues while radio covered a larger scale. TV showed up and you got a mix. Now, most news (including even local channels) largely only concern themselves with national political issues. CNN and Fox don't care what's happening in Nashville and neither should you. Let's talk about Washington or a civil war in Syria.
America was a republic of republics. Now, it's barely just a republic. I think America lost it's identity when we stopped being informed and people stopped mattering.
Location: Born & Raised DC > Carolinas > Seattle > Denver
9,338 posts, read 7,110,408 times
Reputation: 9487
Quote:
Originally Posted by NY_refugee87
Know what makes America great?
Guns
Fireworks
Trucks
Beer
Bikinis
Quads dirtbikes jetskis snowmobiles boats Harleys
Beaches
Back roads
Mountains
Race cars (be it drag racing, dirt oval, asphalt oval, auto cross, road courses whatever)
Building stuff
Bon Fires
Fishing
Hunting
Growing crops
BBQs
(All things fun and great that most libs despise for it may offend, objectify, harm the environment, or pose a risk to someones health/life for we should all live in sterile safe bubbles)
I feel bad for people stuck in cities and the city
There is so much comedy in this post, thank you for the laugh
That's kind of a broad statement. I don't like it thrown in my face out in public. For example I find it offensive seeing women out in public with their faces and bodies entirely covered or them walking way behind their husbands as if they aren't worth anything and are lesser human beings. It reeks of what our nation does not represent and that is freedom. Now some may call it religious freedom but it isn't something I want to see out in public nor do I embrace that. That's just one example of offensive things in public but I'll just leave it at that.
So, let me see. You want to liberate these women by telling them they must abandon their traditional dress in favor of more Western attire, because the sight of them offends you, and requiring them to do so would make them more free?
The world is carved into "Nation-States". A Nation is a "tribe". European countries are for the most-part, just ethno-national states, reflecting basically tribal boundaries.
If you were to go back a few decades, pretty much every European country was nearly 100% homogeneous. Immigration is destabilizing those countries.
So the question is, "Why does immigration exist?" Why did America ever let in immigrants to begin with? Because we're so nice?
Immigration exists today, for the same reason it has always existed. Primarily, cheap labor.
The United States was never really an ethno-national state. Though in its early years, the individual states were largely autonomous, decentralized, and were de-facto ethno-national in character. This continued until the mid-1800's, when there was a sudden flood of Irish immigrants to work in the factories, which caused many Americans to form an anti-immigration party, called the "Know-nothings".
While America brought in immigrants for cheap labor in our fast-growing industry, there was a lot of xenophobia and pressure to assimilate. But American industry continued to grow heavily throughout the late 1800's, into the early 1900's. With growing hostility towards immigrants, until 1924, when immigration was more-or-less shut down entirely.
From then until 1965, there was almost no immigration. And it was over that period of time, especially as a result of WWII, that America became something like an ethno-national state.
As Charles Murray said in his book, "We used to talk of the American way-of-life, and people knew what you were talking about. But what does it mean now?"
This is a very good video to watch to understand what I'm talking about.
America seems to be ripping itself apart. Globalism is trying to replace nationalism, and it is failing.
I think you've got your head in the sand.
I don't think there is any way to save this country, because everyone seems to be heading in opposite directions. And I think you already know what I want to do, but you would never agree with me, so why bother?
Actually, no. Breaking up the country, willingly or by force? Simply leaving, something I have actually considered?
I am still unclear about your goals and your beliefs. Do you dislike immigrants and immigration, because they threaten the "American" identity, or do you dislike the degree of intolerance we, as a nation, have shown in the past? The minute I think I have a handle on what you really believe, you say something that seems entirely contrary to what I thought I had learned.
So yeah, as you clearly already think me a fool, humor me and spell out your solution.
No we aren't losing our identity,we do need to stand up together for what is right. Learn that we are in it together Republicans and Democrats,that we aren't just that....we are more... Americans....The Strong and Hopeful. Unity will set us apart from the world. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...lNoEzZfSsvZg9Q
Let me add, most of the people you mentioned here, don't want anything to do with each other. The Amish want to live as far away from us as possible, they fight with the government all the time, and they don't even vote.
A large portion of this country would love to get a deportation force to throw out probably tens of millions of Hispanics, Muslims, among others(including liberals). Lets not even discuss the racists.
Something like 25% of the population wants their state to secede from the union.
This rosy picture you painted, ain't reality.
When someone says they love America, they love their own backyard, and not much more than that.
A large portion of the population have never even left their state. They have no love for this country. They don't even know what this country is.
Not true here.
I don't care what color or religion you practice.
If you want to ride quads and dirtbikes, raise hell, shoot guns, race stock cars, go snow boarding, jetskiing, water tubing/wake boarding, go hunting, fishing, blow stuff up with fireworks, build hot rods, you're welcome to my frige full of 34° beer any day. We can be best friends.
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