Why is southern Europe so heavily favored over the north in this forum? (jobs, train)
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There is Nordicism, a.k.a. the superiority complex of people of Northern Europe over Southerners also on a racial basis, but there's no "Southicism".
Figure that out.
I think Nordicism has a historical precedent in the writings of the Roman historian, Tacitus. He praised the values and attributes of the 'noble' Germanic society vs. the 'decadant' Romans.
As far as 'Southicism', I would say it exists under the guise of the admiration and purported superiority of Classical values as seen in the Renaissance and up until today. As a majority opinion in Europe it just doesn't need a name like 'Nordicism'. It is the norm. All over these forums you see people constantly praising 'civilization' and denigrating 'barbarism' which is a tacit expression of 'Southicism'.
The contemporary country of Greece has nothing to do with it.
It has to do with the romantic fantasies/propaganda of the 18th/19th Century revolutions against European monarchies and the establishment of "democracies" and republics, starting with what became the United States and shortly thereafter France, hence the extolling of ancient Greece and Rome.
That paradigm dominated the core education system for a couple of centuries, those 'some Americans' you refer to are probably older, and that also partially explains why people, including on this forum, fantasize about living in countries like Italy and Greece, Spain and Portugal, but the reality is very often different when it comes to "putting money where your mouth is", as the saying goes.
Anyway, nowadays the Euro-centric view of history is no longer "politically correct" and is no longer taught in schools.
Just today the United States and a bunch of Pacific Rim countries signed an economic partnership agreement.
Just saying.
The fact is that Classical Greece is the cradle of western culture... and that was 1700-1800 years ago. Politically correct?
So the politically correct thing to say is that Chinese are the cradle of Western Culture?
Chinese culture indeed contributed, but not the cradle.
Last edited by pampliment; 10-05-2015 at 11:35 AM..
I think Nordicism has a historical precedent in the writings of the Roman historian, Tacitus. He praised the values and attributes of the 'noble' Germanic society vs. the 'decadant' Romans.
As far as 'Southicism', I would say it exists under the guise of the admiration and purported superiority of Classical values as seen in the Renaissance and up until today. As a majority opinion in Europe it just doesn't need a name like 'Nordicism'. It is the norm. All over these forums you see people constantly praising 'civilization' and denigrating 'barbarism' which is a tacit expression of 'Southicism'.
Nordicism, etc, etc, etc...came with Romantics.
Romanticism was the worst and more cruel cultural mouvement in Europe since it brought extreme nationalism, racism, holocaust (there were many), wars, wars, wars and gross stupidities that have torn this continent many times.
Romanticism and Reformation were plagues that quartered Europe into little territories and provoked millions of murders.
And yes.... Tacitus was a pre-romantic, according to him, Germanics had the traditional Roman "virtus"...he never set foot in Germania and he only wrote hearsay. He was just saying the same thing that Rousseau 1700 years before..."civilization corrupts human beings, blah).
Last edited by pampliment; 10-05-2015 at 11:40 AM..
Greece is the cradle of western civilization along Phoenicia, Judea, Egypt and the Hellenistic Empire.
At that time, 3.000 to 1700 years ago, most of Europe was unchartered territory with a few Greek and Phoenician "trading posts" in the Mediterranean.
Greeks called your area of the world "the hyperboreans" and there were legends that appear in mythology.
Yeah? Read the rune stones and they say "southerners are sickly idiots and Berlusconi is a c**t." You think that's a good argument?
The point being that everyone who is interested in ancient history knows Tacitus. He said "northerners are primitive losers", because they are the scripts that survive to this day. Are they the truth, no. Tacitus is as credible as someone saying in the 18th century "the n**ger is a lazy primitive ape-human incapable of civilised life".
History is created everyday thanks to archeology and ancient writings, there were other sources apart from Tacitus. Yes, there were some Romans that said something like that, but others said just the contrary.
I think Nordicism has a historical precedent in the writings of the Roman historian, Tacitus. He praised the values and attributes of the 'noble' Germanic society vs. the 'decadant' Romans.
As far as 'Southicism', I would say it exists under the guise of the admiration and purported superiority of Classical values as seen in the Renaissance and up until today. As a majority opinion in Europe it just doesn't need a name like 'Nordicism'. It is the norm. All over these forums you see people constantly praising 'civilization' and denigrating 'barbarism' which is a tacit expression of 'Southicism'.
I don't think that "southicism" (I coined a new term, didn't I?) comes with that admiration.
It's a fact that Southern Europe, historically, has given infinitely more than Northern Europe, even including in it Germany (which has an enormous historical heritage).
Just take Italy whose art, culture and historical sites are alone more than the whole Northern Europe combined.
When you take into consideration the contribution to civilisation and history, Northern Europe can't stand in any way with Italy, let alone with the whole Southern Europe.
Be it clear, this isn't because Northerners are inferior (lol it sounds strange given that the cruelest regime in history came from Germany) or stupid, obviously when Rome was flourishing, Scandinavia had probably 500,000 inhabitants overall.
Actually, the development we generally ascribe to Scandinavia is very modern: till the 1930s Sweden was a country of net emigration (like Italy), whereas now it's quite the contrary.
Be it clear again, I don't despise the contributions Northern Europe has given us, but generally in some fields (namely art, culture, historical sites, cuisine) Southern Europe reigns.
On the other hand, Northern Europe is ten times better ruled and run and I'd gladly get rid of all Italian politicians to get some Northern ones.
I don't think that "southicism" (I coined a new term, didn't I?) comes with that admiration.
It's a fact that Southern Europe, historically, has given infinitely more than Northern Europe, even including in it Germany (which has an enormous historical heritage).
Just take Italy whose art, culture and historical sites are alone more than the whole Northern Europe combined.
When you take into consideration the contribution to civilisation and history, Northern Europe can't stand in any way with Italy, let alone with the whole Southern Europe.
Be it clear, this isn't because Northerners are inferior (lol it sounds strange given that the cruelest regime in history came from Germany) or stupid, obviously when Rome was flourishing, Scandinavia had probably 500,000 inhabitants overall.
Actually, the development we generally ascribe to Scandinavia is very modern: till the 1930s Sweden was a country of net emigration (like Italy), whereas now it's quite the contrary.
Be it clear again, I don't despise the contributions Northern Europe has given us, but generally in some fields (namely art, culture, historical sites, cuisine) Southern Europe reigns.
On the other hand, Northern Europe is ten times better ruled and run and I'd gladly get rid of all Italian politicians to get some Northern ones.
Judging by pure facial features, I would say northern Europeans (including countries like the Netherlands) are the least attractive in Europe.
I honestly don't know why you come to such conclusions. It violates basic logic. Group A is more outgoing than Group B, does that deduce every single member of B is introverted? What kind of logic are you applying here?
In almost any way.
For example, what are the greatest artists from Norway? Sweden? Denmark? Iceland? Finland? They almost have zero cultural influence.
Germany/UK have some great artists, but on a per capita basis, and considering the overall contribution, northern Europe pale.
You even want to dispute weather... hahaha. 95% of world population prefer sunnier and warmer winters. It is hardly a matter of "Taste".
More than 90 percent of all historical sites in the EEC are in Italy...they don't have enough money for their maintenance.
Renaissance started in Italy, and until that time all western Europe lived in the Middle Ages. Renaissance returned protagonism to man, humanism, and represents the end of a society based on God.
But there were philosophers and intellectuals from that time from all over Europe, and thanks to the reformation there was more freedom in countries like Holland and England (16th, 17th..) because Italy was under the control of the Pope and the Inquisition.
And not to forget the contribution of England and the Industrial revolution, and Germany and
Romanticism and their philosophers.
But "Nordicism" refers to Scandinavian countries, to the Thule myth, Wagner and esoteric beliefs that fed hypernationalist parties. There was also "Panslavism"...etc, etc. Nazis used "nordicist" myths even when they are a western European nation that belongs to the old world.
Mussolini also used the Roman paraphernalia, which is as laughable as the aryan race, thule pipedreams.
And Franco used the "great feats of imperial Spain", which was rather sad and pathetic since he was rather short to dress him as carlos i and v, but he never liked all those fascist fantasies.
Last edited by pampliment; 10-06-2015 at 05:35 AM..
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