WHAT A MAN

By eck, lad!

Regards,

Gordon

 

Thatcher and Are You Being Served? Yuck! Please, discover Disralie and Blackadder!!! I see what you mean though.

The problem in Northern Ireland is far deeper than a clash between two cultures, it is pure hatred in many places due to a long history of cruelty by both sides. Moreover, surely the US is one big example of diverse cultures living together? If you come here you will see that cultures as diverse as white-Anglicanism and Indian-Hinduism can live together in harmony.

Ahh, but people do stay in their own groups, they form 'quarters' in cities, chinatown being a good example, and their cultures survive. Surely the 'buying whole blocks' would actually promote what you want, form little cultural communities? The problem is that this more often than not causes more friction than is healthy. People resent large communities from other cultures forming. It is totally possible for people to be intergrated and to keep their cultures, as long as they stop being so bloody lazy, learn a little bit about their homeland and treat it with a little respect.

Gypsies are hated because they refuse to loose their culture and settle down. That seems fair to me, intergration is one thing but to loose your culture entirely is to betray generations of ancestors.

Actually, going back to Indians who don't speak English buying up entire blocks etc. It is a pile of rubbish! The vast majority of immigrants to Britain have acclimatised and become a part of our culture. Many make a very valuable contribution to our way of life (everything from running 24 hour shops to becoming doctors, barristers and so on)

Not exactly what I was talking about, think what a state the US would be in now if all the Hispanics, Germans, French, Dutch, English, not to mention religious groups, protestants, catholics and so on had all stayed in their groups and not mixed with anyone. Some nation you would have over there!

No worries, sometimes you have to 'splurge' to try to explain something, better that its done in a friendly debate/discussion than a childish namecalling/argument session

 

Thanks for the reply Stefan.
I can agree with almost all you are saying EXCEPT for "Are You Being Served". I just love that show and have seen more reruns of it than anything on American TV. The show is very popular over here as well as other British shows like Waiting for God and To the Manor Born and the late Bennie Hill.

If more people like you were in the world we would have a better place to live!!

 

Jews could be a good example too. Jews are certainly not a race nor a nationality, maybe not even a religious group. But they are a group of people who share 5.000 years of family, work and social values, traditions and History. Most of them are nowadays from other nationalities but they remain Jews, so they've managed to keep their culture and live along other peoples.

Ta, you couldn't actually believe how many women live alone around here because they had their husbands working in the States. Most of them work in the house-service as maidens. In many cases the husbands come back three years later sick of living in fear as illegals but with enough money to buy or build a house and live quietely in their home towns.

It is also amazing that the amount of money sent by legal and illegal workers to their families in Mexico is 1,5 times the amount of money of the entire Mexican tourist industry (and Mexico is the 8th most visited country in the world).

In this you're right. But there's also a pathological level to 'nationalism': cheauvinism and it causes a lot of problems. Specially if your a Head of State who is adressing to millions of people, not only in the US but in the whole world. You simply can't say: 'This is the greatest nation on Earth' even if your population believe it is, because it is not. There's nothing in the US than can make it greater than Japan, Germany or Nigeria. It can be bigger, richer or more industrialised, but not better. It is understandable though, that the US love their 'land of the free and the home of the brave' in the same way the French love France —even if they can't accept that they ceased to be number one in 1871— or the British —even if they can't accept that they ceased to be number one in 1918— or the Germans —even if they can't accept that after being miserably defeated in two world wars they are not superior—, etc.

Kerry is an asshole. But Bush and the co-president are dangerous for the world.

This may be true in Anglo-saxon countries. This 'gettho' tendency is much smaller in latin countries. By example, I can completely speak about Mexico, which has a 300.000 Spaniard, 50.000 Jewish, 30.000 Muslim, 20.000 American, 25.000 German, 20.000 French, 70.000 Korean, 50.000 Chinese, etc. populations. There are no X-towns. There's no China-town, there's no little-Italy nor anything else. DIfferently than in New York, London or Toront, in Mexico City you see very few black people, Asian people, men wearing kippás or turban. The population is amazingly homogeneous. Maybe we should discuss and try to find out about this…

 

Stefan,

You wearing those rose-tinted glasses again..?

Er... this the same UK I used to live in?

Cultural harmony my arse!

Have you ever ventured up 'oop North' Stefan? I think you would be surprised at the levels of racial tension that exist in the UK. London has always been more enlightened as far as differing lifestyles and culture goes.

But travel and you will see that this harmony you speak of does not cover the whole country. There is a high level of racsism in the UK. Mainly, from my experience, between whites and Asians. Generally this comes from the young males of the population. I have lost count of the times I was threatened with knives, or being shot or being beaten up by idiots when I worked as a doorman. I hate to say but 9 out of ten times the culprits were Asian males 18-25. I spent five years working as a doorman in Wolverhampton and the rascist abuse we got from Asian males was disgusting. Even asian doormen that worked with recieved abuse from them.

I have lots more horror stories of the 'real UK' but I dont want to spoil anyones idllyic views!

I will leave the Irish stuff to Maverik...

 

Fried you mention that Bush and his bud are dangerous for the world....how so ? I think I know but want you viewpoint. Personally I'd like to have some one get behind and find the silly wmd's in Assyria

E ~

 

I wouldn't say they're hated because they refuse to settle, more the fact they settle, piss off the locals and then bugger off.

 

Stefan,

Got your Rose-tinited specs on for the Gypsys too...

they cause so much mess...

They are hardly roaming Romany travellers in brightly coloured caravans Stefan!

When they crash into YOUR car and dont have insurance, then lets see your view of a 'Gypsy'...

I think Richard Richard said it best...

"You thieving Gypsy bastards!"

 

Let's see...When I think of England, the things that pop into my head , in order, are The RAF, Churchill, the legend of Arthur, Rudyard Kipling, Harold, and then "Tommie" ( I have a South African Brother-in Law so I have access to his 90+ Father's books.)

I am reading Churchill's books on Englsh History, AM Tedder's and Peter Townsend's Biographies right now. As you all know Townsend was part of the priveleged group but rightly found, even as a child, that the "town boys" were "as good as" him, " as the are the ones who stay in the trenches and hold the line for us." I guess he knew they were "Tommie," not he, and for that I respect him

 

Thus proving that it can work, if only people weren't so bloody stupid and ignorant.

Again, so? It has been proven that it does work, just not amongst the ignorant. Then again, if they weren't here abusing doormen they would be in the middle east raising a Jihad.

Don't we all, I know things aren't all roses, I know there are problems and London aint no paradice (my brother and I have seen fully fledged race riots in schools involving kids as young as 9 and as old as 25!) The fact remains that in some places it works.

Yeah, and don't lets get onto the Jews, those bastards who come to our countries, steal our best jobs and then destroy our culture!!!

Sorry, but that is the same kind of childish prejudice that convinced a kid i once met that the family living at the end of the road had kidnapped a child and sold her organs on the internet. Sure some Gypsies make a mess, but sometimes they don't, I have seen gypsie camps that were perfectly fine, I have seen camps that were a tip. Oh, and are you talking about gypsies or 'new age travellers' because nine times out of ten Gypsies get the blame for a bunch of suburban dropouts who feel like 'travelling'.

 

Stefan,

Why call me childish? What is it with people on this forum lately that they have to resort to abuse cos someone disagrees with them... But then my sarcasm is probably seen as abusive...

Most 'Gypos' live for free, dont pay tax, or contribute to NI and they make a mess. I have meet many gypsys, and all my dealings have been bad.

Im sure the ones you know are very nice.

Did I mention Jews? NO. Stop trying to make me out to be a rascist/prejudice. I just dont like people who freeload and do not contribute to society. If that makes me childish then fair enough! Personally I think I may have seen a little more of life than you. But please elaborate on how many Gypo's you know...

And as for your comments of 'So? It does work...'

Well yes, and your point is what?

But I guess you think its all right for doormen to suffer abuse and violence, part of the job eh?

Childish? No realist and possibly a little pragmatic...

But then my Rose-tinted glasses got broke at an early age...

Anyway, I aint falling out with you Stefan over some Gypos,so lets agree to disagree. My apologies for any offence.

 

quote; "gypsies don't pay taxes,contribute...." We have the same here in the states,they are called "beat the systems". And they are whites,blacks,illegal immigrants etc. Be it the 'illegals' working here tax-free, single moms that continue having babies to stay on welfare,false insurance claims,young kids of those welfare moms with nothing but time on their hands steal cars,sell dope....We have our problems here,too.

 

OY SO MUCH QUOTING! hehe this was a bad topic D= hehe