I'm surprised that the writer of the NPR article didn't cite this from last Sunday's Independent -
*Austria beats about the bush* Having cornered the world market in grotesque abduction and incest cases, Austria took a clear lead in the unedifying contest to see who could come up with the most racist reaction to Obama's election. Klaus Emmerich, the top political commentator on US affairs for broadcaster ORF (Österreichischer Rundfunk), was asked on air for his reaction to the Illinois senator's victory. "I do not want the Western world to be directed by a black man," he said, "And if you say this is a racist remark, I say you are damn right it is." Speaking after the programme, the veteran went even further, asserting that Obama's win was "a highly disturbing development" because "blacks are not as far advanced in the civilisation process nor in their political progress". What do they put in the water down there? I'm also a little surprised by Julian Bond's statement. While some Europeans may be relative newcomers when it comes to "conversing" about race, they are no strangers to dealing with things racial or ethnic quite ruthlessly. As a prominent Nazi physician said, quoted in Robert Jay Lifton's *The Nazi Doctors: Medical Killing and the Psychology of Genocide*, Basic Books, 1986 - "Everything I know about racial theory, I learned from the Americans." Cheers, Scott Powell On Thu, Nov 13, 2008 at 11:12 AM, Owen Densmore <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Just to let Doug know the US is not the only bastion of idiots: > http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=96949439 > Bigotry, apparently, is not uncommon in Europe. > > I was surprised by Julian Bond's statement. He's both insightful and > knowledgeable. > "The big difference here is that the United States has been thinking > about and dealing with race since we were founded. These countries in Europe > are relative newcomers to the conversation about race. They are much less > familiar with confronting their own bigotry." Bond adds, "I have always > thought that European countries are more bigoted than the U.S." > > I recall considering leaving the US after Bush was elected. I thought > about the problems I'd seen in Italy and elsewhere, and decided that there > just might be as many problems outside the Bubba infested US as in. > > I think of Europe as being more sophisticated, certainly in lifestyle. But > then my sampling is biased. But if I think of my friends here, I see the > same sophistication. Hard for me to say if Bond has it right. > > I'd be interested in our European Friamers observations. > > -- Owen > > > > ============================================================ > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org >
============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
