Xemphobia The violence of Fear and Hate: Jammie Bordeau- Nyamnjyah,Francis B. insiders and outsiders: Citizenship And Xenophobia in Contempory Southern Africa,London,England Zed Books 2006. Ouelletle Jeanning, And A Day without Immigiants: Ralling Behind America's New Commers.
On Tue, Aug 10, 2010 at 12:33 PM, Jean Briscoe <[email protected]>wrote: > When foreigner's come from other countries's and your nation has big > changes in this area their are many concerns and fear's. > > On Tue, Aug 10, 2010 at 12:17 PM, Jean Briscoe > <[email protected]>wrote: > >> Do you think it is right and limited. That is The neighborhood belongs to >> the culture that it occupies? It is somewhat new to me of this outlook. I >> geuss a person without a land and a culture is left out. No country,no >> place. And could this cause fear? >> >> On Tue, Aug 10, 2010 at 8:23 AM, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> That is exactly what the Cultural Evolution thread is basically all >>> about; people finding groups of like thinkers without regard for good >>> or bad, positive or negative. It's the old adage Birds of a feather >>> flock together. >>> It is also the basis of much of gruff's xenophobia in that the more >>> groups increasing in number that are incongruous with others the more >>> potential there is for fear which can lead to violence. The >>> neighborhood belongs to the culture that occupies it. >>> >>> On Aug 9, 10:05 am, Jean Briscoe <[email protected]> wrote: >>> > I enjoyed what you said and it is well put. Sometimes a verification >>> let >>> > some know that others think somewhat the same way. >>> > >>> > On Mon, Aug 9, 2010 at 9:40 AM, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: >>> > > ..............how do we confront a level of fear that >>> > > allows us to get past it and function more fully without stripping >>> > > away that portion which keeps us from being vanquished by the world? >>> > >>> > > As individual units we can adjust our sense of fear accordingly and >>> > > within the parameters of our environmental circumstance but as a >>> > > global society I don't see anything changing for the better or for >>> the >>> > > worse. Global fears would have to be replaced with global trusts in >>> > > order to circumvent what seems to have been the mode de jeur for >>> > > centuries. Private gated communities have established a secluded >>> > > sense of trust within the confines of the community but the presence >>> > > of the gates themselves indicate the distrust of all that lies beyond >>> > > the perimeter. Fear has grown over the past several years with the >>> > > ever growing terrorist threat. Neighbors are increasingly looking at >>> > > others around them as potential threats as homeland security pushes >>> to >>> > > expose homegrown terror. The economic landslide, post the subprime >>> > > mortgage scenario, is a wake up call for many who never thought they >>> > > had anything to fear; losing home, job and a good life is a reality. >>> > > Meanwhile millions of illegal immigrants continue to leach off the >>> > > public coffers further depleting the resources that once sustained >>> the >>> > > country. George Bernard Shaw “You see things; and you say, ‘Why?’ >>> > > But I dream things that never were; and I say, “Why not?". This in >>> > > all reality can change things but I'm not sure that people are still >>> > > capable of dreaming and bringing those dreams to fruition. We have >>> > > become sullen and morose and complacently waiting for things to >>> change >>> > > on their own or trusting others to make the changes. Soap box >>> > > politicians are still leading us down the path of delusion without >>> any >>> > > real change and we are stuck in a quagmire of stagnation politics. >>> > > The whole of it needs revamping as is the case with any revolution. >>> > > Governments wield the power to make real change but have only >>> indulged >>> > > those in the world of high finance and capitalist gain; I think >>> > > capitalism breeds fear. From Pat in another thread: ".........there's >>> > > a moral wealth >>> > > that is completely ignored by the ruthlessness of applied capitalism. >>> > > Capitalism divides society into 2 parts: the rich and the poor. >>> > > Socialism, to some extent, tries to redress the balance and bring >>> that >>> > > excess 'wealth' back into a useful form for society's poor. If >>> > > America doesn't try to protect the well-being of its own poor, then >>> > > they will be forced to defend themselves against an enemy government, >>> > > and, the Declaration of Independence, whilst NOT the Constitution, >>> > > still lays down a framework granting justification for such a self- >>> > > defence if presented with "...a long chain of abuses and usurpations >>> > > pursuing, invariably, the same object, evinces a design to reduce >>> them >>> > > under absolute despotism...". >>> > > As a proponent of capitalism I don't think you would agree with the >>> > > premise or the outcome but for sure it is or should be considered as >>> > > one element underlying the climate of global fear. >>> > >>> > > On Aug 8, 2:01 pm, gruff <[email protected]> wrote: >>> > > > Sure, times are tough for the average person but that’s no reason >>> to >>> > > > get nasty about it. I know it’s legend that people used to be much >>> > > > nicer to each other but I’ve no idea if that legend has any >>> validity >>> > > > or basis in reality. >>> > >>> > > > I can believe that rural folks were much nicer to each other and >>> more >>> > > > concerned with each others welfare. But the country was much >>> bigger >>> > > > and our population much smaller back then. That lack of crowding >>> led >>> > > > to conditions that made people behave better toward each other >>> (with >>> > > > some exceptions as we shall see.) >>> > >>> > > > Back in that day, people in a rural community also had the same >>> > > > background, heritage, religion and values, which lent to a common >>> > > > concern for each other. Today most communities, even some of the >>> more >>> > > > rural ones, are a homogeneous mix of race, culture, religion and >>> > > > values, all of which tend to make people a bit more wary of each >>> > > > other. Or at best it makes them distant from oneself. Makes one >>> more >>> > > > stand-offish. >>> > >>> > > > If there is one significant characteristic all species seem to >>> share >>> > > > it is a general xenophobia – a fear of anything unknown or new, a >>> fear >>> > > > of strangers. Many blame it on being driven from heaven but >>> > > > regardless it’s source, as we have with so many of nature’s >>> built-in >>> > > > protections, our species has taken xenophobia to heretofore >>> undreamed >>> > > > levels. We even create things to fear – vampires, ghouls and such. >>> > > > And there are far too many of us even to afraid to look themselves >>> in >>> > > > the eye in a mirror. It took me till I was in my late thirties >>> and >>> > > > had some therapy under my belt to accomplish that little feat. >>> > >>> > > > I can believe some of the legend of nice people because I can >>> recall >>> > > > times when I would be overcome with an urge to perform some >>> > > > spontaneous act of kindness and the response was generally thanks >>> and >>> > > > gratitude or at the very least a smile and a nod. Today when I try >>> a >>> > > > gratuitous kindness I am too often looked at with suspicion – as >>> > > > though I had some hidden agenda. I don’t do it very often anymore. >>> > > > I’m no hero. >>> > >>> > > > Our politics these days seems to run more on hate than I can >>> remember >>> > > > in seventy years of the stuff even though I only paid attention for >>> > > > the last two decades. Sure, politics is the arena most likely to >>> > > > evoke emotional reactions but anymore it seems like those emotions >>> > > > boil over into a darker place in us. One that removes all trace of >>> > > > concern for each other and replaces it with aggression, fear, lies >>> and >>> > > > hatred. >>> > >>> > > > Yet these facets of human behavior are not too hard to understand. >>> > > > After all we’ve come from a very frightening past and certainly >>> still >>> > > > carry a lot of those fears with us. But there is a new dimension >>> to >>> > > > our xenophobia, a new level we’ve taken it to that is beyond >>> anything >>> > > > rationally acceptable as a survival instinct. In spite of commonly >>> > > > available knowledge we fear differences in each other that we know >>> (or >>> > > > should know) are false. >>> > >>> > > > But to borrow a Gumpism, fear is as fear does and most frequently >>> it >>> > > > is fear itself which drives itself to higher levels of intensity. >>> > > > Remember Roosevelt’s admonishment? “We have nothing to fear but >>> fear >>> > > > itself.” I don’t think many realized the eternalness of that >>> truth. >>> > >>> > > > Lies are virtually always rooted in fear which accounts for the >>> > > > overwhelming number of them being floated about these days. Fear >>> of >>> > > > not appearing a certain way, fear of not being what we think we >>> should >>> > > > be, fear of accepting responsibility, fear of the consequences of >>> both >>> > > > acting and inaction. Fear drives most of Madison Avenue’s best >>> > > > creations: Fear that you smell, that you don’t look good, that your >>> > > > teeth are not white enough, that your skin’s not smooth and blemish >>> > > > free, that your medical condition needs a cover up, that you need >>> the >>> > > > newer drug, that your children are too fat, too thin, too >>> disturbed, >>> > > > too talkative, too … anything. Superficial fears all. >>> > >>> > > > A new aspect to commercials I’ve noticed is the disdain they show >>> for >>> > > > civil behavior: the shopper who leaves her no longer wanted pain >>> > > > killers in the basket in the aisle, the man who treats children >>> > > > cruelly and dishonestly, the executive with not enough sense to >>> know >>> > > > that if he fell on the lizard it would crush their main advertising >>> > > > gimmick. The list goes on. Any fool can pick out the commercials >>> > > > that are destructive to society and civilization: virtually all of >>> > > > them. There are few commercials that are constructive and honest >>> and >>> > > > fewer yet that are even creative and entertaining. >>> > >>> > > > Right now the two biggest fears clutching our hearts are jobs and >>> the >>> > > > economy. Following closely on their heels come two wars, the >>> deficit, >>> > > > health care and the future of our nation. Some may change that >>> order >>> > > > but I think it’s fair to say that those are among the Top Ten. >>> > >>> > > > To my thinking the most dangerous aspect of this out-of-control >>> fear >>> > > > that is driving a lot of our behavior is that it blocks clear >>> thinking >>> > > > which is the key to finding solutions. This is easily seen in some >>> of >>> > > > the bizarre options people, pundits and politicians are spewing. >>> > >>> > > > We expect our judges to put aside their personal feelings and rule >>> on >>> > > > issues and events based on the evidence and the law. Would that we >>> > > > could even come close to that ideal in our individual and public >>> lives >>> > > > we might be much further along than we are. But on the other hand >>> can >>> > > > we afford to do less? >>> > >>> > > > President Obama would probably gain a few points in the polls were >>> he >>> > > > to come out and demand responsibility of the citizens to and for >>> each >>> > > > other, our society and the government. Push responsibility. >>> Demand >>> > > > it. Accept no less. A side benefit might be that more people >>> would >>> > > > come to meet their responsibilities as rational and honest citizens >>> of >>> > > > a civilized society. Wouldn’t that be nice. And I bet people >>> would >>> > > > start to be nicer to each other again – if we ever did, that is. >>> > >>> > > > While a nice dream it does not get us any closer to the core >>> problem >>> > > > of xenophobia. Classic psychology and the wisdom of ages teaches >>> that >>> > > > it’s best to confront a fear head on. It’s a method that I >>> recommend >>> > > > but it does not work easily. The easiest fears to see are the >>> > > > superficial ones we used to mask our deeper more real fears. >>> > > > Superficial fears include those which commercials are designed to >>> > > > salve. >>> > >>> > > > In >>> > >>> > ... >>> > >>> > read more » >> >> >> >
