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 » > > >
