When a neighborhood or even a region for that matter changes culturally the controlling factor becomes that of the dominating culture. I've visited neighborhoods in which I've lived and looked upon housing in which I lived in, but unfortunately was confronted by vicious morons who perceive the neighborhood as their own and further informed me that I didn't belong there; so it wasn't my hood anymore even though I spent years living there. Once I perceived their brains as being on the low end of the evolution scale I quickly tucked in my tail and left enough rubber to coat a two mile highway; well nearly. It seemed that the natives weren't aware of the fact that others had lived there before them and in all actuality they were essentially condoning discrimination. Yawn, niters JB.
On Aug 10, 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 > > ... > > read more »
