I think a viable question is what is representative of "white culture"?
Speaking from experience, I do not perceive American white culture as being the same as European white culture. Having traveled through different countries throughout Europe, and interacted with different people there, I believe that overall they are much more sophisticated and less bigoted regarding matters pertaining to race.
I have an uncle who is 96 years old and played with Count Basies orchestra and traveled all over Europe in the 1940's. He has often stated that he was treated with much more respect and hospitality there, than he he ever was in America, and he actually lived there for 15 years after he ended his musical career.
He has often said not once was he ever stopped by police there or suspected of being a criminal. After coming back to America to remarry, he said within one week of coming back home to Los Angeles, where he was born, he was stopped after midnite by police just going to the store to pick up some grocery items.
And after he was stopped( for no reason) he was asked repeatedly if he was "just out cruising"( keep in mind, at the time,he was a mature, well dressed, 50 something year old man, driving a nice automobile).After running his license and registration and turning up nothing, the officer who stopped him, literally tossed his identification back to him and said "go on, take off".
I too have a hard time figuring out what white culture is here in the US. I agree that European whites do seem to have culture but in the US most of white culture is recycled Black and Latino culture. I see themes and sayings currently on TV that Black people have discarded years ago. The only real culture I see is an obsession with world domination and the defense budget.
The word you are looking for is 'assimilation' ... unquestionably, our culture is an amalgam of traits from other societies. That is its strength ... we pick the best, and lose the rest. The relatively new insistence on multiculturalism is a danger to that conglomeration, and is the basis of a great many of the cultural conflicts we face today.
I didnt say American culture. I said white culture.
Same answer applies ... and now you're going to claim defending this country is the responsibility of the whites only? That blacks don't care?
I too have a hard time figuring out what white culture is here in the US. I agree that European whites do seem to have culture but in the US most of white culture is recycled Black and Latino culture. I see themes and sayings currently on TV that Black people have discarded years ago. The only real culture I see is an obsession with world domination and the defense budget.
The word you are looking for is 'assimilation' ... unquestionably, our culture is an amalgam of traits from other societies. That is its strength ... we pick the best, and lose the rest. The relatively new insistence on multiculturalism is a danger to that conglomeration, and is the basis of a great many of the cultural conflicts we face today.
I didnt say American culture. I said white culture.
Same answer applies ... this amalgam of cultures is the white culture, and the American culture, as well. And now you're going to claim defending this country is the responsibility of the whites only? That blacks don't care?
No the same answer doesnt apply. Each culture contributes to American culture. What has white culture brought to American culture? I cant think of anything off the top of my head thats positive.
Well, let's see if we can figure this out ....
1) White men came to America from Spain, England, France, etc.
2) Each brought his culture.
3) In the spirit of living together, facing common challenges, seeking common goals, their cultures combined, drawing on the best of each.
THAT is the white culture.
4) Blacks, Asian, and other cultures come to America.
5) In the spirit of living together, facing common challenges, seeking common goals, their cultures combine, drawing on the best of each.
THAT is the American culture.
6) In recent times, people seek to come to America who are not expected to assimilate themselves into the American culture. They want a culture all their own. In short, they aren't interested in being an American, but rather, a separate culture living within America, enjoying all the benefits while contributing nothing.
7) Others, who already live here, want to partake of all the advantages of our combined culture, but in order to try to maintain relevance and a separate identity, have created the "hyphen" answer - one foot in each camp, so to speak. They are not totally committed to the American culture, and not totally committed to the other culture. These people don't want the common challenges, or common goals, but rather, want to use American multiculturalism to protect them from the heavy lifting of furthering either culture. Instead, they use this 'hyphen' as a shield from responsibility from either culture.
8) In order to further their political power and, in an attempt to gain political relevance, some American leaders have embraced this concept of 'multiculturalism', using the excuse of 'allowing each to retain his personal identity' to drive wedges between elements of the American people.
9) By driving these wedges into the American society, they are able to create a victim class, and to foster a 'us vs. them' mentality. This allows them to have someone they can control, as well as someone they can blame. This separatism, fostered both in political circles, and in our communities, contributes to problems of tension and distrust.
10) Rather than a commitment to common values, common laws, and common goals, this spirit of 'multiculturalism', when combined with political manipulation, creates an expectation of special treatment, unique rules, and a lowered expectation for each sub-culture. The creation of a 'victim' demands the punishment of the conqueror, special treatment for those supposedly victimized, and an elite class whose purposes are best served by maintaining the victim class in order to facilitate their control. Wherever there is a conflict, there is a need for someone to manage that conflict. It is THAT power that mandates a permanent victimized class.
