Saturday, October 22, 2011

The AngloCentric War Like Culture.

You could say that ‘I don’t care’ about France’s or Belgium’s Colonialist actions; but more to the point, I feel no responsibility or culpability.
I do however feel culpable in the AngloCentric empires’ colonialist actions, and do feel a responsibility to ask why.
What is it about this culture which advances these “war like” actions with ease?

If you are of Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Greek, Italian, German, French, Russian, Jamaican, African or any other stock, and you’ve been raised in one of the Anglo-Centric lands like Australia, USA, or UK; then you have undoubtedly picked up some of the cultural norms which may not be so readily identifiable among those indigenous to the lands of your forefathers.  
I look to the far off land of my forefathers, Greece, and see the riots which have been going on almost continuously for 3 years since police shot a 15 year old boy; riots which continue against the government’s economic failings and their “austerity” measures.
One person was killed in that time, the victim of a fire set upon a banking building; arguably an unintentional death.
Our media in Australia mocked the Greeks, viewing them as ‘lawless’.

Compare those riots to the recent riots in England, triggered again by police violence.
Apart from widespread looting, we saw actual murders. Wilful savage attacks upon innocent civilians.

Similarly, triggered by police violence, the Los Angeles Riots of 1992 saw approx 50 deaths and approx 2500 injuries.
In Australia, although thankfully there were no deaths, we saw a hoard of 3,000-5,000 thousand people rampage through the streets of Cronulla seeking to bash any olive or brown skinned face.
Prompted by the insignificance of a fight between a few people.

What is it about the Anglocentric culture which deprives it of compassion for the other?
Why do these cultures so lust for a fight?
Don’t bother comparing these actions to those of someone in somewhere like Somalia, Ethiopia, or Kenya and the like, where people are literally fighting for food. There is no comparison between our conditions.
We have food, education, and health care.
Go to a football match, a day at the races, any sporting event, and watch young grown men play fighting or tackling one another to the ground ‘for fun’ and after two beers, keep your eyes open and you’re bound to see a reel fight brew.
Generally ignorant of the political reality behind their country’s sins; considering “social grace” to be shown by not discussing politics at the dinner table, and at any time publicly burping, farting and fighting as though it’s some sort of sign of masculine chivalry.

How about it guys, before the next generation ends up even dumber, how about we examine more than just other nations’ sins and look in the mirror.
You do remember school don’t you?, when the teacher said Socrates was a part of the foundations of out ‘intellectualism’… well he said “an unexamined life is not worth living”… I won’t be so harsh… But for God’s sake, start examining, our society is falling apart. Stop the wars.
Once we’ve stopped brawling like drunken idiots and gangsters, perhaps then we can do something to enrich our lives and those of our grandchildren to come.

The following extract is a part of the funeral oratory ofThucydides, upon the death of Pericles.
Apparently those that founded democracy, had these notions.

“An Athenian citizen does not neglect the state because he is committed to his own affairs; and even those of us who are preoccupied with commerce have a very fair idea of politics.

We alone, of the peoples of the world, regard a man who takes no interest in public affairs, not as a harmless person, but as a useless character. And, even if few of us are original thinkers and initiators, we are all sound judges of policy."

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