Elitism, racism and human survival, another point of view!
Sid Jervis said:
The problem is usually, what is perceived as Racism.
I do not need or want an explanation, because so many of the issues are very subjective. I also have no intention of asking for examples.
$0.02
Sid,
To show how difficult things can be, Michael Tapes used the word "slapper" to back away from intent to "slap" someone down. From the U.K. we learned of a more denigrating but unintended meaning. Sometimes it can be a simple spelling error.
One such cultural tragedy occured at a N. Y. University, when some orthodox Jewish students, finally lost patience and translated the harmless Yiddish word "Behemos", to what they innocently though would have the same social weight of "inconsiderate to the Nth" to the closest word in English "cattle".
These hapless students had no inkling that "the-loss-of-patience" expletetive in their native tongue, could cause the explosion it did: actual
resurgance of antsemitism, now packaged as "protest" or "need for re-education" and so forth! The highest University officials were pressed to "condemn" these othodox Jews! Actually, their "insult" was totally unintended, like the use of the word "slapper"!
The students came from a totally isolated community with unbelievingly low immersion in the U.S. mainstream culture: probably never going to movies, dating, watching TV and so forth. To every one else, they were disgusting racists.
Even in the USA, a "melting pot" of cultures, such misunderstandings will always occur. However, as Alain points out, some true racist are expert "con" artists. They masquerade as reasonable helpful people and exploit trust.
Even Alain, who is trained and trains to look between what one sees and hears for subtext and true intention, was duped. Why, because there are "hunters" and "weavers". We are all a bit of both!
Alain, as an Artist, is more concened with open expression and creativity, the "weaver". The racist, a natural predator, is not. They have a need to conquer, destroy and eradicate cultures and others different from themselves.
This website and all its members will, I know, celebrate diversity, not because of political correctness, for which I have no truck, but because of decency and self interest.
As a sentient being, valuing life itself, we simply
need all facets of everything that varies and exists. For even minute differences, allow survival as conditions evolve and as they always do. Human beings, themselves vary, each of us with their own unique potential. The same with all forms and the very landscapes of the earth. It is one fragile thin skin of unstable life, a miracle we must protect.
As one small example, 30% of all the coral reefs in the Indian Ocean are now dead, victims of global warming. A variant thermophilic algae, (capable of thriving at temperatures of just 1.5 degrees F above the possible growth temperature of the major algae that feed coral oxygen, now offers, a slim hope, that somehow, the great barrier reef defining Australia's coastal waters, tourism and fisheries, might survive.
I could give many more examples. However, one can get fired for even suggesting people with red hair might have some advantage in some discrete circumstance. Certainly, Africans with the partial sickle cell trait have a better chance of survival due to an increased resistance to malaria.
So without trying to prove anyone has any particular "lesser skill", I for one treasure every way we are different, because only such facets of life permit any hope for the future of what we treasure and take for granted, life itself.
IMHO, taxonomy is a conceit. Dead is dead. If the system fails because we have just one kind of human or one strain of corn, we will have signed our death warrants.
Too long a post, yes, but a good point of reference, at least to what I think and feel, if anyone has reached this point and is interested.
Asher