Are There Splits Within Your Country?

[C0ckney]

Originally posted by Boddington's


Do people still think they are funny saying that?



You sound like PH.

i think it's ****ing hilarious, ta very much

[Caligastia]

In New Zealand everyone hates Aucklanders except Aucklanders. They are just jealous.

[Spiffor]

In France, there is a clear divide between Paris area and the rest of France (the 'Province'). Parisians tend to be regarded by provincials as Mr-Know-It-Alls who don't know what life is outside Paris + suburbs.
The divide isn't only in the heads of people : Paris is clearly too big for the general population of France (9.3 Mio inhab, while the second conurbation -Lyon- is only 1.7 mio), and the traditional centralism has given huge powers to national institutions, which are all located in Paris.
Paris is also the home of all national newspapers and televisions (regional/local televisions are quite marginal here), and has an even more disproportionate spotlight in the news, movies etc.

There are also some other divides : Corsicans tend to be disliked by continental French, because of terrorist separatist groups. Also, France massively subventions Corsica to avoid a too big gap of development with the Continent.
According to polls, about 40% of the French population would favor a Corsican independance (basically, "getting rid of the leeches"), while 98% of Corsicans are against.

There are some regional pride issues as well. For example, Britanny tends to dislike Normandy, because the Normans claim to have invented cider (they didn't), and have the Monst Saint Michel within their territory since the French Revolution (this was scandalously spoiled from its rightful Breton ground - erm, nm, I originate from Britanny )

[TheStinger]

My God, Swap Paris for London and you could describe the UK( i'm going to lie down in a darkened room now)

[Immortal Wombat]

Almost every crass generalisation against southerners that Bodds has made in this thread is untrue.

Just some of our humour might go over the heads of some northerners...

[Buck Birdseed]

Originally posted by Caligastia
Why is it more acceptable to joke about someone's geographical origins than their ethnic origins?

Geographical origins are usually not related to the power structure of a society (with notable exceptions). Ethnic origins are practically always used as one of many splits between who has the power and who doesn't.

The mantra "When a joke is used as a vehicle for depreciating yourself, your equals or bringing down stupid authority it's fine, when it's used purely as a tool of oppression against weaker groups it isn't. Unless it's, like, really funny." is beginning to be tiresome to repeat. (Note that it doesn't contain anything about language, only about intention.)

[Caligastia]

So you consider non-whites to be "weaker groups"?

[Buck Birdseed]

Yes, in the sense of having less power in the present society, not in the "they're weaker and need protection from us kind, bleeding-heart liberals" sense.

I don't want to decide what's best for them, I want them to decide what's best for me. I think a diverse, multiple-perspective society is the best at decding communal matters in a fair way and making everyone's lives better. I also believe pulling up others and breaking down prevailing power structures in their areas will help me gain more power in those areas where I'm a weaker group.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by Buck Birdseed
Yes, in the sense of having less power in the present society, not in the "they're weaker and need protection from us kind, bleeding-heart liberals" sense.

Of course.

I don't want to decide what's best for them, I want them to decide what's best for me.

You want non-whites to rule over you?

I think a diverse, multiple-perspective society is the best at decding communal matters in a fair way and making everyone's lives better.

Do you consider racial diversity to equate to diversity of thought?

I also believe pulling up others and breaking down prevailing power structures in their areas will help me gain more power in those areas where I'm a weaker group.

In what areas do you consider yourself to be part of a "weaker group"?

[Spiffor]

Rats, yet another thread being "Caligastigated"

[Caligastia]

I prefer "Caligastigated"

[Spiffor]

Edited then

[Buck Birdseed]

Originally posted by Caligastia
You want non-whites to rule over you?

I want all groups to get a reasonable portinion of the power in society. This would indeed mean that some of the power ends up in the hands of non-whites, yes. I believe in the current state of affairs, white perspectives dominate society thoroughly, along with male, culturally swedish and heterosexual views. Although it's certainly getting better.

Do you consider racial diversity to equate to diversity of thought?

Cultural diveristy certainly helps, at the very least. Also, I believe that the interests and perspectives of all the groups are liable to be different if only because of the way society in general treats them.

In what areas do you consider yourself to be part of a "weaker group"?

I'm Bisexual, of "Foreign Ethnic Origin" (my mum is Hungarian), and that's about it, unless you count the fact that the patriarchy is hierarchically structured for men too. Otherwise I'm safely middle class, white, reasonably well-off (well, okay, my parents are), male, not too old, not too young, not handicapped mentally or physically, atheist (not a strong group everywhere, I know), culturally Swedish...

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by Buck Birdseed
I want all groups to get a reasonable portinion of the power in society. This would indeed mean that some of the power ends up in the hands of non-whites, yes. I believe in the current state of affairs, white perspectives dominate society thoroughly, along with male, culturally swedish and heterosexual views. Although it's certainly getting better.

Don't you think you are making racial generalizations? I mean, you seem to be taking for granted that if someone is of a different race, they will have a different perspective.

Cultural diveristy certainly helps, at the very least. Also, I believe that the interests and perspectives of all the groups are liable to be different if only because of the way society in general treats them.

I reckon cultural diversity happens naturally, regardless of the ethnic origin of the population. The white population of England illustrates this pretty well.

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by Immortal Wombat
Almost every crass generalisation against southerners that Bodds has made in this thread is untrue.

Just ignore Bods and let him eat his mushy peas.