The French dress code

[Cort Haus]

Europeans are the most prejudiced people in the first world.

Really? You seem quite eager to pre-judge an entire continent based on your opinion of a policy of the French government.

[Guynemer]

Was it wrong of me to open this thread hoping for pictures of hot chicks in French maid uniforms? Or more pictures of the incomparable Ms. Bruni? Or, be still my heart, Ms. Bruni in a French maid uniform?

[DinoDoc]

And of course this entire statement ignores the melting pot ideal of American culture.

Because it started dieing as an ideal of American culture before you were even born as a result of the efforts of progressives.

[Az]

Because it started dieing as an ideal of American culture before you were even born as a result of the efforts of progressives.

This is what made his argument the lolest. I have been through the melting pot, so I know what that means. First of all, it means homogenisation, and multicultralism won't have any of that.

There are folks here in the USA of various religious demoninations that teach (or indoctrination, depending on your view) all sorts of stuff to their kids. I think lots of it is nuts and some of it borders on abuse. The use of government power to "fix" it, however, strikes me as a cure worse than the disease. Especially since the disease often seems to run its course in time.

Yeah, and this will be your demise. This and stupid non-existant parenting. But whatever - let us not forget that what actually happens is rather predetermined, unless any sort of concentrated movement arises from all of this chit-chat.

[Solomwi]

Was it wrong of me to open this thread hoping for pictures of hot chicks in French maid uniforms? Or more pictures of the incomparable Ms. Bruni? Or, be still my heart, Ms. Bruni in a French maid uniform?

Wrong or not, I did the same thing. Such a disappointment.

[Al B. Sure!]

America isn't a melting pot... that metaphor is so 1950's... the metaphor they taught me in elementary school was a salad bowl

Though that implies that the lettuce and the tomatoes are still unique separate entities but they come together for a delicious salad.

[DriXnaK]

Essentially it means the colonization of America. Of course calling it a salad bowl is far less threatening sounding.

[Elok]

Essentially it means the colonization of America. Of course calling it a salad bowl is far less threatening sounding.

In practice, no. Mexicans come here, they keep their mole poblano and quinceaneras, but they still learn English, if they can, and adopt a good number of American values over time, because being foreign in your homeland sucks and your kids grow up with the children of their adopted country. And ultimately, whether you're regarded as foreign or not has little to do with law, and much to do with the attitude of fellow-citizens. This French law won't make any French Muslims integrate faster, it will just make them feel a little more alien.

[Elok]

The post was so awesome, Poly posted it twice, I guess.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Because it started dieing as an ideal of American culture before you were even born as a result of the efforts of progressives.

In practice, no. Mexicans come here, they keep their mole poblano and quinceaneras, but they still learn English, if they can, and adopt a good number of American values over time, because being foreign in your homeland sucks and your kids grow up with the children of their adopted country.

Bingo to Elok. The melting pot still exists and what we have is a number of different cultures that add their own gloss to the American culture. Just because it isn't whitebread Leave It To Beaver-ism doesn't mean it isn't a melding of cultures. Seriously, its like you people have never met any second generation or beyond immigrants in the US. And, of course, young white Americans taking on cultural hallmarks of African-American culture. Over time everyone starts taking things from every one else's cultures to form a new model.

The problem for a lot of white America is that people were adopting too many things from black and Latino culture.

[DinoDoc]

The point I was making is that you aren't advocating a melting pot view of American culture but rather a multicultural view. That's fine as far as it goes but calling something it isn't is irritating.

[Al B. Sure!]

No melting pot. It's a salad bowl Just how old are you, Imran?

Melting pot means everything gets all mixed together evenly into a new distinct American culture.
Salad bowl means the ingredients can exist separately and are unique and distinct but are brought together for a cosmopolitan American culture.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Meh. I don't like a salad bowl either. Too distinct.

[Boris Godunov]

A hearty stew.

[C0ckney]

Indeed. The solution, IMO, is not to ban it. First, I think that it's wrong to do so. Second, I think it gives the veil even more power. There are much better ways, I think, to work for women's lib than banning veils.

There are folks here in the USA of various religious demoninations that teach (or indoctrination, depending on your view) all sorts of stuff to their kids. I think lots of it is nuts and some of it borders on abuse. The use of government power to "fix" it, however, strikes me as a cure worse than the disease. Especially since the disease often seems to run its course in time.

-Arrian

yes i think that this is reasonable view and that the government getting involved should only happen when things get really out of hand.