General Current Events/Political Discussion

[Tabonga | 2,318]

7 minutes ago, Gloves said:

The Norway/Poland thing makes some sense, in a similar fashion to Irish/Scottish. Whites can hate other whites easily enough, given an excuse.

People are more or less wired to not get along with others.  Africa has a long history of tribal/ethnic warfare (that continues to this day) that was overlayered by Islamic incursions (both in Africa and in the Meditteranean - the Barbary States were more or less permanently raiding parts of Europe (as far north (occasionally) as Ireland and Iceland  and ran expeditions into the interior of Africa to enslave folks there).  The origins of slavery in the New World lie with the Barbary States and various native tribes selling captives to the Spanish and Portugese  (who by and large were extremely brutal to their slaves)  at trading posts/forts established on the western African Coast.

The various Native American tribes (throughout both continents) were more or less in constant warfare with at least some of their neighbors - and which was why the European colonies (especially in the early days ) were able to survive.  (For example the Sioux High Plains culture (which for better or worse is the image most westerners have of North American natives during the western expansion) mainly came about because the Sioux got pushed out of the Upper Midwest by the Ojibway - who got guns from the French before the Sioux got them.) (And the High Plains culture only could exist for the short time it did because of guns and other necessary trade goods from the US economy.)

As I have mentioned before virtually every tribal group has a name for itself that translates as "The People" (or some very close variant) - thereby implicitly implying (in a thinly veiled manner) that anyone not of "The People" is somehow lesser.  

In many  ways IMHO we are regressing rather than making any progress.  

[CodysGameRoom | 2,008]

38 minutes ago, fcgamer said:

He also experienced prejudice, white on white racism?

That's not racism, that's just hatred.

38 minutes ago, fcgamer said:

it's beyond our comprehension not because we are bad racist people, rather we just haven't seen it firsthand and therefore how can we understand it?

It's called empathy. Basic human trait. Or at least it used to be.

[Tulpa | 3,501]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/elections-2020/gop-senator-questions-if-fox-news-even-wants-donald-trump-re-elected/ar-BB162vUp?li=BBnb7Kz

Man, the Republican party is coming apart at the seams.

[Estil | 1,265]

4 hours ago, Tabonga said:

People are more or less wired to not get along with others. 

But that's wrong though   People of different races, religions, cultures, nationalities, as well as of different political views CAN get along!

 

 

[OptOut | 8,884]

8 hours ago, Gloves said:

I ask just out of curiosity unrelated to the topic at hand, to be honest. Like personally when I think "where do I want to end up in life" Taiwan has never been a place I'd consider. Not saying you made the wrong call or anything, just legit curious what made you go "yeah, Taiwan is where I wanna be".

Do you ever regret it?

In my case, Taiwan chose me I guess you'd say! I met my wife in California whilst we were both studying abroad, and we lived in the UK for like 4 years before we moved back to Taiwan to settle.

Fact is, despite certain issues as discussed, the quality of life over here is way better than the UK. The people back home are miserable, the weather and the food are atrocious, and the cost of living is just outrageous.

I've got mates back home who still live with their parents, and I can think of only a handful who have an actual job you would consider a step on the career ladder. None of them own their own property, our whole generation is royally fucked in terms of wealth acquisition.

In Taiwan, cost of living, taxes, everything is so much cheaper, and as previously mentioned native speaking English teachers make many multiples of the minimum wage, straight off the boat.

And for those thinking that Taiwan is some sort of third world country or whatever, it's a fully developed nation with a high standard of living, amazing free healthcare and a highly developed industrial and consumer economy. There are absolutely parts of the USA where you would have a far worse quality of life than living here.

 

[Link | 2,712]

5 hours ago, fcgamer said:

Yeah, well are you for equality or aren't you? If you dismiss some the racial hardships some people are going through as nothing at all, all the while trying to present a convincing case about another group's hardships, it looks to me as though you are just picking and choosing. It's hard to take someone seriously who is not sincere in their efforts. Do you care about equality for everyone, and are against racism, or not? 

I am going to be more concerned about the more severe issue. The one that is generational and affects an entire race in this very large and very heterogenous country. A race which has been repeatedly subjugated in various ways.

I’m sorry you have problems. I can’t corroborate your complaint. You seem to be the only one voicing it online. I didn’t say it’s nothing at all and I don’t mean to say you don’t have a problem. It’s just that the information available to me consists entirely of your personal experience. 

You’re not allowed to buy a home. That sucks and it’s bullshit and I’m sorry. Everyone should have the right to a home. Black people here were allowed to buy houses, and then they got stolen from them by the banks. A big network conspired by the practices of redlining, contract sales, and blockbusting to undermine and destroy what they worked lifelong to build, ensuring they couldn’t pass that equity to their children. Black people were stolen from their land, and hundreds of years later their land was stolen from them. With a whole lot of shit in between. After that, feds and police executed and bombed black leaders. 

So, yeah. I understand that you have been discriminated against. It’s not right. 

7 hours ago, fcgamer said:

Well I presume you have not examined the links I posted earlier, or the other possibility is that you looked at them but refuse to accept it, as it goes against what you and others are posting here.

Coloured is the correct word for said people in South Africa, it's not just a one-off or something like that, and by looking into the history further, one can easily see why calling that group "black" (as someone here suggested) would be wrong and offensive.

I think we should move away from such an America-centric viewpoint and look with a broader viewpoint. 

First of all I in no way disagree with you about saying coloured, in South Africa or in reference to the people in South Africa to whom it correctly refers and nor have I ever. If you are pushing for it to be used in other contexts, that’s absurd. 

Links that you posted, the videos? I prefer to read, but I did watch the one you intended to find, about the people taking a step forward if this or that. I’m sorry I glossed over your reaction to it. I don’t know how many more ways there are to explain disproportional and systemic effects. Why aren’t you rich? Is it because you didn’t grow up with private schools, stocks and bonds, inheritance...? Or is it because you’ve made poor decisions all your life? 

It’s the system. It doesn’t mean you’re “a bad guy or responsible“. That’s the point. This is such an easy pass. Take it. 

[Gloves | 11,779]

11 minutes ago, OptOut said:

In my case, Taiwan chose me I guess you'd say! I met my wife in California whilst we were both studying abroad, and we lived in the UK for like 4 years before we moved back to Taiwan to settle.

Fact is, despite certain issues as discussed, the quality of life over here is way better than the UK. The people back home are miserable, the weather and the food are atrocious, and the cost of living is just outrageous.

I've got mates back home who still live with their parents, and I can think of only a handful who have an actual job you would consider a step on the career ladder. None of them own their own property, our whole generation is royally fucked in terms of wealth acquisition.

In Taiwan, cost of living, taxes, everything is so much cheaper, and as previously mentioned native speaking English teachers make many multiples of the minimum wage, straight off the boat.

And for those thinking that Taiwan is some sort of third world country or whatever, it's a fully developed nation with a high standard of living, amazing free healthcare and a highly developed industrial and consumer economy. There are absolutely parts of the USA where you would have a far worse quality of life than living here.

 

What kind of salary would you say would be "living very comfortably" in Taiwan, in USD? I've actually considered what I might do in future since I can very easily work remote purely, I can build websites etc. and make Canada/US money from anywhere in the world, so I've been making a shortlist of "mid life crisis" ideas, and one is to move somewhere cool and just flat-out change my life up in that way.

[Estil | 1,265]

8 minutes ago, Link said:

It’s the system. It doesn’t mean you’re “a bad guy or responsible“. That’s the point. This is such an easy pass. Take it. 

Maybe...but that sounds way too much like the "love the sinner hate the sin" excuse that was used to encourage LGBT hatred...as for the race thing, apparently those in BLM sort of movements would just as soon see whites be like this...

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Cardassians_(episode)

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Rugal

No really, it's getting to were you're expected to consider POC to be good scrappy underdog sorts of races while the whites have brought nothing but imperialism and colonialism and racism and all the rest of the stuff the "bad race" is responsible for.

Edited June 28, 2020 by Estil

[OptOut | 8,884]

@Gloves

You could get a pretty decent standard of living on the average Taiwanese salary, which is around 20,000 USD per year.

The cost of food and rent etc. is so low, you would still have a little to splash around with that amount each month.

Of course, you could probably expect to earn a little more than that as a white dude, I was at around 25k at the university. Of course, if you also factor in my wife's salary, where we were both working at that rate at the university and you can see how comfortable you can get pretty quickly if you're well supported out here!

Taiwan is a very nice, safe and friendly place from my experience, and most westerners you talk to will tell you the same.

[Link | 2,712]

46 minutes ago, Estil said:

No really, it's getting to were you're expected to consider POC to be good scrappy underdog sorts of races while the whites have brought nothing but imperialism and colonialism and racism and all the rest of the stuff the "bad race" is responsible for.

No. But you are expected to understand and acknowledge that those things happened, and help everyone be better in the future.

Wait a minute... can you read?? I literally said it doesn’t mean you’re the bad guy or responsible. 

Edited June 28, 2020 by Link

[fcgamer | 4,723]

1 hour ago, OptOut said:

@Gloves

Of course, you could probably expect to earn a little more than that as a white dude, I was at around 25k at the university. Of course, if you also factor in my wife's salary, where we were both working at that rate at the university and you can see how comfortable you can get pretty quickly if you're well supported out here!

You keep perpetrating this lie that all white guys get paid higher, then you mention your wife was paid the same as you

As mentioned earlier, in the field we are in (OptOut and myself), everyone gets paid about the same, with little to no upward movement. Black, white, purple, etc. While it is true black people might have a harder time finding a job, once they do, it's the same as for every white guy over here.

The only exception is for American - born Chinese, they might not be paid as much. And I know a white guy who is younger, like 22, he also isn't paid as much with the reasoning "Oh you're too young", even though he is experienced, hardworking, etc.

With the American - born Chinese, it night not be "right", but I can sort of understand it. A large portion of Taiwanense have two passports, there's been cases where one has gone abroad for a year or two, then tried to pass themselves off as a "native" speaker and "expert" of English, trying to get higher pay even though the ability just wasn't there.

[fcgamer | 4,723]

1 hour ago, Link said:

No. But you are expected to understand and acknowledge that those things happened, and help everyone be better in the future.

Wait a minute... can you read?? I literally said it doesn’t mean you’re the bad guy or responsible. 

So why doesn't anyone ever talk about how the tribes were kidnapping and selling people to the Europeans? I mean, that's a crucial point in the ordeal too, right?

[Link | 2,712]

13 minutes ago, fcgamer said:

So why doesn't anyone ever talk about how the tribes were kidnapping and selling people to the Europeans? 

Um. People talk about it all the time in these discussions. And it’s the same red herring as “black on black crime”. There is a difference between being an asshole among your own and oppressing the other.  You and I are participating in conflict on this video game message board. Were we to en masse go to a board game message board and shit talk everyone, wreck the structure and ddos the place, that would be different. As for Africans selling each other to Europeans... wouldn’t be possible if the Europeans weren’t buying. 

[Link | 2,712]

Re: 99.9% of traffic stops

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-statistics-dont-capture-the-full-extent-of-the-systemic-bias-in-policing/

[Estil | 1,265]

4 hours ago, Link said:

No. But you are expected to understand and acknowledge that those things happened, and help everyone be better in the future.

Wait a minute... can you read?? I literally said it doesn’t mean you’re the bad guy or responsible. 

YOU did...but I'm just pointing out there are those who well, see it differently I'm sorry to say.

[cartman | 195]

Simpsons ends use of white actors to voice people of colour

US animated comedy series The Simpsons will no longer use white actors for the voices of characters from other ethnic backgrounds, the show's producers say.

The show, broadcast on Fox Network, has faced years of criticism over white actor Hank Azaria's voiceover of Indian-American character Apu.

Mr Azaria said earlier this year that he was stepping down from the role.

The entertainment industry has come under growing pressure to provide more opportunities for non-white performers.

Friday's announcement comes in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests, which were sparked by the death of African-American George Floyd in US police custody on 25 May.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/amp/entertainment-arts-53201667

 

Good to see once again that an important social cause has been won in giving fictional characters the right not to be voiced by the "wrong" people. The objective of voiceacting it used to be to provide a good VOICE but hey why make sense when you don't fucking have to? Let's make sure that the character voiced by a white guy is colored yellow as opposed to brown instead otherwise it's racist

Granted Simpsons hasn't been fun or relevant for many years now so for practical purposes it doesn't really matter what they do but from a historical and symbolical perspective it's still sad how low they've sunken, a simple shill for to the SJW establishment. They were the counterculture once to the wholesome family sitcoms but now they're just puppets.

Edited June 28, 2020 by cartman

[Californication | 1,477]

45 minutes ago, cartman said:

Simpsons ends use of white actors to voice people of colour

US animated comedy series The Simpsons will no longer use white actors for the voices of characters from other ethnic backgrounds, the show's producers say.

The show, broadcast on Fox Network, has faced years of criticism over white actor Hank Azaria's voiceover of Indian-American character Apu.

Mr Azaria said earlier this year that he was stepping down from the role.

The entertainment industry has come under growing pressure to provide more opportunities for non-white performers.

Friday's announcement comes in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests, which were sparked by the death of African-American George Floyd in US police custody on 25 May.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/amp/entertainment-arts-53201667

 

Good to see once again that an important social cause has been won in giving fictional characters the right not to be voiced by the "wrong" people. The objective of voiceacting it used to be to provide a good VOICE but hey why make sense when you don't fucking have to? Let's make sure that the character voiced by a white guy is colored yellow as opposed to brown instead otherwise it's racist

Granted Simpsons hasn't been fun or relevant for many years now so for practical purposes it doesn't really matter what they do but from a historical and symbolical perspective it's still sad how low they've sunken, a simple shill for to the SJW establishment. They were the counterculture once to the wholesome family sitcoms but now they're just puppets.

I disagree with the move the simpsons made. But my other issue is the way the article almost infers this was the fault of thr BLM protests. This public push against the voice actors started way before these protests.

[Estil | 1,265]

How many POC did the Simpsons have?  There was one of Homer's co-workers at the Power Plant and of course Apu...but didn't they already get rid of him?  

[cartman | 195]

5 minutes ago, Californication said:

I disagree with the move the simpsons made. But my other issue is the way the article almost infers this was the fault of thr BLM protests. This public push against the voice actors started way before these protests.

Yeah but BLM has created a social climate where these ideas can get traction easier it has bolstered them. Now everyone can get offended and everyone can virtue signal (like those Hollywood actors "taking responsibility" to the backdrop of sad music) and chances are solid they will get their way.

 

[Californication | 1,477]

The 2017 documentary on some jackass comedian complaiming about apu, https://g.co/kgs/fLKbwv.

Here is Hank Azzaria in 2018, talking about wanting to change the voice actors to be more diverse:

Here is Hank Azzaria leaving the Simpsons in Feb 2020

https://g.co/kgs/fLKbwv

So this climate was already over there at Simpsons. 

[MrWunderful | 2,927]

I think we all know by this point cartman is going to rage at BLM for any sort of racial reckoning a product/item/service/show/person received or was long overdue for, so lets not be surprised. 

[cartman | 195]

Just now, MrWunderful said:

I think we all know by this point cartman is going to rage at BLM for any sort of racial reckoning a product/item/service/show/person received or was long overdue for, so lets not be surprised. 

Yeah it's overdue that a person who perfectly well fulfills the role he's supposed to has to step back so that he can become a pawn for people who want to run racial agendas instead. The very litteral definition of racism because superficial traits are being put above content of character and behaviour. It's funny how the side that claims to be progressive does the utmost to cause both racial division and cultural regression constantly chucking out new conflicts like a vending machine yet it's always everyone elses fault when things go bad never their own.

[MrWunderful | 2,927]

Or you know, the studio wanted a black person to play a black person, or an Indian person play an Indian. 
 

That or whatever the latest white grievance culture war newsletter says this weeks outrage is.

[cartman | 195]

2 minutes ago, MrWunderful said:

Or you know, the studio wanted a black person to play a black person, or an Indian person play an Indian. 
 

That or whatever the latest white grievance culture war newsletter says this weeks outrage is.

Wich means elevating someones ethnicity over what they're contributing  = racism.

Reaching inclusiveness through actively segregating people gee what could go wrong.

[Californication | 1,477]

1 hour ago, MrWunderful said:

I think we all know by this point cartman is going to rage at BLM for any sort of racial reckoning a product/item/service/show/person received or was long overdue for, so lets not be surprised. 

Ya, I mean I don't know if they really needed to change the voice actors. With Apu specifically, I think most Indians like his characterization.

My point was that Simpsons making the change was hardly a result of BLM and more a continuation of the company's new policy. 

That being said, most republicans will be aggrieved about anything they can be. They could give a fuck about Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben, etc. until someone says it should bother them. Donald Trump republicans number one emotion is feeling aggrieved. The problem is trump republicans blame minorities for being aggreived instead of the u.s. structure which is the real enemy of the poor and middle class.