POLL: Would you be willing to broaden your horizons?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pinto Girl @ Nov 9 2006, 12:27 AM) [snapback]346103[/snapback]</div>

'Cause he's insane. Hasn't that already been determined hundreds of times on this board?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mystery Squid @ Nov 8 2006, 08:46 PM) [snapback]346083[/snapback]</div>

If America had understood the culture of the Middle East, we could have saved a trillion dollars and thousands of American lives by not getting embroiled in the quagmire of the Iraq war.

Ignorance may be bliss, but you, Squid (along with the rest of us) will pay for that ignorance in higher taxes, and the economic fallout of a dollar weakened by added debt, for at least the next decade, and maybe longer.

Have a happy day!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pinto Girl @ Nov 9 2006, 02:27 AM) [snapback]346103[/snapback]</div>

"impossibility" is a word only closed minded people use.

I disagree, I shouldn't be forced to like anything for any reason, whether is be personal choice, genetic, or various proportions thereof. The whole compartmentalization argument exists solely as a defense mechanism. I don't like greasy people with oily skin that smell, as long as I don't take any action based on my bias of them, it's all fair game...

 

"I don't like greasy people with oily skin that smell"

Really, squid, you have to stop talking about yourself!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Nov 9 2006, 12:29 PM) [snapback]346220[/snapback]</div>

It doesn't matter though Daniel!

Think about it in this light:

You only live once, so, if you could live totally happy in some sort of ignort personal bliss, and never know otherwise, why bother?

I'll use my teenage years as an example. Through those years, all I did, was drive around (parent's ONCE suggested getting a job or no more gas money, I just laughed and siphoned it from various cars in various parking lots, hell with work back then, I knew my teenage years would be the "golden" years of my life), hang out with friends, play video games, go out on dates, that sort of thing. I don't think a day went by where I was anything less than happy and carefree. Heck, if you had asked me who's President back in '88, I'd probably have to think really hard, or look it up. Point is, you've only got one shot at this thing called life, if upon death, you could choose to relive any part of your life over, would you pick anything that wasted your time, or was for the benefit of others? h34r:

 

"If America had understood the culture of the Middle East, we could have saved a trillion dollars and thousands of American lives by not getting embroiled in the quagmire of the Iraq war."

The assumption here seems to be that Iraq was invaded out of ignorance.
It was invaded, quite deliberately, to make a few people fabulously wealthy. It succeeded in doing just that.

Don't take my word for it. Here is what a general said:

"WAR is a racket. It always has been.

It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives.

A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of the people. Only a small "inside" group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few, at the expense of the very many. Out of war a few people make huge fortunes."

Major General Smedley Darlington Butler

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jared2 @ Nov 9 2006, 08:11 AM) [snapback]346260[/snapback]</div>

My point was that a properly-educated public would not have permitted it. Of course, the folks in charge will not permit the public to be properly educated. Thus we have television.

But of course you are right that Iraq was invaded deliberately, with criminal intent, by the criminals who run our country, with the explicit approval of the criminals who were out of power but hoping to get in power (and who, after January 1, will control one of the three branches of government, and be in a position to get some of that graft for themselves).

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Nov 8 2006, 11:01 PM) [snapback]345963[/snapback]</div>

Are you going to deny that this is what the majority of current "diversity" training turns into? I have been to some of those classes. Just like Domestic violence awareness turns into male bashing.

Do you live in the real world?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Schmika @ Nov 9 2006, 11:38 PM) [snapback]346739[/snapback]</div>

I'll deny it. In none of my classes did they say "This is a better way." They just said: "Here's how the other cultures live." That's it. It's up to you to make the comparisons if that's your spin. I just like hearing and seeing what other do. Been to a museum recently? The Museum of Natural History in DC has some fascinating exhibits on other modern cultures. And not once do they say "Here's how the Peruvians are better then America."

And your domestice violence awareness training--did it bash all males, or just the violent ones? The problem with that is?

And, btw, diversity training at the workplace is more about accepting each other for who they are--it teaches how to accept others, but not necessarily about their cultures as a whole.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Schmika @ Nov 9 2006, 08:38 PM) [snapback]346739[/snapback]</div>

I've been to several cultural diversity seminars. And no, they do not bash anyone. As Lively says, they're all about accepting people for who they are.

Of course, for you, Schmika, the "real world" is a fantasy where a loving god sends 99.9 percent of the human race to an everlasting hell, while those who believe in Jesus go to heaven, no matter what sort of life they've lived. You're a curious one to talk about the "real world."

However, what I was talking about above are not cultural diversity seminars. I'm talking about educating people about how the rest of the world lives, what they believe, how they organize their families and their social and political and economic institutions, where their roots lie, how they get on with the neighboring cultures, etc.

The problem with some fundamentalists is that when you ask them to learn about how other people live, they immediately think you're trying to convert them, maybe because they're so preoccupied with trying to convert everyone else.

 

I think that if someone wants to live in ignorance in the US and never be around others then let them be ignorant.

There were times when I was overseas that we would speak Italian to avoid talking to or getting involved with the pigheaded American tourists that give us "normal" folk a bad name! When going to another country you should be aware of their customs. These people would be irritated at the custom of riposa in the smaller towns.....I want to shop, why are you closing? Ordering food at some restaurants was torturous for some and if they had no Italian language skills then the tolerance level decreased. The waiter in Rome was so happy when I said the Italian menu was fine, our overall experience was better because we were prepared.

Learning about the rest of the world is something that can only enrich our lives, and increase the joy of living. There is good and bad in every society and country. The world is not as big as you think and we do have to share it.

I asked my driver in London why there seemed to be so much less stress with immigrants there. He said it was because Britain had gone in not just as rulers but that they lived amongst the culture and adapted to it. Both the English and the people they ruled over adapted to each other. It seemed to make odd sense.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Salsawonder @ Nov 10 2006, 12:10 AM) [snapback]346757[/snapback]</div>

Oh, I loved riposa when I was there (small town in Sardinia). I thought it was just wonderful...sorry...you brought back great memories of Italia!

 

So, it seems some people would rather not be 'cultured'. That's a shame, though society may be better off if certain individuals keep to their own small ponds. Still, I can't help but think that somehow our education system has failed them, and ultimately, us. Maybe I take this multiculturalism thing for granted, living in a city where I can order 50 different kinds of 'ethnic' food, and where a classroom of 30 kids is made up of 25 different nationalities. Racism still exists, and not just among the 'white' folks, but for the most part everybody gets along. I'm not saying it's one big happy family, but it does seem more difficult to continue prejudice against our immediate neighbours than people we know nothing about.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Salsawonder @ Nov 9 2006, 09:10 PM) [snapback]346757[/snapback]</div>

My first time in Europe, I was not yet a vegetarian. If I could not read the menu, I'd ask the waiter what he recommended. I was never disappointed. I didn't always know what I was eating, but I always enjoyed it.

Being vegetarian, or having food allergies, in a country where you do not speak the language would be very difficult.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(livelychick @ Nov 10 2006, 01:47 AM) [snapback]346744[/snapback]</div>

Good for you, I guess here it didn't work that way. I guess I should have said all the diversity classes I have attended turn into "This is why this culture is better than America's.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pinto Girl @ Nov 10 2006, 05:21 PM) [snapback]347115[/snapback]</div>

From experinece only. Doubt you will find any study proving this. It would be killed quickly. The VAST majority of domestic violence situations are...gasp...shudder, TWO very emotionally unstable people living together who should not be.......the "poster child" domestic violence situation is RARE.

Also, the female who is truly the "poster girl" for battered woman syndrome is RARE.

I have averaged, in my career, 4 DV calls a week, for 45-48 weeks a year, for 18 years I spent on the street.

So, what does that mean? Nothing really. But some really bad laws have been written based on the presumption that the Majority of DV's WOULD BE SOLVED BY THE LAWS....T'AINT SO.........