It's the Culture, Stupid!

Frankly, I intensely dislike that phrase (It's the --------, Stupid!).  But, in this case, it does seem appropriate.

I'd been mulling over this concept today, even before reading a post on TakiMag about how culture shapes us.

It's not a new thought.  But, which culture?

Black culture - it has become so pervasive as to dominate our music, clothing, dance, and conversational styles.  And, they have managed to do this with only about 10-14% of the population.

Liberal/Progressive culture - they are the prevailing culture on college campuses, and their supporters have managed to flex their muscle in many arenas - often with mobs shouting down opposition, threats of violence/actual violence, and efforts to have their opponents fired from jobs - often successfully.

Traditional American culture - largely European-based values - Christian/Jewish, pro-capitalism, tolerant of different opinions, pro-women's rights, pro-democracy, somewhat xenophobic (at least, when the tide of immigration threatens to affect their ability to earn a living).

This is not a new 'thang'.  George Orwell had seen similar situations in his time:

In his 1945 essay Notes on Nationalism, Orwell explored the effect of tribal loyalty on our capacity for reasoned judgment. What interested him was not nationalism in its narrow, literal sense, but a broader, figurative definition encompassing a commitment to “such movements and tendencies as Communism, political Catholicism, Zionism, Antisemitism, Trotskyism, and Pacifism.” A weakness for nationalisms of this kind, Orwell argued, was a characteristic of what he called “the intelligentsia”.

Thanks in part to ever-more fractional media programming, we are becoming Balkanized in our cultural differences.  It would not be impossible that, within a few years, the different ethnic groups have nothing in common, and little understanding of each other's cultural underpinnings.

For example, just one small difference - White Euros of Anglo-Saxon background consider "cutting into a line" to be terribly rude, and evidence of an attitude of superiority.  In other words, if an ethnic is given access to a spot that he did not wait for, but was "jumped" ahead of others who DID wait, those Anglo-Saxons will be PISSED.  It will not be OK, but will be hotly resented.  The Anglos will respond as they usually do to enforce a cultural norm, with angry looks at the offenders.

The offenders, not understanding just how rigid a taboo they have broken, will see the angry looks, and think - White people really hate us - and for absolutely no reason.

Other cultural expectations that differ:

• How respectable women should dress


• How children should be disciplined


• How children should act in public


• The proper sound level for a party or social gathering


• How to worship; WHO to worship

I foresee major problems getting different groups to work and live together in the future.

QUICK ADD-ON - From the American Digest