h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

He's got just as much chance as anyone to be elected. It doesn't matter what color he appears (some say he's not black enough)... all that matters is if he can get enough corporate sponsorship. That's what determines our elections and anyone thinking otherwise is deluded.

It makes not sense but this is how being black is decided.

White racists say that any taint of Black blood is enough to make you black so 1/8 or 1/16 of your genes might be ethnically balck and that's enough.

Me Im 1/2 ethnically black but as a blackman I have to say we mostly dont mind much and we'll take anybody who feels they want to jin our club.

Most peolpe arent that interested and just accept what the next person says to them.

Fell free to disagree but dont have a go at me I dont make the rules.

one love

I am white anglo-saxon, but I'm lead to believe that my distant ancestors came out of Africa, so I suppose I am genetically entirely black.

>we'll take anybody who feels they want to jin our club<

Yeah, but like Groucho, I don't want to belong to any club that will have me...

I've been following the Obama question with interest, and I'm genuinely not sure if his being black (and I take on board what you say, Blicky, but his colour is a factor here) is a bar to being elected or not. From my two visits to the States, and the brief exposure that gave me to US politics, my distinct impression that those areas that won't vote for him because he's black won't vote for him because he's a Democrat anyway.

The 'swing' states are surely forward enough thinking not to be confused by the race issue, or am I barking mad?

There is, of course, also the current of debate in the U.S. about whether Obama can really be considered 'Black' or is he rather an 'African African-American.' Some in the Black community seem to think that because he has roots neither in slavery nor the civil rights movement, he isn't really 'Black'.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2007/01/22/obama/index_np.html

Here-here QQTeam since we all have our origins in Africa (so the latest discoveries say - what the hell difference does a little pigmentation make?

I live in SA (South Africa) and of course all this zebra nonsense is on everyones lips. Its a big huge delusions all covered up in a lie that's been written into our language.

Ever met a black person? You know, I've lived and travelled in Africa all my life and I never have. Some Nigerians make it all the way to so dark they're almost blue . . .but still not the colour of my laptop here.

And white? My skin is a kinda peachy cream colour with little brown dots all over my nose and arms (welsh / icelandic genes here) but I'm certainly not a colour that "pantone" would endorse as "white".

Just try this - just for a day and dont fib about peoples colouring. If they're light tan, call them that - if they're pinkish peach, use that instead. I wish the whole world would do it for a day and stop this lazy colour-refference nonsense. Its frustrating because depending on the context or geography, the words are used to insert a ream of subtext that propogates racism. For example - if a certain person of Dutch ancestory - living in Pretoria in SA - uses the word "black" - he really means a string of unfavourable and derogatory refferences inclusive of that person's intellectual capacity etc. So I say lets get people to stop lying about this nonse! Lets loose the subtext and then racism cant hide in the lee of a few letters. When it comes down to it - trying to define someone by the colour o their skin (litterally in words) sounds ridiculous - and that's just what racism is anyway - ridiculous!

Its also too damn broad - so in SA - what are you saying when you say "black" - people use the word like it tells you everything - really it says nothing and THAT is what we all need to start pointing out.

I never use the zebra words anymore. I'm very concious of it. If I want to describe someone - I say a man rom KwaZulu Natal of Zulu heritage, or a woman from Cape Town of anglo-saxon origins.

Think about every situation where the zebra terminology is used - its all just pillars of segregation and bigotry.

About Americans - of course there cant be blanket judgements - but I really still am curious how it is that the rest of the world is now clear that the war was all about the Bushes and the oil - how is it that that is tollerable to Americans?
Its been very positive to see a lot of debate coming through on American TV series' etc arround this topic - but from the sidelines . . . I guess we're just unclear how this situation was even allowed. I confess I'm still baffled. First Vietnam and then Irak - how does a population allow this kind of thing twice in a few decades?

I think its that that we really dont understand - how the government has been allowed to get away with all this . . . and remember - we dont get reports of any protests really - all we see in the international press is Americans supporting the whole process. So we're baffled.

Anyhow all, will get off my podium now - Good night

Keep passing open windows!



Kosh

theres nothing wrong with americans. its just there are alot of them. and most have acsees to internet, therfore its actually a question of numbers, lets say 30% of a nation are P****cks. now amarica has alot more people, and therfore alot more P****cks, just due to the technological advancment they can air their veiws easily and so give the rest a bad name.

American is good. But Brittish is better.

(i joke! i joke! calm down!)

theres no union jack waving smiley.

There's certainly one or two British pr**********cks

As a general rule, I prefer to talk about people without mentioning their skin color at all. It's my wish that we can someday look past the outer appearances and get to know people based upon what they say and do, not what they look like.

Say it loud, I'm puce and I'm proud!

yanks are warmongers

what? all of them? at once?

Yes, all those anti-Iraq war protests in the US were staged
There weren't really mass protests in the US against the war
Every single US citizen backs Bush 100% of the way and their only complaint is he hasn't invaded North Korea, Syria, Iran and Cuba yet

Hmm, since hardly any of them own a passport, and thus travel to foreign countries, they can be forgiven a certain amount of xenophobia.. And hence reliance on their own media to tell them about other countries, hence some of them may still labour under the missaprehension that they're the only country that has any freedom and that any other country with a different ideology is therefore only interested in squashing or snuffing out that freedom.
Without believing this, they'd have no reason to start invading other countries, and hence stimulate their own industries to provide the equipment for their adventures.

Xenophobia + dumb media=economic success

Someone just had to go and revive this convo. There it was slumbering away, dieing a slow well deserved death and here it is again.

Yes, the Bush administration is bad. Yes, most of the US public is complacent. Yes, the WTO, corporations, the Federal Reserve, the political parties and the mass media have colluded to mislead and enslave the populace...

Oh, wait... that hasn't been discussed here yet after nearly 8000 posts. Carry on.

erm, actually the statistics were that 49% of the american public didn't want bush, and by the fact that they voted the democrats into congress and senate shows that they didn't want war anyway.

i'm not an american so i may be wrong, i'm just going of what the Times said.

What is scary, truly frightening, is what came out during a recent debate between the gaggle of early republican candidates. Out of the dozen(?) candidates on stage, only John McCain said torture was wrong.

how funny!! almost 8000 postings in here on whats wrong with americans.
well! im quite sure that you brits can spot an american a mile away but for those who cant... im an american.
this very well may be one of my favorite threads....
becaaaaaaaaaause haha i have had some real problems with brits here in america in my personal life.


so.... is there a thread entitled whats wrong with brits?

Don't be silly! theres nothing wrong with the Brittish! you dear, silly little conolist

(leans back in chair, waits for head to be bitten off)

colonialist? colonyist? arggh now i cant spell it ...anyone?