🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <fesrd3dp1ubg4d042kgu01i2c7riec8l62@4ax.com>,
 Ron Johnson <bugman@KILLSPAMMERSairmail.net> wrote:

> On Tue, 04 Sep 2007 18:19:14 -0500, Suburbanaristic
> <Musselman@wohoo.com> wrote:
> 
> >I've often wondered this myself...
> >
> >**I've never been to Africa but I know that it's a more culturally and 
> >politically diverse place than we in the West often give it credit for. 
> >We say "African" as if it accurately, or at least adequately, captures 
> >everything about that vast continent. I understand the complaint. 
> >Liberals and conservative alike do it. We can talk about it at length if 
> >you like. But...
> >
> >
> >Why on Earth do Hillary Clinton et al. think that Africa � never mind 
> >African "tribes" � are a compelling philosophical and political role 
> >model for the United States of America? Africa? Africa? At least when 
> >they invoke Europe as a public policy North Star they have in mind a 
> >first world economy and government. But Africa?
> >
> >On what conceivable grounds is it warranted to say, "What would the 
> >Africans do?" Even on the wishy-washy proverbial terrain Clinton is 
> >usually dealing with � "children," "villages," etc � is there any 
> >empirical basis for arguing that the African Way is superior to our own? 
> >Maybe there are studies that show "Africans" are happier than Americans 
> >� when the former aren't dying of malnutrition or medieval health care, 
> >or desperately trying to emigrate to the West, no doubt. But even if 
> >such studies exist, I doubt that any of the Africaphiles have that sort 
> >of thing in mind when they talk about the ancient Wisdom we should 
> >borrow from over there.
> >
> >Even more fascinating: why do so many people uncritically accept these 
> >appeals to African wisdom?
> >
> >http://tinyurl.com/27vnlq
> 
> If you got out more, and learned some things about Africa, (More than
> you learned from watching, "Tarzan", you might understand.   I have
> friends from a number of African Countries, Nigerians, Sudanese,
> Kenyans, South Africans, and more.

Well, good for you, but actually we do know quite a bit about Africa in 
the context that the writer is referencing, if we were to "get out 
more", we perhaps may find that, indeed, we should be more like Africa, 
but I kinda think that's not too likely.

After all, we are continually told that Africa "must be saved", but that 
the rich history of Africa is a model somehow through their quaint 
ancient customs.

It would make better sense for a presidential candidate to quote the 
proverbs of the founders of this country rather than patronizing 
specific identity groups with such pander.

> I realize that I have a head start on you, having trained people from
> some of those countries to be truck drivers, but others I know outside
> of being a trainer.

I am of of course at at acknowledged intellectual disadvantage in the 
realm of cred when discussing geopoloitics, after all you are a truck 
driver.
 
> If we only associate ourselves with white rednecks, we are not likely
> to know much about the real world, or even our own country.

Then again, you grew up in Texas, right? I grew up in Puerto Rico, 
Florida, California, London, NYC, and other places I forget, where it 
was damn difficult to find this "white redneck" you speak of.

Given that, what is this "we" stuff?