So What's A White Boy To Do?

[Dildo Argentino]

If I don't want Monthy Python persecuted for taking the piss out of Christ, I can't be (don't want to be) hypocritical about it.

As much as it pains me to admit it, the troll raises a very good point here.

I command thee as an honest man.

Oh, this should be good.  You COMMAND ECH?

Good lord, for one who is not listening, you listen hard! 
Corrected. I stand corrected.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

If I don't want Monthy Python persecuted for taking the piss out of Christ, I can't be (don't want to be) hypocritical about it.

As much as it pains me to admit it, the troll raises a very good point here.

I command thee as an honest man.

Oh, this should be good.  You COMMAND ECH?

Good lord, for one who is not listening, you listen hard! 
Corrected. I stand corrected.

I see all.

[Dildo Argentino]

Are familiar with the concept of "socialization"? Culture is, by definition, encoded into our early socialization. You can move physically away from your culture of origin, and yes, it is possible to be adopted into another culture, but it is impossible to abandon your culture of origin while remaining physically embedded in it.

Yes. Quite familiar. Your constant put-downs are somewhat tedious, Nigel.

However, I'm afraid, I disagree. And I think on reflection you will also disagree with your own statement.

I posit that it is possible (though hard) to shed/transcend/optionalise your culture while remaining physically in it (i.e. while continuing to live in a neighbourhood inhabited by people who belong to the same or similar cultures).

Furthermore, I posit that that is the way out of the Predicament^TM that the fair-to-middling pamphlet entitled Black Iron Prison offers its readers.

Refute that. Without insults, if possible, but with insults will also do.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Yes. Quite familiar. Your constant put-downs are somewhat tedious, Nigel.

[Junkenstein]

6 pages later and I still don't know what a fucking war bonnet is or where the white rasta who stole my shit went.


Fucking Wednesdays.

[Dildo Argentino]

People can make fun of their own culture and similar ones, whether or not they subscribe to the part they're making fun of. Cultures steeped in wider memes, like Christianity, can make fun of those memes, again, whether or not that person subscribes to them.

Or at least that's what makes sense to me.

Well the first sentence makes sense to me, too, although it seems an entirely arbitrary restriction. I reckon everyone is permitted to make fun of anything they find funny. Maybe they will find that the people laughing along with them are the wrong sort of crowd, maybe they'll find that nobody else is laughing... but why take away anyone's funny?

The second sentence, try as I might, doesn't make much sense. What is it like when a culture makes fun of a meme? Not seen that one, can't really see it happen either.

Would you mind explaining to the mouth-breather? 

[Cain]

Are familiar with the concept of "socialization"? Culture is, by definition, encoded into our early socialization. You can move physically away from your culture of origin, and yes, it is possible to be adopted into another culture, but it is impossible to abandon your culture of origin while remaining physically embedded in it.

Yes. Quite familiar. Your constant put-downs are somewhat tedious, Nigel.

However, I'm afraid, I disagree. And I think on reflection you will also disagree with your own statement.

I posit that it is possible (though hard) to shed/transcend/optionalise your culture while remaining physically in it (i.e. while continuing to live in a neighbourhood inhabited by people who belong to the same or similar cultures).

Furthermore, I posit that that is the way out of the Predicament^TM that the fair-to-middling pamphlet entitled Black Iron Prison offers its readers.

Refute that. Without insults, if possible, but with insults will also do.

I refute it thus:

[trippinprincezz13]

No, it's what the object/whatever represents. When people get butthurt about burning American flags, it's not the actual flag they're mad about, it's what the flag represents.

But "the flag" is just a piece of cloth. Some jackass burning it isn't going to destroy everything it stands for (the people are doing that just fine).

If I know a bit about the Yin and Yang, like what it represents and choose to wear it on an article of clothing or jewelry or whatever, because I like a reminder of it's influence in my life, etc., am I stomping all over the Chinese because I'm not otherwise immersed in Chinese culture or tradition?

[Dildo Argentino]

We may as well just say the whole thing is arbitrary and subjective, and there's no good way to draw a line that will apply to any particular culture in any particular era.

That is something I've noticed getting said on PD an awful lot. More often than justified, actually.

I suspect.

[Dildo Argentino]

We may as well just say the whole thing is arbitrary and subjective, and there's no good way to draw a line that will apply to any particular culture in any particular era.

I can roll with that, I suppose.

Of course you can roll with that, it's an intellectual cop-out. And you like those.

Certainly easier than actually trying to cogitate about a question you don't immediately have an opinion about.

[Cain]

We may as well just say the whole thing is arbitrary and subjective, and there's no good way to draw a line that will apply to any particular culture in any particular era.

I can roll with that, I suppose.

Of course you can roll with that, it's an intellectual cop-out. And you like those.

Certainly easier than actually trying to cogitate about a question you don't immediately have an opinion about.

[Dildo Argentino]

Or, from another angle: If we as a society stopped treating certain cultures and groups like absolute shit and treated them as full equals, would anyone give two ratfucks if white people wore war bonnets? So this is really just a distraction from the real issues, but since it's easy to make noise about and all you have to do to be on the right moral side of the issue is to NOT do things, it's a really easy way for well-to-do white people to feel better about themselves.

LOOK HERE, OLD CHAP! I'M NOT WEARING A WAR BONNET AND YOU SHOULDN'T BE EITHER!
\

I am holist and I concur entirely. I predict that I will get accused of (or perhaps have already been accused of?) sucking up to this man, but that's just an optical illusion. He just happens to be right.

[trippinprincezz13]

"Respect" means understanding that Mary, etc. have meaning to Catholic people.

Nope.  "Respect" means that I treat Twid the way I'd want to be treated, not because I have to or should, but because he's the kind of person I WANT to treat that way.

Right. I'm not going to respect someone because they're white, black, gay, straight, male, female, Catholic, Chinese, or a hippy. I'm going to respect them (or not) based upon how I would like to be treated, how they treat me and/or how I see them treat others, regardless of any of any other signifiers or labels

[Dildo Argentino]

People can make fun of their own culture and similar ones, whether or not they subscribe to the part they're making fun of. Cultures steeped in wider memes, like Christianity, can make fun of those memes, again, whether or not that person subscribes to them.

Or at least that's what makes sense to me.

I can make fun of whatever I find to be silly, no matter what size or cultural background is involved.

Even stranger, I find myself in complete agreement with this specific utterance of this man, too. 

[Dildo Argentino]

Not treating people like shit requires respecting their culture.

I advise you to recall that sentiment next time a Jehova's witness or, better still, a Scientologist knocks on your door for a chat.