The Wow I Can't Believe That News Story Thread

[adidasss]

Originally Posted by The Batlord

Are we shocked that adidasss doesn't get racism?

Oh I think I get racism quite well, I live in a country that is constitutionally racist, where political parties are segregated based on race, where schools are segregated based on race, where race matters in employment etc. So I am acutely aware of it on a daily basis. It's just a little more difficult to transpose this idea to discrimination among and against white Western Europeans.

But I am willing to learn...

[The Batlord]

That's adorable that you don't get that whiteness is a spectrum.

[adidasss]

Originally Posted by The Batlord

That's adorable that you don't get that whiteness is a spectrum.

Really, you think that I, as a white Eastern European, don't understand there is discrimination among white people?

But what we're talking about here is apparent discrimination among North and South Western Europeans. That's a little different. In my mind, absolutely based on the much smaller wealth disparity between the two, unlike between the East and the West.

[Marie Monday]

Originally Posted by adidasss

The height of "discrimination" of North against the South in Europe is that maybe some Northern Europeans are a little snooty and think they're better than everyone else (because they're richer I guess). I haven't heard of anyone actually disliking and discriminating against Southern Europeans in any serious way, and I especially can't imagine this being applied to Spain. Unless you have a different experience, in which case I'd be curious to know how this discrimination is exhibited.

On the other hand there are far more examples of Northern Europeans liking and enjoying the South (check out all the chartered flights to Spain and Italy).

Also, I do believe a lot of discrimination and prejudice stems from the wealth disparity. In the States, people are prejudiced against poor latinos, not so much for their skin colour but the fact that they're poor and trying to take their jobs. Same in Europe, discrimination of the West against the East isn't about skin colour, it's about rich vs. poor.



Urm, among people of the same race and similar culture (say, white Europeans, which is what we're talking about here), I think that's entirely possible?

But I have limited experience with Nothern Europe, maybe there are deep prejudices against Southern Europeans I'm not aware of. Again, not sure how this would be exhibited.

There's a pretty common right wing idea in northern Europe that southern Europeans are lazy garlic eating people who leech off north European money in the EU. Its very naive to think that people can't enjoy a place while being racist towards its inhabitants at the same time.
Of course I realise wealth disparity plays a role in racism, but it's not the entire picture. The fundament behind racism is a hatred of things that are different from you. Take Jewish people, who weren't poorer than other ethnic groups in Europe but were discriminated horribly. If all Latinos become rich, racism isn't solved. It's also the other way around: history of racism has led to wealth disparity which further reinforces racism.

[adidasss]

Originally Posted by Marie Monday

There's a pretty common right wing idea in northern Europe that southern Europeans are lazy garlic eating people who leech off north European money in the EU.

Ok, sure, and if you'd have formulated your original statement to say "some right wing Northern European nutters discriminate against Southern Europeans", I wouldn't have objected, otherwise it seemed you were saying most Northern Europeans discriminate against Southern Europeans or that such discrimination or attitude is widespread which I think isn't the case.

Its very naive to think that people can't enjoy a place while being racist towards its inhabitants at the same time.

Sure, some people may travel to places whose inhabitants they dislike, but I would say most people travel to Southern Europe and especially Spain not just for the sunshine and the beaches but for the culture and the people.

Of course I realise wealth disparity plays a role in racism, but it's not the entire picture. The fundament behind racism is a hatred of things that are different from you. Take Jewish people, who weren't poorer than other ethnic groups in Europe but were discriminated horribly. If all Latinos become rich, racism isn't solved. It's also the other way around: history of racism has led to wealth disparity which further reinforces racism.

Yup, absolutely aware of that. But our discussion is limited to West North vs. West South of Europe, which have very similar culture (in a global context), Christian, predominantly white etc. Your statement above basically confirms that the main reason for discrimination towards the South by the North is economic.

Same issue exists on a more regional basis, inside Spain, Italy, even Croatia, the developed north discriminates against and looks down on the less developed south.

But coming back to the original point, OH, who is Irish and not British, was not discriminating against the Spanish and this is not a common thing in Europe. In my opinion and personal experience. Certainly not anything comparable to the racism Latinos experience in the U.S., which I think is what Charles thinks is happening. Spaniards=/=Latinos.

[Frownland]

Damn Croats are dumb. And here I thought you were one of the good ones!

[adidasss]

We dumb and poor! And lazy, according to North Europe...

[Raime]

Originally Posted by Frownland

Damn Croats are dumb. And here I thought you were one of the good ones!

At least he's not one of them genocidal Serbs. (Really the only thing I know about Serbians comes from their actions in the war.)

[Frownland]

Originally Posted by adidasss

We dumb and poor! And lazy, according to North Europe...

I am an american, don't project your poor people problems onto me.

[The Batlord]

Originally Posted by Frownland

Damn Croats are dumb. And here I thought you were one of the good ones!

It's why he's so money crazy. Doesn't want the Queen of England calling him a dirty Slav.