Return of the A line?

[johnny9fingers]

Y'know, there was a time when I thought of Italy as a civilised and sophisticated nation, and that Mussolini had been a blip, an aberrant anomaly....but

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/11/italy-rosarno-violence-immigrants

You have to admire these folk. Just when one thought Ethnic Cleansing was so last century, up pops a newly fashionable version. As an aside I thought Northern Ireland's intriguing way of getting rid of its Roma was pretty imaginative (pipe bombs, or IED's to you and me) as it showed that a community didn't have to be locked into hating just its traditional enemies (be they Protestant or Catholic) but could unite against a new common and relatively powerless incomer; using the tools of terrorists fighting occupying armies, against a powerless minority, including women and children.

However it seems the Italians, unlike the Irish/Anglo-Irish, don't appear to feel anything in the way of guilt for such actions.

It's quite wonderful that Pope Benny Raztinger, a chap who was in the Hitler Youth, can chide the Italians over their treatment of their extremely-low-paid immigrant orange-picking community.

This year it seems that 800 million Kilos of fruit are rotting on the trees. Perhaps the Calabrian fruit farmers will find that next season, when prices for their produce have risen, they still won't be able to get anyone to pick the oranges from their trees. Shame that, really, isn't it?

Comments

[vlion.livejournal.com]

Oy vey.

Not sure what to make of this. Very sad.

[johnny9fingers.livejournal.com]

Recessions seem to do this to people. The UK and Australia appear to have similar problems: though perhaps not quite so extensive. How are things in the US? You guys seem slightly better than most of the rest of the 'civilised' world at the moment as far as news of this sort of thing goes.

Even the more racist-inclined of the teabaggers don't actually appear to be lynching anyone, just protesting. I don't read about folk tarring and feathering Mexicans, for example; or putting IED's on immigrants doorsteps.

It could be that the US is becoming the most tolerant of the developed nations, despite the biting recession.

Though I still feel London is the most civilised city on Earth, maybe we're being overtaken at last, and perhaps that will spur us on to be yet more civilised.

[vlion.livejournal.com]

From what comes across my news, there isn't a real outbreak of racism-related violence.

I do think that the 'teabagging' movement is attracting the radicals of the anarchist/nationalist/neo-con stripes. There's a lot of popular support for the general goals of the Tea Party, it's a heterogeonous blob that wants less government, less spending, more responsible government. Obviously that grants more freedom to do reprehensible things as well. So you have some very bad elements wanting freedom for /their/ actions too. Unfortunately, there's very few sane politicians willing to step up and be a responsible leader towards the goal of freedom(which will reduce their power).

Up in this area we used to have Butler, but honestly? there never seems to be popular support/nostalgia for him. Granted, I live in a University town, and they are always much more comfortable with highly diverse populations.

What we do have is Doug Wilson(Page relating to him and his band of theocraticists.
But I think they've diminished in influence.

[johnny9fingers.livejournal.com]

Blimey, that Butler chappie was a bit....bonkers.

I have to admit I'm not a supporter of Israel, but a chap with opinions like that is liable to make me slightly more sympathetic to their 'bunker mentality', and perhaps puts into context the reasons why so many New York Jewish folk think and act the way they do.

Aside from that, I'm pretty impressed with the way it appears the US has been dealing with all of this stuff. The perceived disenfrachisement (illusory though it appears from the outside) which some white folk have, has been dealt with by them in a civilised fashion. Good for them.

However, for the committed racialists I have a couple of words: heterozygous advantage.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heterozygote_advantage

Exogamy seems to be the way forward for a healthy human race, unless we are prepared to fundamentally manipulate our own genetic material.

Mongrels live longer, are smarter, and healthier. Look at dogs.

[vlion.livejournal.com]

Good point. :-)

[felephant.livejournal.com]

"Look at dogs."

But not bulldogs or dachshund. (I know next to nothing about dog breeds, but presumably bulldogs and dachshunds are mongrels which then, because they were popular and bred with each other, became a breed proper?)

[johnny9fingers.livejournal.com]

If you think about it, all 'pure bred' dogs have gone through a selective breeding process that limits their gene pool. Most of them have problems of one kind or another. King Charles Spaniels have problems with skull bones limiting brain area and are prone to headaches; Irish Wolfhounds have problems with their joints; Pugs have breathing difficulties....etc & etc.

Few pure breds live more than twelve years: most mongrels manage better.