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In Reply to: Re: Is this the Cartoon everyone is freakin' about...? Doesn't belong in these forums.... posted by RGA on February 20, 2006 at 12:27:03:
Well I guess we'll just have to disagree... The American lifestyle you describe - meaninigless job, shallow relationships, etc.. is a caricature of American life. It doesn't describe anyone I know. Sure, I might agree that entry level jobs seem meaningless to many, but in time we find a fit in life that allows us to do work in which we do find some meaning.I think you're also unfair in your depictiong of "rich foreigners". Let me describe some of these "foreigners" who've touched my life. I remember a Romanian gentlemann who was once my landlord - he escaped Romania by swimming across a river in the night and walking - walking! - several days to freedom. To get his wife out of the country he chained himself to a flagpole in front of the United Nations to shame his nation's communist leaders into giving his wife an exit visa. Then this man - who came here with nothing - slowly build a business doing inexpensive construction jobs - drywalling and framing. In time he put his capital to risk buying buildings and rehabbing them.
Another man was my son's cub scout leader. He and his wife came to America from China. He's one of the hardest working people I know installing some kind of epoxy flooring. After saving for years he treated his family to a real extravagance - they bought a new Honda Accord. He's not at all nostalgic for his Chinese homeland - although he prays for it nightly.
I could go on with some tales of Mexicans who immigrated to the U.S. The theme that unites all these tales is that these are NOT "rich foreigners." They may become richer once here, but I don't think of any of them as materialists.
As for my own ancestors - my Grandfather was an Italian peasant. He emigrated from Italy not so much to come to something, but to escape something: he was desparate to avoid being conscripted by the fascist government in Italy at the time. Material wealth wasn't his objective - he wanted what most immigrants want - liberty and a chance for a better life.
Kind regards,
Bob
Follow Ups:
Yes I don't disagree with many people of prior generations excaping the likes of a Stalin. Or today escaping the likes of the Taliban.I am talking about younger fairly well educated people who know they could come to America or Canada and choose not to. Life is relative. I have travelled a fair bit and with my degree I could easily move to and work in the United States - and indeed, one day I very well may. I'm not trying to come across as insulting to the west - since I live in Western Canada and can't think of a better place to live. However, I am also the type of person who wishes not to settle on the now. I think the west can do and be so much more than it is and in some ways there is a regression.
Geographically and anthropologically the West has created and continues to create a boxed in parking lot society. We are moving away from personal human contact to internet forums (the irony is in this very message) text messages. We work in cubicles and drive cars shielding away from others. I know people who would be mortified at the thought of taking a Public Bus or Sky-train(subway). That would mean they might see someone not of their "breeding."
I believe the improvement that one reads in 19th century idealism presented in much literature (and in Star Trek) is worth going for...and Western civilization is primed to go there. As soon as the power is taken away from corporate America (or corporate world) and ideas such as Socialism is not referred to as Communism.
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