[lit-ideas] Re: Long Live the Evolution
- From: Michael Chase <goya@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2004 08:37:12 +0100
Le lundi, 3 mai 2004, =E0 22:03 Europe/Paris, andy amago a =E9crit :
> The book I am referring to is, Mexifornia: A State of Becoming, by=20
> Victor Davis Hanson.
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>
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>
> -----Forwarded Message-----
> From: andy amago <aamago@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: May 2, 2004 7:38 PM
> To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [lit-ideas] Long Live the Evolution
>
> America the Melting Pot requires at least one ethnic response. I=20
> wonder how people feel about the Balkanization of the United States=20
> into XXXXX-Americans.
M.C. Don't see anything wrong with it.
> Students less often answer questions with "I feel" and more often=20
> with, among others, "As a Latino-American I feel".
M.C. So?
> Many American-born Hispanics (we'll pick on them because they are the=20=
> most numerous) dream of going back to an idealized Mexico,
M.C. Seems like the most natural desire in the world.
> the same Mexico that would give them a far inferior way of life.
M.C. You know this for a fact, do you? Does *every* Mexican living in=20
Mexico have a life inferior to that of *every* Mexican living north of=20=
the border? I kinda doubt it.
> Likewise Chinese and all nationalities who have their feet planted=20=
> here while their hearts are elsewhere.
M.C. "Nationalities" have neither feet nor hearts. People do. Where=20
peoples' feet are is easy enough to observe, measure and quantify.=20
Where their hearts are is (a) impossible for you to know and (b) none=20
of your beeswax.
> Most menus require a second language,
M.C. Quelle horreur=A0! I can't believe that such barbarism is allowed=20=
within a nation so great as the USA! Excuse me, the shock is too great,=20=
I must go and lie down.
> and even the local Social Security offices "speak your language", by=20=
> the dozens. Seems a schizy way to live, not just for the country but=20=
> for the individuals with joint loyalties as well.
M.C. It might be interesting to examine the presuppositions underlying=20=
this way of viewing things: a nation's inhabitants should have only=20
one loyalty: their hearts and souls should be utterly and inalienably=20
devoted to the Fatherland. Sounds to me like an ideology of which=20
Goebbels would heartily approve.
At the risk of being declared a rootless, parasitic =
intellectual, I=20
will nevertheless declare my preference - by a country mile- for the=20
richness of multiculturalism. While less comfortingly secure than=20
jingoistic fascism, it can open our eyes to the infinite wealth of=20
every culture, every one of which has precious wisdom to contribute.=20
Nationalism of the kind illustrated above is just a hypertrophied=20
version of individual egotism, and is just as puerile and stupid: it=20
appeals to humanity's basest instincts. Hence its popularity,=20
especially amoing the ignorant.
All best wishes, Mike.
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Michael Chase=09
(goya@xxxxxxxxxxx)
CNRS UPR 76/
l'Annee Philologique
Villejuif-Paris
France
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