Thank you, apology accepted. Perhaps I should have worded my question as one sentence, the second question was only meant to refine the first question - text communication is an imperfect medium.

You raise a very interesting point. I believe arranged marriage in most cultures is equally unfair on both males and females since they are both under duress to marry. In this clip we can only assume the males are under duress to compete for marriage. If she is their prize, they are equally her prize. And there will be two loser's on the male side but none on the female side.

Is fighting tradition a good thing? Apparently arranged marriages stick together more than traditional ones ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arranged_marriage - just looked it up, who knew!!)

In regards to the female in this clip: Is the abandonment of feminine characteristics a good thing? And the adoption of masculine characteristics a good thing?

In this particular instance they diminish the natural advantage males have in physical activities (an undeniable scientific fact) and make a statistically improbable situation. In a warrior culture, males are unlikely to be this incompetent.

>> ^hpqp:

@harlequinn, my apologies for assuming that your question was simply rhetorical, but concede that, since you give an answer to your own question (albeit slapped with a question mark), it comes off as very rhetorical indeed.
So is this the best way to remedy this? Make a movie measuring a girl's worth against her ability to do or better exactly what boys do?
And it's that "answer" that prompted my (dismissive, I admit) comment. This clip shows the main character shooting arrows better than the male contestantsy yes, but that is not the point; the point is, why is she doing that? Because she does not want to be married off; she is confronting the role of "princess to be married" because she wants to be able to make her own decisions about her life. I could go on about how women have historically gained rights by proving their worth in so-called "male" occupations (WWII anyone?) but I think the point is clear enough.

@harlequinn, my apologies for assuming that your question was simply rhetorical, but concede that, since you give an answer to your own question (albeit slapped with a question mark), it comes off as very rhetorical indeed.

So is this the best way to remedy this? Make a movie measuring a girl's worth against her ability to do or better exactly what boys do?

And it's that "answer" that prompted my (dismissive, I admit) comment. This clip shows the main character shooting arrows better than the male contestantsy yes, but that is not the point; the point is, why is she doing that? Because she does not want to be married off; she is confronting the role of "princess to be married" because she wants to be able to make her own decisions about her life. I could go on about how women have historically gained rights by proving their worth in so-called "male" occupations (WWII anyone?) but I think the point is clear enough.

So is this the best way to remedy this? Make a movie measuring a girl's worth against her ability to do or better exactly what boys do?

>> ^hpqp:

>> ^renatojj:
Another movie about empowering women, we just don't have enough of those.

Indeed, we really don't. Especially when it comes to children's movies, which have a long history of sexist and patriarchal representations of women/women's roles. Here's a humorous take on a few of them:
http://videosift.com/video/Advice-From-A-Cartoon-Princess-Belle
http://videosift.com/video/Advice-From-A-Cartoon-Princess-Snow-White http://videosift.com/video/Great-Advice-from-The-Little-Mermaid

Doing my bit to remedy the injustice, and not be seen.

Even when I was in high school in the late 80's there was a definite attitude of 'those aren't cut out for college do the menial work.' We have a real campaign for college educations in this country (and of course all the big business that goes along with that) and have shoved all other necessary professions to the way side, suggesting them only to the kids in remedial classes, etc. It's a major issue. Some say the illegals are filling that gap but it's not true. They simply don't have the training for the real work that needs to be done.

As others have said as well, it's not like these are low paying jobs either. A skill welder can live very comfortably, as can a plumber, or a mason, or any skilled laborer. And for those that say we cant afford to spend the money, to add to the deficit, the money that would be required for this would be miniscule compared to the trillions we've given the banks, etc.

@dystopianfuturetoday:

I see what you're going for, so here's your Yes. Where our opinions diverge is a matter of perspective.

Slavery is not unique to the Black race, nor even Black Americans, it's a worldwide institution with ancient origins that is still practiced in parts of Africa TODAY. Every race on earth has at one time been enslaved, just as every race on earth has also enslaved other races. As horrible as it seems to us, for centuries slavery was accepted as necessary and a part of life. For Black Americans to feel singled out is, to me, just silly.

So enter the Civil War, a complex struggle involving myriad factors that became more about slavery about halfway through. Republicans ended slavery. Not that is was all sugar and poetry: Lincoln said it didn't matter if he had to keep slavery or end it, he would do whichever it took to save the Union. Lincoln did the paperwork but the Abolitionists did the real work.

We had a Civil Rights movement and it was just. (Now we have a Special Rights movement that is unjust, but that's another chapter).

I don't buy this crap about psychic injuries from slavery. And yes, here is the part where I provide the transcript of Bill Cosby's "Poundcake speech". I know you're going to have your reasons for not liking what he had to say (and I'm sure Jesse Jackson, who was right beside him was shocked and pissed) but all the same, please READ IT.


Yes, there was a time in America where lynchings were common, racism was institutional and opportunities for Blacks were severely limited. That time has passed. Yes, there are remnants of the klan out there, but they're not the ones forcing Blacks to drop out of school, disparage reading books and getting an education as "the White Man's Game" or impregnating young girls like it's nothing.

We've had generation after generation of immigrants now, from Vietnam, India, the failed soviet bloc. They came here with nothing and in a generation or two have risen. And if the excuse is, 'Well, they're not Black," here come Blacks from the Caribbean, working hard and doing just as well. All of these immigrant groups have one HUGE advantage: they haven't suffered decades of this American victim mentality.

I trust your sincerity and the sincerity of all the liberals who want to see Black Americans improve their lot (and they have, most are middle class). But there are forces that demand the dependency of Black Americans and use a victim mentality to get their votes. I don't see why anyone would heed voices that say, 'You Can't Do It'.


RE: the "science" article bashing conservatives. In Japan there are "scientists" whose entire output is exceptionalist-nationalist philosophy (nihonjinron) that is to be taken very seriously. This article is on the same level as, "liberals are better lovers".








>> ^dystopianfuturetoday:

qm - Imagine if you and the rest of your ethnic heritage were brought to this country as prisoners, to be sold as property to other people. You are bought and sold and expected to do hard labor without protest. Any resistance could mean your life, or your foot, so you quickly learn to submit yourself to the authority of the ruling racial class. Your ethnic heritage, as a whole, is kept in poverty and ignorance for many generations. Old proud traditions are beaten out of you, and new ones are created in secret, out of the watchful eye of your master. You cannot sing your music, but you can sing in the church choir, so you create your own new culture under the restrictions imposed by your masters.
Then a century down the road, it is decided that slavery is wrong and you are set free. Unfortunately for you, you are in your middle age with no money or education in a culture where you are thought of as subhuman. In this hostile environment, you are expected to compete with people who have been free all their lives, and more sinisterly, people who loathe you and are actively against your progress. They even create organizations to make life worse for you and to form lynch mobs to murder you and your kind.
This new generation continues to pass along the legacy of poverty, lack of education, self doubt, fear and shame to further generations. For the next few generations, laws are set up to discriminate against your people, and it is publicly acceptable to insult, attack and even kill your underclass with minimal consequences. There are new freedoms and a desire to rise above, but there are so very many cultural barriers.
Eventually society decides this underclass should have the same rights as everyone else, but at this point, the legacy of slavery has been imprinted on an entire culture for many generations - Hundreds of years of negative cultural conditioning. Although free in law, there is still much animosity aimed at your group. Not only are ou different in color and culture, but you also carry the stigma of being poor and not having access to the same level of education of the ruling racial class.
Eventually steps are taken to reverse this legacy of hate, poverty and slavery through government assistance programs, and while costly, they do yield success as your underclass rises in wealth and social acceptance. The fact that we, the racial ruling class, see them as equal and expect them to do as well as we do speaks greatly to the change in culture over the last half century. But, just are the legacy of slavery lives on in black culture, so does the legacy of hate live on in white culture. Groups of neo-confederate whites are angry that there is an effort to help remedy a problem created by our forefathers. They don't care whether or not these programs have been successful, they just hate the idea of this long hated underclass getting some help.
Just as the legacy of poverty has made it's way from generation to generation, so has the legacy of hate.
Perhaps the neo-confederates should take the log out of their own eye, before cataloging the failings of others. Or at least, they could attempt some understanding of why these stats are the way they are, how much progress has been made, and what could be done to stop these destructive legacies in the future.

Do you see what I'm going for here, qm? I'd love a yes, even if it comes with heavy reservations.

qm - Imagine if you and the rest of your ethnic heritage were brought to this country as prisoners, to be sold as property to other people. You are bought and sold and expected to do hard labor without protest. Any resistance could mean your life, or your foot, so you quickly learn to submit yourself to the authority of the ruling racial class. Your ethnic heritage, as a whole, is kept in poverty and ignorance for many generations. Old proud traditions are beaten out of you, and new ones are created in secret, out of the watchful eye of your master. You cannot sing your music, but you can sing in the church choir, so you create your own new culture under the restrictions imposed by your masters.

Then a century down the road, it is decided that slavery is wrong and you are set free. Unfortunately for you, you are in your middle age with no money or education in a culture where you are thought of as subhuman. In this hostile environment, you are expected to compete with people who have been free all their lives, and more sinisterly, people who loathe you and are actively against your progress. They even create organizations to make life worse for you and to form lynch mobs to murder you and your kind.

This new generation continues to pass along the legacy of poverty, lack of education, self doubt, fear and shame to further generations. For the next few generations, laws are set up to discriminate against your people, and it is publicly acceptable to insult, attack and even kill your underclass with minimal consequences. There are new freedoms and a desire to rise above, but there are so very many cultural barriers.

Eventually society decides this underclass should have the same rights as everyone else, but at this point, the legacy of slavery has been imprinted on an entire culture for many generations - Hundreds of years of negative cultural conditioning. Although free in law, there is still much animosity aimed at your group. Not only are ou different in color and culture, but you also carry the stigma of being poor and not having access to the same level of education of the ruling racial class.

Eventually steps are taken to reverse this legacy of hate, poverty and slavery through government assistance programs, and while costly, they do yield success as your underclass rises in wealth and social acceptance. The fact that we, the racial ruling class, see them as equal and expect them to do as well as we do speaks greatly to the change in culture over the last half century. But, just are the legacy of slavery lives on in black culture, so does the legacy of hate live on in white culture. Groups of neo-confederate whites are angry that there is an effort to help remedy a problem created by our forefathers. They don't care whether or not these programs have been successful, they just hate the idea of this long hated underclass getting some help.

Just as the legacy of poverty has made it's way from generation to generation, so has the legacy of hate.

Perhaps the neo-confederates should take the log out of their own eye, before cataloging the failings of others. Or at least, they could attempt some understanding of why these stats are the way they are, how much progress has been made, and what could be done to stop these destructive legacies in the future.


Do you see what I'm going for here, qm? I'd love a yes, even if it comes with heavy reservations.

tippy-toes and affirmative action will never lead to true equality... just the illusion of it

@packo I'm all ears for some practical remedies.

I was thinking more about this guy

http://youtu.be/7syx26QtQIM

To a health care rally.>> ^Winstonfield_Pennypacker:

People taking to the streets to demonstrate - it's crazy, radical, violent and lawless
As is typical with Prog-lib-dytes, this ignores the 400+ actual examples of craziness, radicalism, violence, and lawlessnes. Congratulations on flunking Common Sense 101 and Remedial Reading.
displaying this website's bias
Of course Big Government is biased. Videosift is biased. CNN is biased. Fox is biased. MSN is biased. Now - at least you haven't flunked Remedial Reading like Drax, but you still flunk Common Sense 101. The bias of Big Government as a website is rather irrelevant compared to the CONTENT of the listing. Maybe you should - you know - actually read the 400+ independant news articles from the AP, NYT, CNN, NBC, Fox, and many other news outlet from which the unbiased and accurate list of OWS crimes was compiled. Your call. You can keep pretending that OWS was just a bunch of people 'taking to the streets' if you want. Fact and reality tells quite a different story though. But - as I say - facts and reality are foreign to the typical Prog-lib-dyte, so I wouldn't be surprised if you keep trying to ignore them.

>> ^Winstonfield_Pennypacker:

People taking to the streets to demonstrate - it's crazy, radical, violent and lawless
As is typical with Prog-lib-dytes, this ignores the 400+ actual examples of craziness, radicalism, violence, and lawlessnes. Congratulations on flunking Common Sense 101 and Remedial Reading.
displaying this website's bias
Of course Big Government is biased. Videosift is biased. CNN is biased. Fox is biased. MSN is biased. Now - at least you haven't flunked Remedial Reading like Drax, but you still flunk Common Sense 101. The bias of Big Government as a website is rather irrelevant compared to the CONTENT of the listing. Maybe you should - you know - actually read the 400+ independant news articles from the AP, NYT, CNN, NBC, Fox, and many other news outlet from which the unbiased and accurate list of OWS crimes was compiled. Your call. You can keep pretending that OWS was just a bunch of people 'taking to the streets' if you want. Fact and reality tells quite a different story though. But - as I say - facts and reality are foreign to the typical Prog-lib-dyte, so I wouldn't be surprised if you keep trying to ignore them.


You are very, very confused.

People taking to the streets to demonstrate - it's crazy, radical, violent and lawless

As is typical with Prog-lib-dytes, this ignores the 400+ actual examples of craziness, radicalism, violence, and lawlessnes. Congratulations on flunking Common Sense 101 and Remedial Reading.

displaying this website's bias

Of course Big Government is biased. Videosift is biased. CNN is biased. Fox is biased. MSN is biased. Now - at least you haven't flunked Remedial Reading like Drax, but you still flunk Common Sense 101. The bias of Big Government as a website is rather irrelevant compared to the CONTENT of the listing. Maybe you should - you know - actually read the 400+ independant news articles from the AP, NYT, CNN, NBC, Fox, and many other news outlet from which the unbiased and accurate list of OWS crimes was compiled. Your call. You can keep pretending that OWS was just a bunch of people 'taking to the streets' if you want. Fact and reality tells quite a different story though. But - as I say - facts and reality are foreign to the typical Prog-lib-dyte, so I wouldn't be surprised if you keep trying to ignore them.

>> ^Hive13:

It may be a dupe, but this embed is MUCH better. How do we remedy that?


It'll all sort out.
When I isdupe this one it become the second Backup of the original sift (@Duckman33's is already a backup--but it's not vimeo). Then I'll just replace the original with this backup and the original will now be the second backup.

BUT--Don't take the Blue Pill!!

It may be a dupe, but this embed is MUCH better. How do we remedy that?

>> ^TangledThorns:

Ron Christie handled himself exceptionally while the others wanted we're raging like little children.


If this sentence makes sense to you please take some remedial education classes.

Conquest is a bit of a strange beast. On one hand you can extrapolate Sagemind's argument and say that we should respect the wishes of the existing indigenous population. But then on the other, what if another population of humans had existed before the Native Indians, shouldn't it be their land because they were there first?

That was the case in NZ, the country was colonized by the British and a great deal of the native land was taken for the Commonwealth. However the Maori's took a portion of NZ (the Chattham Islands) from an earlier tribe, the Moriori's - by pretty much butchering them, and keeping the prisoners captive and disallowing them to mate with each other so the race has dwindled out.

Was it ok for the Maori's to do that at the time because they didn't have the in depth written philosophy of ethics and morality that is available to us today. Is it worse that the European-Americans do this to the Indian tribes now that we have a better understanding of right and wrong available to us?

I know what seems right to me, but examining this argument in the context of history really muddies things up a lot.

As an example of why I don't think John (Fire) Lame Deer's argument can be used at face value is that while the native Americans may have had a fantastic and peaceful lifestyle a lot of the time, they killed and scalped their enemies and also appeared to have a really low life expectancy. Also, would the Native American's have done the same to Europeans if the roles were reversed? There were hundreds of Native American tribes, should they all be considered equally?

To remedy the destruction of their way of life what should be done? Should all Europeans leave America, (and every settler in every country for that matter). This is the only thing that would begin to give them complete autonomy the way they used to have it. Should we say "what's done is done" and try to make better decisions moving forward?