4 ms·

Appropriation is bullshit, cultures should be allowed to freely copy from and imitate each other without restriction.

SSLy 11y ago
Everything aside, this is how humanity works for 4000 years at least. I think we just have a case of spoiled Americans that want to be the world's police.
- techterrier 11y ago
  oh we have these 'morality of thought police' in England too!
  - StavrosK 11y ago
    I've noticed that, oddly, England follows the US pretty closely in culture. Does anyone know why that is? It seems to me like any crazy concept that springs up to the US reaches England very soon. Is it the shared language and the ease of communication?
    - vlehto 11y ago
      All of Europe follows US to some extent. There is Hollywood and most of stuff in internet in English is written by people form the states. But then there is also the U.S. geopolitical and economical hegemony. People copycat everything american hoping that magically some of that success would stick too. Results are weird. Some people advocate saving tap water here in Finland. Despite our country having very large number of lakes and swamps and no foreseeable shortage of water.
exogen 11y ago
It's very tempting to say that, but that's a bit of a privileged stance. ("I wouldn't mind, so nobody else should mind either!") Analogy: Let's say you take a free intro taekwondo class. They outfit you with a white belt, obviously. But you think the red/black belt looks cool, so you start wearing that instead - maybe not in the dojang even, but just around town. You don't think martial artists should have a problem with that, maybe even challenge you to a fight? And even non-martial-artists shouldn't think you're kind of a poser?
- ohsnap 11y ago
  Or say a foreigner is introduced to Jiu Jitsu. Then that said foreigner appropriates it and develops a new system called Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. They then issue belts based on their new interpretation of skill level. Perhaps a few Japanese might have a problem with that and think your a 'poser' - but you would probably ignore them and just consider them a bigot.
- iSnow 11y ago
  I don't really understand where the foreign culture is needed. If you walk around in army uniform and have never been in the army, you will invite criticism or even a kick in the butt. If you dress up as a nun or as a priest you are an impostor. If you decide it's cool to wear the "Ring of O" on your right hand, you'll invite some inconvenient misunderstandings - especially as a woman. Everyone should be aware of societal codes and either obey them or live with the resulting misunderstandings. Shrugging your shoulders and violating those codes makes you a not nice person at worst, but casting this in "oppressive west vs. the rest" terms just muddies the water.
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
- lucozade 11y ago
  > You don't think martial artists should have a problem with that No they shouldn't. It in no ways diminishes the value or meaning of a red/black belt in taekwondo. However, if they were to insist that practitioners treated them as if they'd earned the belt or, conversely, somehow prevented a legitimate holder of the belt from wearing one then you have a case for grievance.

SSLy 11y ago

Everything aside, this is how humanity works for 4000 years at least. I think we just have a case of spoiled Americans that want to be the world's police.

techterrier 11y ago
oh we have these 'morality of thought police' in England too!
- StavrosK 11y ago
  I've noticed that, oddly, England follows the US pretty closely in culture. Does anyone know why that is? It seems to me like any crazy concept that springs up to the US reaches England very soon. Is it the shared language and the ease of communication?
  - vlehto 11y ago
    All of Europe follows US to some extent. There is Hollywood and most of stuff in internet in English is written by people form the states. But then there is also the U.S. geopolitical and economical hegemony. People copycat everything american hoping that magically some of that success would stick too. Results are weird. Some people advocate saving tap water here in Finland. Despite our country having very large number of lakes and swamps and no foreseeable shortage of water.

exogen 11y ago

It's very tempting to say that, but that's a bit of a privileged stance. ("I wouldn't mind, so nobody else should mind either!") Analogy: Let's say you take a free intro taekwondo class. They outfit you with a white belt, obviously. But you think the red/black belt looks cool, so you start wearing that instead - maybe not in the dojang even, but just around town. You don't think martial artists should have a problem with that, maybe even challenge you to a fight? And even non-martial-artists shouldn't think you're kind of a poser?

ohsnap 11y ago
Or say a foreigner is introduced to Jiu Jitsu. Then that said foreigner appropriates it and develops a new system called Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. They then issue belts based on their new interpretation of skill level. Perhaps a few Japanese might have a problem with that and think your a 'poser' - but you would probably ignore them and just consider them a bigot.
iSnow 11y ago
I don't really understand where the foreign culture is needed. If you walk around in army uniform and have never been in the army, you will invite criticism or even a kick in the butt. If you dress up as a nun or as a priest you are an impostor. If you decide it's cool to wear the "Ring of O" on your right hand, you'll invite some inconvenient misunderstandings - especially as a woman. Everyone should be aware of societal codes and either obey them or live with the resulting misunderstandings. Shrugging your shoulders and violating those codes makes you a not nice person at worst, but casting this in "oppressive west vs. the rest" terms just muddies the water.
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
lucozade 11y ago
> You don't think martial artists should have a problem with that No they shouldn't. It in no ways diminishes the value or meaning of a red/black belt in taekwondo. However, if they were to insist that practitioners treated them as if they'd earned the belt or, conversely, somehow prevented a legitimate holder of the belt from wearing one then you have a case for grievance.