4 ms·

True but trivial. Everything is understood in a context. That doesn't mean that the context isn't useful. The human bran economizes everything also how it look

True but trivial. Everything is understood in a context. That doesn't mean that the context isn't useful. The human bran economizes everything also how it looks at the world. It's a solid enough concept to understand ourselves in a bigger context and like most other things it has good and bad sides. I think postmodernism has a lot of useful perspectives, but it always annoys me when it gets misused politically like this disguised as some great antrophological insight.

gkya 9y ago
That trivial truth has killed tens of millions hasn't it? Not that trivial, then.
- ThomPete 9y ago
  What does that have to do with whether it's made up or not? What is your alternative?
  - gkya 9y ago
    For the first part, that mean we can make up a better thing. Also, many people have trouble seeing that's a decision we make, and thus many types of extremism/fundamentalism come around. For the second part, I don't have an alternative, and I believe I don't have to have one before discussing the flaws of what we have at hand.
    - ThomPete 9y ago
      Then you are proving my point. It's politics disguised as some big aha moment. A much more useful and precise way of looking at national identity is that it has emerged as a consequence of more complex social structures. It's not something you get to decide it's made up because there is an infrastructure and a reality that supports it. You can discuss the flaws till the cows come home for all I care, just not sure what the point is if you can't actually point to anything concrete to do about it.
      - danans 9y ago
        > just not sure what the point is if you can't actually point to anything concrete to do about it Oppose oppressive policies whose basis (whether stated or not) is nationalism.
        ThomPete 9y ago
        What policies are you talking about specifically?
        danans 9y ago
        Here are a few proposed new laws in the US (introduced by the most openly ethno-nationalist member of the House of Representatives): H.R.997: English Language Unity Act of 2017 https://projects.propublica.org/represent/bills/115/hr997 https://projects.propublica.org/represent/bills/115/hr997 H.R.140: Birthright Citizenship Act of 2017 https://projects.propublica.org/represent/bills/115/hr140 https://projects.propublica.org/represent/bills/115/hr140 H.R.3600: Census Accuracy Act of 2017 https://projects.propublica.org/represent/bills/115/hr3600 https://projects.propublica.org/represent/bills/115/hr3600
        ThomPete 9y ago
        Those hardly make it up for national identity as that's a much broader spectrum. I was looking for fundamental things in our national identity, not fringe cases.
        danans 9y ago
        > I was looking for fundamental things in our national identity Actually, you asked for examples of nationalist policies to be opposed, which I provided. What in the content of those pieces of legislation is "fringe"? If anything, the fact that they are even on the legislative agenda indicates a normalization of nationalist policy proposals.
        9y ago

gkya 9y ago

That trivial truth has killed tens of millions hasn't it? Not that trivial, then.

ThomPete 9y ago
What does that have to do with whether it's made up or not? What is your alternative?
- gkya 9y ago
  For the first part, that mean we can make up a better thing. Also, many people have trouble seeing that's a decision we make, and thus many types of extremism/fundamentalism come around. For the second part, I don't have an alternative, and I believe I don't have to have one before discussing the flaws of what we have at hand.
  - ThomPete 9y ago
    Then you are proving my point. It's politics disguised as some big aha moment. A much more useful and precise way of looking at national identity is that it has emerged as a consequence of more complex social structures. It's not something you get to decide it's made up because there is an infrastructure and a reality that supports it. You can discuss the flaws till the cows come home for all I care, just not sure what the point is if you can't actually point to anything concrete to do about it.
    - danans 9y ago
      > just not sure what the point is if you can't actually point to anything concrete to do about it Oppose oppressive policies whose basis (whether stated or not) is nationalism.
      - ThomPete 9y ago
        What policies are you talking about specifically?
        danans 9y ago
        Here are a few proposed new laws in the US (introduced by the most openly ethno-nationalist member of the House of Representatives): H.R.997: English Language Unity Act of 2017 https://projects.propublica.org/represent/bills/115/hr997 https://projects.propublica.org/represent/bills/115/hr997 H.R.140: Birthright Citizenship Act of 2017 https://projects.propublica.org/represent/bills/115/hr140 https://projects.propublica.org/represent/bills/115/hr140 H.R.3600: Census Accuracy Act of 2017 https://projects.propublica.org/represent/bills/115/hr3600 https://projects.propublica.org/represent/bills/115/hr3600
        ThomPete 9y ago
        Those hardly make it up for national identity as that's a much broader spectrum. I was looking for fundamental things in our national identity, not fringe cases.
        danans 9y ago
        > I was looking for fundamental things in our national identity Actually, you asked for examples of nationalist policies to be opposed, which I provided. What in the content of those pieces of legislation is "fringe"? If anything, the fact that they are even on the legislative agenda indicates a normalization of nationalist policy proposals.
        9y ago