Belgium is a racist nation... full of racists... (20 Viewers)
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Black is now the preferred term among African-Americans because most of them have never been to Africa. Just don't say black in a Rhodesian or South African accent.
Don't feel like I'm talking down to you because I'm not. I just didn't think you understood.
Don't feel like I'm talking down to you because I'm not. I just didn't think you understood.
So I'd be quick to suggest your lesson could be learned here and I certainly encourage that. But I don't think that will ever create the same kind of society that is extremely on edge about racism.
I'm pretty sure that goes both ways. Everyone expects their sensitivities to be catered to. What's actually quite ridiculous is how well you probably are understood because of your "cultural imperialism". Everyone has seen American tv and movies so people who are familiar with the culture know what the expectations are. But how many of you have seen a series of Portuguese series and figured out what the cultural norms are there?
1) I think the best thing people can do is not call Americans racist names and be surprised when they freak out. I wouldn't tell a German or a Jew that the Holocaust or WWII wasn't a big deal. Same thing with telling a Belgian "Good job in the Congo". Or saying to a Serb "Hey man way to wipe out those Albanians and Bosnians, ya murdering son of a bitch". I may say things to those culture, but I wouldn't be surprised when they got angry at me. I agree that we can all learn more about each other and use the knowledge we gain to help our interactions.
2) Right. I do watch a lot of French films, but Portuguese... not so much.
For me personally, if I went to Europe and was in a culture that I didn't know about I'd be very careful to learn what was culturally acceptable. It may just be me but I'd like to learn as much about a culture as I could before I visited. Though just watching movies from a country doesn't give you the total view.
But at the same time if I knew the ins and outs of Portuguese culture because the knowledge was so readily available that I'd almost have to know what was ok and not ok, I certainly wouldn't intentionally break those rules and if I did I wouldn't be surprised that I pissed someone off.
2) Right. I do watch a lot of French films, but Portuguese... not so much.
For me personally, if I went to Europe and was in a culture that I didn't know about I'd be very careful to learn what was culturally acceptable. It may just be me but I'd like to learn as much about a culture as I could before I visited. Though just watching movies from a country doesn't give you the total view.
But at the same time if I knew the ins and outs of Portuguese culture because the knowledge was so readily available that I'd almost have to know what was ok and not ok, I certainly wouldn't intentionally break those rules and if I did I wouldn't be surprised that I pissed someone off.
That's certainly true, but that's largely a fantasy. When you go abroad you don't really expect people to know your cultural sensitivities, you may have to put up with some stuff that you wouldn't back home.
Of course "here" we're sort of in a neutral zone where there is no specific authority, which makes moderating forums a thorny issue. I can tell you people who moderate Balkan forums get burned out in no time.
This is an exaggerated problem. The thing is we generally don't enter into a brand new social situation and just do whatever we're used to doing. That's not how most people are. You observe, you listen, you sense what the expectations are. Of course, if there is some very specific ritual you have to participate in then you have to know this beforehand, but generally you get along just fine by observing other people. It's not everything, but it gets you more than half way.
Sure.
Of course "here" we're sort of in a neutral zone where there is no specific authority, which makes moderating forums a thorny issue. I can tell you people who moderate Balkan forums get burned out in no time.
This is an exaggerated problem. The thing is we generally don't enter into a brand new social situation and just do whatever we're used to doing. That's not how most people are. You observe, you listen, you sense what the expectations are. Of course, if there is some very specific ritual you have to participate in then you have to know this beforehand, but generally you get along just fine by observing other people. It's not everything, but it gets you more than half way.
Sure.
I can easily moderate a Balkan forum.
I remember one conflict that dragged on for a month, purely about whether or not Macedonians should be allowed to use this particular symbol, a star, as their avatar. The Greeks were furious, and naturally someone who doesn't know the history would be baffled and highly annoyed.
Sure, you can. But it's hell for people who don't know where the cultural explosives are hidden. I remember one conflict that dragged on for a month, purely about whether or not Macedonians should be allowed to use this particular symbol, a star, as their avatar. The Greeks were furious, and naturally someone who doesn't know the history would be baffled and highly annoyed.
I remember one conflict that dragged on for a month, purely about whether or not Macedonians should be allowed to use this particular symbol, a star, as their avatar. The Greeks were furious, and naturally someone who doesn't know the history would be baffled and highly annoyed.
Actually, every forum that has 5 Greeks and Macedonians has the same problem.
First it starts with the name issue (FYROM/Macedonia), then the Macedonians put the star of Vergina as their avatar (that's the flag, the sun with 16 rays) with which they imply that the Ancient Macedonians are the same people with them. Greeks consider the Ancient Macedonians Greek and the star of Vergina a greek symbol and they get outraged when they see a barbarian from Skopje having that symbol as an avatar. Then they start insulting eachother and arguing if the Ancient Macedonians and Alexander the Great were Greek or not Greek. Then again the name issue, and so on and so on.
Only bans stop this argument. Nothing else.
But then after a month or so the newbies from Macedonia and Greece start the same fight.
I think it also depends on the fact if the ref has anything written down in his match report about this, if the ref hasn't made comments about this, then I don't think that Onyewu has a case for the Belgian FA since Anderlecht and Standard players can't be called neutral in this case so questioning them, won't be very reliable IMO.
