So are you a cameraman or a driver or...?

Also I feel like we've met before on husbki

I'm going to have to agree with comments written on this article.

It seems like there's more and more self-guilting articles, where white people are bad. They're bad, and they all benefit from racism. But only white people are racist, so they only benefit. Being white is a sin, because you oppress people from how much you're profiting off of their work.

That's basically what I got from this article. Maybe I'm not-so-left, and maybe a reactionary right. Maybe I should depart off of hubski-island too.

I completely agree with this. If I'm not the one being racist, don't tell me that I'm part of it. If you believe something is racist, take it up to the people being racist and improve it. If you need help with that, ask anyone you want to help you out, but don't group me up because of my skin color and call me racist.

I'm surprised Hello Internet isn't on there

I'm sorry but I still really don't get it. Perhaps I'm blinded by "my inner racist" or something, but this comment (from the article comments section) was most relatable to me:

As someone who is sympathetic to the struggles and conditions that many people, not just Black people, live with, I don't find this kind of "letter" to be particularly helpful, for several reasons.

First of all, it seems hypocritical to address all "White Americans" as if we all had the same attitudes, latent or expressed. Imagine the response, should someone write a letter titled "Dear Black America" and pointing out certain failings. People would say: Black people have different experiences, different attitudes, we aren't one homogenous group. And they would be right.

Secondly, and related, if people are really looking to change the world, it is far more effective to focus directly on problematic attitudes and behaviors themselves, rather than attributing them to some group and saying that the group must change. Every person, regardless of race, gender, or whatever other classification you want to choose, needs to look at themselves and see what about themselves needs improvement. We all need improvement because none of us is a perfect, but not because we're White or male.

It's simply not effective to make people feel that they are "wrong" in some way because of their classification, regardless of how prevalent certain attitudes might be within that group. The focus needs to be on the attitude or behavior itself.

and this:

I understand the concept of white privilege, and I understand how I benefit from the community actions, the set of assumptions made about me simply because I am an educated white person of the middle class. I fully understand how it is my responsibility to effect change, and that we are all under the onus of our own preconceptions. But responsibility is not guilt, and being white is not being racist.

I am a racist if my thoughts and actions make so, and only if my thoughts and actions make me so.

I think with a falling birthrate, it'd be bad to get into a war since that's more stress on the man if they try to raise a family, aka less people getting married.

What are you going to use these books for?

neato

Nah, I want to develop a language based on my Lampism cult.

This is the OP, highly encouraged to read so you guys get the full context

I don't believe ThatFanficGuy meant that people were ignorant and misguided. I believe he means that we are more efficient if organized (like cattle). It is easier to control a group of people so that they can survive than to let them all do their own thing.

From what I understand, religion started around 10,000 BCE, right after the development of Agriculture. As villages formed, people needed a leader to guide them so that they can organize efficiently to survive and harvest crops, while fending off danger. Law (through religion) was created to keep order, and myths were created to explain how the world around the people worked. As ThatFanficGuy said,

|Some people also enjoy abusing the power a religion often grants. Thus, come priests (who, let's face it, aren't always the benevolent wisemen we see in fiction); thus, come bishops; thus, comes Pope and other such figures - the "representatives of God on Earth", those who can "hear God's will" and so forth. If a lightning strikes a tree and everyone's terrified, it's the easiest of opportunities to seize their attention and wield their minds: come forth and declare "Lo! The All-Capable One spoke to me! He declared us wrong-doers! We must now repent! Chastize, brothers and sisters!". Case solved; flock organized.

Lastly, keep in mind how religion often circumvents attempts at logical explanation. I'm now going to overly simplify human nature for the sake of an example. Those affected deeply by the religious outlook (God made things, God takes things, I am a servant of His, I shall earn for good and be punished for bad etc.) will hardly if ever admit that there's often a more logical, reasonable explanation to whatever happened.

This abuse of religion to gain power ensured the leaders who were keeping the villages organized a luxurious life. It may have also been used to convince people they invaded and captured in other villages, as kingdoms and empires formed. Religious significance = Power back in the day, as seen in Mesopotamia and Egypt.

Half of the Religion wiki page is Modern issues, Reference section, and a very brief explanation of the very major religions. The main part of what Religion is and how it works can be summarized in say, the 1/3 of the article. It is true that religion benefited older civilzations when it came to survival, however I have say I believe it was the power of controlling people that religion brought together people under one ruler (the village/kingdom/empire leader). Divine Right of Kings.

I believe your point on group identity also falls under the above, like nationalism, even though they are being controlled by a leader, they get the feeling that they are special and are an important part of their society as they are taught so.

maybe something like #rd95vsTFG ? or #talkreligion?

I'm not really sure.

I just recently started this username series (Mr Lamp) and it's because of an inside-joke with friends that turned into a religion. I am the god of that religion. Lampism.

I guess mine will be a cult then.

Well I'm thinking with the new generation that considers my religion "just a silly thing" and become believers, maybe some people will become actual believers, which in turn pressures non believers to believe because they have all these people (whether they're joking or not) to become part of the religion.

Seems like something that could actually work, you know

wow that's quite a lot! thank you for the information

As an imaginary world thing.

But probably include my friends, and then start spreading from there. World domination with my religion is my goal.

thanks.

Well I've tried Norwegian a little, and have completed the Esperanto one (both are only a few months old).

Here's some differences of Esperanto and German (German is also one of the original oldies).

1) At the top of the page, there is no "Words" or "Immersion" feature for Esperanto.

2) No Fluency Level Badge meter thingy (not that it really matters because it's not really accurate) for Esperanto

3) None of the following optional skills in shop: Idioms, Flirting, Christmas for Esperanto

4) German has a refined and expanded tree I believe. At the very least it has probably twice the amount of lessons as Esperanto.

Some things that are also probably true is that German has less bugs, less errors, and more comments per post, but I can't confirm that. You can use the newer languages on Duolingo without much difference.

thanks

thanks.

Does the link not work anymore?

Duolingo is great for beginning a language. Especially with spanish since it is one of the original languages, it has the most developed features.

Russian! What a language. It's definitely on my list for to learn, because shouting in Russian and German sound so scary :3

Also the history which is very long and interesting.

He, I'd like to do Dutch but it's kinda far on my list (Esperanto - German - Spanish- Norwegian - French - Dutch) so in the far future...

It's useful when i study other subjects like sciences and names of important people in the past too

1) I am learning Esperanto and German

2) Duolingo, Anki, Memrise, reading poems and short stories, lernu.net, youtube, movies, skype chat groups, etc.

3) Yes. I hope to go to Germany in a few years.

4) Esperanto has been the easiest for me, I love it.

5) Esperanto.