All of our collective myths--Horatio Alger's 'Go West,' rugged cowboy individualism, entrepreneurship and invention (whether Edison or Jobs), the Coca-Cola invented American Christmas--have had people of color and non-christians edited from the narrative to produce a white (usually male) cultural rallying point. For each of the things I mentioned, you can find exceptions, but those exceptions were either crushed (the Tulsa race riots) or rewritten (all white cowboys, for instance).
Although there are many notable exceptions involving individuals and groups transcending base human nature in service of the country, the myth itself is marketing.
Can't edit, but there should also be mention of the women who have been edited out of the narrative--spouses of Nobel winners and writers who actually did all of the work, for instance. The mythmaking propping up white male dominance is central to any story about America.
Not sure if it's possible here, but there should be a 5 minute edit-window for commenting. It's frustrating sometimes, and it dampens my enthusiasm to comment in general.
Well if they ask me I'll say so, but in general I'm not too sad that I have to delete and rewrite if I don't like what I commented. Makes me work harder!
I get you. But if "tribalism" means "the one big tribe than runs everything to the exclusion of all the other tribes that represent a huge percentage of the population," then isn't it just nationalism? And isn't that really all nationalism is?
I’m gonna say ‘always,’ Roy. I think that the sense of purpose has always been tribal, not national.
Interesting! Elaborate?
All of our collective myths--Horatio Alger's 'Go West,' rugged cowboy individualism, entrepreneurship and invention (whether Edison or Jobs), the Coca-Cola invented American Christmas--have had people of color and non-christians edited from the narrative to produce a white (usually male) cultural rallying point. For each of the things I mentioned, you can find exceptions, but those exceptions were either crushed (the Tulsa race riots) or rewritten (all white cowboys, for instance).
Although there are many notable exceptions involving individuals and groups transcending base human nature in service of the country, the myth itself is marketing.
Can't edit, but there should also be mention of the women who have been edited out of the narrative--spouses of Nobel winners and writers who actually did all of the work, for instance. The mythmaking propping up white male dominance is central to any story about America.
Not sure if it's possible here, but there should be a 5 minute edit-window for commenting. It's frustrating sometimes, and it dampens my enthusiasm to comment in general.
At least 5 minutes, preferably longer.
Well if they ask me I'll say so, but in general I'm not too sad that I have to delete and rewrite if I don't like what I commented. Makes me work harder!
I get you. But if "tribalism" means "the one big tribe than runs everything to the exclusion of all the other tribes that represent a huge percentage of the population," then isn't it just nationalism? And isn't that really all nationalism is?