The cultural thread.

[muxec]

As i see personal insults happen tn most of offtopic threads. One of the major causes of this is internationalism of apolyton. Internationalism is good but sometimes it alters to internazism. I conversed here with Sweden people and with Chinese and i think that we sometimes simply do not want to understand each other. People from all the countries worldwide write about culture and mentalities of your country. Let people understand you. Make people feel like you. BE patient. In schools worldwide we see losungs on the walls "Children of different nations live with dream of peace" with international faces drawn. Did we forget this?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Can't we just hold hands, sing "Kumbaya," and get it over with?

Rufus suddenly realizes that "Kumbaya" is a culturally specific reference and hangs his head in shame

[Lincoln]

I like the international flavor of Apolyton. It is a great place for cultural exchanges. Too bad that we often are exchanging the worst of our respective cultures though.

[Dauphin]

I'D LIKE TO TEACH THE WORLD TO SING

Id like to build the world a home
And furnish it with love
Grow apple trees and honey bees and snow-white turtle doves

I'd like to teach the world to sing
In perfect harmony
I'd like to hold it in my arms and keep it company

I'd like to see the world for once
All standing hand in hand
And hear them echo through the hills "Ah, peace throughout the land"

(That's the song I hear)
I'd like to teach the world to sing (that the world sings today)
In perfect harmony

I'd like to teach the world to sing
In perfect harmony

Id like to build the world a home
And furnish it with love
Grow apple trees and honey bees and snow-white turtle doves


DRINK COCA-COLA OF COURSE!

[addiv]

Workers of the World, unite!

The Internationale

Arise ye workers [starvelings] from your slumbers
Arise ye prisoners of want
For reason in revolt now thunders
And at last ends the age of cant.
Away with all your superstitions
Servile masses arise, arise
We'll change henceforth [forthwith] the old tradition [conditions]
And spurn the dust to win the prize.

So comrades, come rally
And the last fight let us face
The Internationale unites the human race.
So comrades, come rally
And the last fight let us face
The Internationale unites the human race.

No more deluded by reaction
On tyrants only we'll make war
The soldiers too will take strike action
They'll break ranks and fight no more
And if those cannibals keep trying
To sacrifice us to their pride
They soon shall hear the bullets flying
We'll shoot the generals on our own side.

No saviour from on high delivers
No faith have we in prince or peer
Our own right hand the chains must shiver
Chains of hatred, greed and fear
E'er the thieves will out with their booty [give up their booty]
And give to all a happier lot.
Each [those] at the forge must do their duty
And we'll strike while the iron is hot.

[Arrian]

Nice try, muxec.

-Arrian

[JohnT]

There are foreigners here?

[Spiffor]

I try to post about my country wherever I feel it's needed. I love the cultural exchanges here in 'Poly, and I'd like to thank those who share their country's culture with us (especially Greeks )

[Urban Ranger]

Some people don't want understanding, they just flame-bait.

[Traianvs]

Yes, and two of them have already posted here..

[muxec]

OK It is nice for the beginning. Now can you explain your moral valuables and emotional brighteness of your culture. It's rumored that:
1. One of the most important motives in Japanese poetry is loneliness.
2. Greeks until now read and unerstand ancient greek poems.
3. One of the must important parts of Russian culture is vodka.
4. Americans do not know any moral valuables except money.
e.t.c.
Do you want to know the truth? Do you want to know why do you insult foreighners? Do you want to understand other people to live in peace? If so, do not say to them that you know their country and culture better. Try to understand them, try to think like they do.
I remember 3-page thread about culture and in this thread DinoDoc tried to explain to Serb that he knows Russia better Please avoid this here. Thank you.

[muxec]

Now i'm trying to explain you part of my understanding of Soviet-Russian culture. Tassadar and Solver will stop me if i say wrong.

The curent situation in Russia and Russian culture is formed by strict censorship and destroing culture and everybody who try to write something against the govt. Tragic lives of Mandelshtam and Ahmatova, expeled Solzhenitxin are the examples of cultural politics of soviet regime. Now thr Russian culture started to grow again, but very slowly. Somebody say, that it's because hungry people do not want any culture, others say that it's because the base of Russian culture was destroed by soviet regime. I think, that the major cause is hard economic conditions.

But the Soviet culture has positive side. Sovient Cheburashka is one of the best cartoons worldwide, imo. Kir Bulychov is one of the best science fiction writers.

From the ages one of the must important philosofic question of Russian culture is "what can small man change?". Lermontov's Pechorin asks himself and argue with co-servers about ability to change the life, or at least lifetime in "Fatalist". All the history of Raskolnikov is the question "am i one ofe these who can not change anything?". Bulgakov's doctors creates the new human to change. This question is very popular in modern Russian literature, for example in Kivinow's books.

Tassadar, Solver please continue this, explain your opinion, try to find difference with others.

All others, please write here about your culture, your moral, your heroes.

[Lancer]

We are the world, we are the people

We are the ones who make a brighter day...

Just you and meeee...

[muxec]

Lancer, thank you for your hearfulness. We must behave so. Carry on.

[Lancer]

There's a choice we're making...

We're saving Iraqi lives...

You know it makes a brighter day...

Just me and my M-16...

[DaShi]

I only care about insulting foreigners if it's funny.

[muxec]

I only care about insulting foreigners if it's funny.

I started this thread after your responce in hieroglyph thread.

There's a choice we're making...
We're saving Iraqi lives...
You know it makes a brighter day...
Just me and my M-16...

It is supposed to be a stupid joke. Do not care.

[vovan]

Originally posted by muxec
The curent situation in Russia and Russian culture is formed by strict censorship and destroing culture and everybody who try to write something against the govt. Tragic lives of Mandelshtam and Ahmatova, expeled Solzhenitxin are the examples of cultural politics of soviet regime. Now thr Russian culture started to grow again, but very slowly. Somebody say, that it's because hungry people do not want any culture, others say that it's because the base of Russian culture was destroed by soviet regime. I think, that the major cause is hard economic conditions.

But the Soviet culture has positive side. Sovient Cheburashka is one of the best cartoons worldwide, imo. Kir Bulychov is one of the best science fiction writers.

Let me disagree with you on some points, muxec.

First and foremost, I don't agree with you in the premise of equating current Russian culture, and Soviet culture. Yes, Solzhenitsin and Ahmatova are great examples of the ingorance and utter blindness of the soviet russian censorship. (Willfull blindness that is.) But it is not the case currently! True, with Putin coming to power, many of the censorship tendencies have returned - what with the outright oppression of NTV and TV6? Yet, if you remember, Solzhenitsin visited russia a number of times, and in general, the press is much more free.

Thus, IMO, Russian culture has changed a great deal since the disintegration of the CCCP (pardon me for using the russian abbreviation - that is, the USSR).

Now if we look at the culture of Russia in a much more broad scale. When I first came to America, I was very surprised at how similar our cultures actually are. (Granted, I am from Moscow, so I haven't experienced the less fortunate parts of the country.) And here is what I attribute this to: the two countries have many things in common. The US nowadays is a center of immigration, with a very diverse population. It is the place, where the ideas, ideals, and points of view of different peoples of the world merge together to create a sort of unique blend of cultures.

Russia was very similar in that sense historically. Being on the border of Europe and Asia, it has essentially been a sort of tug-of-war between the two very distinct cultures and Russia has swayed one way or the other during the course of history. Consider the eastern influence on Russia during its submission to the Golden Horde (I am not sure that's the proper english term, but what I mean is the Çîëîòàÿ Îðäà). Or, on the contrary, the western influence during the reign of Peter I. It is thus, that during the course of history, Russia has also become a sort of blend of cultures and influences.

[Arrian]

Golden Horde is correct, assuming you're referring to the Mongols.

Interesting perspective, by the way.

-Arrian

[DaShi]

Originally posted by muxec

I started this thread after your responce in hieroglyph thread.

Oooh, which one?

[muxec]

vovansim , you are 100% right.

DaShi, this one about Chinese, who hate foreighners because do not understand their language.

[DaShi]

I didn't say that. ranskaldan did, jokingly.

Although that does remind me of a joke that my Chinese students told me during a class:

"A foreigner fell off a boat and yelled, 'Help! Help!' But no one would help him, why? Because he was a foreigner and no one understood him." Strange that I got several invitations to go boating over the next few days.

[muxec]

OK. LOL. We also have some jokes about foreighners.

[Arrian]

Everyone does. Humanity has pretty strong tribal tendencies.

-Arrian

[muxec]

2Arrian: But we are here to make these tendencies more peaceful.