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The Racial and Religious Paranoia of Trump's Poland Speech
The Atlantic ^ | July 6, 2017 | Peter Beinart

Posted on 07/07/2017 7:18:56 AM PDT by Ouchthatonehurt

In his speech in Poland on Thursday, Donald Trump referred 10 times to “the West” and five times to “our civilization.” His white nationalist supporters will understand exactly what he means. It’s important that other Americans do, too.

The West is not a geographic term. Poland is further east than Morocco. France is further east than Haiti. Australia is further east than Egypt. Yet Poland, France, and Australia are all considered part of “The West.” Morocco, Haiti, and Egypt are not.

The West is not an ideological or economic term either. India is the world’s largest democracy. Japan is among its most economically advanced nations. No one considers them part of the West.

The West is a racial and religious term. To be considered Western, a country must be largely Christian (preferably Protestant or Catholic) and largely white. Where there is ambiguity about a country’s “Westernness,” it’s because there is ambiguity about, or tension between, these two characteristics. Is Latin America Western? Maybe. Most of its people are Christian, but by U.S. standards, they’re not clearly white. Are Albania and Bosnia Western? Maybe. By American standards, their people are white. But they are also mostly Muslim.

(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...


TOPICS: History; Religion; Society
KEYWORDS: europe; fakenews; globalism; westerncivilization
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To: cdcdawg
"Yes, people and religion have a little something to do with culture. That this is even controversial is depressing."

The professor apparently believes that everyone in the world has a right to preserve their culture except white Christians.
21 posted on 07/07/2017 7:37:20 AM PDT by Steve_Seattle
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To: Ouchthatonehurt

The professor’s own attitude towards Western Civilization demonstrates that Trump is not paranoid, but is responding to a genuine threat emanating from the likes of the professor.


22 posted on 07/07/2017 7:38:51 AM PDT by Steve_Seattle
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To: dowcaet

Bingo.

This is the question they will not answer. Indeed they do not have an answer to it so they avoid it at all cost.


23 posted on 07/07/2017 7:38:59 AM PDT by Lorianne
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To: Ouchthatonehurt

The West is not a geographic term.


No sh** Sherlock. It is a cultural term. It refers to western civilization which, one could argue, includes places like Japan and China.


24 posted on 07/07/2017 7:39:22 AM PDT by robroys woman
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To: Ciaphas Cain

Very apt. I’ve read LOTR 14 times.


25 posted on 07/07/2017 7:40:03 AM PDT by Valentine Michael Smith (You won't find justice in a Courtroom)
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To: robroys woman

Actually, to be clear, by “cultural”, I really meant Western civilization, including economics and society in general.

As opposed to places that are predominantly Muslim. It really is “civilization” vs the huns.


26 posted on 07/07/2017 7:40:57 AM PDT by robroys woman
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To: Josa
-- "The West" means civilized societies that embrace free markets --

Not the way I see it, or most people see it. Japan, for example, is civilized and embraces free markets, but is not considered part of Western Civilization.

27 posted on 07/07/2017 7:42:43 AM PDT by Cboldt
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To: Steve_Seattle
-- One good aspect of Trump's speech is that the left are now openly declaring their opposition to preserving Western Civilization and Christianity, even the family. The cat is out of the bag. --

That cat has been out of the bag for decades, at least. See James Burnham's esssay, "Suicide of the West" from around 1961.

28 posted on 07/07/2017 7:44:15 AM PDT by Cboldt
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To: Ouchthatonehurt

Peter Beinart is speaking as a member of the liberal elite journalist tribe. He ‘feels’ his tribe is superior to traditional Americans who support President Trump. He will drag up anything and everything to prove that point to members of his own tribe...he preaches to the choir.

I experience him as a person who hates my tribe... very deeply hates me and mine.


29 posted on 07/07/2017 7:45:24 AM PDT by GOPJ ( MSM Snowflakes: if you don't like President Trump's tweets don't read 'em.)
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To: mbarker12474

.... (continued) racism, racism, racism, western civilization racism, racial, racism Christianity, racism, racial, racism, racism nationalism, racism...


30 posted on 07/07/2017 7:46:06 AM PDT by Lent
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To: Ouchthatonehurt

The West = enlightenment, the scientific method, religious freedom, individual rights and capitalism

formerly northern Europe, now neo-liberalism or liberal-conservatism (the word liberal means something else in Europe from what it means in the US)

originally, the west was opposed by Catholic and Orthodox Christianity. Things changed for a time with the rise of atheistic communism. Now, with the demise of communism, the church is in flux. But, “the west” is not fundamentally a race or a religion.

Japan became a western, albeit East Asian country some time ago

The tigers of East Asia more recently

Poland and other eastern European countries became western after the fall of the Berlin Wall

Ukraine is seeking to join the west

India is in transition, so are parts of Latin America

Southern Europe has a choice to make

There are promising signs in Africa, Mauritius, Botswana and Ghana in particular. Black Africans are today authentically African and authentically Christian. The marketplace has long been part of Africa. Communism was as alien to Africa as it was to China. Africa will embrace free enterprise long before the African diaspora will.

Haters of the left increasingly resort to violence because they have lost and they know it. They are on the wrong side of history. Socialism was a rest stop on the road to a better tomorrow.


31 posted on 07/07/2017 7:46:16 AM PDT by Redmen4ever (u)
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To: Ouchthatonehurt

We knew this would happen. President Trump gave one of the greatest, most inspiring speeches of all time. He warned us about the dangers our civilization faces, and the urgency of fighting those forces which undermine our values. These zombified media enablers are so far gone they don’t even read the words or comprehend the danger. That’s dysfunction.


32 posted on 07/07/2017 7:49:27 AM PDT by grania (Deplorable and Proud of It!)
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To: Steve_Seattle
One good aspect of Trump’s speech is that the left are now openly declaring their opposition to preserving Western Civilization and Christianity, even the family.

You're right - this is an out and out attack on white people, Christians, and those who value Western Civilization. The guy's a hater.

33 posted on 07/07/2017 7:50:20 AM PDT by GOPJ ( MSM Snowflakes: if you don't like President Trump's tweets don't read 'em.)
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To: Josa
Characteristics of the West:

1. Representative government.
2. Free elections.
3. Economic opportunity.
4. Emphasis on science and technology.
5. Creation of modern medicine.
6. High literacy; free public education.
7. Freedom of religion.
8. General prosperity.
9. Historically Christian, but open to non-Christians.
10. Open to immigration

All of this clearly has to go, except, of course, #10. /sarc
34 posted on 07/07/2017 7:50:31 AM PDT by Steve_Seattle
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To: Lorianne
Christiane Amanpour is an ideal to these people. She never fails to denigrate the West and to draw equivalence between out lapses and other's tyranny

When it comes time to decorate her own apartment, look at what Christiane Amanpour chhoses to hang on the wall.

The painting is called "Day of Jubilation". It was painted by an Iranian abstract artist, and Amanpour has said it gives her great joy every time she looks at it.

This is what we are dealing with.

35 posted on 07/07/2017 7:51:01 AM PDT by Haiku Guy (eliminate perverse incentives)
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To: Ouchthatonehurt
They said the same crap when Ronald Reagan told Gorbachump to "Tear Down This Wall!"
36 posted on 07/07/2017 7:52:11 AM PDT by MuttTheHoople (Yes, Liberals, I question your patriotism)
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To: Ouchthatonehurt

If Mr Beinart doesn’t like it he should move to another country preferably outside of the West.


37 posted on 07/07/2017 7:53:33 AM PDT by Altura Ct.
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To: Haiku Guy

Abstract?!?!??
Those are the twin towers, no?
OMG!


38 posted on 07/07/2017 7:54:05 AM PDT by Ouchthatonehurt (Sehnsucht)
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To: Cboldt
"That cat has been out of the bag for decades, at least. See James Burnham's esssay, "Suicide of the West" from around 1961."

The cat has been out of the bag for educated, well-read conservatives, but now it is openly proclaimed in the mass media; I think that is something new, although I began to see it surface right after the 2000 election, when the left openly questioned Bush's commitment to American sovereignty.
39 posted on 07/07/2017 7:55:01 AM PDT by Steve_Seattle
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To: Ouchthatonehurt

Beinart is a supreme bigot who is anti-Christian, anti-white, anti-freedom, anti-American and anti-capitalist. His comments are filled with many errors. Japan has been considered part of the West most of my life. It is an advanced first world country even though they are not white and not Christian.

Another distinguishing characteristics is that nations of the West are democracies, believe in free markets and human rights. Beinart is a bigot in search of a meme and he dismisses all contrary evidence to reach it. He makes no attempt to understand the role Christianity played in bringing the West into prominence and fostering a climate where democracy and freedom could flourish.

Also, there are nearly all-white Christian countries in Latin America, which he dismisses as being outside the West because he paints Latin America with a broad brush. Especially Argentina and Chile. Argentina once had one of the highest standards of living in the world before they embraced Peronism, a form of socialism. Chile has done a better job of throwing off the reins of socialism. When white countries were under Communist rule they were not considered part of the West.

Beinart is distoring Trump to portray him as a bigot. Nothing new here. That’s what leftists do. Deceive distort and lie. Like CNN.


40 posted on 07/07/2017 7:58:15 AM PDT by WashingtonSource
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