What pissed you off today?

[Sir_Winston54]

Politics!!!! We are contemplating moving as we find it impossible to contemplate staying in a country whose politics are heading straight for Nazi Germany replication. Why are people so stupid to want to repeat history. Problem is deciding where as we cannot leave my son here, and so choices are limited.

Catalina

Stick around. A lot of the democrat regime will be replaced in a few day.

You know she and F live in Holland, right? I don't think our Dems/Reps matter too much over there.

 

[WriterDom]

You know she and F live in Holland, right? I don't think our Dems/Reps matter too much over there.

My bad. I just wanted to say democrat regime.

They are pretty racist in Europe. Throwing bananas at black soccer players. But I'd find it difficult to believe that Nazis would be a threat anywhere.

Well there is Toledo, but I think those guys are just playing dress up and not real Nazis.

 

[where]

My bad. I just wanted to say democrat regime.

They are pretty racist in Europe. Throwing bananas at black soccer players. But I'd find it difficult to believe that Nazis would be a threat anywhere.

Well there is Toledo, but I think those guys are just playing dress up and not real Nazis.

mainland europe has some pretty strong fascist/racist political parties. I have a lot of friends in europe who feel that there is a very strong lurch to the fascist right going on.

 

[gypsy*seer]

Family.....

 

[OldGuy1026]

No really? How can they dare to do so?

As if Canada would not vote the way the US wants there.

Fooie! My family fought in the War of 1812, and we are NOT Americans. We use to be leaders in the UN but have gone from sending 3,000 soldeir all over the world to 30. Harper has Bush's hand so far up his ass he's a puppet.

I may love my American Relatives, but I still have my own opinions. Americans may admire our form of Universal Health Care, personally I think it needs improvements.

And oh Primalex I'm enjoying this discussion.

 

[NomadLady]

A perv taking a picture I posted here in a thread and copying it back to me in a PM wanting me to do the same thing to him....JEEZ people, GROW THE FUCK UP!!!!!!!

 

[where]

I'm sick of jokes about my headache being a brain tumour. it's not fucking funny!

 

[Tabea]

They are pretty racist in Europe .

Right, and we have all the racists while you have none.

How did you reach that conclusion? How much do you really know about Europe? Have you ever been there?

Your statement is quite offensive. Like everywhere there are also racists in Europe but those few racists are not representative of all of Europe.

Europe also consists of lots of individual countries. They are not all the same.

 

[catalina_francisco]

mainland europe has some pretty strong fascist/racist political parties. I have a lot of friends in europe who feel that there is a very strong lurch to the fascist right going on.

Yep, there is a definite bad wind blowing. Germany seems to be one of the few places where things remain healthy. I find it very disturbing when nations begin to ban their own citizens from re-entering their country because they have married someone from another country and who has not had a chance to learn their (expected) new country's language....and thinking this is normal, expected reaction to the situation...not to mention taking steps to suppress particular religions, languages, and cultural aspects through making them illegal.

Catalina

 

[Miss Diva]

Can I say something political? Wait a minute somebody already has. Well I'm a Canadian and I'm pissed off because Canada lost it's bid for a seat on the UN Security Council, after having one for 40 years. Why? Because the world sees a vote for Canada is to put another American on the Council. We've become what Bart Simpson calls us: Little America, thanks Steven Harper.

Because of Harper Canada who in the past had 3,000 troops committed to the UN is now reduced to 30, that's right THIRTY! Harper shrills George Bush in claiming the UN is UN-necessary, and acheives nothing.

So my whole country has lost face and a place in the world.

Yes the Conservatives in Canada have always kowtowed to the Republicans. We may become the next state.

 

[Miss Diva]

Yep, there is a definite bad wind blowing. Germany seems to be one of the few places where things remain healthy. I find it very disturbing when nations begin to ban their own citizens from re-entering their country because they have married someone from another country and who has not had a chance to learn their (expected) new country's language....and thinking this is normal, expected reaction to the situation...not to mention taking steps to suppress particular religions, languages, and cultural aspects through making them illegal.

Catalina

Merkel the German chancelor just declared that multi-culturism has failed

 

[catalina_francisco]

Merkel the German chancelor just declared that multi-culturism has failed

Joy The whole world is going crazy!

Catalina

 

[Tabea]

Merkel the German chancelor just declared that multi-culturism has failed

But she also agreed with Wulff, the President, that the Islam is part of Germany.

There are problems in Germany with integration. There are parallel societies. I think you need to see her comment in that context.

 

[where]

But she also agreed with Wulff, the President, that the Islam is part of Germany.

There are problems in Germany with integration. There are parallel societies. I think you need to see her comment in that context.

I think the problem with 'parallel societies' is all over europe, but I think the reasons why we have these parallel societies isn't due to multiculturalism, but rather the social exclusion of minority groups from the start.

 

[catalina_francisco]

But she also agreed with Wulff, the President, that the Islam is part of Germany.

There are problems in Germany with integration. There are parallel societies. I think you need to see her comment in that context.

In part...she said immigrants were still welcome and that Islam was part of modern Germany, but given she was saying that migrant workers who came to Germany in the 1960's and stayed while failing to integrate were basically the reason multi-culturism was not seen to be working, it isn't exactly an advertisement for welcoming immigrants today who are still said to refuse to integrate. Stupid thing is that while nations continue toward closing borders and vicitmising migrants, especially of Islamic culture by holding them responsible and named as the ones who are creating problems, they are winning the war for the other side without a single weapon having to be fired.

Catalina

 

[where]

In part...she said immigrants were still welcome and that Islam was part of modern Germany, but given she was saying that migrant workers who came to Germany in the 1960's and stayed while failing to integrate were basically the reason multi-culturism was not seen to be working, it isn't exactly an advertisement for welcoming immigrants today who are still said to refuse to integrate. Stupid thing is that while nations continue toward closing borders and vicitmising migrants, especially of Islamic culture by holding them responsible and named as the ones who are creating problems, they are winning the war for the other side without a single weapon having to be fired.

Catalina

point is, is they didn't integrate because they were excluded and it was only much later when it was finally recognised as a problem that multiculturalism was dreamed up as some kind of retrospective sticking plaster. the damage was already done though.

 

[catalina_francisco]

point is, is they didn't integrate because they were excluded and it was only much later when it was finally recognised as a problem that multiculturalism was dreamed up as some kind of retrospective sticking plaster. the damage was already done though.

Believe me, as a migrant I get it....I experienced racism from the very beginning and I am white! I can only imagine what it must be like to be a different colour and from a very different culture. Of course, I was also told it was not nice to call it racism but that is difficult when you get asked by a police officer why you don't go back to where you came from when you have done nothing wrong except sit quietly in your car waiting for your partner to finish work. Strange thing is, he was not the only one to ask the same question over the years.

Catalina

 

[where]

Believe me, as a migrant I get it....I experienced racism from the very beginning and I am white! I can only imagine what it must be like to be a different colour and from a very different culture. Of course, I was also told it was not nice to call it racism but that is difficult when you get asked by a police officer why you don't go back to where you came from when you have done nothing wrong except sit quietly in your car waiting for your partner to finish work. Strange thing is, he was not the only one to ask the same question over the years.

Catalina

problem is, I'm not sure what the solution is. We seem to have reached a crisis point on both sides, especially with the rise of islamic fundamentalism as a reaction to the social exclusion of the past.

 

[catalina_francisco]

problem is, I'm not sure what the solution is. We seem to have reached a crisis point on both sides, especially with the rise of islamic fundamentalism as a reaction to the social exclusion of the past.

Yep, reason and common sense are not the first options most humans employ when fear takes hold.

Catalina

 

[CutieMouse]

Christonacupcake my ex-husband is being a dick.

 

[Sir_Winston54]

Christonacupcake my ex-husband is being a dick.

Is this a repeat of posts from 2007, 2008 and earlier in 2010?

 

[Tabea]

point is, is they didn't integrate because they were excluded and it was only much later when it was finally recognised as a problem that multiculturalism was dreamed up as some kind of retrospective sticking plaster. the damage was already done though.

I don't think it is that simplistic.

I do think that the German state made grievious mistakes when the guest workers came to Germany. It was wrongly assumed that the workers would leave again after a few years. Germany should also be doing a lot more about integration now.

But it is still not that one sided. The guest workers from several countries like Italy, Greece and Poland integrated without apparent problems. And also many people from Turkey and other countries integrated well, even though many of their fellow countrymen have not integrated.

I've talked to a young Polish women who came to Germany with her parents as a child and who volunteers at an organisation for migrants. She explained that her father's German was bad and said that some people want to integrate and some just don't want to. I think there is a lot of truth in that.

Integration doesnt work when people with a migrational background are unwilling to integrate. The mother of a friend came to Germany 30 years ago and still doesn't speak any German. Her 3 daughters are in arranged marriages with Turkish men.
I've volunteered for two years as a tutor for kids with a migrational background. Once I read a story to a 7 year old about the inauguration of a little king. Suddenly she covered her ears and when I asked why she had done that she answered that her mothers had told her to do that whenever a church was mentioned. Integration doesn't work that way. There is an not insignificant amount of muslim men and boys who see all German girls and women as sluts. There are schools where the German students are the minority and get bullied by muslim students.

The religious leaders in the muslim communities here all come from islamic countries, don't speak German for the most part and are often quite fundamentalistic. Some communities get money from organisations in arabic countries for each of their girls and women who wears a headscarf.

Another problem was explained to me by a Turkish friend. She said that the guest workers from Turkey where for the most part those who had scant education and almost no chance in Turkey. They often came from the back-countries. When they came they naturally stuck together and tried to preserve their culture. While Turkey has moved forward a lot in the last 50years quite a few of the Turks in Germany still live the way they did in the rural areas 50 years ago.

By placing the complete blame on the shoulders of the German state nothing is achieved. Both sides need to do a lot of work now. One university has now started to train muslim religious leaders. But that is obviously not enough. It would be important to teach Islam as a subject for the muslim children at all schools. They often have wrong ideas aobut their own religion and are not able to differentiate between culture and religion. There also need to be more projekts to help muslim kids.

 

[catalina_francisco]

Sisters!!! LOL, F knew something was up when I started furiously typing on my laptop...I reassured him I was not sending it as I would not give her the satisfaction or fuel, just needed to type a response before I exploded. I am sure our being so happy set her off more as she is anything but happy, but not about to admit it as it would ruin her perfect image she says she has worked hard all her life to create. To hell with living authentically and happy, for her it is all about creating the correct impression regardless of what you really want. Downside is though, she is losing her grip on maintaining the image without even knowing it. As they say, you can choose your friends, but not your family.

Catalina

 

[catalina_francisco]

I don't think it is that simplistic.

I do think that the German state made grievious mistakes when the guest workers came to Germany. It was wrongly assumed that the workers would leave again after a few years. Germany should also be doing a lot more about integration now.

But it is still not that one sided. The guest workers from several countries like Italy, Greece and Poland integrated without apparent problems. And also many people from Turkey and other countries integrated well, even though many of their fellow countrymen have not integrated.

I've talked to a young Polish women who came to Germany with her parents as a child and who volunteers at an organisation for migrants. She explained that her father's German was bad and said that some people want to integrate and some just don't want to. I think there is a lot of truth in that.

Integration doesnt work when people with a migrational background are unwilling to integrate. The mother of a friend came to Germany 30 years ago and still doesn't speak any German. Her 3 daughters are in arranged marriages with Turkish men.
I've volunteered for two years as a tutor for kids with a migrational background. Once I read a story to a 7 year old about the inauguration of a little king. Suddenly she covered her ears and when I asked why she had done that she answered that her mothers had told her to do that whenever a church was mentioned. Integration doesn't work that way. There is an not insignificant amount of muslim men and boys who see all German girls and women as sluts. There are schools where the German students are the minority and get bullied by muslim students.

The religious leaders in the muslim communities here all come from islamic countries, don't speak German for the most part and are often quite fundamentalistic. Some communities get money from organisations in arabic countries for each of their girls and women who wears a headscarf.

Another problem was explained to me by a Turkish friend. She said that the guest workers from Turkey where for the most part those who had scant education and almost no chance in Turkey. They often came from the back-countries. When they came they naturally stuck together and tried to preserve their culture. While Turkey has moved forward a lot in the last 50years quite a few of the Turks in Germany still live the way they did in the rural areas 50 years ago.

By placing the complete blame on the shoulders of the German state nothing is achieved. Both sides need to do a lot of work now. One university has now started to train muslim religious leaders. But that is obviously not enough. It would be important to teach Islam as a subject for the muslim children at all schools. They often have wrong ideas aobut their own religion and are not able to differentiate between culture and religion. There also need to be more projekts to help muslim kids.

Yep, but I am tired of Islam being held up as the problem. I am not Islamic, and yet I experienced discrimination from day 1 when I moved here. I also live in a neighbourhood now which is heavily populated by people from Islamic backgrounds and for the most, they are lovely and friendly people whether their daughters wear a headscarf or not. For crying out loud, what is the problem with wearing a headscarf, or a turban, or a big panama hat, how is it anti-social...it is an excuse to discriminate and oppress, to create a climate of fear, not to encourage intergration and peace. Guess my dislike of creating societies of clone like cutout citizens does not help me appreciate how scary a girl wearing a headscarf can be.

Catalina

 

[Homburg]

They basically broke the fucking window for the goddamned POCKET CHANGE they took out of her coin purse.

I hate stupid thieves.

I posted this on 10-12-2010. Today, six goddamned days later, some fuckwit broke the driver's window in MIS' car to steal her GPS. In broad daylight. In the parking lot at her school.

WHAT THE FUCK