To claim moral superiority or believe that one way of life is superior to another is to pay disservice to the notion of diversity. How can one genuinely respect another’s beliefs if you feel inherently better then they are just because of an accident of birth? It’s one thing to take pride in who you are and what you believe in. It’s another altogether to think that yours is the only way.

This attitude has led to the extermination of whole nations of indigenous peoples throughout the world. Vibrant and living cultures that could have contributed thinkers and ideas were cut off because “they were not like us”. Through literal and cultural genocide our world is being homogenized to a point that will soon reach no return if we are not careful.

Look at Orwell’s definitions of nationalism and patriotism again. Think about the differences. Which do you think would contribute to a better world?

Text copied from here: Nationalism VS Patriotism (read full article)

And I’d like to add here a very well thought out comment someone wrote on the original article. It analyses more in depth the subject:

Mik – Nov 19, 2007 at 10:49 pm

I have been studying various internet authors over the past week on the subject of nationalism vs. patriotism. It seems that most (including this one) have a pretty good grasp of the characteristics of each tendency. Most authors agree that both are a manifestation of pride in one’s country, but that patriotism is benign while nationalism is destructive. We’ve already fleshed out enough examples of each one to know implicitly what we’re talking about, but so far no one has really explained the psychology that underlies nationalism or patriotism and how a person gravitates toward one or the other. I ask you to bear with me while I share some thoughts on this.

If both nationalism and patriotism are based on national pride then we must explain what we mean by that. To this end I suggest that we look at the old-fashioned but very useful distinction between true pride and false pride, otherwise known as hubris. True pride is an understanding of one’s own abilities and limitations and a love of self based on an internal awareness of that person’s intrinsic value and “goodness”. False pride is a manifestation of a person’s lack of self-worth which that person attempts to compensate for by bragging, showing off, needing to compete and be “better than” the next person, putting down or intimidating others, all for the sake of filling the void left by their low self-esteem.

I think you can see where I’m going with this… A person’s self-identity is embedded in their membership in various groups. It starts with the family group, then extends to their neighborhood, their city, and their country. The fact that the person “belongs to” any of these groups becomes part of their self-identity. How that person is taught to feel and interact in their family environment will dictate all future feelings of belongingness in the larger groups. But what happens when the child is neglected or abused or controlled in an authoritarian way is that the child does not develop healthy “true pride” but instead manifests false pride. Not only that, but their membership in each group provides a sense of security to compensate for their internal insecurity. So the person becomes dependent on the group out of fear of feeling insecure to the ultimate extent that their own life becomes meaningless outside of the group. Sound familiar? This is where nationalism can become like a drug that keeps people with low self-esteem feeling happy and secure in the knowledge that their country is “the best” or “the strongest” or at least “better than your country”.

So nationalism is based on false pride while patriotism is an expression of true pride, which starts with the person’s own feelings of self-worth and extends to the groups of which they are a part. A person who has true pride does not need the group to provide him with a feeling of worthiness. In fact, this person can easily take an objective look at the group and criticize its actions at the risk even of being kicked out of the group. The person who can do this while still maintaining a bond with the group is a true patriot. This person also understands the intrinsic value of the other people and groups outside of his own. He does not need to prove his group’s superiority over theirs because his self-esteem is not dependent on the success or failure of the group.

Nationalism is simply the end result of false pride because nations are currently the biggest groups to which one can meaningfully belong. Perhaps in the future we’ll have “Earthists” who discriminate against alien species… But it’s important to understand the psychology here. It implies that it would be very difficult to talk someone out of their nationalist tendencies unless you first address their feelings of worthlessness, insecurity, and self-degradation. I invite you to test this theory in real life and let me know what you think. Thanks.

“We are here to celebrate someone who shown that there is still, in this world, specially amongst the intelligent and curious young, a furios appetite for ideas, for knowledge, for thought and for the questioning of authority, for being a contrarian.”

‎It’s shocking for someone who’s not used to seeing similar imagery.. or is not open to the idea of some situations depicted here .. but for some other people its simply very passionate.. no matter what the nature of every scene is.. what is very very amusing to me is how people see it “shocking” only because it depicts a couple of homosexual scenes… where the message that video intends is much larger than that. The fact that some people stripping away this message only because they feel that some concepts are wrong religiously or morally and the very fact that a lot of people (esp. here in Egypt) would be uncomfortable with this video is sole proof that we will never ever live in acceptance …

Just saw this article posted on facebook, and though it is since ’99 I think the main idea is still a contemporary issue and can spark some deep thought; I liked some comments on it which I second:

This might happen because we don’t teach our young people how to have sex… we leave it up to pornography and anecdotes from friends that are usually not true to educate our young people. Its a shame really, good healthy passionate sex is a great indicator of a society’s psychological health, and generally speaking, its seems very low at the moment.

(adjusted a bit):

Some women don’t enjoy sex because society shames us into thinking we need to be virgins until marriage and that masturbation is a sin. And when we do finally get to have sex and society is okay with it, we have no idea what we’re doing, neither does our partner in most cases and a lot of time we need just a bit more foreplay to get the mood right before we can get to enjoy it. And regardless of the genders involved in sex, “man + women” is not the only way to enjoy sex. Open your minds.

What’s your opinion? Don’t have to write it here necessarily, but try to answer.

The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt.

- Bertrand Russell #QuoteOfTheDay

Russell determined man to be “the product of causes . . . his origin, his growth, his hopes and fears, his loves and his beliefs, are but the outcome of accidental collocations of atoms, that no fire, no heroism, no intensity of thought and feeling, can preserve an individual life beyond the grave; that all the labors of the ages, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness of human genius are destined to extinction in the vast death of the solar system, that the whole temple of man’s achievement must inevitably be buried beneath the debris of a universe in ruins — all these things, if not quite beyond dispute, are so nearly certain, that no philosophy which rejects them can hope to stand. . . .”

About Bertrand Russell on wikipedia

Dunno what’s up with this kid at the front-line in down-town Cairo where security forces are, does he have parents or not? Do they know he’s there or not? No matter what, this is NOT smth to be proud of!
Adults should discourage this, not glamorize it as I saw in so many comments.

Child labor in Egypt is common, the abuse of children should have been tackled ages ago. This boy is no different to them – denied a childhood, denied education.
Protect children, keep them safe, they are the future.

Here is what they published:

Lavinia Dieac, 26, Romanian online marketer still living in Egypt

“I went to Egypt for an internship in June 2009, and have been here ever since. I wanted to experience new cultures.

I have had good and bad experiences here. I found it very different to what I was used to. The way people speak, the way they sell stuff, the way they eat and work — everything is so different. I found this all very interesting.

When the uprising started I was very proud that people finally stood up for their rights. The fact that they managed to do this is amazing.

I was already aware of earlier demonstrations. I was very happy when I saw last week that so many stood up and protested.

But I have become very disappointed, because I see people stepping back because they are being fooled by the lies that have been said by the government through the media. I keep my sanity and hope stay because of the people who remain in Tahrir Square.

I have not joined the protests, I have been in the house for most of the week. I stepped out on Wednesday to see a friend before the violence started. Coming back I saw in the distance the violence starting among Mubarak supporters.

I also had a completely different view of Egypt before the troubles started. There are two types of people here: those who are pro-democracy and change – they see the goals clearly, they are ready for change – and then there’s those who are backwards, not for change. These kinds of people will change my existence here.

I am very worried about what the pro-Mubarak people will do once he is gone. I expect they will make it very difficult. Life will be very tough once this is all over.

I am 98% certain that I will not stay if Mubarak remains in power. I am sorry for the Egyptians who have to stay, but there is no way I would. If people accept him staying in power for any time it would be a defeat for them and I would not be able to live or work alongside people who have given up fighting before the end.

If Mubarak stays the situation will just get worse. The Mubarak regime would want to hunt people down who stood against him.

Freedom matters a lot to me. I do not remember much about the time of the communist era in Romania, but my father has told me stories. I do remember the difficulties after the revolution and I remember asking my father what had been achieved, he told me that no matter how much we struggled in the difficult times, ‘we did it as free people’.”

You can read the full article here to see all interviewed expats’ points of view. Btw, the picture next to my name in that article is not mine )

P.S. This is what I also answered to a friend of mine who wanted my opinion on the same matter to be published on his own blog.

Because I understand what freedom is and I value it.

Because Egyptians started something extremely beautiful and surprising 2 weeks ago that made me love Egypt so much more, and made me hope they will have a free country, free of fear and tyranny.
Because I am against dictatorship, and there should be NO WAY back now, and I am greatly disappointed to see that many Egyptians have lost the cause they had 13 days ago and are being influenced wrongfully by the government lies.

So I wish I could create awareness about this. I wish I could show them that Romania was in the same situation with the constitution and with the lack of opposition, but it didn’t even matter, no one went in this mistake of analyzing any damn law, people knew one good thing: down with Ceausescu!
The goal is simple and clear: dictatorship down!

I wish that no one will be blinded by the fake promises. A dictator should not be trusted, no pacts should be made with the devil!
Egypt can make it, but has to be ready for CHANGE. And change is not easy.
I am afraid that those who support Mubarak till September will make the after-dictatorship period even harder than it will be —- but this is another story.

 I went to Tahrir to see the beautiful people that have their goal still clear. And see how they do it. And to show my support. And to get inspired. And to take the pain away that the other group gave me.
I love the people in Tahrir. I respect them greatly. I wish they can make it. They are heroes!! They are making history

What I noticed in Tahrir?
All kind of people wanting their freedom. There were people hurt and wounded. They were very well organized. Several checkpoints to enter the area. Separate for men and ladies. They had stones grouped in several places in case they’ll be attacked again by thugs. They had the garbage collected somewhere. They had many banners against the regime and many funny ones related to the regime’s lies. People eating koshary, making fun that it is KFC.
People singing, dancing, getting married, and praying. Worried people.

People discussing what to do next.

Most of the people in Tahrir are people who lost their siblings, parents or friends in the protest and under Mubarak’s regime. The people in Tahrir are not losers, and people who are against the protests shouldn’t call them that.

People who are pro-democracy have found that Tahrir sq. is the most democratic place in Egypt now. I saw students, famous people and activists everywhere.

It’s interesting (in a sad way) that many people nowadays can’t and/or don’t enjoy the nature around us. Natural things have been replaced by this fake, man-made “entertainment” that took us away from knowing how to value and be grateful for the natural stuff around, for life itself. Something turned people “to the superficial things of life, like fashionable consumption.”

Part of human development? Would we really reach times when no natural stuff would surround us, but only concrete and fake plants? I surely hope not.

One of the many impressive pictures and videos that came out of these past 4 days of fights between SCAF and protesters.

Just heart breaking …. half naked and with a newspaper in his hand against all those brainwashed soldiers, policemen.

This is humanity, beauty, kindness, peace, love, freedom VS brutes, brainwashed, violent, tyrants, hate, slavery.

Charlie Chaplin says it all …. an impressive speech from the 1940 movie “The Dictator” …… with added modern examples and brilliant comparisons.

A message about freedom, unity, tyrants, liberty, science and progress, love, greed, humanity, beauty, tolerance etc. …. that the whole world should listen to!

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Amazingly gorgeous nature! More than 500 years old trees, more than 60 different flower species in every square meter, between 100-200 butterfly species still alive due to the lack of spray and much more … fabulous places to come and hide away. Just looking out there from a balcony can be considered a form of meditation.

Romania is truly beautiful …. with its nature, people, traditions and wonderful Transylvania! <3 … Enriches the soul and the heart.

The greed and corruption of the western world, the rise of industry and agriculture plus the economical development are a threat to these forests and natural habitat tho. Man has yet to ruin this pristine and innocent landscape.

Such events are caused when a wind storm passes over a pond or lake teaming with frogs, picking them up and dumping them elsewhere!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raining_animals

And some of my friends are saying they’ve seen raining locusts and “colored fishes falling down with rain drops… One day there were yellow turtles as well and nobody believed me then”

 If the person who killed 90+ people in Norway was a Muslim, the Press would’ve declared him as terrorist. For now though, he is just an ‘Assailant ‘, ‘Attacker’ (Reuters), ‘Gunman’ (BBC, CNN & Al Jazeera). Looks like ‘Terrorist ‘ is a name reserved for Muslims? The US Dept of State calls it an ‘Act of Violence’, Not an ‘Act of Terrorism’.

My reply to this:

I agree, and also should know the following:

1. There are over 100 definitions of terrorism.
[...] the decision to call someone or label some organization ‘terrorist’ becomes almost unavoidably subjective, depending largely on whether one sympathizes with or opposes the person/group/cause concerned.

If one identifies with the victim of the violence, for example, then the act is terrorism.
If, however, one identifies with the perpetrator, the violent act is regarded in a more sympathetic, if not positive (or, at the worst, an ambivalent) light; and it is not terrorism.”
For this and for political reasons, many news sources (such as Reuters) avoid using this term, opting instead for less accusatory words like “bombers”, “militants”, etc.
This was from http://en.wikipedia.org/wi​ki/Definition_of_terrorism

2. Reuters decided not to brand any of those involved in the atrocities of September 11 as terrorists.

A statement from Reuters attempts to explain:
“Throughout this difficult time we have strictly adhered to our 150-year-old tradition of factual, unbiased reporting and upheld our long-standing policy against the use of emotive terms, including the words ‘terrorist’ or ‘freedom fighter’.
We do not characterise the subjects of news stories but instead report their actions, identity or background. As a global news organisation, the world relies on our journalists to provide accurate accounts of events as they occur, wherever they occur, so that individuals, organisations and governments can make their own decisions based on the facts.”
from http://www.telegraph.co.uk​/finance/comment/citydiary​/2735455/City-Diary.html under “Reuters sticks to the facts”

3. many news agencies had the same reaction towards other events like this even when they were related to Islam or muslims. More about this terminological neutrality/debate, which has been identified more than 35 years ago, here: Hoffman, (2006) pp. 28–30http://books.google.co.nz/​books?id=O6QTfAkk22AC&pg=P​A30&dq=Definitions+of+terr​orism&cd=1#v=onepage&q=Def​initions%20of%20terrorism&​f=false
read the conclusion at page 40.

Finally, IMO this guy should be called a terrorist because through his violent act he seeks publicity for his sick cause. And also Muslim people are taking this way too personally.

BTW, I was reading about the Norway attack in the Romanian press and they were mostly referring to it as an terrorist attack.

- the press was most free in mid 19th century.
- advertising came along.
- control people by controlling opinions and attitudes (not possible to be done by violent force anymore).
- turn them into passive obedient consumers; make them pay attention to the superficial things of life, like fashionable consumption, trapped into consumerism, isolated from one another; control their beliefs;
- out of this came huge industries: advertising is one of them, but of course media is affected.
- advertising is to make ppl concerned only about how to max out their 5 credit cards, and not to pay attention to what’s happening out there in the world, and let the rich powerful guys do whatever they want.

People that circumcise their sons are as wrong as those that circumcise their daughters, and both think doing so is right! 

This documentary is about male circumcision. Put aside all the connections to Judaism made in this documentary because male circumcision is widely performed out of religious reasons too! And anyways, even with religious reasons, what kind of “god” tells you to do such a thing to your own child? To mutilate your own child? This should stop.

Here is a comparison between male and female genital mutilation. Obviously FGM is way more severe when it comes to consequences!! Women go through it at ages when they could still remember about it all their life. Women go through a second mutilation at their first intercourse.

FGM doesn’t have religious reasoning behind, but mainly tribal, traditional ones.

What’s scary for me also is that this is so much deepened in traditions and values of some people that it does not seem wrong at all. Most of them are ok with it and consider it normal, or never question it.

Circumcised guys think it is healthier, and even think girls like it more this way! I say they should’ve been given the choice to perform this surgery on themselves! Girls that have been circumcised don’t know how otherwise they could’ve been; they also think this is just normal. Until they find out how their body was actually normal. And for this case, watch this movie, “Desert Flower”, to understand better. Girls even ask for it, they are convinced this is right, as this blog posts also mentions.

How normal is this for them! And how wrong do we, the rest, know it is!

- scoate in evidenta atat gradul mare de intoleranta al elevilor fata de anumite grupuri sociale, cat si nemultumirea lor fata de modul in care functioneaza democratia in Romania.

- Peste jumatate dintre elevii de clasa a XII-a nu se simt mandri ca sunt romani, 53% considera ca a fi bun cetatean inseamna doar sa respecti legile, iar 39% dintre tineri cred ca un bun cetatean nu se defineste prin implicare sociala sau politica

Citeste despre tot studiul aici, mai ales despre unele dintre cele mai interesante concluzii desprinse.

Ma intreb cum putem aspira la implinire, dezvoltare si creativitate, cum puteam aspira sa traim intr-o lume mai buna, cand elevii gandesc in acest mod (sau mai bine zis, nu gandesc!)?!?!

ENGLISH:

The study “Civic and political involvement of the young” shows that:

- More than half of the 12th grade students do not take pride in being Romanians, 53% of them believe that observing the laws alone makes you a good citizen and 39% of the young believe that a good citizen is not defined through social or political involvement

- students have a high degree of intolerance towards certain social groups, as well as their discontent concerning how democracy works in Romania.

Read about the whole study here, and about the key findings.

My question is how in the world can we aspire for fulfillment, growth, creativity and for building a better world when students think this way (or better said, they don’t think!) !?!?

I wake up every morning looking forward to getting sexually harassed in Cairo. Because a day gone by without being whistled at like cattle or groped like a melon at a vegetable store is a day unlived in this city. Right? I even dress according to how often I’d like to get harassed that day. Tight white t-shirt? That’s the number one sign that I’m asking for it. Skinny jeans are obviously worn to highlight my butt so men know what to grab (some sh … Read More

via Diary of A DeskGirl in Cairo

It started funny, stating quite interesting facts about women’s attitude towards their sexuality, but got into being kind of sad & negative, a bit too much against men, thought still stating true examples of sexual abuse, but none of healthy, happy situations.

Anyways, fun to watch.

Two quotes from “The Vagina Monologues” I took note of

“Vaginas are beautiful. Our self hatred is only the internalized repression & hatred of the patriarchal culture. It isnt real, pussies unite!”

“Between 20 and 70 K women were being raped in the middle of Europe in 1993, as a systematic tactic of war (Former Republic of Yugoslavia)”