mlknchz: (Default)
The Lord of Desultory Manor ([personal profile] mlknchz) wrote2011-11-18 11:55 am
Entry tags:

Writer's Block: A few good men

[Error: unknown template qotd]

Interesting that quite a few people find the mere asking of this question "US-centric", are "annoyed", or think even asking the question is "ignorant"
I'm interested in hearing what people from other countries or cultures think on a variety of subjects, including this one. Had the question been about British Prime Ministers, I wouldn't have immediately gotten up in arms and thought it "Anglo-centric" or biased or ignorant. I would have either stated my opinion, or ignored it, and gone on about my day.

I'm also cheered to see so few "JFK" responses to this.

-EDIT-
Apparently even suggesting that asking this question in itself, and starting a dialogue with people all over the world, is not entirely a bad thing is "ethnocentric" and enough to get one labelled a "priveleged white male" from people who think they are PRIVELEGED to sit in judgement and put labels on people they don't know. Also a free and honest discussion is BAD if that discussion is about the US? I guess I simply don't understand closed-mindedness.
*scratches head*
I understand the point that this question is, in itself, US-centric, but what is stopping people from posting questions about other places or cultures and starting an open discussion? Isn't that how people learn about one another?

[identity profile] maddogairpirate.livejournal.com 2011-11-18 08:14 pm (UTC)(link)
Go back a page. There are a handful of Kennedy responses, and mentally I just go, 'but, the Bay of Pigs! Cuban Missile Crisis! Early entrenchment in Vietnam!' (Nice Freudian slip there in my first reply.)

People get rosy views and keep to them, what can you say.

It was nice to see some intelligent responses.
Edited 2011-11-18 20:14 (UTC)

[identity profile] chocolatebark.livejournal.com 2011-11-18 11:00 pm (UTC)(link)
But how many Taft responses are there, is the question!??!?

[identity profile] karinmollberg.livejournal.com 2011-11-22 03:21 pm (UTC)(link)
I am afraid, you´ll have a lot of such reactions even inside one single country (I here think of certain so-called "discussions" at the Spiegel Online http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Spiegel I read daily, mainly the german version to see what is going on back in Teutonialand from a fairly well-informed and ditto written source, bit like Time Magazine). But, luckily also a few different responses. I agree to how one hopes an open discussion might contribute something worth reading it´s only it hardly ever is possible due to consistent narrow-mindedness on the side of the Better-Knowers which is a typically german epithet that I fear, is most international... Which is no reason to stop trying for something else, on the contrary. I won´t say Jefferson because that would be too depressing a thought, though I believe he actually did some good back when;) and it appears it wasn´t Wilson either, about whom Dotty Parker infamously remarked her: "how could they tell?" at the announcement of his passing away. Also, the labelling of good vs. bad leads to nothing much. With a differentiated view, even someone whom one might regard as highly unsympathetic and incompetent may have had a positive impact in the long run. No names, I´m german so have no humour... Interesting Q. nevertheless!