Stupid Western Civilization

What are you? 10?

"My civilization is BETTER than your civilization! Na-Na-Na-Na Poo Poo!"

Of course this is brilliant. But why must we say "IT'S BETTER!" And pathetically cling to this belief? Are you saying there is no instance of beauty or brilliance outside of the Western world? Have you ever actually left Saskatchewan?

Victor Borge would personally kick you in the groin for being so thick. Oh yeah, and I hate to break it to you, but he was a registered Democrat.

Here is the Balinese Monkey Chant. Yes, I'm aware that it is totally different, but I managed to come up with this in about 5 seconds. I'm sure there are plenty of other examples where non-Western cultures demonstrate the ability to produce something that is comedic, beautiful, and complex all at the same time:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkxuPxdsZ58

I'd like to see our non-western civilization counterparts pull off something similar

How could they?
Music is forbidden. The same with laughter Men would never lower themselves to sit with a Lady. Let alone play an instrument.
Besides comedy itself would be banned, including any crowds least a riot ensue

A pox on both your houses.

Borge was brilliant. My father took us to see him when I was a boy. He went a long way to teach my generation that classical music could be fun.

As for his political views, we didn't know them nor did we care. He did not wear them on his sleeve like the current bunch A-listers, who always attach their ignorant mugs to any cause. As if we care what you think: Alex Baldwin, Matt Damon, Madonna etc. etc.. Shut up and entertain.

Hahahaha! John doesn't even know that The Captain is an American! "Have you ever left Saskatchewan" indeed!

John, how about this. Be elitist regarding ideas, and egalitarian regarding individuals. As your ideas are some of the more inane that I see, I naturally think lower of you as an individual. However, you show discerning taste in continually coming here to expand your horizons, so there is hope for you yet.

Note the many statues in the video that you linked to: the Taliban likes to blow them up. If it's not their brand of Islam, it is an abomination that must be destroyed. Is a culture that blows up (aka physically destroys) the cultural icons of another culture at the same level as those who preserve the history of others, or is it an inferior culture?

Was I talking about the Taliban?

No.

I was pointing out the absurdity of a comment which basically says that unless another culture has a Victor Borge, they're a bunch of primitive morons. That Taliban, a group that is admittedly, as stupid as you'll find anywhere on the planet, doesn't figure into it.

Of course many cultures - not all, "demonstrate the ability to produce something that is comedic, beautiful, and complex all at the same time." Captain was merely expressing his opinion, an opinion you apparently not only disagree with but find offensive. Yet, I am sure this would not offend you if it was any other culture expressing admiration of their culture or it was another progressive talking about his favorite Broadway show.

Every statement by a non-progressives admiring some aspect of Western culture does not equal racism, does it? My preference for country-western music might be considered bad taste, I suppose, but is it racially offensive to prefer watching non-anorexic male singers and female singers without exploding wardrobes in cowboy hats singing songs with words I easily understand?

Personally, the fact that it makes progressives squirm and get angry when people in Western society have the insolence to express an appreciation of Western culture is reason enough to say it. Progressives, like many other cultures-not all, need to get over themselves and be more tolerant of opinions they disagree with.

But western culture is superior. I won't appologise for it, as there are already far too many who do.

Western culture is superior. John should have that bug removed. Western culture is universal. We might eat ethnic food here and there but that's pretty much the end of it. The rest of the world loves things western with the possible exception of 7th century butchers but I suspect they're just in denial.

He wasn't just admiring it. That's my point. He did it while taking a swipe at non-Western culture

If he simply wrote: "Borge, still hilarious", or any number of things, it would be just an expression of approval. No big deal. Knock yourself out. But he didn't do that.

He said: "I'd like to see our non-western civilization counterparts pull off something similar"

This very clearly expresses the doubt that any non-western artist or group could create something on par. This is the very essence of what racism is all about. To say that "my cultural group produces things that are better than all others". And I called him out for being lame.

You guys are so defensive about progressives supposedly attacking Western culture. We're not. In fact, seeing as most artists and people who actually produce Western culture are progressive, INCLUDING Victor Borge, it's kind of a silly premise.

John, your comment wasn't worth reading once,let alone three times.

While I have seen many great entertainers in my lifetime, the most satisfying evening of pure entertainment was seeing Victor Borge at the "Queen-E" in Vancouver,late 70's, accompanied by opera singer Marilyn Mulvey.

The man was a superb professional,and by the intermission, you could feel the love emanating from the audience toward the man.

Borge was one of a kind,there will never be another like him.

And if he was a registered Democrat,so what?

The current group of political whores who infest that organization are not indicative of the people who made up the Party fifty years ago.

WTF does politics have to do with entertainment?

Have to agree with John on this one. While I don't think all cultures are equal, and some are downright ugly and worse, it was unnecessary to take "a swipe" at non western culture in general.

John, IMO, he was angling for progressives and you fell for it hook, line and sinker. Maybe it's sort of immature but, hey, you gotta get your kicks where you can. Besides, progressives proclaim their cultural superiority all the time and conservatives bite that hook. Libertarians known they are superior but are too modest to brag about it - they mainly just watch the show and provide color commentary.

Maybe I have a humour imparement of some kind but I really don't get Victor Borge.

Took a course in conversation at the U of Calgary once. The instructor was certain Don Hudson.

Hudson was an interviewer of all the fancy people that came to Calgary to do shows. Worked at the CeeeBeeeCeee.

Anyway, as it was, he interviewed Borge a number of times since Borge was relatively frequent performer here.

Hudson said that he never interviewed more miserable person.

Now don’t get uptight, I don’t actually care one way or another. Never seen the man perform. Have no opinion, just what somebody said.

Victor Borge, miserable?

Let's check what the American Jewish Committee had to say about him:

"The American Jewish Committee remembers with great affection and enduring admiration Victor Borge, a man who embodied the rare and wonderful qualities of genuine humor, deep compassion, and true humanity. We are especially grateful for Mr. Borge's gift of performance that enabled us to partake of his exceptional spirit and enriched our lives."

http://www.nytimes.com/2000/12/27/classified/paid-notice-deaths-borge-victor.html?ref=victor_borge

I bet the CBC is a reliable source for those that fit in their club.

Mercy, land people on the moon, save the planet twice, thrice if you include communism, only culture to defend and institute freedom, untold advances in medicine and living standards, and I dare to point out a classical music piece orchestrated by a comedian genius and dare have "Western Culture Pride" and I get FLAK???

Does anybody care to take pride in western culture or have you all been too brainwashed to hate yourselves?

Cappy; If you're not taking flak you're not over the target.

*Thank-you Cpt.

How many months until QE3 finishes its work?

Don't know who angers me more - people outside my culture trying to destory it or people within my culture trying to destroy it.

And that Balinese monkey thing still sucked compared to Victor Borge.

Marc,

About 400 years and 100 more Qe's.

But you weren't just taking pride. You were using it to bash other cultures. No big surprise coming from this blog though, since it can't do anything that isn't vaguely miserable, nasty and sorta racist. You take something nice and fun like this and turn it into an opportunity to talk about how much better Western Civilization is than others. Why? Who cares? Just enjoy the video and leave politics and cultural superiority and all that other bs out of it for crying out loud.

;)

While the Balinese Monkey Chant thing is by far John's best contribution to this site as a commenter, I'm willing to bet that it took him "about 5 seconds" to find it because it apparently comes from a production named "Baraka".

I mean, what are the odds?

Hey John, who invented the cameras, the sound equipment, the transportation to carry everything and everyone there and back, the internet we just watched it on... well, you get the point (does he?). Also, on a completely different subject, for the second time today, why can't black people get photo ID in the States?

Mamba of colour - feeling discriminated against? Oh, wait, you said "people"... I retract my comment. ;-)

What i took from the monkey chant is that the "Jazz Hands" used by the occutards is a stolen affectation. That's right, it's CULTURAL APPROPRIATION!!

Oh yeah, and I hate to break it to you, but he was a registered Democrat.

Posted by: John at September 22, 2012 6:22 PM
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If you were as old as I am you might recall that in Borge's time, Democrats were somewhat to the right of where Republicans are now.

BM... Yeah, it's from the film Baraka. And yes, we are watching this on the internet. But you're kinda of missing the point (as usual) that the beauty and complexity of this dance (yes, it was filmed by Westerners, liberals probably) was something that emerged independent of the West.

And for FFFF sakes, nobody is picking on the West. Stop being such a paranoid nutjob. Just don't use cultural stuff to act like a bunch of morons walking about talking about how great we are.

And Dirtman, if you are referring to the Democrats of the 50's and 60's, yeah, many of them were pretty conservative (especially in the South), which is why after the civil rights thing went through they sort of faded away and those states went to the Republicans. But as for the last 40 years of the 20th Century, no they were not to the right of the current Republicans. Nobody, in fact has ever been to the right of the current Republicans. Certainly not on economic matters, and the out and out bending over to the military complex.

No sir, don't kid yourself. Borge was a Democrat well into the lefty years. Much like most other artists, scientists, and people with common sense who are not sucked in by jingoistic, simple-minded arguments that trick people like you into voting against your own interests.

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2012/09/21/soros-resumes-donations-to-help-democratic-candidates/

John, does Soros pay you in Euros or Yen for your tollery?

My civilization will get around to producing Borges eventually. Before that, we only have to put out other great achievements of Western Civilization, like World War I, World War II (whats the death toll there - 60-70 million?), Communism, Fascism, Socialism etc. And that was just the last 150 years.

But hey, at least you got a quality piece of music.

Hope its worth it.

I see the troll names change just like the names of the currency changes which Soros uses to pay his flying monkey trolls.

Enjoy Venezuela, John, er, 'Colored.'

To me, this is true multi-culturalism at its finest. We have a Danish Jew conducting a piece by a Czech in front of what I assume is an English-speaking audience, which is enjoying it immensely.

The world is definitely a poorer place without Victor Borge.

"To me, this is true multi-culturalism at its finest."

I'd give that honor to Zubin Mehta, the Indian Zoroastrian Music Director for Life of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra who plays classical music.

But, then again, he's not 'western', what with him being an Indian citizen and all that.

Danish...Jew...Czech...English-speaking...

Some people, including me, might argue that those terms do not describe multi-culturalism. Instead they are all elements of the culture to which Captain is referring.

...he's not 'western', what with him being an Indian citizen...

Sometimes the passport a person carries fails to reflect the culture that influences the person. Apparently there are many Canadian passport holders who are strongly influence by non-western cultures; and that is the problem with normative multiculturalism.

The Arab world turns out as many talented entertainers as they do Nobel Lauriats.

I think "Achmed the Dead Terrorist" is pretty talented.

It isn't that western culture is superior; it’s just that we have one and some others don't.

In Islam for example, there is no song, no dancing, no comedy, no theater, no nothing but sullen dismissal and open repression of the joy of living - however when it comes to death, well this is where that culture shines, they glorify death, violence, brutality - this is what passes as "cultural pursuit".

So to be as progressively balanced as possible; no, western culture is not superior - just more desirable to those who relish life and living.

I get John's point.

We should not praise our culture unless we note that other cultures have also made contributions.

We should not denounce Islam for violence,because other religions have also been violent.

We should not feel pride because others also feel pride.

John is wrong,but others have also been wrong,so lets all hold hands and sing "We are the World".

Which is what my point was. There was a DANISH guy conducting (and acting), playing a German score, with an American audience, AND there was more than one NON-white male in the orchestra.

Western culture does not mean race. It is character and accomplishment, which means it's supereme and superior to all other "cultures" because it rewards accomplishment not "membership" "race" or "sex." It rewards the individual regardless of their genetics.

Ergo, if anyone is the racist, it's John. John seems to be a racist because he associates color of skin with culture. "Oh, you're black. You must like rap and not be the musician prominently displayed in Borge's orchestra."

Sorry, just sick of comunist retards. And I'm opening up a can of intellectual dishonesty on them just like they have us for the past 40 years.

Suck it up John.

Oh, and any time you think "western culture" is inferior you can more to the Oookoo Bookoo tribe of Eftardistan anytime you want.

But by the fact you CHOOSE to live in a western civilization your actions PROVE you seem western civilization superior.

Have a cut of STFU you hypocrite. I'm done here.

"Sorry, just sick of comunist retards"

That sucks.

FWIW, Karl Marx was German and very much a product of western civilization.

Either that, or he was a member of the Oookoobookoo tribe in Eftardistan.

Who knows.