But You Mustn’t Be Inspired By Unfamiliar Things

Nearly every meal you’ve ever eaten is the by-product of centuries of cultural appropriation, to one extent or another. This column is written in English, a language that contains hundreds of thousands of words appropriated from other tongues. Just under two-thirds of our language derives from Latin or French. About a quarter is Germanic in origin. And about a sixth comes from Greek, Arabic and other languages… We are living through the greatest period of poverty alleviation in all of human history right now because countries in Asia and Africa have appropriated many economic policies and practices — free markets, property rights, etc. — that began as quirky artefacts of English and Dutch culture.

Jonah Goldberg on “cultural appropriation” and pretentious outrage. One of these.

16 Replies to “But You Mustn’t Be Inspired By Unfamiliar Things”

  1. Interesting that we have Germany to thank for two of the biggest ideological wack-jobs and philosophical failures in history. How much misery has Marx and Hitler caused this planet? And why is it that decades after the carnage left by their followers do we still have those who would try again? Quite unbelievable really.

    1. Exactly Chris. The so called “cultural appropriation” furor is nothing but a Marxist construct meant to tear down our society and build walls between us all.

      Note to readers. Read the other items that David links to on his site, particularly the Polish workers part. They are very appropriate to the cultural appropriation discussion.

      When will our society realize that the progressive state adherents and operatives want to tear down 800 years of liberal democratic progress and build a soul and freedom destroying Orwellian utopia?

    2. @ Chris: Yeah, but the Krauts also contributed bratwurst. That evens it out. And don’t forget sourkraut.(sp)

      1. Und schnitzel mit spetzle. And my car. But political philosophies… yeah not so much.

        1. Bavarian brewing rules are stupid. I can’t believe the Germans are proud of the fact that they have a government mandated recipe for beer. Germany may have ten thousand breweries, but what’s the point if they all use the same recipe?

      1. You’re nitpicking., B.A. They speak the same language, just a different tribe, Austrians are just
        a type of German. Germany/Austria were allies during WWI and united during WWII committing crimes against humanity.

      2. Same thing. It’s only an accident of history that the other German speaking country isn’t part of gross Deutschland. If things had been different Bavaria would have been a different country and Austria would be part of Germany

  2. The politicization of everything inevitably leads to the destruction of the divide between the public and the private, the body politic and the individual. Everything becomes a cold calculus of power and a cynical exercise. Totalitarianism follows because all our appetites must be properly aligned. How we eat, sleep, delicate and procreate, how we walk, how we talk – must be controlled. Any deviation purged. Nothing exists outside of the political if everything is political.

  3. Cultural appropriation is such a ridiculous contention that even unrepentant never Trumper Jonah Goldberg finds it easy to chirp in and pretend to maintain his conservative bona fide.

    1. So white people gotta behave white, which is apparently toxic.

      Identity politics is so full of contradictions I’m surprized it hasn’t yet imploded.

  4. Appropriation and multi-culturalism seem at odds because they are. PET and Spawn want walled enclaves. A melting pot is something PM Dressup fears because unity actually is a strength and something that putzicle and the LPC knows would end them. That’s why the left hate that Blacks and Women and all kinds of “types” of people voted for Trump.

  5. A year ago my Liberal sister in law asked me if I thought displaying her 6 ft high totem pole was cultural appropriation. I told her that I don’t know but how is it different than Indians wearing cowboy hats. That BS is really annoying.

  6. time to post this again:
    http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/kahnawake-membership-law-charter-1.4642770

    the vid clip on this was some native potentate bemoaning there will be a non-native chief some day.

    in the background, ON THE RESERVE, I saw gasoline powered vehicles. houses with glass windows, doors with latches, vinyl siding, and no doubt scads of digital electronics humming away inside.
    ALL of it and much much more *APPROPRIATED* from MY culture, and, get this, the bitching done in MY ancestors lingo.
    obscene level of self-serving hypocrisy.
    here in ‘inclusive diverse’ Canuckistan.

    seriously folks, if somehow the ‘appropriation’ was all undone, where the fcuk would we be? migawd, some of them wouldnt even have a shelter built from scratch. or clothes on their back.

    jezzuz murphy.

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