...you're making a lot of assumptions about
"Westernernes".
He is not making a lot of assumptions about Westerners. He is saying the
truth. Just to hark back to the blocking of my provider by wikipedia a
few months ago. Suggestions were made to me by some very well regarded
wikipedians that clearly showed that they had no idea whatsoever as to
what it is like to life in a country which is not their own. Yes in
England etc. those suggestions would have made sense. But in Thailand or
most other countries they do not. Most people on this list and in
wikipedia clearly think from a western background and show that they do
not understand that the reality/situations in most countries on this
planet differ from the realities they grew up with/in. And I am saying
this as a Westerner. Milos is hitting the nail on the head.
Every day here in Thailand I see Westerners, even those whom lived here
for more than 25 years, making total asses of themselves. Offcourse the
tourists can be forgiven ... partly. But many people should know better.
and when you tell them they should respect some things. Even highly
educated westerners would answer that they see the Thai way as inferior
and that they feel they should change to become more Western (read the
send in letters sections in the nation newspaper on the internet these
statements appear in there regularly bitching about everything in
Thailand:
www.nationmultimedia.com) . To all Brits forgive me for saying
this ... but they are especially irritating ... most Brits that I know
here from very highly educated ones with very responsible jobs down to
your beer belly tourist feel that everyone who doesn't speak English has
some mental defficiency and is second rate. This is not just a mentally
problem over here, but also in the west. As I told my friend once: "with
a pension, social security, healthcare and never having suffered from
disease, hunger or anything it is very easy to criticize other countries
and other cultures ..... isn't it?" (this is an ironic statement which
might not come through as it was translated from Dutch and I am not a
native English speaker).
Mark it is you who doesn't know what he is speaking about. You might
have a lot of knowledge gained form reading books etc. But it is all
theoretical knowledge. You do not have any practical knowledge. You are
looking at your own field in absolutes through rose colored glasses, not
thinking about or having feelings for the somewhat different realities
in real life. Your mails sound good in theory at a number of occassions.
But your theories are often impossible realities.
Walter/Waerth