W.I.I.F.M.

What's In It For Me?
Okay, that's a common question.
Not wanting to hijack someone else's spot - first check out FreeMan;
http://freemanpress.wordpress.com/2009/06/03/we-sick
FreeMan said;
"There is no valid reason to care about what whites focus on.
No other culture cares what white culture does unless it's in business."
Okay... fair enough - but not entirely accurate.
But this statement actually breaks down into several parts.
Local, regional, national and then international.
If the above photo lacked the Mandarin (or is it Cantonese?) signage, it would seem to be taken in any major American metropolitan area.
So yea... business does require a certain amount of knowledge of another person's culture.
But everything is business.
Everyone sells something - whether it's a product or service - or knowledge, skills or man-power.
Everyone is in business.

But fractaly speaking, all cultures require a way to easily recognize one who is either friend or foe.
Pick one;
race, age, gender, language, religion, culture, or whatever.
The criteria are arbitrary - but have usually proven effective to continue the bloodlines of the practicing culture.

But this isn't limited to races or loci.

Say someone lives in Carson and is of Samoan descent.

Does he sport the "Dead Red" or the "Flue" of the surrounding sub-cultures?

Is he offended by "Crab" or Slob"?

Does he favor the Dodgers or the Angels?

These codes (and the ability to code-switch in case of the po-po) are key to the guy's survival.

Every culture has codes which it uses to weed out those who may be considered as a threat.

Some would argue that English is the current lingua fraca.

Okay... again, a fair assessment.

But this too is limited.

Notice how the countries, races and languages vary?

It isn't English that is the current 'language of money' (or common language) so much as it is the Western culture.

And to be more specific - The American Culture (and the American language).

Still others may argue that those in the Middle East and Africa still wear traditional garb.

Maybe - but it's usually a blending of Eastern and Western culture.

Check out Vogue India - I don't see a Sari.

The clothing is Western.

This South African guy seems to be sporting an East Coast (American) Prep look.

Even in the Middle-East - where freedom is granted (to the men), many choose Western clothing.

Are they giving in to the Devil and his white ways?

No, it's just an arbitrary form of self expression.

Japan had this conflict over an hundred years ago (see; The Last Samurai) and decided that Western clothing didn't dictate the adherence to Western ways.

Except for weddings, funerals, and religious ceremonies - most countries choose to adapt to the Americanization of the world.

"But the world isn't a Benneton ad", others might quip.

Okay, fair enough - but that is the goal.

Notice how there is no blending of cultures? (There isn't a bunch of mixed race people who can't be told apart)

Notice how each culture seems to represent it's own?

Notice how no race or culture is dominant or submissive (Well... maybe something could be said of the Asian baby being dependent, but...).

This is the goal of co-existence.

Co-existence doesn't necessarily mean a co-mingling of the races - just that all are seen as equal (even if different).

So why give up a myopic world (or city, state, region) view?

Because you'll hinder yourself.

Look at past civilizations.

Who prospered?

Those which took the best from other races, cultures and nationalities and used those traits, skills, knowledge or philosophies and adapted them for their own uses.

Who suffered?

Who got left behind?

Those cultures who remained isolated from the ever changing world.

(See Juneteenth and it's history for an example. (HT - Carl)

Why care about; a war in the Middle -East, Sotomayor seeking to be on the Supreme Court of the United States, or Korea getting a nuclear bomb, or Pirates in Somalia or ...

Because;

-A war in the Middle-East eats up American resources and men. A war in the Middle-East will be the excuse for raising gas prices. A war in the Middle-East helps those in power (here), stay in power. A war in the Middle-East fosters an "Us vs. Them" mindset to sell Americans on the Patriot Act.

-Sonya Sotomayor will be hearing cases from a point of view not common throughout most of our history that will effect the playing field on which most of us use.

-Because a nuclear armed North Korea will create instability in the Far-East and slow the recovery of our economy.

- Because the pirates stopped being protectors of their coasts and became a renegade militia that causes more instability in countries already suffering from generations of warfare.

(Although I still think that the Haliburton, World Ports International and Dubai consortium had more (initially) to do with the tactics than any other entity.)

Why care about The Real Hoodrats of Atlanta but not The Real Goombettes of New Jersey?

Because they're Black?

Both shows are garbage.

Why feed on the pablum of Desperate Housewives, CSI, or the litany of reality shows?

Why wear Western clothing and buy European brands?

Why learn Standard American English instead of Ebonics?

Why learn to golf, play tennis, snowboard or swim?

Why know about Hannibal, Sun Tzu or Napoleon?

Why join an Ivy League supper club and not the local gang?

Because these are the codes that the established group uses to weed out those whom they may view as a threat.

These are the codes (like IQ tests) that are culturally biased but are generally predictive of who will succeed within the established group's system.

Are they fair?

...They serve their purpose.

Are they universal?

Nope, nothing is.

But they exist.

Is knowing the codes an effort to be considered "The smart guy"?

Nah, knowing information doesn't make one smart - the successful application of that knowledge does.

When I was a bartender at Friday's - I had 96 (yep, ninety-six) write-ups.

But I knew the rules (the codes).

I knew that even if I made a grown man manager cry in the office with no one else around - I couldn't be fired.

I knew that they had to give me two days off after working six days straight, even if I was scheduled to work.

I knew the rules and therefore was able to navigate the system without harm to myself.

Did I make the rules?

Nope.

But could I use them to benefit myself?

Uh huh.
Had I kept to myself, I'da been gone.

But since I learned the rules (and I was the shit), I seemed to be able to do what others couldn't and to get away with what others didn't.

Bottom line... "Learn The Rules".