Joanna
----- Original Message -----
On Mar 13, 2013, at 11:39 AM, Angelus Novus <fuerdenkommunismus at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> ravi wrote:
>
>> If true, only trivially so (demographics/wealth, etc: Americans tend to be > white).
>
> My point (and I think probably Bhaskar's point too) is that European society outside of a few urban metropolises is pretty horrendously racist.
>
> <…>
> So white Americans visit places like Berlin, go "oh, functioning public transportation, a still-existent welfare state, and health care" (all of which I agree are good things!) and ignore the nasty racism that is still a very prominent part of public discourse, because it doesn't affect them anyway.
>
I agree, and it explains why some white Americans might pine for Europe (public transportation, etc). What it does not establish, it seems to me, is the original claim, that it is mostly white Americans who pine for Europe. Non-white people have always juggled multiple-factors, of which the level of racism is but one. For the record, I am nominally American, and not white, and I would give up a toe (probably more) to live in Barcelona.
Heck, I’d even take the West Coast of the USA. :-)
—ravi
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