Is Latin America Western?

What's special about Argentina? It is not as rich or as white like it pretends.

Originally posted by pinguin Well, as far as the pictures of Maghrebians I have seen, and Algerians in particular, no one will notice they are foreigners in Chile. You guys look very similar physically to us . My neighbour won't complain

People in Nordic Europe and the British isles always thought I was Argentinian or Southern European.

But in France people clearly know how a North African looks like, because they're used to those populations.

By the way, there is half a million Palestineans and other Arabs in Chile, and they feel here at home. Curiosly enough, most of them are Christians. They assimilated without problems at all.

Most Lebanese immigrants are Christian too, my Arabic teacher at high school was a Christian Palestinian woman from Jordan.




Edited by goldenstar - 25-Mar-2009 at 02:03

Originally posted by pinguin     What's special about Argentina ? It is not as rich or as White like it pretends.

Originally posted by pinguin   That's exactly the reason. And that's something Latinos have very clear,only the fact Northerners look us as an inferior society.

I voted no because there were more "NOs" to choose from.

Originally posted by pinguin Originally posted by Majkes ...   Than what is is? and You still didn't explain why Eastern Europe is not part of Western civilisation but Latin America is. I must say it is quite strange view. If we understand Wetern Civilisation as countries sharing so called European values or heritage than Latin America is part of it but if You mean most influential and most advanced techologically and economically countries than Latin America is not part of this world.   Very simple. The Western Civilization is the civilization build on the heritage of the Roman Empire. The Western Civilization is Greek-Roman in its social structure and mechanics, and it is also Jewish-Christian in its religion.   All the countries and regions that have a Roman heritage are, of course, part of the Western Civilization.

Originally posted by pinguin When I say "The West" I am talking about the Western Civilization, and Iberoamerica is part of it, whether Northern Europeans and North Americans agree or not.

Originally posted by Styrbiorn   Originally posted by pinguin   When I say "The West" I am talking about the Western Civilization, and Iberoamerica is part of it, whether Northern Europeans and North Americans agree or not. Northern Europeans or North Americans don't give a damn -  but you are making it seem like Anglo people actively trying to exclude Latin America from it.

Originally posted by Reginmund As I have stated before Western civilization has emerged as the only viable model of civilization, and combined with increasing globalization this will to a varying extent impact everyone on the planet.

It is a bit exaggerated to say it is the only viable model of civilisation, not a long time ago it was the civilisation that put the whole world 2 times in chaos and caused tens of millions of deaths because at this time the West was dominated by totalitarian regimes and brutal colonial powers self-proclaiming themselves democracies, in the sense of letting men (and not women) choose their politicians, even if they practised racist apartheids and conquered the world not differently from the Hitlerian or Stalinian governments they accused to be evil. Today everything quickly changed in Europe and the U.S.A, so other countries can change as well, and evolve positively following their own civilisation.

As someone said earlier, there is a strange policy of thinking Western standards are the best and the whole world should just adopt them, having been raised in the West I can see how most people here are arrogant as they are totally convinced they're the best society and other cultures are culturally "inferior". The medias are the main reason for this way of thought because they focus on the problems of the Third world and do not tell its qualities, while they only focus on the good sides of Western nations, not talking about the problems of Europe and Eastern Europe in particular.

People in the world are aware Western methods in economy, government, administration, education, are a good model, and the world is always influenced by the prominent civilisation, which is now the Western World, just like Europe was heavily influenced by the dominating Middle-Eastern/North African civilisation in the past centuries when it used to shape the world (in ancient times and during the medieval Islamic period).

But Western is not only a way to govern, it is especially an identity and a culture, rooted in European populations and their descendents in the New World, and I don't think the world is going to become Western in this sense as whole nations used to Romanise or Hellenise themselves.




Edited by goldenstar - 25-Mar-2009 at 14:03

Pinguin The anglo club is not a synonim of Western Civilization.

The thing is, in todays world it is, The Anglo club + EU = the West.

Pinguin Our ancestors were Europeans. We never stopped to be so. Our people is condemned because it mixed, and only because that.

"Your" ancestors might have been European and many white Chileans could say the same, as well as the majority of Argentina, however, the majority of countries like Bolivia, Peru, Guatemala and parts of Ecuador, Mexico etc have little if not any European ancestory.

Pinguin And that's something Latinos have very clear. It is not an inferiority complex as some may argue, but only the fact Northerners look us as an inferior society.

Most people in Northern Europe are indifferent to Latin America, its seen as an exotic, foreign place, there is no hatred. The only places you'll find some biggotry against Latin America is in Spain or Portugal in Europe.
The problem is, you think Latin American not being "Western" is an Insult.

I said countless times that I have much respect and admiration for the region and think Latin America is unique to herself, its Latin America, not the West, the East or anywere else.


Edited by Bulldog - 25-Mar-2009 at 14:10