[FRIAM] wackos

[Prof David West]

My original cite:

*"what many of us purport to *want* ... common ground with which to have a discussion with the right wing wackos in our lives."*

I took *"the right wing wackos in our lives"* as a reference to a subset of the body of Trump supporters, and more specifically the 74 million who voted for him, that we happen to be in contact with.  I think that is consistent with comments in various threads about talking with / trying to understand Trumpists. Nick's and Marcus' responses in this thread would seem to affirm my reading of the referent. In that case, I stand by my remarks.

It is quite possible that I was wrong. Your comments suggest that I was. Perhaps you literally meant to reference a group "Wackos," a subset of whom are "right wing" (without any implication that "right wing" within the wacko group have any correlation with right wing in a US political context), and the subset of them who are in our lives.

If this is the case, then nothing I said pertains to Wackos or the Wacko culture. You would certainly be correct in asserting that I do not understand that culture, as I am unaware of the group, qua group, itself.

However, I am the consummate outsider, identifying with no group nor culture and therefore can be guilty of egocentricsm, but never ethnocentrism. 

An ethnography of the Wacko culture would be an interesting project. As a self-professed, flag possessing, member of that culture, could you provide some pointers to the commonly accepted hallmarks of a culture: shared world view, shared language, shared values, shared customs/behaviors, shared modes of dress, definitions of kinship (blood or virtual), shared technology, etc.?

davew



On Tue, Dec 1, 2020, at 6:07 PM, uǝlƃ ↙↙↙ wrote:
> OK. Well, *I* don't use it as a term for *other*. I count myself among 
> the wackos. Any reflective misfit will count themselves that way. I ask 
> myself on at least a daily basis whether or not I'm the crazy one. This 
> reflective *awkwardness* is even a theme in most modern comedies. To 
> think "wacko" is a synonym for "the other" misses a HUGE part of 
> popular culture. So, I can't help but wonder who, here, is guilty of 
> "ethnocentrism"? Perhaps it's those who think they understand a culture 
> they don't understand? >8^D
> 
> On 12/1/20 4:21 PM, Prof David West wrote:
> > I do not take wacko literally — that was my point about the psychiatrist.
> > 
> > I do think that wacko is a synonym for "THEM," hence my focus on aliens and cultures.
> > 
> > Have to affirm my ** observation/opinion ** vis-a-vis ethnocentrism. Happy to defend that position but doubt interest.
> 
> 
> -- 
> ↙↙↙ uǝlƃ
> 
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