Social Tides in America

Before I post this article, I want to address one very important fact. I, in no way whatsoever, support bigotry, discrimination, or hatred in any way shape or form, including race, religion, color, creed, social status, gender, or political affiliation. I state this in advance because the following topics I address could be potentially inflammatory in nature. I do not wish to offend with this article, but simply to express my views on the current social state in America.


Tonight, I watched a film that is very important to me, in its expression of social issues. It used to be a film that demonized those that felt ill about others based on race, color, creed, religion, and sexual orientation. It spoke a very poignient message about hatred in America, and how futile it is. The film is called "American History X".

Having watched it again tonight for the first time in quite a while, and while thinking about social issues in the US (primarilly brought on by earlier witnessing a racial confrontation between several white kids, and several black kids outside my house) I had some rather profound (at least to me) thoughts regarding it.

The film deals with the issue of illegal immigrants (and legal immigrants) in the US, and blames them for taking jobs from the lifetime US citizens, who, in the Neo-Nazi point of view, should have first pick at US jobs. The monologue in the film goes on to describe various ways in which illegal immigrants are destroying this country. I won't go into detail here (you'll just have to see the film). After hearing this diatribe on illegal and legal immigrants, I realized that much of the social and political climate is focused on keeping immigrants out of this country, to the point of pulling borderline militaristic actions along the borders. Additionally, much of the citizenry of the US wants all illegal immigrants deported (not to mention the obvious animosity towards immigrants (legal or illegal) that can be seen on any given day in any given city, just by walking down the street). To me, this really just isn't right. I even say this as a natural born American, currently unemployed, who has lost several possible jobs to immigrants (legal status unknown) willing to work for much less money than I am. Statistically speaking, the immigrants (particularly the illegal immigrants) are willing to work jobs that most Americans don't want, very cheaply, and aid in keeping certain costs low for Americans. The number one example of this is farming. Without the cheap immigrant labor on farms, our food costs would be roughly 60-100% higher than they are. Immigrant labor (regardless of legality) aids Americans in many ways.

Another issue addressed in the film is the crime rates. Statistically, black on black crime is higher than white on white crime. This is true. What the opinion doesn't take into account is the ways in which the government, system, and even society screws the minorities (and blacks aren't alone in this). Unemployment, poverty, and drug use rates are significantly higher among minority races than they are among whites. This is likely mostly attributable to the fact that most minorities, even in this day and age of political correctness and equality for all, are still looked down upon by a majority of society. Equality is just an illusion spawned by political correctness and affirmative action. The fact is, if you aren't white male, you've probably been prejudiced against, by society, by the workplace, by the government. This nation, for all of its preaching of equality is anything but. That said, doesn't it make more sense to say that more minorities are turning to crime as a way to make ends meet and turning to drugs as a way to escape from their stresses of being poor? I know this is a highly simplified view of the problem, but it's still relevant. In addition to predjudices, there's also the fact that jobs are scarce (hence the reason that even I, as a college educated, white male, with years of on-the-job skills is still unemployed, after having been laid off in December, 2005), the economy is going downhill, and cost of living is rising quite a bit.

Finally, there's a huge attack on liberals by the Neo-Nazis in the film. This is something that I find to be extremely ironic, considering that the basic ideals of the Nazi party laid down by Hitler are largely ultra-liberal. Big government, and little socially influenced power in the government. The only way that the Nazi party is really conservative is in their ideals of "conserving" the White Protestant group. The partisanship illustrated in the film is a great example of the partisanship that's occuring in the US as a whole - partisanship to the point of violence (physical or verbal). The thing is, in this day and age, the lines between "conservative" and "liberal" have been blurred so much, as to be almost invisible. Conservatives are far more liberal than the liberals in many ways, and vice-versa. I don't want this to become a partisanship debate. I only illustrate this point to show how senseless and possibly dangerous partisanship can be. This is NOT a liberal vs. conservative debate, but rather a seed for a discussion about where party lines really lie, and why the parties no longer mean what they used to.

All in all, the point I'm trying to get across in this post is my feelings immediately upon seeing the closing credits. The US does need to be a nation based on the good of all citizens, and inequality between various groups of citizens is only an obstacle in making this nation what it was intended to be.

The US was intended to be a nation where ALL people are equal. The society within the US today promotes the rich, white Christians. The comparisons that can be drawn between pre-WWII Nazi Germany and the current state of the US are amazing. The US is quickly becoming the new enemy of the world, and this will likely play a part into the start of WWIII (which, arguably, has started already - but that's a different topic for a different thread), which will simply enable the coming of a true NWO (the US, being as much of a world influence as it is, if it were to fall, would devastate (or aid in the devastation) of many other world powers).

The film "American History X" could really be interpreted so much differently than it was originally intended for, that, in this day and age, could actually end up being a message about what will enable the US to destroy the world or save it. If you haven't seen the film, watch it, and then give me your thoughts.

[edit on 7/8/2006 by obsidian468]

I have watched the film and thought it was done very nicely.

Your argument that our American economy needs illegal immigrants is a fallacy. This is just not so. Our economy is much much more dependent on skilled workers (with educations), than unskilled workers. There will be some job shortages, like cleaning people, landscaping, some construction at first, but it would not destroy our economy.

Greedy companies like hiring these illegal immigrants because they get to pay them little to nothing. It isn't that Americans don't want these jobs because they are too lazy or snobby, it is because they don't PAY ENOUGH. If they payed good wages, many more would take those jobs. If companies didn't have illegal immigrants to exploit, then they would be forced to pay higher wages or have no workers.

Now I feel for these people. But you need to be registered, or have a work visa. And our sell out of a government needs to force these people to register, get their finger prints in a data base and their names, and make these companies pay them minimum wage. Also these immigrants should pay taxes, as they use things that are payed by the American tax payers.

The truth is crime is comitted by some of these illegals, and drugs are smuggled in here, and new gangs arise. This is a huge problem, especially when you have no record of these people in the first place!

Of course in America History X this hatred was taken to the extreme, as they were neo-nazis. But what I outlined above, is how most Americans feel about the illegal immigration problem. And racial issues will always be a problem. As long as "minorities" blame white people for their problems, and as long as white people have stereotypes in their heads. As long as minorities have stereotypes in THEIR heads.

Originally posted by obsidian468
Another issue addressed in the film is the crime rates. Statistically, black on black crime is higher than white on white crime. This is true. What the opinion doesn't take into account is the ways in which the government, system, and even society screws the minorities (and blacks aren't alone in this). Unemployment, poverty, and drug use rates are significantly higher among minority races than they are among whites. This is likely mostly attributable to the fact that most minorities, even in this day and age of political correctness and equality for all, are still looked down upon by a majority of society.

Maybe it's also because the government is looking for a scapegoat for problems happening within their country. Its quite easy, make a poll, make it look like the blacks are the only ones wrong here, and then its quite easy to have the native populice blaming every outsider who dares to show his face. No wonder why they get so depressed quickly!

You would expect from this modern world to accept that, no matter who you are or where you come from, you can be accepted by the country you are visiting. So what makes people that hostile against eachother? Skin color? Thats no excuse today, collision of cultures? If you have respect of other peoples way of living, that shouldn't be a problem, so what is the issue? What makes it so hard for people to just...accept eachother and move on living?