I have to first say that this is only something I'm writing as a discussion among fellow members. By and large the community is, as I understand it, very well educated and mature, so if you are the type easily offended by weird ideals, please don't read on and click that back button. There are no sexual or disgusting pictures or content of any sort here, just an issue that is affecting the contemporary US. This is intended as a discussion only, since I'm perplexed by the story I'm about to tell. So please, stop right here if you don't like controversial subjects.










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My baby sister (she will always be that baby sister) is studying for the CA Bar exam coming up in a few weeks. While we were both studying law (I'm taking a business law class) at my school's library, we chatted a bit about due process, civil rights, and ethnic issues in the US. When we talked about the US Supreme Court justices, Clarence Thomas in particular (he's the only minority in the US Supreme Court) the subject shifted for some reason to a story my sister heard about while in law school:

A Harvard law professor, who happens to be an African American, published a piece (I'm not sure if it's a book or a short story) of literature that became very controversial. The premise of the story evolves around the United States in a not too distant future, where natural resources are all but depleted, and unprecendented pollution or some crisis or another faces the entire population. Suddenly, a race of aliens (I was pretty surprised too, Harvard law professor and aliens don't usually come in the same subject matter) showed up and basically told the US government that everything can be resolved by their technology: all the resources restored, unlimited clean energy, and technological advances to clean the USA up, etc, etc. In return for their technology, however, the aliens demanded that the US government hand over all black people to the alien race to be used as slaves.

I don't quite remember the ending of the story, but basically people like Clarence Thomas thought they were "immune" or not applicable to the rule, but at the end they were wrong, and were packed up and shipped to the aliens. This story I hear was so controversial, the Harvard professor couldn't stay at Harvard and left.

It's a touchy issue, and it's a story that had me thinking a lot. Spock once said to Captain (I believe he was Admiral at the time) Kirk: the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one. But at what point does "few" become the many? And how many infractions of our Constitution's "Right to liberty and pursuit of happiness" does it take before we forget our founding father's message? Even my law professor, who used to be a DA with LA County (he worked with Johnny Cochrane, which surprised me, I didn't know Cochrane was a DA before he defended MURDERERS like OJ - that's a personal opinion, BTW) said to the class "you don't want to be in my world, you don't want to see what I see, and I'm sure you don't want to know what I know. Because once you do, what you see and hear will disgust you, it will give you doubts about our government, and it will absolutely give you doubts about our justice system."

I know we have quite a number of lawyers here, I'm just wondering as I contemplate applying for law school once I'm done with my MBA, is that true?

 

Seen "Real Men" with Ritter and Belushi?
Do we take the good package, or the big gun..

 

Mingster, Im not going to comment on the racial issue but I am damn well going to comment on the typical Amerocentricism that is portrayed. Once again, the good ole USA is the centre of known universe.

Is the US the only place in the world where resources are depleted. what about resources in every other nation - do they have plenty to spare? - or are we to assume that if the US has run out everyone must have as well?

Why is it that the aliens only want to negotiate with you goddamned yanks - where are all the other world leaders when you need them.

I don't know how much the so called Harvard Law professor realised it or not but he was making the same decision for nationals of other countries in exactly the same way he claimed the US government to be making a decision regarding Afroamericans.

This stuff just stinks......

 

Yo, Aussie take it easy. It's just a story told third hand. Now take a deep breath and slow your heart rate, Yeesh. By the way you had one thing right, the center of the universe is the US as far as the earthly race is concerned. (zipping up flame retardent suit) Like it or not, if we flinch so do you. If our economy nose dives so does yours. Sorry buddy, it's just the way is worldwide.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by 2kturkey
Mingster, Im not going to comment on the racial issue but I am damn well going to comment on the typical Amerocentricism that is portrayed. Once again, the good ole USA is the centre of known universe.

it's a fictional story about contemporary america in a view no one wishes to think about, not about the outbacks. and i'm sure if (darn it vern, what's the equivalent of harvard in oz?) hypothetically one of your professor who was of none caucasian stock wrote the same piece, he'd be under all kinds of shit too.

btw, the good ol' USA is the c-e-n-t-e-r of the known universe , at least in the past hundred years. before that it was i believe his/her majesty the king/queen of the british empire, and for another while i do believe the french had an upper hand...

besides, i do remember that captain kirk IS from Iowa


Is the US the only place in the world where resources are depleted. what about resources in every other nation - do they have plenty to spare? - or are we to assume that if the US has run out everyone must have as well?


again, it's a fictious story about contemporary america, NOT about the contemporary australia. i'm sure you guys have your share of resources problems too.

[B]

Why is it that the aliens only want to negotiate with you goddamned yanks - where are all the other world leaders when you need them.

 

Mingster, this was not meant as a personal attack but as a general commentary on Amerocentrism as demonstrated by the original author of the piece. My criticism is of him/her, NOT yourself, for publishing what I agree is an interesting topic.

The point I am making is that a siimilar individual writing in another country would not talk about the US situation in the future but about the GLOBAL situation. As a matter of fact it is more seriously a global situation than an US one because the US consumes more resources per head than any other nation and it is a net importer of most of its resources.

My second point with regard to the decision is simply that the US is making a decision (as the most powerful nation) for all nations. This parallels the decision of the white government making a decision regarding blacks.

With regard to your final points. Yes, most developed nations do have immigration policies and refugee intake policies (Germany changed its policy at the time of reunification in order to ease the merger). Second, the only reason missiles (and I suspect they are Russian rather than Chinese) are pointed at Australia is because the Aussies allowed US tracking stations to be established in Australia.

A lesser known fact is that the Australian government was dismissed from office in 1975. There is a body of opinion (not proveable) that suggests the CIA was involved in this dismissal because the government of the time was looking to shut down these stations.

 

Mingster.

I just want your nads when you've finished with 'em

 

Richard, Don't be too surprised. Harvard professor of psychiatry John E. Mack, M.D a Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer has written and talked about aliens until he almost lost his job. Harvard decided that he had the right believe and say whatever he wanted on the subject. I have known John for a number of years and even urged him to "cool it a little," to no avail. The point is, Harvard is not immune to weird ideas and may well even foster them.

To answer your question or at least what I think was your question, I think your law professor was right. While I believe our overall system very well may be the best in the world, our justice system is badly broken. I saw it in action when my 76 yr old mother was robbed at gunpoint as she was walking into a Wal Mart, nearly killed, (she had to be airlifted to the hospital),
then not allowed to testify, while the guy who admitted to the crime on the stand was found not guilty and set free. I saw first hand how the system favors the guilty. I guess that's why OJ's still a hero. As always -- just my opinion.

Thank you Richard! I think many of America's ill's could be cured if all American's could see themselves as Americans 1st instead of Asian-American, African-American, White-American, Mexican-American, etc. You are an American who happens to be Asian just like I am an American who happens to be mostly white. We are both equally American!

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by 2kturkey
[B]
Second, the only reason missiles (and I suspect they are Russian rather than Chinese) are pointed at Australia is because the Aussies allowed US tracking stations to be established in Australia.

 

Sounds like a good plot for a movie. A fictional movie. In the end, Australia and France team up and declare war on the USA!