Community | December 14, 2011 | 71 comments

Americans Are An Invented People « Pissed on Politics

source: http://www.pissedonpolitics.com/?p=4235

After Newt's way out of bounds comment on Palestinians, this really cool article surfaced!

Posted by PoliShifter on 13 December 2011, 12:36 pm
The other day Newt Gingrich made the remark that Palestinians are an invented people. When asked later to explain what he meant Newt doubled down and reaffirmed his asinine comment. Let’s just set Newt Gingrich aside for a minute. He’s just a pompous ass that creates his own reality and his own history in order to suit his own personal agenda. Currently Newt’s agenda is to win the Republican Nomination. As such he will do or say anything to win. For Gingrich the ends always justify the means.

Instead of Newt lets focus for a minute on Americans. Americans are a completely invented people. We were invented in 1789 when the Constitution was ratified. Anyone can be an American – you just have to be born here. Or you can come to America and after some time you can become a U.S. Citizen. It doesn’t matter what race, creed, color, or religion a person is. Anyone can be American.

Some sort of Pure American Race has never existed. There has never been a homogenous American Culture. The American People were completely invented on paper by the founders. Hell Americans are not even as much a people as they are a concept. That’s why so many “Americans” self-identify as Italian Americans or Irish Americans or German Americans or Japanese Americans or Chinese Americans or African Americans or Mexican Americans or Cuban Americans etc ad nauseum. That’s why so much of the culture and traditions coming from other countries continues to persist in America including things like Christmas and St Patrick’s Day.

Americans are not a race. Americans are not an Ethnic Group. Americans have no culture. Anything remotely related to American Culture is more Regional than National. What do we have? Baseball and the Fourth of July? Hot Dogs and Hamburgers? McDonald’s and WalMart?

So while all you right wingers nod in agreement when Newt says Palestinians are an invented people just remember you too Mr. Right Winger are an invented person. If you want to be a real person Mr. Right Winger go back to the country your ancestors came from because you are not from here.
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71 comments // Americans Are An Invented People « Pissed on Politics

  • artemis6
  • DanCastro
    • +1
      DanCastro  

    • We made most of our differences up or have ridiculously overemphasized a few (skin color & religions) as the most insignificant, We all descended from the same tribe of chimps, we mostly still act like our cousins in matters of sex and power most clearly! :-) If we could come to terms with our similarities we might learn to'share' & 'play well w/others'! :-)

    • 5 months ago
  • kennymotown
  • cabinettags
    • +1
      cabinettags  

    • Hey Kenny.., I wanted to say that I have the upmost respect for you and to thank you for this post. To me, this is what current is about; a place where ideas can be exchanged to the benefit of all.

      We have much in common but differ on some points. That suits me. You're an honest guy and I relish that - many aren't; and then you have the blind sided folks that ignore facts and spew prejudice. Where we differ, I'd much rather debate with you than them. At least it makes sense.

      Hope your Christmas is a great one, guy.

    • 5 months ago
  • kennymotown
  • dudefromtherock
  • PeteLeS33
  • alexandrek
  • kennymotown
  • kennymotown
    • +2
      kennymotown  

    • We may not have suicide bombers, but we sure do bomb the shit out of other country's! And the cereal killers or the insane guys that shoot up schools, bomb a building in Oklahoma City, or go to McDonalds in SanDiego and kill 20 or 30 people etc,etc!

    • 5 months ago
  • KB723
    • +2
      KB723  

    • Aww Man... What about Apple pie and NASCAR??? To be honest, there is no such thing as an American, just folks who moved in and conquered the folks that lived in the Northern Hemisphere called North America!!! When you want to get into the depths ,look up Amerigo Vespucci... =)

    • 5 months ago
  • cmc101
  • kennymotown
  • Anonmaly
  • kennymotown
  • cabinettags
    • +3
      cabinettags  

    • I hope you'll excuse me but I have trouble with your entire article, although I agree with you about Mr. Gingrich. He's added 2 + 2 and got 5. He's correct only in that Palestine wasn't a state. truth. But there is no such thing as an invented people. That's merely a label. If the Palestinians prefer to call themselves such, then that's fine. If everybody else prefers to refer to them such then that's fine too. Labels are labels. We Americans refer to Our Native Americans as Indians. Yet these people spanned from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific. Cultures were totally different. If Indians are Indians then Palestinians are Palestinians. Labels don't mean shit.

      The variances you pointed out about Americans is truth. We're not limited to any ethic group or location. That is our strength. The American people aren't labeled as being any particular group - we're labeled because of our beliefs. Doesn't matter what color you are, or where you come from. We're a people that stand for freedom. We worship or not as it suits us. We belong to groups or not as it suits us. We maintain the idea that one person is as good as any other. Rich people are defined as those that made it; and the bellhop opens their car door according to his own needs - am I likely to get a tip or is this person an ass and can damn well open their own door?

      I am an American. I've served my country in uniform. I think a lot of our people are ass bags and deserve only my boot. The difference is MY BOOT - not someone else's boot. I may think you an ass, but if you're an American then it's your right to be an ass - whether I agree or not. This is our strength. We're united in purpose - not in ideals. I will take this over any ethic identity you care to point out.

      I'm an American, and damn well proud of it.

    • 5 months ago
  • kennymotown
  • JohnA
  • JohnA
  • artemis6
  • kennymotown
  • opit
    • 0
      opit  
    • cabinettags:

      'Palestinians' are an 'invented people' too - of diverse origins which include native Semites called Samaritans. That's why the 'American Indians' are invented as a group too : Crow,Choctaw,Mohawks,Mohicans,Lakota,Navajo,Blackfoot and a whole litany of tribes. And that's without even looking at the idea that people are individuals...which seems to be a really 'foreign' concept.

    • 5 months ago
  • unimatrix0
  • kennymotown
  • PetEr_Alan_ColE
  • Michaelinthezoo
  • PetEr_Alan_ColE
  • cmc101
  • PetEr_Alan_ColE
  • cmc101
  • GavinTheMother
  • cabinettags
  • JohnBainum
    • +3
      JohnBainum  

    • Newt Gingrich & other career politicans are the problem along with special interest groups. Palestinians & the others in the middle east wouldn't be a threat if we never formed OPEC in the first place. All we did is allow them to get power just for their oil. I was working on a pipeline gathering system when the order was given to cap all lines, we're importing the oil. A SAD day in America....

    • 5 months ago
  • GavinTheMother
  • kennymotown
  • pjacobs51
  • EmperorThan
    • +5
      EmperorThan  

    • Yeah I remember in my honors history college class when my teacher was like "we shouldn't be called Americans, because that could be North or South America. We should be called United Statesians but that just sounds stupid. But that's the reason they named it the United States because they wanted England to know they weren't different countries all wanting sovereignty separately like a country of Pennsylvania or country of Virginia but a 'united' group of 'states' all declaring independence from Great Britain as one nation."

      My head exploded.

    • 5 months ago
  • cabinettags
    • +1
      cabinettags  
    • EmperorThan:

      Hi Emperor, Yup. History does that to ya.

      When I was in school I hated history. Memorizing dates. Who cares? The "Why" matters a lot more than the "When"; although I'd readily admit that placing events in their proper place is important. 1492 isn't important. End of the 15th Century is.

      If one looks at the progression between where humans were and where we are now, the most important thing is the why. Understanding the why provides an insight to understanding history. Were the buccaneers bad guys or good guys? They pillaged commerce, but it depends on which side you revere as to whether they were good or bad.

      Our old friend Newt has his head up his ass. He obviously lacks a "world view" which I consider to be an important thing. Do I need to explain this? I think not. I give you the benefit of the doubt making the assumption that you're not ignorant.

      A homeland for the Jews is already a done deal. The UN vote in 1948 gave them the opportunity, and they took advantage of it. Do I need to point out that the UN vote was a was a consensus of world opinion? The only countries that voted against a homeland for the Jews in Palestine were Arab - save for 2; Italy and Cuba. Italy had 10's of thousands of Italian citizens in the clutches of the Arabs. They voted for their people. Who knows about Cuba?

      So in 1948 the world agreed that a home for the Jews was OK. And the Arabs, currently occupying that area could just move? To where? None of the bordering countries wanted them. They still don't. Yet the Jews, in their radio broadcast announcing their state, said all arabs currently in that area were welcome. They could become Israeli citizens. Full rights. Those that took advantage of it are still there today.

      There are NO displaced Palestinians. Those that fled did so because of 5 arab armies that were poised on Israel borders. They ran to get out of the way. Israel did NOT run them out. The "right of return" is a travesty. It's bullshit.

      Israel remains the ONLY US ally that's 1/2 way responsible in that part of the world.

      So the idea is that we cut aid to Israel? And what would the result of that be?

      Time was when a country could bury their head in the sand, and refuse alliances. Those times are no more. Should we shoot ourselves in the foot? Israel needs us, and we need them.

    • 5 months ago
  • JanforGore
  • cabinettags
  • Vic_Romano
  • Michaelinthezoo
  • kennymotown
  • JangoFetish
  • maasanova
    • +2
      maasanova  
    • JangoFetish:

      Newt Gingrich obviously cares enough to repeat the hasbara line while campaigning in America when obviously only a small percentage of Americans really care what is going on in Israel and occupied Palestinian territory.

    • 5 months ago
  • GavinTheMother
    • +6
      GavinTheMother  
    • JangoFetish:

      Yes, the vast majority of Palestinians were cheering when that happened and they took a poll in which 100% of Palestinians supported the attack. Really??? Did you pull that completely out of your ass or did Faux news do it for you?

    • 5 months ago
  • Michaelinthezoo
  • maasanova
    • +2
      maasanova  

    • Modern day Israelis (mostly ethnic Russians and Poles) too are an invented people too, whose only claim to the land of Palestine is some biblical mumbo jumbo and a racist-charged political ideolgy.

      The reality is that Gingrich isn't running for president of America, he's running for President of Israeli Affairs in America.

    • 5 months ago
  • cabinettags
    • +2
      cabinettags  
    • maasanova:

      That the Israeli population has a majority of ethic Russians and Poles isn't exactly news. These are the two countries that indulged in pogroms. A pogrom being a govt. OK to kill, rape & murder those of a different ethic group. Any hardy Jew that was living there wanted nothing more than to escape. And just where were they supposed to go? They didn't know and neither do I - so they went to their biblical home - Palestine.

      Where else would you have them go? If one escaped a nazi prison camp - where were they supposed to go TO?

    • 5 months ago
  • maasanova
    • +1
      maasanova  
    • cabinettags:

      Well for starters, why couldn't have gone to another European nation that didn't engage in pogroms? There were probably quite a few in Europe at the time. The fact is that many Euopean Jews simply bought into their leaders' racist propaganda of a home for Jews, and only Jews, built on Palestinian land based on some magical mumbo jumbo.

    • 5 months ago
  • cabinettags
    • 0
      cabinettags  
    • cabinettags:

      Mass... - I concur. Sorry if I gave a wrong impression.

      The Jewish state is right where it should be - and this has been confirmed by the UN.

      It's high time that "Jews" shed their bad mouth. They're a people like any other -both good and bad. If your ethnic background is "Jew", then this doesn't make you either good or bad. You are you. Anything else is crap.

    • 5 months ago
  • artemis6
  • cabinettags
    • 0
      cabinettags  
    • maasanova:

      There aren't any starters and there weren't any other European countries that would have them. Even the US limited imigration to a pitiful number. There was NO Palestinian land. No govt., no nothing. It was simply an area of the Ottoman empire. The initial settlers got along with the Arabs just fine.

    • 5 months ago
  • cabinettags
  • Leen61
    • +7
      Leen61  

    • "Americans Are An Invented People" Exactly. We are all immigrants. We all came from SOMEWHERE else. Duh! That's why I'm half German, half Polish. Newt is an idiot! Where did he come from? Oh yeah....from under a rock!

    • 5 months ago
  • JangoFetish
  • lenhart
  • Leen61
  • Leen61
  • cabinettags
  • kennymotown
  • kennymotown
  • Leen61
  • kennymotown
  • Leen61
  • lenhart
  • MrMetalloidMan
  • Incredulous
  • kennymotown
  • Incredulous
  • kennymotown
kennymotown
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