So a couple days ago I seen This Is England, mostly because I read somewhere (IMDB?) that it was the best film at the Berlin Fest. Enough said.

It's about a kid who joins up with a group of skinheads (in England, obviously). At first things are great - he's got new friends and he's having fun. These are not racist skinheads, by the way. At least, not until an old member of the gang is released from prison. He splits the group of friends in half; some of them stay the way they are, and the others buy into his nationalist propaganda.

Anyways, it's a great film, and you should all see it. It really got me to thinking about hate groups. The big question being "Why do they feel the need to hate other groups of people?" I think I'm on to something here.

In the movie, the nationalists are sick and tired of being unemployed and underemployed, and generally poor, while they watch immigrants get jobs and open businesses. Economic distress; it's understandable that they are angry and want to take action. However, they are, as Thoreau would say, hacking at the branches. The problem isn't that immigrants are getting the jobs they used to have. The problem is that the system A) employs people who will work for the absolute lowest wage and B) overworks said people rather than spreading the work out over several employees. And don't even get me started on how those wages could easily be significantly raised without putting the employer in the red in nearly every situation.

Just a little tidbit to help along my hypothesis: in the past few years in the USA, as immigration rates have gone up, membership of neo-nazi and KKK groups have also gone up considerably, as young people face unemployment, poverty, apathy, and all that comes with it.

So in otherwords, I now hold the capitalist system responsible for the mass majority of hate groups (that is, not necessarily including those caused by religious-based hate).

Oh and uh... I hate to get all political on you guys (again), this being a gaming site and all, but I got the boot from RevLeft. Apparently, unity is not a leftist value; sectarianism is. My mistake. :roll:

Just a few random thoughts...

Why is piracy (of games, music, and movies) frowned upon, while buying used is viewed as good alternative to buying new? It's more or less the same thing. If I download, the actual company who sells the product and the people who worked to make it don't get a dime. If I buy used, they still get nothing. The only difference is what it costs me.

Why do some Americans consider the Constitution as nearly perfect, and then try to find ways to get around the parts that they don't like? Such as "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..." More or less meaning separation of church and state. But then they want to ban gay marriage and exclude atheists from the Boy Scouts based on religious texts. Not to mention not allowing the Mormons to have 7 wives. Hey, it's in their religion, so aren't they being denied religious freedom?

Why does the punk scene put such heavy emphasis on non-conformity, and then scrutinize every member of the scene and reject those that are too different? If punk is about DIY then why do so many feel the need to buy stuff with band logos on it? And if punk isn't about cashing in, then why do things like Black Flag shot glasses and Bad Religion magnets even exist? I mean, does whiskey taste more punk out of a shot glass with a logo? Does a magnet make my fridge a non-conforming appliance? I think not.

Why are terms like African-American and Asian-American respectful, when white people are referred to as white people and nobody cares? Why don't we ever hear the term European-American used? Doesn't that kind of send the message that "regular", prefix-less Americans are white ones? Isn't that racist?

Why do westerners think that eating dogs is disgusting, immoral, and uncivilized when they wouldn't think twice about eating a pig, which is easily as smart as a dog? Either both should be spared, or neither.

Well, those are the things on my mind this morning...

Just thought I'd inform you all that I am now the Leader of the Obscure Bands Union, the greatest union in GS history. You should join, and post! :D We talk about music.... how can you resist?

Yep... I really made a blog post just to say that. I know, I know, you're in awe. That's 30 seconds of your life you're not getting back.