At some point in my 14-year limbo between student visa and citizenship, my attitude towards nativists everywhere on earth flipped from fear to contempt.
All that remains is a healthy fear of guns, paperwork backed by guns, and respect for the principle of rule of law. That’s it.
Conversation
I suppose at some point, as a kid before I learned the word nativist, I had respect for people who embody a deep sense and history of place. Even awe sometimes. But the older I got, the more I began to see that the majority who larp this are just incumbency bullies
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When I find people who genuinely live the deep time of a place, I usually find that they are the opposite of nativists. They are broad minded, often know a shit ton about distant places as well, and exhibit a sense of having earned rather than inherited a connection to a place
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Replying to
I think this is one of these things that one doesn't HAVE to politicize, regardless of the outside world -- there is room for reasonable individuals to disagree.
Are you OK with outsiders moving into Brazilian rain forest? Han moving into Tibet? Americans buying Mexican land?
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Replying to
As a military invasion (an adversarial social process) no. As a peaceful migration, yes. The specific point I’m firmly denying is claims of spiritual connection to place.
“We know about this rainforest, learn from us” okay
“This place is holy to us because blood in soil” no.
Replying to
Ha! I'm like you I have very little patience with the "sacred lands of our ancestors" argument. But I am a lot more conflicted about arguments along the lines of "preserve our culture/ way of life/lifestyle".
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