Friday, November 11, 2005

There's Nothing Special About Our Dirt

Real quick here, then I must go.

Went out with what amounted to the most interesting person I've meet in about 8 years.

She was a Vietnamese immigrant who escaped the communists in 1975. Among MANY other things, what I was particularly impressed with was how quickly she adapted and pursued the American dream.

Now 30 years later she is a doctor in optometry providing one heck of an upbringing for her children. By the end of our conversation I literally could not be more impressed.

Anyway, long story short, she complained about how immigrants come to this country not wanting to pursue the American dream, but basically just for the money. I was a bit shocked, knowing that SOME of the immigrants do that, but didn't think it was that widespread. I said, "Are you sure."

Oh yes, she was.

And it reminded me of something that I thought of when running one time.

There's nothing special about our dirt.

You see aspiring or current immigrants, in America, our dirt is the exact same as the dirt in your home country. There's nothing special about it.

What makes America special and great is freedom. What makes America great is democracy. What makes America great is the mix of laws, people, society, history and culture that is "American."

It other words, it's the people that make a country great, not the dirt.

This is why we're great.

The question is why did your home country suck?

And while some of you were escaping communists and dictators and the suckiness of your country was out of your control, there is no denying that a country is only as great as its people. And if you insist on bringing your bad habits to this country (say like female genital mutilation) and continue pursing the aspects of your culture that made your home country suck (wanting around for handouts from the government), you will never escape what you were running away from.

Thus, as a service to all aspiring immigrants I am going to provide you some advice. THis is advice you're not going to like to hear, but in the long run you'll appreciate it because then you will not suffer the same fate as the Arabs living in public housing in France.

1. NO COUNTRY BECAME GREAT WITH ITS PEOPLE LIVING OFF OF WELFARE. If you're here for the free ride, go to hell. Matter of fact, you'll already be there and you will also condemn your children to such a hellish lifestyle too.

2. Find out why America is great. Don't just believe that it is great and move your whole damn family here. Find out why first so that you may become part of that greatness.

3. The Democrats are not your friends. They want your votes so they can stay in power and will bribe you will benefits and welfare and free health care and housing. If this sounds too good to be true, it is, because this inevitably will turn into communism and you can talk to my Vietnamese friend about that.

4. The Republicans will let you fend for yourself and don't much care if you make it or not, but at least they're honest about it.

5. For God's sake, go to college and major in the sciences. Engineering. Math. Computers. This will make you more successful than your average white American counterpart because the majority of them major in crap (sociology, women's studies, philosophy).

6. Don't have more than 3 children. I don't care what your culutre says.

7. Rap and the ghetto hip-hop lifestyle is a farse. Make sure your kids don't fall into it in school. Matter of fact, if you can afford it, send your kids to private school.

6 comments:

David said...

You give way too much credit to Republicans.

Captain Capitalism said...

The way they've been blowing money on capital hill, I'll temporarily agree.

Derek,

You should ask him why Hong Kong did so well.

Wulf said...

The question is why did your home country suck?

When I was young and in the USN, my ship pulled in to Naples, Italy. I was very excited to hop on a train and go find the small town where my family had come from, and the city of Bari, where distant cousins still live. It was a depressing and depressed town, with mud streets and high unemployment.

When I returned to the states I shared this experience with my great granduncle, almost ashamed to admit how disappointed I had been. He smiled and said, "that's why my father left Italy and came to New York."

That was an epiphany for young Wulf. I can't look at immigration the same way, ever since that experience.

Captain Capitalism said...

Agreed. I'm proud to be Irish, not because of anything in terms of culture...except whiskey, but really, the real reason I'm now proud to say, "I'm Irish" is because the real Irish are kicking ass and making a mint by implementing free market reforms. Seriously contemplating moving there before I get ass raped for social security and medicare.

Wulf said...

I have been told by reliable sources that Ireland is even more beautiful than we would think. And all things being equal, I would consider it an improvement in my standard of living if everybody around me spoke with a lilting Irish accent.

Captain Capitalism said...

Let us not forget the economics majoring, Halo playing, well endowed redheaded Irish women that are no doubt bountiful on the isle.