BajaNomad

How we preceive one another

El Jefe - 11-8-2006 at 06:07 PM

I saw the following paragraph from the latest article on FREDONEVERYTHING.NET today and thought it might stimulate some opinions. Fred as usual is right on with his observations as an expat in Mexico:

Americans, here and elsewhere, usually regard Mexicans with unconscious condescension as a race of maids and gardeners. In the local English-language fish-wrapper, the Ojo del Lago, one finds endless articles, apparently written by middle-schoolers, about how the writers just love the culture and why, they just had some wonderful Mexican experience only the other day and just respect Mexico sooo much; the tone reminds me of admiration of a collie’s adroitness with a Frisbee. They do not know that they are doing this. The Mexicans regard the Americans as helpless greyhairs who always seem lost, and walk with the body language of a mouse in a herpetarium; Mexicans do not know that many of the gringos have had lives and know things and were not always old and out of their element. It is an orgy of mutual underestimation.

jimgrms - 11-8-2006 at 06:14 PM

Never heard of fred on every thing ,,I kinda wonder who made him a spokesman ,for mexico , Fred is pretty much full of crap i will have to check out the site ,

Packoderm - 11-8-2006 at 06:18 PM

Full of crap? In what way in specific?

bajalou - 11-8-2006 at 06:20 PM

Fred is a spokesman only for Fred. I've read him for some time and agree with many of his observations. Maybe because I too live full time in Mexico.

jimgrms - 11-8-2006 at 06:27 PM

Just checked out ol freds site (imho ) the is seriously deranged , he is like the dude in san felipe who was going to china in a boat made of trash , i take back my full of crap statement ,he is really really full of crap , i am not skillfull enought with words to even try to explain him his site has to be visited,,

comitan - 11-8-2006 at 06:37 PM

Just says what he thinks in writing. Uou can agree or disagree I'm sure he doesn't care.

[Edited on 11-9-2006 by comitan]

Lee - 11-8-2006 at 06:53 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by grover
"Fred, a keyboard mercenary with a disorganized past, has worked on staff for Army Times, The Washingtonian, Soldier of Fortune, Federal Computer Week, and The Washington Times.

He has been published in Playboy, Soldier of Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Harper's, National Review, Signal, Air&Space, and suchlike. He has worked as a police writer, technology editor, military specialist, and authority on mercenary soldiers. He is by all accounts as looney as a tune."
\

On top of it, he's a Brother. Former Marine, Vietnam Vet with Purple Heart. I knew there was a reason I liked him. Uh-rah. (Did I spell that right?)

:cool:

El Jefe

Baja Bernie - 11-8-2006 at 07:31 PM

I have written three books on Baja, it's culture, and it's people, both Mexican and gringo and I challenge you to read them and find one place where I have treated my friends in the manner that you expound.

Tripe! Pure and simple. Sorry, but that really makes me angry. The guys knows nothing about Baja and it's people brown or white. Hey! Even green, yellow, red or blue!

jimgrms - 11-8-2006 at 07:38 PM

Just spent some time on his site , he is a good writer .and i take back my statements about him beingfull of crap (sorry fred) but he is a little twisted , maybe if i give him some time he will grow on me.

DENNIS - 11-8-2006 at 07:49 PM

Oh Man..... This guy is new to me and I'm looking forward to meeting him.
Thanks for the introduction.
Do you think he has an opinion on the report that Nancy Pelosi doesn't use toilet paper? Anywhere?
People magazine quoted her admission to this Oriental technique, designed to facilitate a more fluid union with nature, while she was having her teeth capped near her homes in San Francisco.

Lee - 11-8-2006 at 08:20 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
Oh Man..... This guy is new to me and I'm looking forward to meeting him.
Thanks for the introduction.
Do you think he has an opinion on the report that Nancy Pelosi doesn't use toilet paper? Anywhere?
People magazine quoted her admission to this Oriental technique, designed to facilitate a more fluid union with nature, while she was having her teeth capped near her homes in San Francisco.


I have a report on the above. What if it's true? Anything else about Nancy?

:cool:

DENNIS - 11-8-2006 at 08:44 PM

Well..yeah. She probably wont be selected Speaker Of The Out-House.

Lee - 11-8-2006 at 08:50 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
Well..yeah. She probably wont be selected Speaker Of The Out-House.


Yeah, well, if she's practicing Asian hygiene techniques, it's got to be good.

Speaker of the Out-House. God that's funny. I like original humor.

Anyone got any Rumsfeld humor? Got to hand it to those Republicans: they know a good turd when they see one. Losers one and all.

This country has got to improve with the losers bailing.

:cool:

Lee

Baja Bernie - 11-8-2006 at 08:53 PM

Talk about it in a year or so!

comitan - 11-8-2006 at 09:13 PM

Pelosi will be speaker of the house, yes we will find out how a strong principled women will run the house and confront whats his name starting this friday.

Lee - 11-8-2006 at 09:26 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Baja Bernie
Talk about it in a year or so!


The majority of this country will be talking about it in a year and in two years making more changes.

Right now, I'd rather see money going to homeless and hungry in this country than to war. Just old fashion values that the Republicans lost sight of. Think everyone agrees that that bunch got way off course.

By the way, I don't vote, so don't blame me. I do like Pelosi, though. When she runs for Pres, I'll vote. Watch out.

:cool:

DENNIS - 11-8-2006 at 09:28 PM

Lee ---

Why dont you vote?

Voted once -- that was a mistake

Lee - 11-9-2006 at 08:17 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
Lee ---

Why dont you vote?


I'll admit it. I don't vote. My wife votes for me. She's the political expert and has advanced degrees, and we're more or less politically aligned. (She often says my vote would just cancel her vote as I'm more conservative.) I've voted once in my life: for John Kerry. I figured a man with integrity and honor could lead this country. Then I got embarassed for him around how his campaign was run. And he kept putting his foot in his mouth. I came out of my shell and got involved trying to keep Bush out of the White House -- and voted for all the wrong reasons. Dweedle dum and Dweedle Dee is how I see the Dems and Republicans. Not evil people but serving up the lesser of two unappetizing choices. When I have to go out of my way to block out all the negative campaigning going down, I'm convinced I have nothing in common with anyone voting for either party. There are some people I trust in this country but the majority voting for Bush? Not me, who I am, and don't care to be around. When I see John McCain (still a hero to me) towing the Loser line, supporting the status quo, feeding the public a pack of lies, putting Marines in harms way, I throw up my hands and continue to say: the government is as corrupt and out of touch as it was when I was in Nam. And I got a good lesson on politics back then and saw how things work.

Love it or leave it? I'm gone. And I don't love it. Ten years in Nam (10,000 day war) and we're doing the same in the middle east. This country doesn't learn from it's mistakes.

Excuse my rant. Politics rub me the wrong way. And I won't be taking sides against my Brother/Sister Nomads.

:cool:

DENNIS - 11-9-2006 at 10:01 AM

Well said, Lee. Thanks for the answer. You have my respect.

nail on the head fred

pacificobob - 11-9-2006 at 10:08 AM

i think he nailed it by coining the phrase"orgy of mutual underestimation".

vgabndo - 11-9-2006 at 12:18 PM

Lee you are growing in my estimation. Semper Fi

Lee - 11-9-2006 at 07:35 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
Well said, Lee. Thanks for the answer. You have my respect.


Quote:
Originally posted by vgabndo
Lee you are growing in my estimation. Semper Fi


flocking proud to be here, Brothers. Semper Fi.

:cool:

bajalera - 11-10-2006 at 10:59 AM

To deviate back to Fred, seems to me his impression applies to some people but certainly isn't a one-size-fits-all.

And it definitely operates in both directions--there are Mexicans who assume that Gringas are pretty much inept and useless. When my two sons were young kids, they came home all p*ssed off because some Mexican neighbors had asked where they got their jackets--and wouldn't belileve that I had made them.

[Edited on 11-10-2006 by bajalera]

Lee - 11-10-2006 at 11:29 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajalera
To deviate back to Fred, seems to me his impression applies to some people but certainly isn't a one-size-fits-all.

And it definitely operates in both directions--there are Mexicans who assume that Gringas are pretty much inept and useless. When my two sons were young kids, they came home all p*ssed off because some Mexican neighbors had asked where they got their jackets--and wouldn't belileve that I had made them.

[Edited on 11-10-2006 by bajalera]


I think Mexican men think all women -- gueras or not -- are only good for one thing. Mothers are excluded from the pack but only if it's the Mother of the man thinking about women.

Just my take. Sexist pigs? Oh yeah.

:cool:

movinguy - 11-10-2006 at 11:47 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by pacificobob
i think he nailed it by coining the phrase"orgy of mutual underestimation".


If gringos spoke more Spanish and Mexicans spoke more English the situation would improve. :coolup:

movinguy - 11-10-2006 at 03:55 PM

This is a good read - by a Latino columnist:

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/op-ed/navarrette/20061108...

DENNIS - 11-10-2006 at 04:46 PM

Navarrette is good. He came to the SDU from, I forget where but, he does his best to be American with a Mexican understanding, and vice-versa.
He has my respect for his views and the way he puts them out there.