A note to haters

 

There are a lot of haters here on AN directed at immigrants. I should remind you that we are a tiny minority here in Thailand. Immigrants.

 

Do you understand Thai culture? Do you celebrate Thai holidays? Do you stop for the National Anthem? Do you stand for the King’s Anthem? Do you understand Thais' attitude and why Thais behave the way they do?

 

In additional to this cultural sensitivity, more to the point, are you fluent in speaking, reading and texting Thai?

 

If you’re not, you belong to one of those unassimilated immigrant groups who keep their own culture rather than that of your new homeland.

 

I’ll cite some examples, in case you’ve forgotten. There is a Chinatown in every city in the world, including Bangkok, and at least a Chinese restaurant in every smaller town. In bigger cities, there are Japantowns, Koreatowns, even Thaitowns.

 

You’re going to tell me that Chinese, at least as Chinese-Thais are now the majority and completely integrated into Thai society. I beg to differ.

 

You may have noticed the red blessing papers beside the front doors of so many middle-class houses. You’ve seen the glow of ancestor shrines from houses.

 

While only first-generation Chinese immigrants know how to read and write Chinese, every Chinese-Thai knows and practices the rituals and offerings for Chinese New Year, Cheng Meng, and Wan Sad Jin.

 

Next, let’s take the Indians and Pakistanis with a few Nepalese. There are many Indian businesses, restaurants and market here. Most speak Hindi, Urdu, Nepali or regional languages. But are fluent in Thai, including reading and keyboard. Never any trouble from this community.

 

But what really makes you haters crazy are Muslims. Somehow, the hijab drives you nuts. The hijab is everywhere in the capital and Muslim majority Deep South.

 

A bit of history. The four Malaysian states adjacent to the Thai border (Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu and Perlis, each with their own sovereign rulers, were sold to the Brits for £4 million (today, £628 million) by King Chulalongkorn in order to finance a national railway. This division often separated families on each side of the new border.

 

That left Songkhla, Yala, Patani, Narathiwat  and Satun resentful to this day. The many massacres murders and oppression of Muslims, including political prisoners, in these provinces carried out by Thai government ISOC operations, causes further resentment, hatred even.

 

That’s why the railroad is so often targeted by Muslim militants such as PULO. I have never heard of anyone being hurt by these blasts from the past. SRT is warned in advance.

 

Moving on, many have opinions about Muslim immigration to foreign countries, often of our own national origin.

 

First off, who destroyed the s’ithole countries these Muslims, mostly economic migrants, have fled? Ahem, it's Western democratic countries that have destabilised that region. Want to let your family starve or move abroad to give them a future?

 

All this should always be couched in the question: What would you personally do, were you in that untenable situation?

 

A lot of people think legal immigration is different from illegal immigration or asylum. I don’t. Both are simply people seeking a better life, often at great risk to their lives and freedom.

 

Why should they not be able to create Muslim enclaves, just like the Chinese before them? Numbers are a vapid argument. It’s nothing more than racism to want a white majority.

 

My brother-in-law is Greek. He immigrated to the US to marry my sister. He can understand English really well but his spoken English is really thick. Accordingly, he brought up my nephews Greek Orthodox and only spoke Greek to them at home. Should he not be permitted to school his children in his language and culture?

 

Walking distance from my house is a giant mosque and a madrasa which teaches the Thai educational curriculum (God help us) as well as Muslim values. Are these kids going to be future terrorists…blowing up railroad tracks? Nope, I think they'll be Cabinet ministers.

 

Yep, whiteys may no longer be the majority in European nations. That, buddy, is the price of European rapacious colonialism riding back to bite us, maybe even crush us.

 

Let’s get to the Messicans in ‘Murrica. Who do you think is going to pick the strawberries or clean the swimming pools, get the white kids off to school?

 

Another question to ask yourself: Would you be willing to do those jobs, even to support yourself? Eff, no. You’d go on benefits!

 

Oooh, boogeymen. Illegal immigration. On the Statue of Liberty, “Give me your tired, your poor / Your muddled masses yearning to breathe free / The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. / Send these, the homeless, tempest tossed to me. / I left my lamp beside the golden door!”

 

If those words don’t stir your heart, there’s something wrong with you. That’s not just the past, that’s today’s world, too.

 

And what's happening to the American homeless today, often military veterans? Shameful.

 

These Dutch, Germans, Scandinavians never had visas. They were welcomed to build a nation.

 

So let the Central Americans come. They work harder than you ever will in your life.

 

Time to drop your cries for revenge and racism and hate and grow a life. I pity what you taught to your own children.

2 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

There are a lot of haters here on AN

Wow, worthy post. 

 

Sounds like you have some hate also. 

 

I need to know where you are coming from, are you a Woke, Leftie guy? 

20 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Sounds like you have some hate also. 

 

I need to know where you are coming from, are you a Woke, Leftie guy? 

Thanks, SF. I think I've genuinely examined myself and don't find any real hate inside.

 

Am I a lefty? Frankly, I think the lines between left and right are so blurred these days as to be meaningless. We used to know what a Socialist was, what a KKK member was. Rethuglican / Damnocrats? They're just faceless politicians doing what pols do: feed at the public trough.

 

So I don't about that format and don't relate to the term, woke. However, I'm awake enough to denounce cancel culture as a scourge. If believing in the US Constitution and checks and balances there, you may consider me a leftist. We have as much a duty to oppose fascism today as we did in WWII.

 

I oppose the genocide in Gaza and am a member of Palestine Action. Does that mean I hate Israel or Israelis? Nope. Only that I think politicians everywhere suck and only lead their people into hatred for no reason.

 

Although I am a Quaker pacifist, I support Ukraine. You should be able to defend your nation and homeland and culture. I was born in the US but became Canadian. As a Canadian, I'd oppose Big Brother moving north.

 

This is getting almost as long as my post. There are a lot more haters on AN. The capital punishment crowd, all about revenge for crimes which have no impact on them. The lock 'em up crew. Maybe they think laws benefit the people, as in legal immigration. I don't. I think laws are created mostly to oppress the people and keep them brainwashed.

30 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Thanks, SF. I think I've genuinely examined myself and don't find any real hate inside.

 

Am I a lefty? Frankly, I think the lines between left and right are so blurred these days as to be meaningless. We used to know what a Socialist was, what a KKK member was. Rethuglican / Damnocrats? They're just faceless politicians doing what pols do: feed at the public trough.

 

So I don't about that format and don't relate to the term, woke. However, I'm awake enough to denounce cancel culture as a scourge. If believing in the US Constitution and checks and balances there, you may consider me a leftist. We have as much a duty to oppose fascism today as we did in WWII.

 

I oppose the genocide in Gaza and am a member of Palestine Action. Does that mean I hate Israel or Israelis? Nope. Only that I think politicians everywhere suck and only lead their people into hatred for no reason.

 

Although I am a Quaker pacifist, I support Ukraine. You should be able to defend your nation and homeland and culture. I was born in the US but became Canadian. As a Canadian, I'd oppose Big Brother moving north.

 

This is getting almost as long as my post. There are a lot more haters on AN. The capital punishment crowd, all about revenge for crimes which have no impact on them. The lock 'em up crew. Maybe they think laws benefit the people, as in legal immigration. I don't. I think laws are created mostly to oppress the people and keep them brainwashed.

OK, thanks, I also have hate.

 

I have hate, I hate our Australian government for allowing unworthy immigrants to reside in our beautiful country. 

These unworthy people, they come from barbaric Nations, now in Australia, they encapsulate our way of life, our hospitality, our goodwill only to try changing our culture, our heritage. 

8 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

OK, thanks, I also have hate.

 

I have hate, I hate our Australian government for allowing unworthy immigrants to reside in our beautiful country. 

These unworthy people, they come from barbaric Nations, now in Australia, they encapsulate our way of life, our hospitality, our goodwill only to try changing our culture, our heritage. 

Safety, I don't believe there are any 'unworthies' in this world. Most of this world was stolen from indigenous peoples, First Nations in the US, Kooris in Australia. Okay, I know little about Australia except that it's bloody big! Not enough room for others, really? There's no 'also' from me. I'm pretty successful at not hating anybody. It's counterproductive and makes you feel bad.

 

Ah, I forgot. I know one immigrant to Australia. She's an Eritrean doctor.