archaeology and race lock

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An alarming posting has just appeared on the "Scotland on Sunday" website. Authored by Aidan Smith, this report ("Stoned on Archaeology") purports to be an interview-based account of the lifestyle and - more importantly - philosophy of Julian Cope, who is quoted as saying the following:

"I think...that the whole of Europe, indeed the whole of Indo-Europe, is based on latitude. That's the reason white-Anglo-Saxon Protestants are in charge of the world, it's a latitudinal thing. But it's practical to have a Scando-Germanic domination and I use that term really specifically. Are you with me?"

I re-read this passage several times, but with the best will in the world could not avoid seeing in it the expression of a philosphy profoundly associated with colonialism, neo-colonialism and race-based "domination" (the word ascribed to Cope).

Of course it is possible that Aidan Smith has misrepresented Cope and wrongly attributed to him an apparently racist perspective on global politics. If so, it seems important for Cope to dissociate himself from the outlook implied by the "Scotsman" text - which is in the public domain -and all that it implies.

Or is Cope - as appears from the article as published - really in favour of "white-Anglo-Saxon" people being "in charge of the world"? When he - as quoted - speaks of "Scando-Germanic domination" being "practical", does this imply that it is also - in his view - acceptable, or even desirable?

Or has Aidan Smith done Julian Cope a profound injustice?

Treeman (London)

"I think...that the whole of Europe, indeed the whole of Indo-Europe, is based on latitude. That's the reason white-Anglo-Saxon Protestants are in charge of the world, it's a latitudinal thing. But it's practical to have a Scando-Germanic domination and I use that term really specifically. Are you with me?"

I wouldn't say that's condoning what's going at all. If he did say it, then it's just stating the way things are, that's all.

The only bit that's open to interpretation is " But it's practical "

World Distribution map of Indo-European languages (enclosed within the red line)
http://www.danshort.com/ie/grafx/ieworld.jpg

So where's the latitude thing?

hm, I really don't see any reference to race here. climate and environmental factors have indeed come to be regarded as very important in determining what culture thrives. and, cynically speaking, it *is* practical, since I'm rather at this side than a poor black african dude with a life expectancy of about 35 yrs. it's practical because you belong to supremacy; still, for how long? I don't know if His Julianness actually counted the number of chinese.

he does miss out on several other factors, because if latitude were the thing, the indians would have found something. there's also population density and cultural diversity. it's not a coincidence that the earliest civilisations started at the spot where europe, asia and africa met, is it? you got this huge bottleneck along which it's fairly hot, but has some seriously huge rivers running through it. same in india, where you have a bunch of people all ending up squeezed against this huge wall called the himalayah, hot weather and some huge rivers...

and he forgets the religion thing. it's no coincidence tha it's *protestants* conquering the world (though catholics made a very successful attempt, which in the end didn't last since they were to much goth and too unpractical :-))

anyhow, me personally I think it's the celtic gene thing. those celts. being driven out of europe by a bunch of spaghetti-dudes until they practically have no more than this piece of near-flat island out in the west. then they decide to take scotland as well and get those picts out, and sit and wait, while the iberian peninsula and the entire mediterranean gets the idea that they rule the world. but then finally these celt-decendants force each other or themselves out west (a habit?), under the motto "do to indians as romans did to us" and end up conquering the whole world. now that's what I call a successful gene. :-D germanic tribes didn't do too bad, but the lack the subtlety and inventiveness to last. and they don't learn from mistakes.

of course, then those celts go get some folk from the black continent, who end op conquering the cultural world with this filth called the boogie, which leads the whole west into decadence, leaving world hegemony in the hands of people who while the whole west was trying to get more land (exemplified in those pinheads wanting 'lebensraum') simply made more people. and that's what counts in the end. those chinese. keeping quiet in their Middle Earth, and when the world thinks they don't count come back with their ultimate weapon: sheer mass.

tune in next week for an equally profound and insightful journey: history of the world, part II: is chinese women getting bigger tits the consequece or the cause of china's force? the future's at stake, and as usual only tits will tell.

-arf

http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/review.cfm?id=718242006

Mad as a bish on a fike.

It certainly rings alarm bells, although as we know it is very easy to take these statements out of context. What really interests me is how people in here are being really quite reasonable about this considering if it was another individual who is less well known , liked, respected, or not the founder of the forum, they would be lambasted , derided and demonised.

I think Julian Cope talks some serious shite. Depending on how one wants to acept it is another matter.

I personally don't know what to make of that quote, I long ago got lost in the non-ironic post-irony post-punk post-post-Rockisms of the man!

Wibbles ahoy.

http://www.sundayherald.com/55704
Another 'Rite Up'