oppskrift for herrefolk

[Silke]

Trekk grensa på kartet og kall det for stata
vær konge, minister, beskytter og far
send futa og handelsmenn, prest og soldata
te folke som eie det landet du tar

Bruk bibel og brennevin og baionetta
bryt løfta og avtala, vær diplomat
bruk lovparagrafa mot eldgammle retta
skap fordomma, diskriminering og hat

Og la ingen betvile din overhøyhet
sånn holder du nede en minoritet

La språk og kultur få sin plass på museeum
som forskningsobjekt, og turistatraksjon
hold festlige tala på hvert jubeleum
la splittes og dø det som var en nasjon

Og la ingen betvile din overhøyhet
sånn holder du nede en minoritet

This is a norwegian song, sung by Mari Boine. The translation is roughly like this:

Put boarders on map and call it states
be a king, senator, protector and a father
send bailiffs, traders, priests and soldiers
to the people who owns the land you take

and let no-one question your supremacy
that´s how you keep a minority down

Use the bible and liquor and bayonets
break vows, agreements, be diplomatic
use law paragraphs against ancient rights
create prejudice, discrimination and hate

and let no-one question your supremacy
that´s how you keep a minority down

put language and culture at its place at museums
as research materials and tourist attraction
make great speeches at every jubilee
that is how a nation break down and dies

and let no-one question your supremacy
that´s how you keep a minority down


The name of the song is "a recipe for gentlemen"

What are your thoughts at reading it?

Edit: Thanks pilvikki. Added now ;) I also got a few other ears to listen to it so I was sure it was right and now I realize burning wasn´t there at all. I did some other adjustments too... don`t you just love text workers?

[pilvikki]

that's about right, sadly, but you forgot the second verse about burning and stuff...

[Silke]

so.... after all the talk about learning about cultures and exhanging ideas... all this get is a note that I forgot one verse?

[bermbits]

I have been thinking lately about things, and the words of the song suggest this might be the place to say a few things.

In the news is a story about an 8-year-old Liberian girl who was raped by four young Liberian boys aged 9 - 14 and then disowned by her family for bringing shame upon them. Thing is, this wasn't in Liberia where such a thing might be condoned. It was in the state of Arizona, where much outpouring of support for the girl has come forward.

Instead of adapting to the ways of a country, immigrants bring and live their own cultures (Sharia law). I like the countries that say, "We are who we are. Adapt to our laws and ways(to a point) or leave." The US, unfortunately, opens up to almost anyone and to me doesn't have enough of an identity or consistency to let people know certain things are NOT okay (until it makes the news and there's an outcry). (I think an identity is here, but some in power don't want to hurt the feelings of others [what part of 'illegal' don't you understand?])

Read the speech by former Colorado Governor Richard Lamm on How to Destroy America (http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/lamm.asp) - he says it so much better than I can. Good or bad, America does have an identity, and if people can't work within the parameters, they can hit the road. One person's oppression is another's way of life. There is an old saying, "Every nation has the government it deserves." Let the people speak.

[pilvikki]

ok, so i was asking for the verse because i couldn't figure out the whole thing...

[kg]

While I was reading this poem, I was somewhat reminded of the Bush Administration's "moments of Glory." While every word of the poem wasn't exactly applicable (our country isn't set up as such to totally fall into that mindset - YET!), much of it was, and what wasn't exactly applicable one could see workings in the background to see it's fruition.

I especially found the following verse poignant:

Use the bible and liquor and bayonets
break vows, agreements, be diplomatic
use law paragraphs against ancient rights
create prejudice, discrimination and hate

That just struck me as "Bush Administration tactics" all the way.

Or maybe it's just me. I really didn't like Bush or any of his cronies, right from the time they announced that they were going into Iraq.

[pilvikki]

it sure did, but the same method has been used for hundreds of years against all kinds of people all over the globe from north to south and east to west.

i'm guessing it refers to the treatment of the sami people in lapland who were being 'civilized' by the finnish, swedish and norwegian governments in the same way the canadian natives were brought 'out of ignorance' - by taking their children away, prohibiting them from using their native tongue and forcing all that christian love on them regardless of how they felt about it.

they thought they were doing the right thing, of course, same as all governments always think. after all, who would know better then a bunch of old guys in suits sitting in offices hundreds of miles away?

[Silke]

I'm sorry, pilvikki. I didn't mean it like that. I'm glad you told me; that outburst was because of the general silence.

pilvikke raised a good point: that "recipe" if you want has been used for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. It works, but... do you use it yourself? at a small scale, at job or your neighborhood? Obviously liquor and bayonets aren't used, nor soldiers or bailiffs. And if not, if this doesn't start at some minor, personal, small scale level... how can it have grown to be the tactic used world wide through history?

[pilvikki]

brainwashing. when you have been told all your life that some people are inferiour, not because of their colour, but because they aren't as smart or as well educated or they use magic, lie, or they're lazy etc ad nauseam, you start thinking it has to be right. after all, your parents/teachers/priests wouldn't lie to you?

then you start looking for evidence and the first time you see someone acting mysterious, or being dishonest or whatever, you just know they were right after all. that's ONE person out of thousands, but you now have your evidence. case closed.

so, how does it start? fear. when people were a few here and a few there, you needed to be wary of strangers for you didn't know if they were friendly, carried illnesses [the plague] or would disrupt the status quo.