Portland is often like scenes out of Gotham City's Joker

[amorphous_constellation]

The Joker is primarily a commentary on society’s (American specifically) treatment of the mentally ill, the results of ignoring and stigmatising it’s own citizens, simply because the elite don’t care.
I suppose one could make the argument that this angst and frustrated cry out for recognition of basic humanity is reflected in the BLM movement. The shunned and downtrodden citizens trying to institute change in a system that at best ignores their plight and at worst treats them as subhumans.

I can't really comment further on what the 'joker' is, but it's interesting reading an Australian take on this place. America, in some ways, might be the most primordial western country. Where others might have evolved the feathers of collaboration, this country never lost the dinosaur scales of the medieval times, where the individual is able to accumulate, and lord, and adventure, all with the mindset purely to self-gain. Our manner of speaking is often overly proud, and archaically makes one's accumulations into the main conversational centerpiece. I understand the earliest european immigrants, my ancestors included, as possibly coming here to escape the enlightenment. From there you might come to understand how aberrant we are, as we quite possibly represent a much earlier western incarnation, trapped in stasis, from our manner of speaking to our insistence on the value of accumulation.

 

[SomeRandom]

I can't really comment further on what the 'joker' is, but it's interesting reading an Australian take on this place. America, in some ways, might be the most primordial western country. Where others might have evolved the feathers of collaboration, this country never lost the dinosaur scales of the medieval times, where the individual is able to accumulate, and lord, and adventure, all with the mindset purely to self-gain. Our manner of speaking is often overly proud, and archaically makes one's accumulations into the main conversational centerpiece. I understand the earliest european immigrants, my ancestors included, as possibly coming here to escape the enlightenment. From there you might come to understand how aberrant we are, as we quite possibly represent a much earlier western incarnation, trapped in stasis, from our manner of speaking to our insistence on the value of accumulation.

Well unregulated capitalism probably didn’t help matters. I find American pride to be one of individualism rather than community. I’m not saying there aren’t community minded Americans, of course. But the obsession with individualism and personal success does seem to be an American cultural phenomenon. Australians meanwhile pride themselves on community spirit. Again speaking broadly, but in terms of culture, the values of Australian culture (ideally anyway) are mateship, sacrifice and loyalty. That might be changing or have been perceived to have changed. I dunno. We have our own issues.
I genuinely hope that America can heal and grow from these current events.

 

[amorphous_constellation]

Well unregulated capitalism probably didn’t help matters. I find American pride to be one of individualism rather than community. I’m not saying there aren’t community minded Americans, of course.

There was no stopping that, when you understand that this was the ultimate escape valve for the medieval individual, whose culture was otherwise ending. America was endless to the voraciously minded, it was likes ants on a cake. Rather than have to face limits to resources, suddenly they looked absolutely endless, and no adventuring man was left stunted for lack of frontier. Regulation was the last thing on anyone's mind

 

[SomeRandom]

There was no stopping that, when you understand that this was the ultimate escape valve for the medieval individual, whose culture was otherwise ending. America was endless to the voraciously minded, it was likes ants on a cake. Rather than have to face limits to resources, suddenly they looked absolutely endless, and no adventuring man was left stunted for lack of frontier. Regulation was the last thing on anyone's mind

I guess. I mean it’s not like you guys were the only ancestors of Brits searching for new resources. Course Australiastan is where they sent all the criminals so maybe we just made do instead

 

[Cooky]

I guess. I mean it’s not like you guys were the only ancestors of Brits searching for new resources. Course Australiastan is where they sent all the criminals so maybe we just made do instead

Many people don't know that this land was quite Dutch before becoming overwhelmingly British.

The Brits took New Amsterdam by gunpoint... The Dutch surrendered it, and it was renamed New York.

 

[SomeRandom]

Many people don't know that this land was quite Dutch before becoming overwhelmingly British.

Ahh yes the good old Dutch!!

 

[Cooky]

Ahh yes the good old Dutch!!

I hear Dutch ancestry quite common in Australia and New Zealand too.

 

[SomeRandom]

I hear Dutch ancestry quite common in Australia and New Zealand too.

Yeah I think so. I know more German folk though. For whatever that means

 

[Cooky]

Yeah I think so. I know more German folk though. For whatever that means

Yes, the Germans went through a big migration period here, just before the Civil War.

After that, during the early 20th century, there was a big wave of Italian and Polish migration here... It's where we got Al Capone.

 

[SomeRandom]

Yes, the Germans went through a big migration period here, just before the Civil War.

After that, during the early 20th century, there was a big wave of Italian and Polish migration here... It's where we got Al Capone.

Oh I see. Lol good old Capone

 

[Revoltingest]

Today's news from Portlandia...
Trump supporters, protesters clash in Portland; 1 killed

 

[Revoltingest]

Portland is in the news again....
Portland: Rioters Set Fire to Federal Courthouse One Day after Fencing Removed | National Review

 

[Kooky]

Yes, the Germans went through a big migration period here, just before the Civil War.

After that, during the early 20th century, there was a big wave of Italian and Polish migration here... It's where we got Al Capone.

In fact, the influx of political refugees from Germany after 1848 possibly contributed to the rise in abolitionism. Many of these refugees had been ardent supporters of political liberalism and democracy, and would continue their political activism for the benefit of their new home country.

German-born were significantlyoverrepresented in the first volunteer formations that were raised in the early months of the American Civil War, for example, as many veterans of the 1848 Revolutions saw the cause of the Union as a way to 'redeem' the democratic project that had failed in the old mother country: