Nationalism - What Do You Think?

Well, unless he lived in ancient Greece then he needs books as well.

Actually, the official name is Roma. Ethnic Roma people.

“Gypsy” is used as a racial slur, in this case it was used against the Slavic inhabitants of what used to be Ancient Macedonia.

If we were talking about current events and those within living memory I would have shut up, but living in a specific geographic location has almost no relevance to the events that transpired there 2300 years ago.

Who’s more knowledgeable about pharaoh Ramses II? A random inhabitant of Cairo because “he happens to live there” or egyptologists with their fancy books?

As can be seen from the thread above, contemporary teaching of Greek history has been severely warped by 20th century events - the trauma of the Greco-Turkish war in which they went from a messianic belief that they’ll reestablish the Romean (Eastern Roman) Empire and crown a basileus named Constantine in Constantinople proper recaptured from the Turks, to a staggering defeat. Then came the expulsion of the Greeks from Constantinople and Asia Minor, a bloody civil war and military dictatorship, not to mention the most recent events.

So one of the ways they’re dealing with the trauma is the irrational obsession with the name Macedonia, claiming the legacy of Alexander and projecting a delusional supposed fear that the Slavs of (Northern) Macedonia have some secret claims on the Greek littoral around Thessaloniki (which the Bulgarians actually conquered during the First Balkan War)

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Wow where have u been when trying to deal with that crap my friend?
Hope you read all the paranoid scenarios theyd been writing about since yesterday but I’m not going to continue answer to that kind of bullshit u know one has to learn about himself first and u cannot change a man unless he wants to mostly its bad for them, not approaching the truth right?
And for sure they cant talk to a native (as far as it concerns me been reading greek (and generally other nation) history since I was a kid so what I’m reading while I find them funny most of the time, it is the fact that I’ve dealt with that kind of crap so many times in the past, everybody has crushed them and now u have to tell it all over again for one or two noo I don’t have time to lose but
If u ever plan to come to Greece talk to me and I’ll help you with whatever you want, as a man in these days, with all the shit are told about Greek people etc and still has this opinion of yours he sure is smthng special above the political correctness with a wandering&critical mind that constantly wants to learn so you’re more than welcome and I’ll help you with the destinations, places with better prices etc
Well, here in Greece there are many gypsies too and Here’s what’s going on:pay NO taxes, free health insurance (Greeks have to pay or else everything is extremely expensive hospitals docs etc), free homes provided from the state, food etc and many many money if they have one or two kids
 So they’ve built some villas but Here’s is the funny fact:they build the villas but they live in a tent on the ground just next to the new villas while villas are empty without any furniture or, they don’t wash themselves, nor going to school, just selling drugs etc but still they don’t pay for electricity, they don’t pay anything still have everything provided from the state. Tell me again about the gypsies please :joy::joy:

My take on it is this, some nationalism is good and it is normal to want to preserve some of your culture and to look after your family, friends, neighbours etc the problem is that nationalism as a word/concept has been co-opted by those with not so great intentions and when most people think of nationalism they think of this;

Personally I dont hate anyone,on the contrary I think that especially US and Canada are ages in front of everyone, and of corse do not wish bad for noone, I just believe that what belongs to one, he must fight for it.

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My mother called me a zingaro if my room was a mess or my clothes were dirty.

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Yep, this is how it starts.

It’s actually a simple heuristic when it comes to racial/ethnic slurs, depending on the point of reference provided by the ethnicity of the bigot in question - anyone paler than you is a “f*g”, anyone with darker skin is a “gypsy”

The word comes from the Greek word for untouchable.

I was told it was ‘zingari’ and it was a slur for gypsies it doesn’t mean ‘gypsy’, per se. It’s like calling a black person a negro. The latter being more of a slur.

As far as where the money goes I don’t really know or care.

After the second attempt I changed my tactics. I carried no wallet, I had a bank card, credit card and cash and nothing else; in my front pockets.

No lumps in my pockets nothing to see.

But why even bring it up? I know you’re a smart guy, but I sense you’re trying to show how smart you are. You’ve already proved it.

I know how to deal with gypsies now. I have been to Europe quite a bit. Italy was a bit rediculous in their population, but while I was there they did a mass sweep country wide a deported a good many of them, especially in Rome. They cleaned up Rome well.
Of course, if I do go to Greece, I would love to talk to you and have you guide me to the good stuff. The real Greece not just the tourist spots. Especially some good, authentic greek food
 Yum!

That is the plural form.

What does gypsy mean? Is it an ethnic group or is it an adjective used to describe certain behaviors? Gypsy, like Gitano, refers to Egypt. Zingaro comes from the Greek word for untouchable (like the untouchables in India, the place where the Rom originated). Later the word was used to describe anyone who exhibited certain negative behaviors associated with the Rom.

Was negro always a slur?

Stereotyping is the first step.

It’s still full of Romans so they didn’t do that good of a job.

Its not a slur, they are an ethic group. They call themselves gypsies. There’s even a show on TLC or one of those channels called ‘My Gypsy Life’ or something like that.
People in Europe tend not to appreciate them because many of them steal.

My experience with Europeans in general is that they are not politically correct at all. They call a spade a spade.

Outside of customs, I have never been asked for ID for any reason which is why I quit carrying any. You want beer, you get beer. You want to smoke, you smoke, you want to get things from an apothecary just ask, they will just say yes or no, but they won’t bat an eye. And you can usually find one that play’s ball as long as you have cash.

Go to Paris or Rome and don’t watch your surroundings. When you are missing you wallet and passport just give them a big hug.

You probably think you can keep you shit safe. OK, but Europeans are not like Americans. They violate your personal space all the time and you cannot keep track who is around you.
These guys are not amateurs, they know how to get you when you least expect it.
And even if you manage to see who did it, by the time you catch up, it’s been handed off a few times. And the police don’t give a damn.

That’s life learned the hard way
 choose it if you wish.

Dude, I’m Sicilian and it’s not Rom doing all of the stealing there. Stop thinking you are the only one here who has experience overseas.

Rome is amazing. And the people there were very nice.
My experience in Rome was great, except for the subway which is like a rolling overcrowded prison

Context, nuances and dog whistling matter. While in English it’s almost a quaint, archaic term, it’s much more loaded in many parts of Europe, especially when it’s applied to non-Romani ethnic groups, as the original poster did - then it’s a slur and I called her out for it.

Haven’t been to Sicily.
I am just sharing my experiences, don’t be so sensitive.