Food For Thought

Once upon a time America was a slave country. Countless black people lived and died as slaves. They did not want to come but we brought them here, nonetheless. We kept them as slaves because they were different than us. We saw them as inferior. So we brought them here and made them pay for being different with many years of hatred and brutality. When slavery was finally abolished America suddenly had this tremendous population of people it didn't want. There was nothing we could do about it. So we treated them horribly. These poor black people were barely considered human by most Americans and some actually considered them to be animals. Why? Because this was OUR country, not theirs. They did not even belong to a class and were no threat to the white American but they were still hated. They did not belong here but they were allowed to walk among us and we hated them for it. We weren't allowed to brutalize them but we could still hate them, so we did.

Now try to imagine that these black people that were freed many years ago all of a sudden had a class to fit into. Oh, and not just a class, they were the Upper Class. THEY had money falling out of their pockets as they walked OUR streets. They bought, sold and did as they pleased in OUR land. They just strutted around our towns acting like they owned the place. What nerve! And all we could do is just sit back and watch. Imagine how much more the white Americans would have hated them if that happened. There would have been a riot, if that had happened, but it never did. The black people, once freed, were dirt poor. They had no class to fit into and were no threat to the white American so we just hated them for being different and mainly for being here. We would continue to punish this group of people for being here up until present today. Some areas of America have come to terms with this and realize it was and is wrong, others have not. Up until two years ago one of our American states proudly flew the Confederate Army flag in front of their courts for the whole world to see! This was not done as a gimmick. This was done because it represented the America they remembered and believed in and the same flag that had been flown there continuously since the days of slavery.

Now let's flip the coin on America and look back a little further in her dark history. The original Americans were here long before us White Devils came along. They did not bring us to America. They did not want us here. They did not need us to survive. Their ways were simple and there were times of hardship but they had lived there for many years on their own. They loved their land. We came anyway and you know what happened? They welcomed us. They welcomed us out of curiosity, greed and fear. Fear of what might happen if they didn't welcome us. This fear later changed to a fear of impending doom. Over time they started to see what was really going on. Their country had been invaded by a bunch of white people that acted as if THEY owned the place with money falling out of their pockets. We bought and sold and did as we pleased. They watched in horror at what we did to THEIR land. We lied to them and cheated them. We stole from them. We pushed them around and brutalized them, and when that didn't work, we killed them. That was the beginning of our relationship with these original people of America and they rightfully hated us for it. It was their land and now all of a sudden these White Devils come in and acted like they owned the place! What nerve! They wanted us out but we were far too many and had far too many resources by then. As we all know, this all resulted in war and we almost obliterated an entire race of people that originally welcomed us into their country as friends.

Are we not doing to Thailand and the Thais exactly what the white man did with the Native Americans? Do we not do as we please there? Do we not come into their country and act like we own the place. To the average Thai it looks like we have money falling out of our pockets as we spend and flaunt more money than these people could ever dream of having. We can buy and sell anything there. WE are the upper class, in THEIR land. They did not bring us there but they welcomed us. They welcomed us out of curiosity, greed and fear. Will that fear also change to a different type of fear as it did for the Native Americans? Only time will tell.

Are the Thais really wrong in the way they see and sometimes treat the average Farang these days? To most Farang, the Thais and Thailand are simply there for us to use and we DO use them and they are starting to realize this. Will we do to them what the white Americans did to the poor native Americans in their own country? I don't know the answer to this question, but I hope not. The Thais lived without our presence before in a basic, simple life. They might not have had a lot but they had Thailand. It was theirs. All I can do is have empathy for their situation based on my knowledge of my own country's history and how I would feel if my country was being invaded in large numbers by people who used and often abused my country. I would probably feel the same way the Thais do. Can you really blame them? They have to walk a fine line on what they will allow us to do because if we are allowed to, we WILL abuse them and their land. It has happened many times before throughout the history of the world and it will happen again. If they don't allow us any of the things we enjoy, we won't bring our money there. They really are in a tough position.

These people love their country and they should. They should have the right to keep it theirs.

Will all these problems be worked out in time in a decent, humane way that we can all live with? Knowing the nature of human beings it doesn't look too promising but only time will tell. I do know that we are guests in their country and whenever I am a guest anywhere I always try to treat my host with the utmost respect and I want them to know that I am not a threat to them. I also try to look past the negative things and concentrate on the enjoyment the country and her people give to me, and they gives me a lot.

Take care of yourself and take care of your fellow man. He may do the same for you someday…..

Stickman says:

Perfectly titled!