Maynard is 57. Danny is 60. They've been fampus for almost 30 years. I'd hardly call them young lol.

The only great classical composer who was otherwise a bit of a dunce was Mozart.

There can be no doubt at all that J S Bach had one of the finest minds the world had ever seen ... er, heard.

Also, a lot of films that take place in the 60s overemphasize the size of the hippy movement. From what I read, wouldn’t the main characters be more emblematic of the “60s” man? Perhaps embracing a mild hedonism but for the most part being manly men?
 

So you’re saying that it’s all cyclical and that history repeats itself? Who knew?

Seriously though, you can scale up or scale down your observation and see the same core dynamic. The grownups create something, let the kiddies take over, fail to assert control over the kiddies, it all turns to shit and the grownups have to build something all over again. It’s like the fundamental constant of humanity.

Agree wholeheartedly, and this raises a huge question IMHO.

Why is this not cultural appropriation?

The whole thing came about (and I do have to admit this) because white rock stars were using songs written by black musicians back in the 50s and not giving them credit. This then got extended to ridiculous things like white people performing yoga, kung fu, and wearing hoop earrings.

So why is it OK when, say, minorities and women invade something like science fiction and video games and computers in general originally created by white guys, to the point of driving the guys out, whereas we all know if the reverse happened, it would be horrible.

Women in video gaming are performing cultural appropriation. Say it loud!

Replies: @SFG, @snorlax

Sounds about right.

Two important points you touch on here are the spread of Islam (a 2nd millennium phenomenon), and, with it, the increase in slave trafficking from sub-Saharan Africa.

Taleb tweeted a few days ago about how Europe wasn't a meaningful geographic term, but the term "European" (europenses) was created to describe Charles Martel's men in their fight against Islam. So, in two ways, the spread of Islam severed North Africa from European civilization and gave Europe its modern identity.

Replies: @syonredux, @syonredux, @Nigerian Nationalist

If one were to suggest that 500 years ago the residents of what is now Maine were white, it would be dismissed because we are taught the European settlement of that area did not happen until the 1600s. We realize the demographics of today's Maine does not represent what it was as recently as 500 years ago.

However, people cannot or will not make the same distinction in regards to North Africa. They take a look at contemporary North Africa and conclude its demographics have always been the way they are now. They can't seem to imagine that North Africa's demographics have been radically altered in the past 2400 years, though they have no problem understanding that Maine's demographics have been radically altered in under 400.

Podhoretz brought up that Augustine was from Hippo. There was a point in time where the Vandals came over from Europe and conquered that area. Not to mention the other peoples you included in your comment.

Replies: @Clifford Brown, @Rufus, @BigDickNick

Right. I guess another way to put it is: St. Augustine lived at a time when North Africa was part of our civilization. Later, it ceased to be part of our civilization when Muslims conquered it. Today, we wish for the Muslims to not extend their conquest to our civilization's contracted domain.

Replies: @neutral, @Nigerian Nationalist

Even the ancient Egyptians. If you study their history and pronouncements (not to mention their graphics) they're adamant about "Nubians" from way upriver being of a darker hue and lesser tribe. If properly disciplined, they made reasonably good menials, it appears. But only in small numbers.

Replies: @Nigerian Nationalist

Jpod assumes that anyone not pink-skinned and frankly northern looking can be called black and so can be lumped in, by sleight of hand as it were, with sub-Saharan blacks.

He must know this doesn’t work.

Right. Say “North African” to a person nowadays they think “Arab” or “brown person”.

Say “North African” to a resident of Italy or Gaul in 400AD and they would think “they’re probably descended from Roman, Greek, Spanish colonists.”

You certainly had Berbers around but before Islam much of North Africa was Roman or ex-Roman.

Bit of trivia, a dialect/evolution of Latin known as African Romance was spoken in North Africa until the 13th or early 14th century, when Arab influence finally stamped it out.

Replies: @donut, @LondonBob