就Slumdog Millionaire現像與Clipmom的理性探討

又一部以arising from adversity為主題的片子

Biblical accounts of blessing arising from adversity differ from hero mythology of communism. Egalitarian is not meant to be the destiny.

Any clearer example than many overseas, low caste Indians' triumph over adversity? In their Odysseus in search of oasis? Or numerous examples in overseas Chinese' relentless Pursuit of HappYness ( 一部以老黑 arising from adversity 為主題的片名 )?

If the oasis is about getting elected as an American president, African Americans can now copy Obama's book. But if oasis is about being triumphant over economic adversity, they only need to take a leaf of our book.

Sitting on their hands and whinging about being disadvantaged don't "change" 人人躲避的黑人區 . A slumdog has to take some initiative. I did. You did. Every Slumdog Millionaire did.

My rating: 8 out of 10  for arising from low budget adversity!

Clipmom 回答 :

I was never part of a slum.

I think the more destructive part of the slum is not poverty, but the lack of morality because people see no reason to work/live any differently. The Obama presidency hopefully can show those kids being a gangster is not the only cool thing. It's cool to be smart and educated as well. I'm not sure what it has anything to do with the "sitting and whining" you're talking about. They've never had parents like yours or mine. So it's an unfair comparison.

btw have you met low caste Indians, say, the untouchables? I never have. The ones I know are all self-claimed Bramans :) it's very hard to break out of the slum cycle -- keep in mind the slum influence goes way beyond the economics.

Killara 回答clipmom :

I was part of a slum...

We had cultural “destructive” revolution. Many of our parents’ generation were Red Guard gangsters, and still are. Their peers were robbers, murderers and rapists. Those now in power are even proud of being all above. The immorality of today’s China partly attributes to this immorality.

We are not immune from this, because cultural revolution is not just the making the Gang of Four. Speaking for myself, I was a slumdog, both economically and sociologically.

Caste has not prevented some of the untouchables from being millionaires. Many Indian academics I met are untouchables. And Check this out:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/may/06/india.ameliagentleman

A slum is a multi-factor construct, which could include both economical and sociological factors. The proposition that African Americans, or 15% of the population of America being the most developed country in the world in 2009, are more slum disadvantaged than Chinese children of the 1970s is way too far-fetched.

Merely blaming the family, circle and society for one's lack of progress is what I meant by "sitting on the hands and whinging". Or excusitis, sufferers of a psychological disorder enmass.

clipmom 回答 :
there's a difference between

a slum that includes the whole nation/people and a slum that constitutes of a singled-out group. I'm not at all saying that individuals should remain passive and wait to be rescued, but rather the society as a whole has a moral obligation to insprire the transformation. if you look at the percentage of the "risen" untouchables, you'll find equal number of black children who escaped the slums. however as a caste you can't deny the majority is not doing well.

I'd think being compassionate towards the disadvantaged is part of being out of the slums.

Killara 回答 :
there's a difference between the Dalit and the Blacks

If there were an equal percentage of Dalit who escape their caste, to Blacks who “escape” the ghetto, the Dalit would have done far better than the Blacks. The Dalit live in a much poorer country than the Blacks. The Dalit are presumed to be unequal until proven to be equal. The Blacks are presumed to be equal until proven to be unequal.

I am sympathetic and empathetic towards the likes of Slumdog Millionaire, which is why I gave the Movie 8/10. But I have no time for the Black excusitis and white apologists who believe the society is perpetually indebted to the Blacks. If the moral obligation alludes to Robinhood-style social engineering, I am definitely not part of it.

PS: I told my daughter some time ago that not having been through adversity may be a curse in disguise.