If You Won’t Listen to Dead White Men…

 

On the riots:

  • Anger and madness are brothers. African proverb
  • A doctor who invoked a storm on his people cannot prevent his house from destruction. Nigerian proverb
  • Outside noisy, inside empty. Chinese proverb

On Antifa: 

  • Parents who are afraid to put their foot down usually have children who step on their toes. Chinese proverb

On Revolution:

  • Don’t throw out the old pot until you have the tinker make a new one. Zimbabwean proverb

On toppling statues:

  • There are two kinds of perfect people: those who are dead, and those who have not been born yet. Chinese proverb
  • To forget one’s ancestors is to be a brook without a source, a tree without root. Chinese proverb
  • The dead add their strength and counsel to the living. Hopi proverb

On cancel culture:

  • A closed mind is like a closed book: just a block of wood. Chinese proverb
  • If words fail no others will avail. Zimbabwean proverb

On redressing the past:

  • You cannot build a house for last year’s summer. Ethiopian proverb

On pushing Americans too far:

  • Even a hare will bite when it is cornered. Chinese proverb
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  1. RightAngles Member
    RightAngles
    @RightAngles

    You should be a contributor.

    • #1
  2. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    What an astute and clever OP, Richard! Although I hope the last quotation is understated. I think ultimately all hell will break lose. Nicely done!

    • #2
  3. Django Member
    Django
    @Django

    I read is was a Swahili proverb and I liked it because it reminded me of what I frequently dealt with: The daughters of lions are lions too.  

    • #3
  4. Randy Webster Inactive
    Randy Webster
    @RandyWebster

    Richard Fulmer: Even a hare will bite when it is cornered. Chinese proverb

    Jimmy Carter knows all about that.

    • #4
  5. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    Of course there is wisdom from other cultures.  One benefit of Western Civilization is that it’s not afraid to learn truth from other sources.  If the current crop of 30 and younger citizens would realize this (sometimes against what they’ve been taught), they wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss the ideas from Dead White Males.

    Great job, Richard!

    • #5
  6. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Richard Fulmer:

    On pushing Americans too far

    Even a hare will bite when it is cornered. Chinese proverb

    I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.—Admiral Yamamoto (maybe)

    • #6
  7. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    Arahant (View Comment):

    Richard Fulmer:

    On pushing Americans too far

    Even a hare will bite when it is cornered. Chinese proverb

    I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.—Admiral Yamamoto (maybe)

    Awakened a sleeping giant rabbit?

    • #7
  8. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Percival (View Comment):
    Awakened a sleeping giant rabbit?

    A púca could be bad news for them.

    • #8
  9. TBA Coolidge
    TBA
    @RobtGilsdorf

    I love these. 

    Might I note that part of the reason I love them is that they are ‘exotic’ in that they are new and foreign. What sounds like ‘dumb stuff your grandparents say’ in my country always sounds more interesting and novel – not to mention eternal and wise – when it comes from elsewhere. 

    • #9
  10. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    A lot of those Dead White Men were Middle Eastern Brown People, by the way.

    • #10
  11. tigerlily Member
    tigerlily
    @tigerlily

    RightAngles (View Comment):

    You should be a contributor.

    He posts way too often to be a contributor.

    • #11
  12. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    I heard Dead White Men open for Soundgarden in Phoenix in ’88.

    • #12
  13. Jules PA Inactive
    Jules PA
    @JulesPA

    You cannot build a house for last year’s summer. Ethiopian proverb

    My favorite from your list. 

    • #13
  14. Randy Webster Inactive
    Randy Webster
    @RandyWebster

    Jules PA (View Comment):

    You cannot build a house for last year’s summer. Ethiopian proverb

    My favorite from your list.

    Is that the same as “The military is always fighting the last war?”

    • #14
  15. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    Jules PA (View Comment):

    You cannot build a house for last year’s summer. Ethiopian proverb

    My favorite from your list.

    Is that the same as “The military is always fighting the last war?”

    Or, closing the barn door after the horse has escaped.

    • #15
  16. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    Arahant (View Comment):

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    Jules PA (View Comment):

    You cannot build a house for last year’s summer. Ethiopian proverb

    My favorite from your list.

    Is that the same as “The military is always fighting the last war?”

    Or, closing the barn door after the horse has escaped.

    Or you can’t step into the same river twice.

    • #16
  17. TBA Coolidge
    TBA
    @RobtGilsdorf

    Percival (View Comment):

    Arahant (View Comment):

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    Jules PA (View Comment):

    You cannot build a house for last year’s summer. Ethiopian proverb

    My favorite from your list.

    Is that the same as “The military is always fighting the last war?”

    Or, closing the barn door after the horse has escaped.

    Or you can’t step into the same river twice.

    They all come off like a Polonious drone by comparison. 

    • #17
  18. Misthiocracy got drunk and Member
    Misthiocracy got drunk and
    @Misthiocracy

    Cultural appropriation.

    • #18
  19. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    Misthiocracy got drunk and (View Comment):

    Cultural appropriation.

    Yes.  You can’t say anything because you’re white.  And you can’t quote any other group because they’re not your group.  Very clever these segregationists.

    • #19
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