Aspies For Freedom

I just saw the Aspergia website for the first time... very nice.

However, i think Aspergia actually exists, and that I have been there.

It is called the U S of A ... and I suppose that deserves an explanation.

I am an American, living abroad for the past 4 years, with many connections outside US prior, and visits.  I firmly believe that the USA is currently the closest thing to Aspergia on the planet.

I think it's fair to say that eccentric folks are less tolerated in other parts of the world... I think many of them have tended to migrate west, particularly to England historically, and in the past two centuries or so, to the USA (I think the UK has become much less tolerant of eccentricity and inventiveness since the end of the Victorian era.)

I think this notion might help explain all the technological advances in those countries in recent centuries, and the lack of such advancement in societies that do not tolerate eccentricity and inventiveness so well.  One example might be the Arab world after 1500AD or so, but I think it is becoming increasingly true in Europe as well, and has long been true in the case of Russia, except perhaps for some "pet Aspies" working on projects of national prestige, like their space program.

Anyway, I was reminded of all this when i saw your site.  I wondered if others might think there was some validity to it.

Cheers,

Vits


PS  I realise this notion is not much comfort to someone in the USA who has not had much experience with AS tolerant folks.  However, I have to wonder how we would be treated in some other places!

Interesting theory, I live in the UK, I find that if people are successful and talented they can get away with being eccentric, but if people see you as just being wierd, you are not easily accepted at all.
An example might be Spike Milligan, he had bipolar and had an amazingly eccentric sense of humour, he was a great comic writer and actor and he was well loved.

Interesting theory, I live in the UK, I find that if people are successful and talented they can get away with being eccentric, but if people see you as just being wierd, you are not easily accepted at all.

Could it be that if you are eccentric you are more likely to suceed?

In a humour book written in a previous era I saw "eccentric" described as "mad and rich".  Would it be safe to say that "eccentric" now means "mad and talented" ?

P.S.:

Friends from spanish-speaking cultures confirm to me that english-speaking countries are more aspie-friendly than theirs.  One spaniard I know even thinks that aspies should not be allowed to flee to the US and should be forced to stay in spanish-speaking places to moderate our aspergerish nature.

:x

I don't at all agree the USA is more "aspie-friendly". I've known my fair share of Aspies who have been institutionalized or imprisoned for the Aspieness.

My room is Aspergia. My computer is Aspergia. I beileve "Aspergia" does exist, but only in sense of how you yourself makes it.

Perhaps Australia is a little bit behind the times in some ways regarding understanding of Aspergers. This is bad in the sense that people are waiting longer for a diagnosis and support in the community but good in that maybe some of the wackier treatments are not in wide use here.

Aspergia is a metaphor for Atlantis and Atlantis is an allagory of paradise. How perverse!.

Atlantis was never actually real, but was a serious philosophical challenge set down by Plato: would all who followed take what he said about the legendary utopia literally, or would they see that the very persuit of a 'perfect' society was in fact what caused suffering? Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot and all of history's crackpots(the bad kind of crackpot) believed so; the Nazi's even claimed literal ownership of Atlantis by right.

And I too would disagree on America's status as an ideal place for any Autistic. The chances of being commited to an insitution are higher, even if it's still low these days(more chance in Canada). In the UK you just tell them you are a dangerous and violent paranoid schizophrenic and within hours they will let you out and put you in the Care in the Community programme.

I don't want to turn this into a political rant, but the reason why there is not such thing as a flawless system is because there is no such thing as a 'better' system: only varying degrees of usefulness depending on the social climate. Democracy can always turn into four wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for supper.

Yes, and democracy can often consist of a huge number of sheep voting for one of several wolves because they promise to "protect" them from the other ravening wolves.

*Stoney3K searches for a secret base under Cheyenne Mountain and a Stargate leading to the Pegasus Galaxy... anyone care to join?

I'm in.  When do we leave?

Hahaha!  I like burntangel's definition.  :lol:

I think most of the world's geniuses (einstein, etc) have been eccentric.

Gee, you sound a real lot like Snake 13.

Some people get stirred up by the kind of controversial ideas you're raising. If you haven't got a partner, it's not oppression but bad luck and lack of opportunity.