Yeah, some cultural appropriation is offensive, agreed.

But what makes me laugh about it all is that some of the “appropriated” cultural items were themselves adopted by the culture accusing others of appropriation not that long prior. In other words, people are up in arms about the very things their grandmothers and grandfathers did with aplomb. (Most “ancient” traditions also aren’t nearly as old as people imagine, also.)

I understand the iniquities of colonialism and all that. That is a factor. It’s not nothing. But about some things, people should really just chill the fuck out and concentrate on something more important.

I’ve been more sensitive lately to journalists recounting history inaccurately.

For instance, I just saw this claim about WWI.

For the first time in human history, warring sides could see each other from above and plan their attack.

NOPE.

Balloons had been used extensively in military operations starting in the US Civil War, sixty years prior. Fixed-wing aircraft made that easier, but it was nothing new.

That took me ten seconds on Wikipedia (though I already knew most of it). Why can’t journalists do this?