Coming second in the human race

[j4]

Horrified to discover that on a newsgroup full of apparently-intelligent people, it's apparently deemed quite okay for people to casually say "All Americans are thick" and "the French are all arrogant" -- and not even in the context of a joke, but apparently just stating facts. And it can't be xenophobic, because everybody says it! It's a national tradition!

Next up: "It's racist to call a black person a racist". Argh.

I didn't expect to have to have these debates with adults. Am I just hopelessly naïve?

Comments

[hoiho.livejournal.com]

1) Buell is an immature idiot (who had a bad time when he lived in the US)
2) Huge likes being offensive
3) Firth is just trolling

[beingjdc.livejournal.com]

Yeah but come on, it's fair comment about the French. I mean, take me for instance. And don't say I'm wrong, because I'm not, I'm GREAT.

[k425.livejournal.com]

Perhaps they casually say things like that because they know it'll wind people up. It's uk.misc.

Well, most of them do it for that reason, anyway. Alex, however, often doesn't think and then he gets pulled up for it by some.

[j4.livejournal.com]

I mean, take me

What, again?

[j4.livejournal.com]

Well, except that when Alex gets "pulled up" for anything by anyone other than Juggs, they get accused of vicious bullying and deliberately attacking the disabled.

[k425.livejournal.com]

That's as may be, but it doesn't necessarily stop me.

[oldbloke.livejournal.com]

In partic, IRL Huge rather likes America and (many) Americans. iirc.

[j4.livejournal.com]

So? Huge was being rude about the French. "Oh, yeah, I think the Germans are all bastards, but that's okay, because I like the Welsh."

[beingjdc.livejournal.com]

You wish.

[oldbloke.livejournal.com]

Oh, was he? I wasn't paying much attention.