Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/04/30
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]It seems evident my post contained sarcasm related to the usage of the words 'agent provocateur' in a previous one. That concept is loaded with wartime references. That is what I used in mine, as a means of derision. You know the word 'derision' ? Furthermore, I do not understand the word 'Jap' as carrying any racist connotation. Not in my culture anyway, which defines 'racism' as a system affirming the superiority of a racial group on the others, and 'race' as a concept related to biology. Is 'Yankee' racist in its language ? To my limited intellect, the word 'Jap' does have a negative connotation but it is particularly dated. Its usage echoes US wartime propaganda concepts, and, judging from archives I have been exposed to, that word was widely used in the written and radio press of the time as well as by a lot of US politicians and military of the time. Most of them were not racists but people who were at war with a state called Japan and who used that word with the pathetic bullying familiarity used today when your President calls the President of Irak 'Saddam', instead of 'Mr Hussein', or when your President Reagan regularly used the word 'commies' to define groups that were defying his authority in various parts of the world. I suppose respected intellectuals such as yourself are capable of differenciating the contexts in which those words are used. To be perfectly clear on a matter that could end up in provoking a tornado of useless posts: I of course totally disapprove of the usage of the word 'Jap' when addressing the people from Japan, I never use it, and I apologise beforehand if any Japanese lugger was offended by my post in any way. So, I do not believe my clearly sarcastic post was racist in its language. But I thank you for attracting my attention on the risks of the sarcastic usage of words that are not 100 pct politically correct in this forum as well as on the level of density I should adapt to... On vendredi 30 avril 1999 7:38, Eric Welch [SMTP:ewelch@ponyexpress.net] wrote: > At 06:25 AM 4/30/99 +0200, you wrote: > >Yeah, that is a fact: all complaint posts are part of a great destabilizing > >plot put together by the Japs via a bunch of pathetic agents > > At least most of us aren't racist in our language. > > Eric Welch > St. Joseph, MO > http://www.ponyexpress.net/~ewelch > > The secret of the universe is @*&^^^ NO CARRIER