Way to go, Britards

[Darth Wagtaros]

For a nation that, for whatever reason, finds the shortened version of "Paki" for Pakistanis is OMG RIGHT WOTS ALL THIS RACCISS THEN, one would think you'd have grasped nuance as well by now.

And this from a nation which finds the term Oriental offensive...

Seedy is a nation, now?  When did that happen?

And when did "Oriental" become something the SeedyNation found offensive?  Obsolete when referring to people (as in Oriental versus Occidental), but hardly offensive, except to the highly-PC crowd, who think that "man" and "woman" are offensive.

Lot's of people do.  Saying Oriental at the Uni I work for would result in a trip to the Sensitivity Enforcement Camp.

[CountDeMoney]

For a nation that, for whatever reason, finds the shortened version of "Paki" for Pakistanis is OMG RIGHT WOTS ALL THIS RACCISS THEN, one would think you'd have grasped nuance as well by now.

And this from a nation which finds the term Oriental offensive...

Seedy is a nation, now?  When did that happen?

And when did "Oriental" become something the SeedyNation found offensive?  Obsolete when referring to people (as in Oriental versus Occidental), but hardly offensive, except to the highly-PC crowd, who think that "man" and "woman" are offensive.

In SeedyNation, grumbler would be my SecDef.

[CountDeMoney]

Saying Oriental at the Uni I work for would result in a trip to the Sensitivity Enforcement Camp.

What if you did it properly, like in reference to a Turk?

[Ed Anger]

Hopefully in SeedyLand, Geordies would be hunted down like the animals they are.

[Razgovory]

It's idiotic and cretinous beyond belief to find racism in that. There is no history of lynching blacks in the UK, so the symbolism is not there to make it racist (even if he was hanged, rather than burned, in effigy). On the other hand, there is a long traidition of burning/hanging politicial figures in effigy.

The only racists here are the morons who think this, otherwise politically clear, message has a different meaning because Obama is black.

In Britain, a series of race riots broke out in several cities in 1919 between whites and black sailors. In Liverpool, after a black sailor had been stabbed by two whites in a pub, his friends attacked the pub in revenge. In response, the police raided lodging houses with black occupants, accompanied by an "enraged lynch mob". Charles Wootton, a young black seaman who had not been involved in the attacks, was chased into the river Mersey and drowned after being pelted with missiles thrown by the mob, who chanted "Let him drown!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynching#Europe

[Razgovory]

It's idiotic and cretinous beyond belief to find racism in that. There is no history of lynching blacks in the UK, so the symbolism is not there to make it racist (even if he was hanged, rather than burned, in effigy). On the other hand, there is a long traidition of burning/hanging politicial figures in effigy.

The only racists here are the morons who think this, otherwise politically clear, message has a different meaning because Obama is black.

Here's a more complete article.  http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst?docId=5001241867

[CountDeMoney]

Raz, you should know by now not to bother engaging Marti on something like this.  Unless the victim has a cock in his mouth or up his ass, it doesn't count.

[Siege]

Being so sensitive to racism is a form of racism.

Real liberated people do not notice skin colour or ethnicity.

[Sheilbh]

They used to burn Reagan in effigy over at Lewes Bonfire with monotonous regularity. The Pope as well of course and the Prime Minister.

Lewes burned effigies of Obama and Alastair Darling a couple of years ago.  I think they still do the Pope every year.  But then Lewes have habits that probably look quite racist to Americans.  For example they walk through the streets with burning crosses to remember the Protestant martyrs.  It's a bit like Seville Easter celebrations.

It's idiotic and cretinous beyond belief to find racism in that. There is no history of lynching blacks in the UK, so the symbolism is not there to make it racist (even if he was hanged, rather than burned, in effigy). On the other hand, there is a long traidition of burning/hanging politicial figures in effigy.

I'm not sure.  I think Raz's link to a site that actually has very few examples a lynch mob in England demonstrates your point.  Which isn't to say race riots and racially motivated murders haven't happened often with alarming regularity but lynchings aren't really a major part of Britain's history with race.

However I think hanging the effigy could be a bit different.  People know about lynchings in the US and I think would be aware of specific associations involved.  Especially given that these guys are at a decent university and I bet about 50% of them are history students, so I don't think they can plead ignorance.

Having said that university Tory groups do seem to attract a certain sort of person.  In the 80s they wore 'Hang Nelson Mandela' t-shirts.  At my uni the Tory chair had to resign, I think over absurdly sexist and homophobic remarks - though I can't remember what exactly.

[Richard Hakluyt]

I'm not a fan of it myself, I prefer the burning of Guy Fawkes in effigy........that is more or less play-acting nowadays. If you must burn someone's effigy then surely Assad would be a shoo-in right now, rather than the democratically elected US president. On the other hand, most US presidents have been burnt in effigy by some bunch or another in England, if anything it would be racist if Obama got a pass due to his skin colour.

[chipwich]

They used to burn Reagan in effigy over at Lewes Bonfire with monotonous regularity. The Pope as well of course and the Prime Minister.

They used to hang the Pope in effigy on Guy Fawkes day in America.  Then George Washington told them to stop.  So they did.

Source/wiki/whatever?

[Berkut]

If you must burn someone's effigy then surely Assad would be a shoo-in right now, rather than the democratically elected US president.

ZOMG, you are such a reactionary!

[Razgovory]

They used to burn Reagan in effigy over at Lewes Bonfire with monotonous regularity. The Pope as well of course and the Prime Minister.

They used to hang the Pope in effigy on Guy Fawkes day in America.  Then George Washington told them to stop.  So they did.

Source/wiki/whatever?

I've been giving sources for hangings all week.  Go find it yourself.

[grumbler]

Lot's of people do.  Saying Oriental at the Uni I work for would result in a trip to the Sensitivity Enforcement Camp.

Yes, I allowed for people like those at "Uni"s in my statement.

[grumbler]

If you must burn someone's effigy then surely Assad would be a shoo-in right now, rather than the democratically elected US president. On the other hand, most US presidents have been burnt in effigy by some bunch or another in England, if anything it would be racist if Obama got a pass due to his skin colour.

+1