On Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:09:47 +0900, Miles Bader wrote:
Bruce writes:
Er, no. It was a joke (no doubt a poor one), but based on real
experience (and if you know anything about Korea, you'd know that
Koreans can be ... feisty).

On what basis would you attempt to justify such racist remarks?

So you disagree?


I disagree with your damning the whole Korean nation on the basis of
simplistic and highly unreliable racial stereotyping, yes.

Bruce writes:
I disagree with your damning the whole Korean nation on the basis of
simplistic and highly unreliable racial stereotyping, yes.

I'm not "damning the whole Korean nation", and I'm not making any
statements based on "race" ("Korean" is not a race; in the context of
this thread, it's a culture).

I _did_ try to make a joke (whether or not the humor was any good of
course, is a separate matter), which attempted to amplify a real-life
incident (involving, yes, Korean airline employees) using a cultural
stereotype.

It isn't a particularly negative stereotype of course (I chose the word
"feisty" on purpose, because it has generally positive connotation), and
like many other stereotypes, has some basis in fact.

Here's a test: Go ask a Korean person. It's very likely they'll either
(1) laugh and say "yeah, yeah, ok, it's true", or (2) punch you in the face.
Either way, point made.

[I _actually did this_, just now, and she did (1).]

-Miles

--
Quotation, n. The act of repeating erroneously the words of another. The words
erroneously repeated.

In message , at 22:46:09 on Sun, 11
Oct 2009, " remarked:
I normally take the train (I am this week...) but in this instance
the plane was much cheaper. And being later in the evening, starting
from a meeting quite close to the airport, it was the more sensible
choice. I was staying overnight in London.

Train is more door to door if going to Brussels, though, is it not?

At the Brussels end it depends on where you are heading to. The Eurostar
tips out at Brussels Midi (at the south end of the city centre). If your
destination is in the business area (a mile or so to the north) it's
almost as easy to get there using the airport train, as from Midi. My
destination on that trip was roughly equidistant from the airport or
Midi by taxi.

At the UK end, St Pancras is much more convenient for me than Heathrow
(perhaps 2.5hrs from home rather than 3.5hrs). The concept of "door to
door" rather fades at such a distance. If I were to take the plane from
my local regional airport (I rarely do as it's a full fare airline and
very expensive - £295 each way normally), then I would leave home 1.5hrs
before the flight is due to depart, and therefore 2hrs 45mins before it
lands in Brussels.
--
Roland Perry

In message , at 07:09:57 on Mon, 12 Oct
2009, Miles Bader remarked:
Ha! If you'd fly a Korean airline, you could have violent and insane too!

What a strange remark. Are you a xenophobic?.

Er, no. It was a joke (no doubt a poor one), but based on real
experience (and if you know anything about Korea, you'd know that
Koreans can be ... feisty).

Not while on duty as cabin crew. And the Koreans I met when I was there
were almost overbearingly polite (to western eyes).
--
Roland Perry

On Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:45:30 +0900, Miles Bader wrote:

Bruce writes:
I disagree with your damning the whole Korean nation on the basis of
simplistic and highly unreliable racial stereotyping, yes.

I'm not "damning the whole Korean nation", and I'm not making any
statements based on "race" ("Korean" is not a race; in the context of
this thread, it's a culture).


You're trying (and failing) to wriggle out of a posting that was
clearly racist.


I _did_ try to make a joke (whether or not the humor was any good of
course, is a separate matter), which attempted to amplify a real-life
incident (involving, yes, Korean airline employees) using a cultural
stereotype.


Making jokes using a cultural stereotype is racism. The fact it was
intended as a joke does not make it in any way less offensive - on the
contrary.


It isn't a particularly negative stereotype of course (I chose the word
"feisty" on purpose, because it has generally positive connotation), and
like many other stereotypes, has some basis in fact.

Here's a test: Go ask a Korean person. It's very likely they'll either
(1) laugh and say "yeah, yeah, ok, it's true", or (2) punch you in the face.
Either way, point made.


More racism. You just don't get it, do you.

Roland Perry writes:
Er, no. It was a joke (no doubt a poor one), but based on real
experience (and if you know anything about Korea, you'd know that
Koreans can be ... feisty).

Not while on duty as cabin crew. And the Koreans I met when I was there
were almost overbearingly polite (to western eyes).

[The experience in question involved airport staff, not cabin crew
(I imagine the standards are somewhat higher for the latter).]

I did have the interesting experience of travelling around Korea with a
Korean, and people were very nice and helpful to us -- and afterwards my
companion remarked "I've never been treated this politely in Korea
before!"

:]

-Miles

--
..Numeric stability is probably not all that important when you're guessing.

In message , at 15:21:06 on Mon, 12
Oct 2009, Miles Bader remarked:
Er, no. It was a joke (no doubt a poor one), but based on real
experience (and if you know anything about Korea, you'd know that
Koreans can be ... feisty).

Not while on duty as cabin crew. And the Koreans I met when I was there
were almost overbearingly polite (to western eyes).

[The experience in question involved airport staff, not cabin crew
(I imagine the standards are somewhat higher for the latter).]

I did have the interesting experience of travelling around Korea with a
Korean, and people were very nice and helpful to us -- and afterwards my
companion remarked "I've never been treated this politely in Korea
before!"

You'll wear that spade out, if you aren't careful.
--
Roland Perry

Bruce writes:
You're trying (and failing) to wriggle out of a posting that was
clearly racist.

Bruce, you can call it what you want. That does not make it so.

-Miles

--
Discriminate, v.i. To note the particulars in which one person or thing is,
if possible, more objectionable than another.

Roland Perry writes:
You'll wear that spade out, if you aren't careful.

Do you think I'm lying?

-Miles

--
The trouble with most people is that they think with their hopes or
fears or wishes rather than with their minds. -- Will Durant

On Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:34:28 +0900, Miles Bader wrote:
Roland Perry writes:
You'll wear that spade out, if you aren't careful.

Do you think I'm lying?


No, just digging yourself into an ever-deeper hole.