Was Herge a Racist?

[Gluestick]

[quote] In India they are very concerned about the treatment of animals. ...........[/quote]

But not people....................[blink]

Which neatly demonstrates what a load of cobblers most PC nonsense really is!

[Clair]

So should we assume that "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" will be totally re-written, as it is based on the unequal treatment suffered by a section of American population because of their skin colour, allegedly?[:-))]

[Gluestick]

Cynic!

 

[powerdesal]

[quote user="Gluestick"]

 How the Russians invented everything etc.

 

[/quote]

Especially when everyone knows it was really the French who invented everything. [:P]

[Clair]

Except for the metric system, of course![;-)]

[powerdesal]

[quote user="Clair"]Except for the metric system, of course![;-)]

[/quote]

John Wilkins (1668) probably knew where France was though, so by association it can be claimed by France [:P]

[Chief]

Racism from a Black Mans Perspective:

I was called a golliwog at school.  I assume this to be racist for the simple reason my white friends were never called it.  I was often called a nigger,and again i assumed this to be racist because my white friends were never called it.  Likewise my white friends (some of my best friends are white...ha ha) were never called sambo funnily enough, nor were they told to p*ss off back to where they came from (manchester).  None of my white friends were ever called a black c**t, or an f**king wog, so i guess i grew up thinking these terms were racist as well.  Also, Baa Baa Black Sheep might not appear racist, but i think the underlying theme that was tackled by those horrid and ghastly PC pinko liberal soft show wearing (is that an ism of some sort) types, is that, as with many other things at the time, and indeed now, 'Black' was used to symbolise BAD and 'White' was symbolised as GOOD. Hence a perception (perhaps) in some that all things black were bad, black youths (police), black mark against you, into the black hole, blackouts, etc etc.

Now then, onto PC while i am rolling with it.  PC is a misnomer, it should be called GM.  Good Manners, and is all about treating others in a polite, friendly, inoffensive manner, in essence, the way we as individuals would like to be treated (i guess).  Some 'PC' admittedly goes a little far, but don't blame black or ethnic people for that.  My perception is that in many cases it is often well-intentioned white people determining that black/ethnic people might be offended by a, b or c and therefore banning it. Those most vocal against PC sometimes appear to be complaining simply because they can no longer offend people at will without consequence. Sorry your wrong.

Try looking at it like this for a week or two.  If your fat, imagine having to wait for everything you want until after the thin people have had or done it.  When you're in the canteen at work, you cannot eat until the thin people have finished, cannot get on the bus until the thin people have boarded, must wait outside teh shops until the thin people have finished etc etc.  Just imagije it over teh next week as you go about your daily business, and thin people do the same in reverse.  Then ask yourself, having been the butt end of decades of 'FAT B*STARD' jokes or 'THIN B*STARD' jokes, disadvantage and innuendos, would you be wanting change........be honest now :-))

[Gluestick]

With great and delicate respect Chief, I fear you are missing the point here a bit.

The point being how stupid the current vogue of excessive PC has become.

I am quite sure that no one here would deny, that referring to a person of Afro-Caribbean heritage in the terms you imply is both racist and extremely rude. As well as being totally divise and unhelpful in the cause of eventual, natural integration.

One of my chums in the UK is an Asian Indian businessman: he was complaining to me recently about people perceiving him as Indian-Asian: I stated unequivocally, that I and all of his white friends think of him as our friend H the successful local businessman, super Dad and husband. To me, he's a man.

That's all.

The problem with UK legislation is that it has in fact encouraged active racism, rather than allowing it wither on the vine: as it would have done, if particularly the bleeding heart Ivory Tower Dwelling Liberal lunatic fringe had not created and focused attention, which has then magnified from and by the extreme Right Wing!

All that said, it has to be realised that the Brits enjoy a lively and at times waspish sense of humour: for many hundreds of years they have denegrated each other and called them "Scots" "Jocks", "Micks", Taffys" and etc, with not overmuch harm done. It's really a sort of right of passage, in both a social and working environment.

The extreme PC brigade, however, apart from creating focus and thus attention, have gone to the lunatic ultimate end!

For slothful civil servants, all this new legislation has been manna from heaven!

And sadly, instead of removing racial discrimination, it has led to smaller employers avoiding employing ethnic groups from fear of the costs involved on the downside!

Same applies to non-hetrosexuals, too.

This is simply because the potential costs can bankrupt reasonable sized companies and are far out of step with even (e.g.) redundancy payments for a 30 year worker!

Now we have whole departments focused on "Diversity" strategy and etc. And this does not just apply to what might be perceived as race and ethnicity issues, oh no! It's far broader than that! It's sex and has spawned a whole new range of phrases and words, such as "Homophobic": and new types of person, such as Bi-Sexual; Transgender; keep on going.........................sigh.

No wonder my council taxes are so high!

However, perhaps the worst aspect of all this legislative nonsense is that it has created a huge opportunity for the devious to both find a reason to avoid something they see as onerous and fly to the old defence of "Racial Harassment" and "Racial Discrimination". It has also allowed the misfits to exploit positions for huge personal financial gain.

Only last week I have been involved in advising a professional colleague on an alleged accusation of "Homophobic Hate Crime"!

His heinous act was to be trying to seek justice for a young man who died under very suspicious circumstances which could well have been homosexual multiple rape. In order to attempt to discredit him and sully his excellent reputation, an unfounded complaint was made to the police.

Once it was proved to the Chief Constable that no "Sexual Hate Crime"had been committed (and since it is not an indictable criminal offence as yet that's hardly surprising!), then the police immediately backed off.

The issues now is why they decided they could act in the first place and what devious forces were at work inside the police authority dealing with this and allowing an unfounded accusations to escape into the media!

Large sums of compensation are now sought!

And finally, Chief, it is impossible to turn the clock back: much as we would love to be able to do so!

What was written, painted, published years ago and relates to what was then and is impossible to retract.

Your final analogy is fine but somewhat dangerous! As obesity has become a national british disease, then the word "Fat" could soon be banned.

But then so must Fatstock: Fatten (Cattle); Father (since it is Fat-Her and is also sexist!) and so on ad naseum.

Racial harmony will come from good will and shared adversity: not from statute.

As it has in France for those who truly seek to be integrated and become French!

 

[Dick Smith]

Amazing. You have read what Chief wrote and not understood a single word of it. Even his rather good analogy at the end.

And once again "I know of a different case" wins over years of knowledge, research and experience.

I think that after this post Chief deserves an apology from you.

If you have anything to do with the law, as you suggest, I am deeply disturbed.

[Gluestick]

I believe from your posts, Mr Smith, that you are a teacher.

Therefore, you are no doubt pretty well insulated from the real World in which I dwell.

If you think that the current PC idiocy will do anything at all to relieve, reduce or dispel active racism, then I am deeply worried: for the nation's children!

My English comprehension is normally pretty good, thank you.

You, I and an army cannot use clumsy statute to dramatically alter reality: as the Poll tax revolt demonstrated loud and clear.

To pick on certain words, allusions and suggestions, as deeply offensive, tends to mask underlying realities.

It also starts a trend, which once commenced, tends to be unstoppable.

As I said, racism and any form of determinent discrimination can only be countered by goodwill: not statute.

If you believe otherwise - and you clearly do - then I suggest you go into your local library, at the earliest opportunity and start burning books.

The great problem is, of course, who will be the arbiter of what is acceptable and what is not?

Ken Livingstone, perhaps?

 

 

[Mark]

[quote user="Gluestick"]

 

All that said, it has to be realised that the Brits enjoy a lively and at times waspish sense of humour: for many hundreds of years they have denegrated each other and called them "Scots" "Jocks", "Micks", Taffys"

 

[/quote]

Waaaaaaaah!!!  We can't call the Sweaties 'Scots' anymore???  What do we call them now?

Some of my best friends are bigots. 

[woolybanana (ex tag)]

The Brit nationalities can usually stand up for themselves and give as good as they get. But if you are discriminated against "passively" it is much more invidious, eg in housing queues, looks in the streets, shops. Name calling is the least of the problems though it could represent the tip of an iceberg.

[Clair]

An update on the Tintin story at the start of the thread: Tintin au congo à nouveau devant la justice