David Massey wrote:
> Actually, Andy, you are right. French border guards are out of context in
> a joke about cars with Italian names. You know, like Bugatti. Um, never
> mind.
Actually, that joke (I'm sure other countries' border guards could come
under similar fire) derives from a long-standing tradition of
nationalism between the French and the Belgians (I have someone working
for me who lived in France for twenty years, and who says this is
common). Remember that the occupants of the car in question, in this
joke, are Belgian.
There's some perspective to be considered when talking about a generic
ethnic joke, in which one nationality is interchangeable with another,
and about outright slurs (which started all this mess, generally).
Everyone one wants to propose or defend their position, but they all
seem to want to do it in public, because everyone is looking for public
consensus for their views. Ethics has nothing to do with consensus. It
has to do with what is immutably proper treatment of one human being
toward another. If ethics had _anything_ to do with public consensus,
Hitler's program for the Jews of Europe would have been highly
ethical....
The politically correct in this country wish to see all such jokes as
ethnic and improper. What really counts is whether or not someone is
regarded on his individual merit. A man, black, white, Chinese,
Vietnamese, whatever, if he's been treated well and honestly by you,
will laugh with you about a joke which reveals the human condition, in
whatever guise.
This is not how this started out. It started with someone introducing
nationality into their attack on a person's merit and capabilities. That
was a mistake. All that really needed to be said was that a local
upholsterer did not do what was expected, and the results showed it.
As I have mentioned previously, if one takes offense with the remarks of
a list member, on personal or cultural or ethnic or any other grounds,
bring it up with the individual by private email. There's no need to
bring one's views to the list publicly, because consensus, as I've said,
doesn't validate one's views.
Cheers.
--
Michael D. Porter
Roswell, NM
mailto: mporter@zianet.com
`70 GT6+ (being refurbished, slowly)
`71 GT6 Mk. III (organ donor)
`72 GT6 Mk. III (daily driver)
`64 TR4 (awaiting intensive care)
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