Trump as tragicomedy

[Smith1776]

My wife is of Chinese descent.

I am interested to know if Trump calling it the Chinese Virus is offensive to you.

If it started in Italy, or Canada, do you think he'd be calling it the Italian Virus or the Canadian Virus?

*Yes, I know there's the Spanish Flu, but that was 100 years ago.*

Italy has now surpassed China in deaths. If restaurants and areas were still open, do you think Americans would stop patronizing Little Italy's and Italian restaurants like we did Chinatowns?

*Please don't deflect and post links to stories that he wasn't the first one to call it the Chinese virus. I will grant you that. But he is continuing it.*

I'd say I'm mildly offended, but also not surprised at Trump's vernacular.

The issue with the word "Chinese" is that it's ambiguous. Chinese may refer to someone's ethnicity, but it may also simply refer to someone's nationality.

For instance, if you are Caucasian but from China, you are Chinese.

If Trump is referring to nationality, I'm not super offended. If he means it in terms of ethnicity, super offended.

[flyingpylon]

If Trump is referring to nationality, I'm not super offended. If he means it in terms of ethnicity, super offended.

What about if Trump clearly meant the country of China, but the media tries to twist it into ethnicity despite the fact that he explicitly said that was not the reason and yet the media persists?

[dualstow]

My wife is of Chinese descent.

I am interested to know if Trump calling it the Chinese Virus is offensive to you.

If it started in Italy, or Canada, do you think he'd be calling it the Italian Virus or the Canadian Virus?

*Yes, I know there's the Spanish Flu, but that was 100 years ago.*

German measles? Ebola is named after a region that is named after a river. It's just not a well-known placename.

My beloved is also of Chinese descent, 100%. Her opinion is not any different from Trump's. It came from China.
The Left & Dems are going ape-sh*t, saying he's a racist.
I think that what lies between is that people who are already racist might be a little more emboldened to be obnoxious about it.

Italy has now surpassed China in deaths. If restaurants and areas were still open, do you think Americans would stop patronizing Little Italy's and Italian restaurants like we did Chinatowns?

They probably would have in the past when Italians were the victims of racism and heavily discriminated against. Nowadays, anyone who is white is "in the club" and the more different you are (black, Chinese), the longer it takes for racism to be overcome.

EDIT: while composing this and previewing, I saw Smith's response. Yeah, Kung-flu is obviously racist. I wouldn't be too excited if this started in Israel and people called it Jew-flu. That'll happen someday. But Chinese is vague. Maybe they should call it the Wuhan virus?

[Smith1776]

If Trump is referring to nationality, I'm not super offended. If he means it in terms of ethnicity, super offended.

What about if Trump clearly meant the country of China, but the media tries to twist it into ethnicity despite the fact that he explicitly said that was not the reason and yet the media persists?

I'd say Trump should have been smart enough to avoid the world "Chinese" to begin with, and sidestep this whole kerfuffle. But we all know he's really not that smart.

[Benko]

There are weeks of reporters from many networks all calling it the Chinese /town name virus (you can find them on YouTube)

History is full of flu’s being named by location.

Smith: Trump purposely called it that. He’s not going to let left wing turkeys tell us what words are and aren’t acceptable.

Has the board been taken over by SJWs?

[dualstow]

Pertinent: https://youtu.be/7zatCqqRY_I

[Benko]

Kung flu is racist? So the majority here really see it as racist and not simply a joke?

[dualstow]

Also: Japanese encephalitis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_encephalitis

Kung flu is racist? So the majority here really see it as racist and not simply a joke?

It's racist because it's a joke.

Everything mentioned above is serious and geographical.

[Smith1776]

As a stand up comedian who is Chinese, I have probably said more racist things about Asians than everyone on this forum and Trump combined.

Then again, much like how Chris Rock or Dave Chappelle have social license to make black jokes, I suppose I have social license to do the same with my ethnicity.

I personally don't really care what he says. Not that it's not socially important (don't want to create a slippery slope), I just don't give a damn about the man.

[stuper1]

Guess what guys, humans are racist. We all make distinctions based on people's races. Trump realizes that and doesn't back away from it. I still haven't seen him setting up any death camps and shipping people off based on their race. Wake me up when he does. Until then, I for one enjoy having a showman as President. At least he's not boring like the rest of the stale, pale, male presidents and even one stale, unpale, male president. The presidential office is so irrelevant anyway that I would just as soon have someone flamboyant as president to at least make the news conferences interesting.

[dualstow]

I've definitely quoted Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle.

I guess after Smith or Ali Wong is recorded making the joke -- and I know it'll be something more clever than "kung flu" -- we'll be saying, "Hey did you see _____ talking about the coronovirus? .... Brilliant!"

We need that protective envelope.
Humans are complicated.

No, obviously, it's the spirit in which these things are said.

[Dieter]

Kung flu is racist? So the majority here really see it as racist and not simply a joke?

I think it's a Racist joke.

I can't comment on what the majority here think.

[Cortopassi]

Kung flu is racist? So the majority here really see it as racist and not simply a joke?

I think it's a Racist joke.

I can't comment on what the majority here think.

It’s either racist or ignorant.

My wife worked at an engineering firm for many years. At least on one occasion in an elevator, a conversation started between her and an older white engineer that ended with “you speak English really well.” And she’d respond that she was born here.

It is too easy to discriminate when people look or speak differently. I don’t hope anymore that Trump will change. Cmon he doesn’t use it because it came from there. He uses it because it tweaks people. He could just as easily call it Covid 19 or coronavirus. It was a conscious, and I’d say poor choice.

[Kriegsspiel]

"Chinese virus" isn't offensive to me at all. I also think "kung-flu" is hilarious.

IRL, I call it "the Wuhan," usually while using a Slingblade accent.

[Mountaineer]

Jeeeeeeeeezeeeee people. Only you can choose to be offended .... or not. Don’t let others define you, or control your emotions. Man up! And woman up! And human up! Leave the woosieness to others.

[Benko]

While you folks are busy being offended by words, people of asian descent are being actually harmed by college admission policies e.g. Harvard, Yale, etc which actively discriminate against them. Not only doesn't this bother most of you, but you have never even thought of it.

[Libertarian666]

While you folks are busy being offended by words, people of asian descent are being actually harmed by college admission policies e.g. Harvard, Yale, etc which actively discriminate against them. Not only doesn't this bother most of you, but you have never even thought of it.

Yes, just as Ashkenazis are.
No one seems to care about those examples of racism.

[dualstow]

While you folks are busy being offended by words, people of asian descent are being actually harmed by college admission policies e.g. Harvard, Yale, etc which actively discriminate against them. Not only doesn't this bother most of you, but you have never even thought of it.

That’s a mite presumptuous.

It was mainstream news.

[Tyler]

There are weeks of reporters from many networks all calling it the Chinese /town name virus (you can find them on YouTube)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eZtCq1 ... e=emb_logo

[Cortopassi]

Trump explains use of "Chinese virus" not racist at all:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zatCqq ... e=youtu.be

Is that tongue in cheek, pug?

Really... chyyyyna.

[Kriegsspiel]

While you folks are busy being offended by words, people of asian descent are being actually harmed by college admission policies e.g. Harvard, Yale, etc which actively discriminate against them. Not only doesn't this bother most of you, but you have never even thought of it.

That’s a mite presumptuous.

It was mainstream news.

It appears Benko's been off the forum for a while, he might need time to catch up.

[Dieter]

Trump explains use of "Chinese virus" not racist at all:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zatCqq ... e=youtu.be

Still calling it a country / ethnicity.

I consider it racist / inflammatory.

It has a couple of names.

[dualstow]

It appears Benko's been off the forum for a while, he might need time to catch up.

We were all in suspended animation.

Is pug’s video the same one I posted? Top of previous page.
I only have to look at Corto’s Chyyy Na to know it’s the same.

[bedraggled]

Benko dates back to 2011.

Good to see a "founder" checking in. I think there is a thread asking where the originals have gone. So....

[dualstow]

That is bizarre, isn’t it? The foreign ministry account has been saying it in both English and Chinese.
Of course, mainland Chinese can’t see it because Twitter has been blocked for years.
There are mainlanders who think that the U.S. refused to help China when in fact Xi brushed aside American offers of assistance. Why do they think that? They saw it on state media.