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Re: Trump as tragicomedy
Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2020 4:22 pm
by Smith1776
Cortopassi wrote: ↑Thu Mar 19, 2020 4:18 pm
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.
Re: Trump as tragicomedy
Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2020 4:26 pm
by flyingpylon
Smith1776 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 19, 2020 4:22 pm
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?
Re: Trump as tragicomedy
Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2020 4:27 pm
by dualstow
Cortopassi wrote: ↑Thu Mar 19, 2020 4:18 pm
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?
Re: Trump as tragicomedy
Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2020 4:29 pm
by Smith1776
flyingpylon wrote: ↑Thu Mar 19, 2020 4:26 pm
Smith1776 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 19, 2020 4:22 pm
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.

Re: Trump as tragicomedy
Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2020 4:29 pm
by 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?
Re: Trump as tragicomedy
Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2020 4:29 pm
by dualstow
Re: Trump as tragicomedy
Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2020 4:34 pm
by Benko
Kung flu is racist? So the majority here really see it as racist and not simply a joke?
Re: Trump as tragicomedy
Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2020 4:36 pm
by dualstow
Also: Japanese encephalitis:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_encephalitis
Benko wrote: ↑Thu Mar 19, 2020 4:34 pm
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.
Re: Trump as tragicomedy
Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2020 4:39 pm
by 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.
Re: Trump as tragicomedy
Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2020 4:59 pm
by 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.
Re: Trump as tragicomedy
Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2020 5:00 pm
by 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.
Re: Trump as tragicomedy
Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2020 5:26 pm
by Dieter
Benko wrote: ↑Thu Mar 19, 2020 4:34 pm
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.
Re: Trump as tragicomedy
Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2020 5:57 pm
by Cortopassi
Dieter wrote: ↑Thu Mar 19, 2020 5:26 pm
Benko wrote: ↑Thu Mar 19, 2020 4:34 pm
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.
Re: Trump as tragicomedy
Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2020 5:59 pm
by 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.
Re: Trump as tragicomedy
Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2020 6:18 pm
by 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.
Re: Trump as tragicomedy
Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2020 6:20 pm
by 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.
Re: Trump as tragicomedy
Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2020 6:23 pm
by Libertarian666
Benko wrote: ↑Thu Mar 19, 2020 6:20 pm
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.
Re: Trump as tragicomedy
Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2020 6:29 pm
by dualstow
Benko wrote: ↑Thu Mar 19, 2020 6:20 pm
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.
Re: Trump as tragicomedy
Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2020 6:53 pm
by Tyler
Benko wrote: ↑Thu Mar 19, 2020 4:29 pm
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
Re: Trump as tragicomedy
Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2020 6:56 pm
by Cortopassi
Is that tongue in cheek, pug?
Really... chyyyyna.
Re: Trump as tragicomedy
Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2020 6:56 pm
by Kriegsspiel
dualstow wrote: ↑Thu Mar 19, 2020 6:29 pm
Benko wrote: ↑Thu Mar 19, 2020 6:20 pm
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.
Re: Trump as tragicomedy
Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2020 6:59 pm
by Dieter
Still calling it a country / ethnicity.
I consider it racist / inflammatory.
It has a couple of names.
Re: Trump as tragicomedy
Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2020 7:00 pm
by dualstow
Kriegsspiel wrote: ↑Thu Mar 19, 2020 6:56 pm
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.

Re: Trump as tragicomedy
Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2020 7:05 pm
by 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....
Re: Trump as tragicomedy
Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2020 6:28 am
by 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.