Spanish Basketball Team Salutes Their Hosts

[Anonymous]

Well, when I lived in Europe, much of which qualifies in many ways as a multi-ethnic society, I saw a real tension between national/racial identities and liberal multi-culturalism. So I agree with PP that the undercurrent is present, but it's not 1938. PP, I think condemning them as racist and ignorant is not so simple, though I didn't find Europeans as highly evolved as they fancy themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Europeans are horribly racist and generally ignorant. It is extremely apparant in their complete and total lack of ability to assimilate their immigrants into their countries. They even managed to produce the worst monster in history, Hitler, and the millions looked on with apathy.

Next time you are in Germany bring up the Turks. When visiting France, find out what they think of the Arabs.

Next time you're in Spain, ask them their opinions of the Gypsies and the Arabs (esp. the ones from North Africa). For a quick history snapshot, the Gypsies have been in Spain for 4 centuries and the Arabs had been there for 8 centuries before being kicked-out in 1492. At this point, I figured that both ethnic & cultural groups would be pretty native, but they are not assimilated, integrated, or accepted.

[Anonymous]

God Bless America.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:God Bless America.

Well, the Native Americans have been in the US for an estimated 25,000 years and the federal government has managed to corral them to reservations, where alcoholism and lost hope is rampant. Don't be so smug.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:God Bless America.

Well, the Native Americans have been in the US for an estimated 25,000 years and the federal government has managed to corral them to reservations, where alcoholism and lost hope is rampant. Don't be so smug.

Sounds like no country is exempt from burning in hell.

So the picture was childish- move on..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:God Bless America.

Well, the Native Americans have been in the US for an estimated 25,000 years and the federal government has managed to corral them to reservations, where alcoholism and lost hope is rampant. Don't be so smug.

how is that smug?

[Anonymous]

It is offensive and they know it. The Spaniars weren't trying to make friends that way.
BTW, the reason racism seems so prevalent in Europe is because they are much less PC than we are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:God Bless America.

Well, the Native Americans have been in the US for an estimated 25,000 years and the federal government has managed to corral them to reservations, where alcoholism and lost hope is rampant. Don't be so smug.

how is that smug?

When you say, "God Bless America" it suggests that racism and affiliated activities that occur elsewhere don't occur in the US. We've learned to be a little more polite on the surface, but the root of racism, xenophobia is still there - just hidden.

[Anonymous]

Noooo, the reason racism is so awful in Europe is their economies are largely in the crapper, and they're in full-on protection mode. Never mind that some of the people bearing the brunt of it have called Europe home for generations. Never mind that no self-respecting French youth would be caught dead cleaning a toilet (much easier to collect government subsidies and live with your mother-- there's no social stigma to it any more).

Seems a tad familiar, now that I take a good look around the DC-MD-VA area.

[Anonymous]

I don't understand why anyone would think this was OK, nor the fact that no one responsible for the ad, seems to think it wasn't. The fact that there wasn't one voice of reason concerns me.

In some ways it reminds me of a run in with someone years ago. My DH (who is Asian) and I were visiting a family member at his office. I had an appointment downstairs, so DH took our DD and went up to find my BIL. When I got upstairs I told the girl at the front desk that my DH and DD had gone back to see my BIL (her boss) and asked her if she would let me in. She asked me if my DD was "the cute little girl with the chinky eyes?", and she did the eye movement. Now I could tell she used didn't try to be insulting, so I just said yes, and went through. I was only in my BIL's office for a minute or two before there was a knock at the door, and this girl was in tears on the other side.

The office staff had overheard our exchange, and really couldn't believe said that. She just didn't know any better, until that moment.

The one thing I have found is that Asians seem to be easy targets, and that it is often more acceptable to poke fun at them. If you look at the world around us, you will see examples of this all the time. Why there is a "Master" in Hot Pockets commercials I will never understand. In movies and on TV, you see people mocking Asians by saying "Ahhh So" and trying to look bucktoothed. I am also pretty sure we all learned the old rhyme "Me Chinese, me play joke, me put pee pee in your coke" or "Chinese, Japanese, look at these". These things are obviously not OK, and would never have been so wildly acceptable if they were about African Americans or Whites.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:God Bless America.

Well, the Native Americans have been in the US for an estimated 25,000 years and the federal government has managed to corral them to reservations, where alcoholism and lost hope is rampant. Don't be so smug.

how is that smug?

When you say, "God Bless America" it suggests that racism and affiliated activities that occur elsewhere don't occur in the US. We've learned to be a little more polite on the surface, but the root of racism, xenophobia is still there - just hidden.

Ok, so lets ban God Bless America. We should also sesor the song. I suggest a "bleep" on the God and Bless part.

I have NEVER had the inkling of of a sense of racism when I have heard God Bless America. My family is Peruvian (my parents born there, I here) and they say God Bless America all the time. So what race are they being racist against?

[Anonymous]

The Italians have a lot to be proud of. They did not let the bodies of two dead Gypsie girls spoil their day at the beach. They think them sub human. For the whole story:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/07/21/italy.drowning/

The Gypsies and Arabs are HATED (yes HATED) in Europe. Its' funny how they fancy themself prioneers of human rights, protesting China and all.....yea, as long as the Chineese stay in China out out of their beloved cities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why anyone would think this was OK, nor the fact that no one responsible for the ad, seems to think it wasn't. The fact that there wasn't one voice of reason concerns me.

In some ways it reminds me of a run in with someone years ago. My DH (who is Asian) and I were visiting a family member at his office. I had an appointment downstairs, so DH took our DD and went up to find my BIL. When I got upstairs I told the girl at the front desk that my DH and DD had gone back to see my BIL (her boss) and asked her if she would let me in. She asked me if my DD was "the cute little girl with the chinky eyes?", and she did the eye movement. Now I could tell she used didn't try to be insulting, so I just said yes, and went through. I was only in my BIL's office for a minute or two before there was a knock at the door, and this girl was in tears on the other side.

The office staff had overheard our exchange, and really couldn't believe said that. She just didn't know any better, until that moment.

The one thing I have found is that Asians seem to be easy targets, and that it is often more acceptable to poke fun at them. If you look at the world around us, you will see examples of this all the time. Why there is a "Master" in Hot Pockets commercials I will never understand. In movies and on TV, you see people mocking Asians by saying "Ahhh So" and trying to look bucktoothed. I am also pretty sure we all learned the old rhyme "Me Chinese, me play joke, me put pee pee in your coke" or "Chinese, Japanese, look at these". These things are obviously not OK, and would never have been so wildly acceptable if they were about African Americans or Whites.

or the untouchable Jews.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:God Bless America.

Well, the Native Americans have been in the US for an estimated 25,000 years and the federal government has managed to corral them to reservations, where alcoholism and lost hope is rampant. Don't be so smug.

how is that smug?

When you say, "God Bless America" it suggests that racism and affiliated activities that occur elsewhere don't occur in the US. We've learned to be a little more polite on the surface, but the root of racism, xenophobia is still there - just hidden.

Ok, so lets ban God Bless America. We should also sesor the song. I suggest a "bleep" on the God and Bless part.

I have NEVER had the inkling of of a sense of racism when I have heard God Bless America. My family is Peruvian (my parents born there, I here) and they say God Bless America all the time. So what race are they being racist against?

So now you're referring to the song God Bless America? People also just say GBA when they see something they are proud of in America. ARe you the pp who posted "God Bless America"? Now, I don't know what you are talking about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
or the untouchable Jews.

Ooof. This thread is going from bad to worse. No country is immune from racism. And the acts of a few idiot basketball players should not be enough evidence to castigate an entire country.

Its offensive. If you don't get that... I won't be able to explain it to you.