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Igel

(35,350 posts)
48. The distinction is sometimes blurry.
Thu Mar 19, 2020, 11:42 AM
Mar 2020

Take the consumption of bush meat in Africa, which is (a) a cultural trait and (b) responsible for a couple of Ebola outbreaks, with a hemorrhagic fever or two thrown in for good measure.

It's a bad cultural practice and there was the chance for Ebola to kill not just thousands but millions. It did not. The safe criticism isn't based on culture but based on an irrelevancy, "Some of the bush meat comes from poaching," so we can point to poachers and condemn them. But it's in the same class of cultural practices as Chinese wet markets.

We're careful to point out that bush meat is often provided by poachers, because the attempt was made to say condemning that practice was also racist.

There was no trouble condemning meat eaters for BSE in the '80s, and if 'possum introduced a disease vector we'd have no trouble condemning them. Not every practice specific to a racial or ethnic group is so meritorious that the only reason to condemn it is racism. But "racism" these days is a purity crime, and these are difficult to discuss. In the 1600s if you were accused of being a witch, denial was a confession and to accuse an accuser of being wrong was to defend the witch and be accused of being a witch. It's like being called a heretic in 1500s Europe, say you didn't defame the Prophet in 2010s Pakistan, or defend yourself against being an enemy of the people in 1930s Russia or 1960s China. One accuser is proof enough, defense worsens the crime, and guilt is assumed. Why? It's like having the plague--better to overreact and protect from contamination than to maybe allow the unclean thing to spread its contagion.


Note that by this week's standards, "MERS" is an act of ethnic hatred and to use it is to out yourself as a racist. I mean, really, you're blaming Arabs and Muslims for "MERS"? ("Middle East Respiratory Syndrome" must inherently ascribe intent to produce a pandemic to Middle Easterners as a group, right? Because we don't name things by place. I kid, but if it got picked up the only recourse would be repentance.)

Xenophobic ignoranus. nt Xipe Totec Mar 2020 #1
If RUMP said the virus was from aliens these NoMoreRepugs Mar 2020 #2
I wonder why did those viruses originate in China AlexSFCA Mar 2020 #3
Wet markets. I have heard that it origated from comsuption of Pangolins a wild endangered species Dream Girl Mar 2020 #14
So customerserviceguy Mar 2020 #15
This is a political loser for us if all we do is scream racism BeyondGeography Mar 2020 #33
Yes, he does. Lonestarblue Mar 2020 #36
+1 ChiTownDenny Mar 2020 #59
It's still despicable to be racist against the Chinese. Turin_C3PO Mar 2020 #37
The distinction is sometimes blurry. Igel Mar 2020 #48
Well put. customerserviceguy Mar 2020 #49
There's the first sucker to bite into Trumps bait. captain queeg Mar 2020 #4
So what's our excuse? nt intrepidity Mar 2020 #5
Heart disease and diabetes come from American culture IronLionZion Mar 2020 #6
They're not contagious. whathehell Mar 2020 #27
And the groups have been condemned for the harmful practices. Igel Mar 2020 #52
Yet the Chinese culture is good enough to outsource production to China. LiberalFighter Mar 2020 #7
He's not wrong.... GatorDem82 Mar 2020 #8
MERS and Swine Flu did not originate in China. dalton99a Mar 2020 #10
H1N1 originated in Mexico and hit the US harder than anywhere else IronLionZion Mar 2020 #12
I loathe Cornyn & he's not wrong Justitia Mar 2020 #16
Well.. cannabis_flower Mar 2020 #19
Condemnation of one Igel Mar 2020 #55
Yep MosheFeingold Mar 2020 #26
Modern world? You forgot there is a Jewish Refugees Museum in Shanghai dalton99a Mar 2020 #35
Oh some what aboutism! MosheFeingold Mar 2020 #56
They, they, they. Condemn specific practices in an industry, not an entire culture. dalton99a Mar 2020 #58
Sure MosheFeingold Mar 2020 #64
People are using the fact that it originated in China Turin_C3PO Mar 2020 #38
What does it say about our culture our swine flu? LizBeth Mar 2020 #9
Americans love to eat swine IronLionZion Mar 2020 #31
Pangolins and that species of bat are native to SE Asia Warpy Mar 2020 #11
"influenza of 1918.. most likely origin on a pig farm in Kansas" and that was before factory farm progree Mar 2020 #18
I wholeheartedly agree. Factory farming is begging for trouble Warpy Mar 2020 #20
I will be sooooooooooooooo glad to get out of this ignorant, hateful state Scalded Nun Mar 2020 #13
are the Chinese the next to be targeted? Demonaut Mar 2020 #17
He eats shit. He should talk. olddad65 Mar 2020 #21
The orange idiot is programming his repuke underlings to cover up truthisfreedom Mar 2020 #22
Interesting video by VOX (not Fox) explaining why Chinese "wet markets" are so problematic zonemaster Mar 2020 #23
Racist! MosheFeingold Mar 2020 #28
Antisemitic! IronLionZion Mar 2020 #32
Sounds about right MosheFeingold Mar 2020 #57
America knows 45 dropped the ball and this is just a distraction. 45 should have ordered masks and truthisfreedom Mar 2020 #24
Maybe not the thing to say...dumb shit Maxheader Mar 2020 #25
he catsudon Mar 2020 #29
This message was self-deleted by its author democratisphere Mar 2020 #30
Most of what he said is absolutely Turin_C3PO Mar 2020 #39
This message was self-deleted by its author democratisphere Mar 2020 #44
Trump's handled it just as bad as China. Turin_C3PO Mar 2020 #45
This message was self-deleted by its author democratisphere Mar 2020 #46
cornhole proves once again, that he enjoys being a fucking asshole. nt Javaman Mar 2020 #34
Typical Repug - point fingers instead of working the problem. Talitha Mar 2020 #40
Well Cornyn isn't wrong on this one. I'd say the same about US culture and diabetes... Devil Child Mar 2020 #41
He is wrong. Turin_C3PO Mar 2020 #43
Not just conservatives, but whites in general, radius777 Mar 2020 #67
He doesn't exactly look like a spring chicken. LisaL Mar 2020 #42
What an asshole! Mickju Mar 2020 #47
playing the blame game is not a leadership quality MissMillie Mar 2020 #50
Says the guy that likes to eat cow testicles Blues Heron Mar 2020 #51
We have a neutral term for the virus... heckles65 Mar 2020 #53
Americans eat pigs, cows, and chickens. Thunderbeast Mar 2020 #54
Racist piece of shit.. Blue_Tires Mar 2020 #60
Americans eat barnyard animals. milestogo Mar 2020 #61
Squirrel, armadillo, oppossum, wild boar, alligator and snake are eaten in and around this country.. Tikki Mar 2020 #62
I'm in TX and i'm disgusted and ashamed by this horrid man's stupidity & blatant racism. onetexan Mar 2020 #63
He needs to he this head out of his ass before he speaks. MAYBE, JUST MAYBE Vivienne235729 Mar 2020 #65
What an asshat MustLoveBeagles Mar 2020 #66
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