Firestarter

And to claim that it is without any proof whatsoever is ridiculous.

No. In racial terms, black people tend to have less education than white people. It makes no sense at all for them to be proportionally represented. In this administration, people are appointed to the top jobs because of their competence, not because the President wants to create a cabinet that "looks like America."

10/10, but that's because I knew what the writers of the quiz wanted to claim. (Hey, it's the BBC.) Their answers to #5 and #6 were flat-out wrong, and #9 was rather simple-minded.

Like the State Department? And the National Security Council? I'll relay that to General Powell and Dr Rice. I'm sure they'll be very interested to hear your views. Could you tell me who these white males are? If they're subverting presidential appointments, I'm sure the President would like to hear about it as well. Are you saying that white middle-aged males MUST BE prejudiced against black people simply because they're white middle-aged males? I'm confused, were you trying to accuse someone of racism or were you trying to establish the fact that you are a racist yourself? That's marvellous, darling. I'll just ignore your blind accusation.

One final point: to expound on Ecto Cooler and Ripper's very apt criticisms, "French" is not a race. If anyone were saying "those damn Gallic bastards" you might have a point, DH, but no one is. "French" encompasses people of European, African, Moorish, Germanic, and Arab descent, and many others; it is completely ridiculous to call distaste for a group encompassing so many races (all of which are also included in the term "American," by the way) "racist." My problem with the French isn't based on the countless colours of their skins. It isn't "racism." It's based on their politics, their attitude, their history. Call it "politics-ism" or "history-ism" if you like. Or "Current Events-ism." After all, how dare a folder labelled "Current Events" incorporate its namesake?! Unacceptable! There's your next crusade, slugger. Lock and load.

Oh, please. If you want to go down that road, I had an experience exactly parallel to your experience in the Sistine Chapel less than a week ago. My wife and I were going through a new exhibition at the National Gallery of Art, and the only people disobeying the clearly posted signs prohibiting photography were Japanese. The only people disobeying the unspoken rule "Do not bring screaming babies into quiet art galleries" were three separate southeast Asian couples. Do I draw broad nationalistic or racial conclusions from these experiences? No. (Although I could easily and justifiably do so in both cases, were I so inclined.) You, however, feel free to generalise your individual experiences with American tourists to cover a country of 288 million people. Your calumnies were focused explicitly on "the average American." Don't try to dress it up now. You are precisely what you so shrilly decry. And while I agree that the French heatwave thread was tasteless and foolish at best, stupid prejudice at worst, at least my individual distaste for the French is based on history, quantifiable cultural trends, political shifts, current events, and opinion polls. Not anecdotes.

Yeah, any black person who'd work for a white Christian male is obviously a racist. No, wait.

"Links of questionable legitimacy?" Like what? Name one, please, and why you question its legitimacy. And by the way, I've never addressed that odious comparison of yours. It's beneath contempt and I rarely even acknowledge that you've made it. The last time, I believe it was Mike who took you apart. So the "higher levels of American government" are "inherrently (sic) racist." Fascinating. Do you include cabinet secretaries in that category? Like, oh, say, General Powell and Dr Rice? What about the President who employs them? Or do you think he hired them just to conceal his racism? In that case, what would constitute evidence against racism, since non-racist meritocratic appointments are clearly nothing more than a blind? I can't speak to Britain's institutionalised racism or lack thereof; I have no direct experience of it. I do have direct experience of American attitudes and American law enforcement agencies, and in that respect you are full of it.

Will you shut up. You say the same damn thing in every thread about anti-Semitism, you get slapped around like a redheaded stepchild by the same damn people, you back down, and then you bring it up in yet ANOTHER thread, as if you think everyone's forgotten the last twenty times you made the same specious and feckless comparison. There is no significant organised grass-roots movement to kill or persecute black people in the United States today. Our law enforcement agencies fully investigate all individual incidents. The same cannot be said of France and its Jews.

Inc, stop touching chave. It disturbs me.

Agreed. The heatwave thread was ridiculous.

Quite correct. There's nothing to argue about regarding the point itself. Unjustified prejudice of any kind is silly; all that's at issue is how people react to it: you can find it amusing, you can ignore it, you can argue against it, or you can bitch to a mod. DH chose the latter. That's his right. Pointing out that he is a hypocrite is mine.

It certainly does. Campaigning against all kinds of prejudice is understandable, if whiny, childish, and pathetic. Campaigning only against the kinds of prejudice which offend him personally, while actively engaging in prejudice which he agrees with, is indefensible.

Bah. If it had been a Roger Moore double feature I would've understood. But Dalton?!

Thank you, that was very nice to read. I've always been amazed and gratified by exactly the same thing: a lot of them really, really try. I may get tired of my countrymen when I see them all around me day after day, but (for the most part) they're a breath of fresh air when I'm abroad.

Nicely done. <g> What was the movie?

- ChronWatch article Click here to read a Washington Post article detailing rising anti-Semitism in present-day France. Commentary on a French ambassador's recent description of Israel as "that shitty little country." Read this for a summary of political and social anti-Semitic trends in France over the end of 2001 and most of 2002. Also see the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise's detailed and hyperlinked history of Jews in France. Really, I could go on hyperlinking for the better part of the day, and I would only skim the surface. Barely. If you're unaware of the level of hatred for Jews in general and Israel in particular in France, it's because you haven't taken the time or the interest to educate yourself. The information itself isn't hard to find or hard to interpret. It is all too abundant, and all too clear.

It's hard to take you seriously when you post crap like this: You're not only oversensitive; you're a hypocrite. Where the hell do you get off saying the "average american" is "trash?" Everyone has different experiences with different people in different countries; making sweeping statements about the "average american" simply proves that it's not prejudice per se that pisses you off; it only pisses you off when it isn't YOUR KIND of prejudice. Stuff your querulous indignation in your shoe and shut your mouth.

Pussy. Honestly, I have no idea. I didn't even know what she looked like until you asked about her and I did an image search for her online. So who was behind this amusing little diversion, anyway?

Out of character now: unfortunately or not, these exchanges are actually about as true to life as one could reasonably expect. Well, except for the bit about the dildo. We never touch those things.

Well, what the fuck is wrong with Hanes? At least MY underwear doesn't have to be thrown away after one night and replaced for $400 apiece. And don't even get me started on that ridiculous "extra extra fine" pantyhose you wear. Jesus Christ, I run my fingertips down from your garters and that shit damn near disintegrates. PS. It's Mouton-Rothschild, goddamnit. Will you please try to keep both hands on the keyboard instead of your clit for HALF a second? I don't want everyone to think I settled for an uncultured subliterate.

All right, darling. But no champagne... you know it gives me headaches. Besides, you always want the French stuff, and politics aside, I wish you'd try to remember I'm on a government salary. Do I have to remind you about your last Victoria's Secret bill?

Judge grants request for testimony from al Qaeda figures Jesus Christ. What is it going to take for us to put our collective foot down? Does anyone still doubt the wisdom or necessity of military tribunals? When is this going to end? The shithead's "defense" is that "he had been tapped to participate in a post-September 11 attack on U.S. interests outside the United States." Well isn't that fucking fabulous, I guess you can go now. You're a fucking free man, Mr Moussaoui. Feel free to sue the Justice Department for daring to arrest you in the first fucking place. Your pain and suffering surely entitles you to several million dollars in compensation. And please have a simply GRAND fucking day. Enough is enough. Shoot the motherfucker 3,028 times. Silverplate the bullets and use them to decorate the memorials. But don't spend another fucking cent of MY taxes on his farcical trial.

I'll wear a wig to bed tonight. Do we still have that beehive somewhere? I can get it dyed black tomorrow.

Of course you did, you frigid bitch! You... you... Oh God. Don't leave me, honey. Don't do this. Don't do this to me. Don't do this to us. PS. Will you fucking shut up about Pam Grier already?! Thanks to you I can't get that damn afro out of my head.