Is "offensive" subjective?

[Gnome]

I want to hear your thoughts.

[Gnome]

♠ZerØ♠ eredeti hozzászólása:

Gnome eredeti hozzászólása:

I've never used it to describe someone, either, but if I'm being honest, I have heard acquaintances rely on derogatory terms to describe others. For instance, wetback to refer to Mexicans. Terrorists when it comes to Middle East folks. Etc.

It is tiring. I'm extremely careful in social situations. I think more than twice about what I'm going to say and how I say. Obviously, on the forums I get carried away and let all inhibitions go, which makes me act like a dumbass. I don't recommend it.

Words with double meaning—it's hard to tell whether or not someone is being offensive. It's even harder when their tone of voice convey nothing.

Yet CONTEXT can be a huge tell. Because if one accepts a term as being alright, they wouldn't add inflection to it. They say that raciest term, or religious derogation just as calmly and factually as they say the cat needs more food.

It is so convoluted, and socially subjective as to be painful, to the extreme. And dare I say it.. OF course I do... I it more subjective to those that take offence. At no point are you the innocent... you are always the offended. No matter how innocent the use.

Thanks to our culture...

You're right. Inflection and context are instrumental. Another example: illegal alien. As you pointed out, some people fling terms around, and I quote you, "calmly and factually," and one of them is illegal alien. As someone whose mom works at an organization that provides assistance to undocumented immigrants, I can assure you that many of these people find such term dehumanizing.

It will always be convoluted and frustrating until we find that middle ground Cheesecake mentioned above.

I wonder, and correct me if I'm wrong, is it a matter of educating people and making them realize that some terms can indeed be offensive, even if the use thereof was completely innocuous?

[Gnome]

soap eredeti hozzászólása:

Gnome eredeti hozzászólása:

I'm of the opinion that words are themselves not offensive, but it's the intention behind them that makes them offensive. As in, the person's intention is to deliberately be hurtful and offend.

so, you would say that words are themselves not encouraging?

They definitely are. Words are powerful because human beings imbue them with meaning.

[Teasel]

An example of how the "don't offend people" agenda is used to quell critical thought and silence people.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oMcrwlEIcU

A turd is a turd and I have the right to call it a turd.

[smoka-cola]

yes

[♠ZerØ♠]

Gnome eredeti hozzászólása:

You're right. Inflection and context are instrumental. Another example: illegal alien. As you pointed out, some people fling terms around, and I quote you, "calmly and factually," and one of them is illegal alien. As someone whose mom works at an organization that provides assistance to undocumented immigrants, I can assure you that many of these people find such term dehumanizing.

It will always be convoluted and frustrating until we find that middle ground Cheesecake mentioned above.

I wonder, and correct me if I'm wrong, is it a matter of educating people and letting them know that some terms can indeed be offensive, even if the use thereof was completely innocuous?

Spot on, old son.

I can no longer comment unless you want to skirt the very nature of OT....

[Lily]

Golightly eredeti hozzászólása:

An example of how the "don't offend people" agenda is used to quell critical thought and silence people.

Here's the description that Youtube channel which posted the video has given itself:

Welcome to our NEW youtube channels. We will upload videos we think are pertinent to our cause.
The European Knights Project,is the pre-eminent organisation representing TRUE Western interests on the net. Please visit our website www.europeanknightsproject.org for answers to the problems facing western civilisation & to join us in our righteous crusade. Currently we have over 300,000 members worldwide and are growing RAPIDLY. If you want to be part of our mailing list please head to our new www.europeanknightsprojec.com site and type your email address into the subscribe box.

Yeah, they're neonazis. There's no chance in hell I'm going to their website, but it's plainly obvious nonetheless. And the hypocrisy of fascists criticizing the authoritarianism of Israel's rightist government is laughable. How can people who actively advocate racial segregation possibly claim the moral high ground in criticism of Israel's own system of apartheid?

[♠ZerØ♠]

Gustave5436 eredeti hozzászólása:

Golightly eredeti hozzászólása:

An example of how the "don't offend people" agenda is used to quell critical thought and silence people.

Here's the description that Youtube channel which posted the video has given itself:

Welcome to our NEW youtube channels. We will upload videos we think are pertinent to our cause.
The European Knights Project,is the pre-eminent organisation representing TRUE Western interests on the net. Please visit our website www.europeanknightsproject.org for answers to the problems facing western civilisation & to join us in our righteous crusade. Currently we have over 300,000 members worldwide and are growing RAPIDLY. If you want to be part of our mailing list please head to our new www.europeanknightsprojec.com site and type your email address into the subscribe box.

Yeah, they're neonazis. There's no chance in hell I'm going to their website, but it's plainly obvious nonetheless. And the hypocrisy of fascists criticizing the authoritarianism of Israel's rightist government is laughable. How can people who actively advocate racial segregation possibly claim the moral high ground in criticism of Israel's own system of apartheid?

Woo Gus! My only take away was a desire to end all of them.

[Teasel]

♠ZerØ♠ eredeti hozzászólása:

Gnome eredeti hozzászólása:

You're right. Inflection and context are instrumental. Another example: illegal alien. As you pointed out, some people fling terms around, and I quote you, "calmly and factually," and one of them is illegal alien. As someone whose mom works at an organization that provides assistance to undocumented immigrants, I can assure you that many of these people find such term dehumanizing.

It will always be convoluted and frustrating until we find that middle ground Cheesecake mentioned above.

I wonder, and correct me if I'm wrong, is it a matter of educating people and letting them know that some terms can indeed be offensive, even if the use thereof was completely innocuous?

Spot on, old son.

I can no longer comment unless you want to skirt the very nature of OT....

Screw the middle ground is it helps hide the facts. If you're an illegal alien, you're an illegal alien. Euphemistic terms may help someone feel better about themselves but it does nothing for reality. If people can't accept the truth and have to hide behind some sort of fantasy, they need a shrink.

[Gnome]

Golightly eredeti hozzászólása:

♠ZerØ♠ eredeti hozzászólása:

Spot on, old son.

I can no longer comment unless you want to skirt the very nature of OT....

Screw the middle ground is it helps hide the facts. If you're an illegal alien, you're an illegal alien. Euphemistic terms may help someone feel better about themselves but it does nothing for reality. If people can't accept the truth and have to hide behind some sort of fantasy, they need a shrink.

But alien implies such people came from another planet. They're immigrants, just like you and me. Everyone is related to immigration one way or another. But let's not get into this right now, because it will go nowhere.

[Lily]

Golightly eredeti hozzászólása:

Screw the middle ground is it helps hide the facts. If you're an illegal alien, you're an illegal alien. Euphemistic terms may help someone feel better about themselves but it does nothing for reality. If people can't accept the truth and have to hide behind some sort of fantasy, they need a shrink.

Not everyone shares the neoliberal ideal that capital should enjoy freedom of movement but that labor should not. "Illegal alien" is a term that only has meaning for members of certain political ideologies, and it is a meaning which people of other worldviews find utterly deplorable.

[Teasel]

Gustave5436 eredeti hozzászólása:

Golightly eredeti hozzászólása:

An example of how the "don't offend people" agenda is used to quell critical thought and silence people.

Here's the description that Youtube channel which posted the video has given itself:

Welcome to our NEW youtube channels. We will upload videos we think are pertinent to our cause.
The European Knights Project,is the pre-eminent organisation representing TRUE Western interests on the net. Please visit our website www.europeanknightsproject.org for answers to the problems facing western civilisation & to join us in our righteous crusade. Currently we have over 300,000 members worldwide and are growing RAPIDLY. If you want to be part of our mailing list please head to our new www.europeanknightsprojec.com site and type your email address into the subscribe box.

Yeah, they're neonazis. There's no chance in hell I'm going to their website, but it's plainly obvious nonetheless. And the hypocrisy of fascists criticizing the authoritarianism of Israel's rightist government is laughable. How can people who actively advocate racial segregation possibly claim the moral high ground in criticism of Israel's own system of apartheid?

Well, if you listen to a top Rabbi, fascism was invented in the Rothschild offices in Vienna in the 1880s.

[Dendrobates Tinctorius]

Golightly eredeti hozzászólása:

Gustave5436 eredeti hozzászólása:

Here's the description that Youtube channel which posted the video has given itself:

Yeah, they're neonazis. There's no chance in hell I'm going to their website, but it's plainly obvious nonetheless. And the hypocrisy of fascists criticizing the authoritarianism of Israel's rightist government is laughable. How can people who actively advocate racial segregation possibly claim the moral high ground in criticism of Israel's own system of apartheid?

Well, if you listen to a top Rabbi, fascism was invented in the Rothschild offices in Vienna in the 1880s.

Do we have to listen to A Top Rabbi through neonazi newsletters and youtube videos?

[Gnome]

Gustave5436 eredeti hozzászólása:

Golightly eredeti hozzászólása:

Screw the middle ground is it helps hide the facts. If you're an illegal alien, you're an illegal alien. Euphemistic terms may help someone feel better about themselves but it does nothing for reality. If people can't accept the truth and have to hide behind some sort of fantasy, they need a shrink.

Not everyone shares the neoliberal ideal that capital should enjoy freedom of movement but that labor should not. "Illegal alien" is a term that only has meaning for members of certain political ideologies, and it is a meaning which people of other worldviews find utterly deplorable.

Because it is deplorable.

[Juke Bredd]

It depends on what you find "offensive". I, for one, find what we humans call, "good" or "evil", a GROSS oversimplefercion.

[♠ZerØ♠]

Huh. This commentary got out out of hand when I took a short nap.. The irrational Word police showed up, and found me inactive and rallied... Sorry.. I have the flu.

Gnome, can I get.. heheh "Offensive" with the thread?