Posted on 09/17/2014 12:57:24 PM PDT by C19fan
Fresh off the heels of apologizing for using the offensive term “Shylocks,” Joe Biden referred to Asia as “the Orient” while detailing his recent trip to the continent and attempting to show off his foreign-policy cred.
“On the way back from Mumbai to meet with President Xi in China, I stopped in Singapore to meet with a guy named Lee Kuan Yew,” the vice president said in Iowa on Wednesday, “who most foreign-policy experts around the world say is the wisest man in the Orient.”
Most dictionaries define “Orient” as an archaic term used to refer to Asia. The word has largely taken on a pejorative meaning in recent years, with one scholar calling its use part of ”racializing Asians as forever opposite ‘others.’”
The Orient Express went all the way to....Turkey.
Asian.
He’ll probably find a way to offend colored people next. Or the Wops.
Because only people from one of the inferior races get offended.
everything east of Suez is the Orient
everything to the west is the Occident
there was no gaffe
Hitlery 2016 at work here?
to get your self up to speed, read one of my favorite books Richard Haliburton's Complete Book of Marvels.When I read it the first time I was amazed. It was the thickest book I ever read in my 12 year old life. Now 60 years later, it is still a standard reference.
Book one details the Occident, Book two details the Orient
“Orient” is a Eurocentric term. It definitely means east and is only east from Europe. If you are in Asia, Asia is most definitely not east. Yes it is offensive.
The term "Oriental" is also proper, however it refers to objects like merchandise or goods etc., not people.
If you're using the (linguistically improper) term "Oriental" to describe people, many will think you ignorant regardless of their politics or adherence to political correctness.
I don’t care of Plugs is or is not taking his meds. I am concerned that he apologized because people were upset. No one has a constitutional right not to be upset. I hope the Shylocks of the world and the Orientals grow thicker skins.
He thanked the nuns for their work for health care reform saying in his signature colorful style, “The Nuns on the Bus fought like the devil for health care.”
How appropriate , given Nuns on the Bus support of Obama's agenda.
This is the first I’m hearing that “orient” is now offensive.
I understand 1,000%. Nowadays, ‘offensive’ is in the realm of the ‘offended’. I used to work for a Japanese Company, in Huntington Beach, known as ‘Oriental Photo Distributing Co.’ in the 80’s. Nowadays, they’d be the subject of who knows what kind of harassment. Sad, really. Thanks for your reply.
I agree. Talk about making something out of absolutely nothing.
Oriental is perfectly acceptable.
Your comment is wrong and ludicrous.
The Orient is the farthest east portion of Asia.
Asia and Europe are on the same land mass.
It is simple geography and in no way Eurocentric any more than Asiacentric.
What you said is regurgitation of the silliest, most ignorant liberal Marxist attempts to make even objective description of geography an act of racism and imperialism.
The “Orient” is a dirty word? Since when? Those Orwellian thought-police should go kill themselves.
Doesn’t matter if you did not know it was offensive. You shall be beheaded by the PC police.
On further reflection of our culture’s downward spiral, I remembered that I cannot call Native Americans “Indians”, or Japanese “Japs”, or black people.......oh never mind. Okay, we’ve offended Jews and Orientals today, who else can we offend? Everybody gets their turn to be offended. Hell, *I* am offended too.
It refers to the Europe and Asia land mass.
The US East coast is west of Europe.
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