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Biden’s on a Roll: Calls Asia ‘the Orient’
National Review Online ^ | September 17, 2014 | Andrew Johnson

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.’”


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Delaware
KEYWORDS: asia; biden; clowncar; delaware; joebiden; joeclowncarbiden; leekuanyew; plugs; singapore; sumtingwong
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To: C19fan

The Orient Express went all the way to....Turkey.


41 posted on 09/17/2014 2:14:12 PM PDT by Born to Conserve
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To: apillar

Asian.


42 posted on 09/17/2014 2:29:24 PM PDT by Arthur McGowan
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To: C19fan

He’ll probably find a way to offend colored people next. Or the Wops.


43 posted on 09/17/2014 2:29:59 PM PDT by Arthur McGowan
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To: USFRIENDINVICTORIA
Oh, and why isn’t “Occidental” considered offensive?

Because only people from one of the inferior races get offended.

44 posted on 09/17/2014 2:31:34 PM PDT by Arthur McGowan
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To: C19fan

everything east of Suez is the Orient

everything to the west is the Occident

there was no gaffe


45 posted on 09/17/2014 2:35:21 PM PDT by bert ((K.E.; N.P.; GOPc.;+12 ..... Obama is public enemy #1)
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To: C19fan

Hitlery 2016 at work here?


46 posted on 09/17/2014 2:36:37 PM PDT by McGruff (Umm)
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To: C19fan
one more thing........

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


47 posted on 09/17/2014 2:50:00 PM PDT by bert ((K.E.; N.P.; GOPc.;+12 ..... Obama is public enemy #1)
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To: ifinnegan

“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.


48 posted on 09/17/2014 2:50:14 PM PDT by all the best
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To: apillar; jttpwalsh
This is the first I'm hearing that "orient" is now offensive. It's a perfectly acceptable from a literary perspective.

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.

49 posted on 09/17/2014 2:54:26 PM PDT by AAABEST (Et lux in tenebris lucet: et tenebrae eam non comprehenderunt)
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To: C19fan

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.


50 posted on 09/17/2014 2:59:22 PM PDT by MIchaelTArchangel (Have a wonderful day!)
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To: All
Remember NORTHWEST ORIENT AIRLINES? 1980 Commercial...
51 posted on 09/17/2014 3:12:03 PM PDT by missnry (The truth will set you free ... and drive liberals crazy!)
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To: C19fan
Biden, the nation’s first Catholic vice president, noted his 12 years of Catholic education telling the crowd of about 300, “I was asked by the press why am I going out with Nuns on the Bus? I said because they are nuns. It’s a simple proposition,” adding to laughs, “I woke up every morning saying, ‘Yes sister, no sister, yes sister, no sister.’”

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.

52 posted on 09/17/2014 3:19:11 PM PDT by mware
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To: AAABEST

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.


53 posted on 09/17/2014 3:45:20 PM PDT by jttpwalsh
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To: ifinnegan

I agree. Talk about making something out of absolutely nothing.


54 posted on 09/17/2014 4:02:07 PM PDT by gunsequalfreedom (Conservative is not a label of convenience. It is a guide to your actions.)
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To: apillar

Oriental is perfectly acceptable.


55 posted on 09/17/2014 4:03:11 PM PDT by gunsequalfreedom (Conservative is not a label of convenience. It is a guide to your actions.)
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To: all the best

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.


56 posted on 09/17/2014 4:21:36 PM PDT by ifinnegan
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To: C19fan

The “Orient” is a dirty word? Since when? Those Orwellian thought-police should go kill themselves.


57 posted on 09/17/2014 4:24:59 PM PDT by TexasRepublic (Socialism is the gospel of envy and the religion of thieves)
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To: apillar

Doesn’t matter if you did not know it was offensive. You shall be beheaded by the PC police.


58 posted on 09/17/2014 4:26:09 PM PDT by Vermont Lt (Ebola: Death is a lagging indicator.)
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To: TexasRepublic

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.


59 posted on 09/17/2014 4:31:04 PM PDT by TexasRepublic (Socialism is the gospel of envy and the religion of thieves)
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To: USFRIENDINVICTORIA

It refers to the Europe and Asia land mass.

The US East coast is west of Europe.


60 posted on 09/17/2014 4:31:08 PM PDT by ifinnegan
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