(Untitled)

[shreena]

Today, I made the slightly disturbing discovery that I don't exist.  It's been a bit of a shock to me to discover this, as I'm sure you can guess.

I certainly feel that people referring to me as "racial foreigner #1264" would not be pejorative at all.  I can also understand that it's necessary to maintain a distinction between me, as a person born

Comments

[clarisinda]

I read that yesterday. It annoyed me, and I can imagine the rage it induces if you feel like you are on the receiving end of it. Horrible. And it's so non-sensical - how many generations back does he plan to go? If someone is white enough and culturally assimilated enough, are they allowed to stay? Who measures this? Bonkers.

[littleshebear]

how many generations back does he plan to go?

Exactly. Everyone is an immigrant if you go back far enough. All homonids originated in Africa, so lets "humanely repatriate" Griffin to Africa. We'll see how he gets on.

[lisekit]

It's almost ridiculous enough to be laughable. I mean, the term "racial foreigner" doesn't actually mean anything. Racial? Like, as in, having a race? Like, er, everyone?

One could imagine that the erudite Mr Griffin had meant to say "racially foreign", a term perhaps suggestive of a person having ethnic origin outside the UK (a concept that comes with its own set of problems, as others have observed). But he didn't choose that term. He went for "racial foreigner", which is utterly without meaning. Because he's an idiot.

Perhaps he should be expelled from the UK on the grounds he doesn't know how to use English?

[phlebas]

I'm not sure I agree with you. I'd have thought 'psychotic fascist' fairly clearly meant the same as 'person who is psychotically fascistic'.

[lisekit]

Well, that's because "psychotic" on its own has a meaning, as an adjective. What would "racial" on its own mean?

[helixaspersa]

I think it's meant to mean 'a foriegner with regard to their race' - the same sort of formation as 'gastronomic expert' or something; but it's certainly clumsy and, obviously, very offensive!

[numberland]

That is truly horrifying. I actually felt somewhat queezy while reading that. One up side is hopefully with this leak they will get less support etc but that may be wishful thinking.

[khalinche]

I was just feeling the normal bubbling rage while reading that and then something about the phrase 'humanely repatriated' crept up on me and actually made me feel viscerally nauseated. As adverbs go, it's got some especially chilling dehumanising overtones, and makes me think of having pets put down. Eeerch.

[wychwood]

No more English folk-music for you! Give it back! It's all mine!

(seriously, why are some people such *gits*?)