selective morality, humitarianism & rationality

[Lao Tzu]

alright now boys & girls, i've been thinking of something.


here are 2 jokes.

http://www.funs.co.uk/jokes/pl3.html

A Polak was jumped by two muggers and fought like hell, but was finally subdued. His attackers then proceeded to go through his pockets. "You mean you fought like that for 57 cents?" asked one of the muggers increduously. "Is that all you wanted?" moaned the Pole. "I thought you were after the $400 in my shoe!"

--

what the difference between a jew & a whore? after a jew fucks you over and takes your money you invite him over for dinner instead of kick him out of the car.


ok, here's my issue. now KEEP IN MIND that i am not saying this to be oversensetive, i am trying to start a discussion about selective morality, and whether selective morality is the only other option we have in life, other than total indifference to human suffering & pure PC which gives superficial comfort at the expense of freedom of expression.

6 million jews died in the concentration camps
6 million polish people died in the camps too (3 million were jewish. so, overall, the number of jews & poles who died was equal. 3 million non jewish poles, 3 million jewish poles, 3 million non polish jews).

why is it acceptable to tell polish jokes but not to tell jewish jokes? is it because ww2 propaganda used anti-semitism to stir up hatred for the nazis?
why is it that even though Joseph Stalin had worse concentration camps in the nazis & killed more people he isn't deemed worse than hitler?
i guess in the end it comes down to whether their suffering was relevant to us. we are racially sensetive & went to war against germany. so the jews were the group of choice for us to feel sorry for. the poles can suck it, i guess. same with the U.S.S.R. concentration camp survivors. Stalin was our military ally, so we ignore his crimes, instead of use them to stir up the public.

anyway, my point is what choices are there (realistically). i don't want to be like ryanH, worried that everyone will be offended by anything, but i don't want to ignore everyone's suffering except those who are deemed 'worthy' of attention & protection (like the jews vs the polish) by the status quo & those in power, who have a vested interest in obtaining my obedience/subservience. so what options are there.

 

[Badkins21]

OK, this is sort of a side note, but it's along the same lines...I haven't done enough research into WWII/The Holocaust to compare Jewish people to Polish people...

BUT...a comparison/contrast that I always use is Jewish people and blacks...

Jewish people have been persecuted since the beginning of time. Literally...meaning 1000s and 1000s of years. Blacks were (and according to some bleeding hearts, still are being...) persecuted for about, say 3-400 years...which was in part due to being sold into slavery by their own people in Africa, and shipped to America. Now, though, where do you think they would rather live? In the jungles of Africa (hell, or even the "developed" countries of Africa), or here, in the most powerful nation on earth?

The Jews have had the Holocaust, where millions of their people were literally exterminated. What do they do, afterward? They say, F*CK YOU TO THE WORLD, go to Israel, and preceed to become one of the most feared nations on the planet, due to their "You kill one of ours, we will ten of hours mentality." They allign with the greatest country on the planet, and preceed to WIN, and win handsomely, several little skirmishes (like the Six Days War) against much bigger armies, from much bigger countries.

So, in a nutshell, Jewish people have a lot more to complain about than blacks...but who do we here whine every day?

You be the judge...

Call that selective morality if you want, I call it bullsh*t, and I will continue to call THEM on their bullsh*t!

 

[strongchick]

I absolutely hate Polish jokes.

I work with a very smart Polish guy, and every once in a while he calls himself a 'dumb Pollock'.

I hate it when he does that...I think years of any kind of systematic idiocy such as these kinds of jokes starts to sink in over time for many, and we start to believe it, even of ourselves.

He IS a great guy, and I see how this humor may have effected his self-confidence.


I can't answer your question until I think about it some more though.

 

[strongchick]

Jewish people have been persecuted since the beginning of time. Literally...meaning 1000s and 1000s of years. Blacks were (and according to some bleeding hearts, still are being...) persecuted for about, say 3-400 years...

I have read several books that say that Africans were persecuted way back further than 3-400 years...I will find them at home so I can write the quotes here.

I'm not even sure this is relevant...the recency of a wrong has a lot to do with its current effect too.

Back to the question...could it be that Jews are more tightly knit, and somewhat less likely to blend in with the majority culture? In a guessing game, I am probably more right about which folks in a mixed group of nationalities/races is Jewish, but much less likely to be able to determine who the Polish are. I'm not saying I can always tell when someone is Jewish...that is ludicrous...I'm just saying that Jews have a tendency to group together via their religion, dress, hairstyle, etc., more than the Polish. Therefore, they might be more sensitive as a whole to jokes that would be considered offensive and targeting Jews.

Jews have a saying something like "Never forget", referring to the Holocaust period. They are politically active, fiscally active, as a group.

The Irish, in the beginning of American history, were also heavily trod upon (nothing like the Holocaust, of course) and were singled out. Over time, they blended in with the majority culture, and were therefore less likely to experience group behavior that singled them out...a direct contradiction to what the Polish experience.

Hmmm. Inconsistency here...more thought needed.

 

[gymnpoppa]

time. Literally...meaning 1000s and 1000s of years. Blacks were (and according to some bleeding hearts, still are being...) persecuted for about, say 3-400 years...which was in part due to being sold into slavery by their own people in Africa, and shipped to America. Now, though, where do you think they would rather live? In the jungles of Africa (hell, or even the "developed" countries of Africa), or here, in the most powerful nation on earth?


So, in a nutshell, Jewish people have a lot more to complain about than blacks...but who do we here whine every day?

You be the judge...

Call that selective morality if you want, I call it bullsh*t, and I will continue to call THEM on their bullsh*t!

Well, interesting, but when it's only been 25 yrs, and less in some places, since blacks were recognized as people. As recently as 12 years ago, blacks weren't allowed memberships to Augusta National. And there are still some golf courses who do not allow them memberships. I don't care to get into a race issue at length, but recent history, and attitudes suggest that it isn't accepted still. If you're counting years, the Jews, if it's recent situations, its the blacks.

 

[spentagn]

I don't count either years or recency. I don't discriminate, I'm sorry it happened to anyone in the past. I support the equality of everyone. I don't support the "Remember the..." mentality, mainly becuase most of those who abide by it weren't around to experience it.

 

[WODIN]

Blonde jokes started this whole mess!!!!

 

[spentagn]

Blonde jokes started this whole mess!!!!

If the shoe fits...

 

[rushx79]

calm down kids, theyre just jokes..