Immigrant Appreciation Thread

[Asher]

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi
The term 'arachnophobia' is used to mean a fear of spiders. So why should a homophobe be simply one who disagrees with homosexuals?

It's not that you disagree with them, it's because your reason for not accepting them on an equal level is irrational and beyond logical thought, and hence apt for the "phobia" suffix.

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi

The term 'arachnophobia' is used to mean a fear of spiders. So why should a homophobe be simply one who disagrees with homosexuals?

Because the English language doesn't have a small minded language police to go around imprisoning words or terms in linguistic strait jackets.

Perhaps you have the Academie Francaise in mind.

When people talk about 'organic' food do you go around pompously reminding them that food is organic already?



Actually in your case, probably.

Usage determines meaning in the case of homophobia, so why don't you and Park Avenue find something else to whinge about.

[Ben Kenobi]

it's because your reason for not accepting them on an equal level is irrational and beyond logical thought,

Ah, but that begs the question.

There is a real distinction between the use of the word phobia in the case of claustrophobia and the word arachnophobia, and your use of the same word cannot change that, if what you have said here is true.

One who is an arachnophobe fears contact with spiders. Can the same be said for me and homosexuals? Nothing here about whether or not that fear is rational or irrational.

A fear that is rational can still be claustrophobia, an example of which would be someone locked in a closet for days, who subsequently fears all enclosed spaces.

Is not the fear rational? Yet it would still be termed claustrophobia.

[Ben Kenobi]

Usage determines meaning in the case of homophobia, so why don't you and Park Avenue find something else to whinge about.

All very well, but you lose if this is the case.

You have confirmed what we all have suspected that you are using the two in different ways, and that homophobia has nothing in common with arachophobia and other phobias.

No wonder then ideology seems to be the only thing ever associated with the label, rather than any form of clinical psychology.

[mrmitchell]

Ben, you fear homosexuals because you have not explored your own sexuality. You're weak and try to appear strong by playing the fear into hate.

That'll be $300

[Solly]

I think the last ten posts have proved me correct

[Ted Striker]

Re: Immigrant Appreciation Thread

Originally posted by Japher


Albert Einstein - supergenius

Edward Teller - mathematician and theoretical physicist, considered the father of the H-Bomb.

Enrico Fermi - developed the A-Bomb

Emilio Serge - worked with Fermi

Ceasar Chavez - Labor Union Leader

Arnold Schwarzenegger - Actor and Governor (hehe)

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Ted Striker - Player with a Passport

[Whaleboy]

I can disagree with them, but I sure don't fear them in the way an arachnophobe fears spiders, or a claustrophobe fears enclosed spaces.

If we want to use literal interpretations, then homophobia simply means fear of men/man, so stop being pedantic, each word has a literal meaning. However, semantics aside, a dislike of any group of people, particularly an irrational one as indicated by the tone, content and quantity of PA's posts is woefully unacceptable to me. The emotivist argument aside, if we drop the term "homophobia" and play on the word "racism" instead we could say "homoism" but that doesnt quite have the same ring to it does it now?

No wonder then ideology seems to be the only thing ever associated with the label, rather than any form of clinical psychology.

As I said earlier, the root cause of any dislike is emotive and at the most fundamental level, spawned by fear. However I believe that is an unconscious process in this case so it is irrelevant to this semantic discussion, though not to a purely philosophical/conceptual one. The familial term homophobia applies (familial interpretations of words stops English from turning into German) whereas the literal one applies to few or no-one, even the most hardened of gay-haters. It would seem therefore that this discussion is somewhat empty.

[Provost Harrison]

I would hate to think what a dull country this place would be if we had never received the dose of immigration we had...

[Solly]

Is this the immigrant-bashing thread or gay-bashing one, I've lost track?

[RGBVideo]

Neither, really. I think this has now become a thread devoted to the mental masturbation of our very own self-proclaimed intellectuals.

Regarding the original topic: In the streets of this city, immigrants are the ones who work harder than the natives. Fundamentally speaking, I have nothing against them.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Agathon
The only decent food in Britain was brought there by Asians.

Agathon: Have you ever even been to Britain? There are plenty of Italian and French restaurants there.

[Solly]

Oerdin, that was a troll

[Whaleboy]

Is this the immigrant-bashing thread or gay-bashing one, I've lost track?

Oh the temptations.... When it comes to your diatripe, you may as well lump the two together and call it "poor reasoning".

[Solly]

I wish I was an intellectual.