Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Food For Thought: Stein's Private India
So much vitriol is being thrown against the article "My Own Private India" by Joel Stein, particularly in the Indian media. The Indian expatriates in the US have been most outraged and vociferous. Why? Is it because that what Joel Stein told is every bit true. Is it because that he just hit the nail right on the head? Just think.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
21 comments:
I was waiting for you to write this post Mimi! You are soooooo predictable now... trying to make a place for yourself and your daughter in the "Land of Opportunity" and hence the American boot-licking.
But tell me, for once forgetting about your ambition of becoming an American, do you think it is OK if I say, "After reading Stein's article, we begin to realize why Jews have been kicked out of every damn country in the world. No wonder Hitler put them in concentration camps!"
Or is it OK to say, "Just look at these niggers in the greater New York area breeding as if they still live in the African jungles, and behaving accordingly. I wonder if all of Africa is full of such lawless people."
Do you think if I said that in a public article, the reaction would be as mild as it is with this one?
Just think.
--JS.
u r a cheap whore....last time here...shittttt blog...asslicker of the americans
No comments. Shall only watch.
Mimi Sen is a shit licker of the whites..Go prositute yourself for them a bit more
J.S.,
You sound like a bigoted ass, my dear.
1. It is completely uncalled for to bring in the author's religious proclivity to evaluate his works. Nonetheless, Stein is an atheist, not a Jewish.
2. Only the fascist and prejudiced pinheads like you will equate Jews with the Israelis. Ignoramus of you.
3. BTW, I'm already an American. And my daughter too is. Indian-american, as the media classify. Now what? My nationality has nothing to do with my free-thinking.
4. This article was, by no means, racially prejudiced, much less defamatory or showing racial hatreds. It is at best a lampoon. Indian expatriates --especially a particular section-- are grossly overreacting clearly because of their insecurity. The article exposed what wanted to hide from the outer world, always.
5. Plenty of articles are there that try to viciously malign African-americans or Muslims as being genetically inferior or violent by making sweeping generalizations. I don't read those articles as they are written by bigoted nitwits of your ilk. Stein's article does not fall into that category.
hmm.. so you married an american ...now as you got the citizenship you dumped that man...you bitch...plenty of bitches like you are in the US
Mimi, for once I agree with you. I did sound like a bigoted ass and I wanted you to say it. It was purely intentional. Joel Stein sounded exactly like that too in that article. So your first two points need no answering. I have nothing against Jews - in fact I respect some of them greatly. I was expecting you to understand the sarcasm in my tone. Didn't you find it funny?
About point 3, well you may put on western clothes and high heels but you will remain a dothead with brown skin. American society by and large is insecure, if not intolerant, of alien people/culture/practices. You will always be looked at as a foreigner who is trying to fit in.
Now let's look at #4. Wikipedia defines racism as "the belief that race is a primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race." This is exactly what Stein expresses in his article. He makes it clear that the Edison of his childhood was BETTER than the Edison of now BECAUSE Indians have made it bad. Not different, but BAD. The strip malls are "bad" and "charmless." The merchants are "not-so-smart" just because they are not scientists and engineers (never mind the fact that they make their living off the so called "smart" people and are probably richer) and goes on to assert that India is poor because of the presence of such people, and the malls in India must be bad because it is the inherent quality of our race. If that is not racism, I don't know what is. Oh yes, he also repeats the old racist insult dothead and suggests that the Indians should have been called worse as they have gods with multiple arms (I never noticed Christian and Jewish gods have one arm each) and an elephant nose, as if that concept of god is somehow inferior to the one that Stein believes in.
Hide from the outer world? Only pathetic bigot-apologists like you would want to hide your Indian identity Mimi. I am an Indian and I am proud of it. I am very different from Americans, as the Americans are different from Chinese, Egyptians or Japanese. Where did you learn to equate "difference" with "inferiority?" I am not afraid to tell the world that one of our gods has an elephant head and four arms - I brought cute Ganesha figurines for my American friends when I went to India last time. But I refuse to accept that the concept of such a god is inferior or more open to ridicule than a god who comes and impregnates a woman before her husband has a chance to... well... break her virginity. Talk about misuse of god-powers, dude!
I am not surprised that you do not read articles that make generalizations about blacks or Muslims - only Hindu-bashing is in fashion among your ilk, since that can be done without a price tag being placed upon your head. Also note, Stein equated Indians and Hindus which shows that either he is an ignorant fool or he was very careful not to link the insult to some other religious groups. But whether you accept it or not, Stein's article remains one of the worst examples of racially hateful and bigoted pieces of writing to hit mainstream media in recent times, and I am very happy that he and TIME had to apologize to Indians over it.
--JS.
Mimi, again I find myself agreeing with you. It was just thoughts expressed by the author, take it or leave it. Freedom of expression, that is just it. I too found no bigotry or racism in it. Just his point of view. ( just like your blog :-) )
So much of media space wasted and such indignant reactions...silly.
Indians need to cross over to the other side mentally also once they cross the oceans.
Just admitting that they were offended itself, shows a bit of insecurity and inferiority complex ( sorry) Either remain in your own country, or accept everything else.
@astatine: I don't know where you are from, but you sure are ignorant. Freedom of expression does not cover racial abuse. Do you think it would be legal if I went out and started referring to African Americans as "niggers?" Do try it yourself.
And by the way, the people who are criticizing Stein are also exercising their freedom of expression, nothing else.
--JS.
To J.S,,
..American society by and large is insecure, if not intolerant, of alien people/culture/practices. You will always be looked at as a foreigner who is trying to fit in.
I don't agree. Go live in any West European country. You will get a feel of the undercurrent of rejection by the natives, preventing you from assimilating into the mainstream society. The US, on the other hand, welcomed all people to her land, and encouraged them to be part of the extended society, despite occasional racial and communal disturbances which is not unnatural in the process of assimilation.
Stein, being an atheist like me, would probably have made fun of all gods and goddesses in all religions with the same tone of derision. However, honestly, I must admit that Gods and Goddesses of Hinduism are the funniest and the most ridiculous : ten-headed Raavan, elephant-nosed Ganesha, ten-handed Durga, four-armed Kali sure make people's stomach churn in unbridled laughter.
Stein's equation of 'Indian' to only 'Hindu' will be interpreted by the historians as his sarcastic take on Indian intolerance for the minority groups residing there. On average, the Muslims -- like many other ethnic and minority groups -- are poorer, uneducated and marginalized in a grossly racist Indian society powered by oligarchy. When such truth is exposed, it is time for the progressive Indians to feel glad about, not sorry or sad.
@astatine: very true. Welcome.
Well, arguing with you is one long exercise in futility. Let me try to write in brief what I think you mean:
1. The East Europians are racist, so it is impossible for the Americans to be racist as well.
2. American government's policy is to welcome immigrants, so it follows that the "society" will like it too.
3. If I say "Blacks are disgusting" it is no big deal because it can be assumed that I would have 'probably' said "Whites are disgusting" or "Jews are evil" or "Indians are smelly" with the same tone of derision.
4. Ravana is a Hindu god.
5. We should laugh at people who have six fingers, an extra long nose, rudimentary tail, stumps in place of hands or feel attracted towards the same sex. Difference means ridiculousness.
6. A god who has a head like an elephant and supports learning and knowledge is more ridiculous than one who puts a naked man and woman together in a garden and gets pleasure out of watching them secretly, and gets mad and throws them out when they gain knowledge and learn to put on clothes.
7. Stein's piece of crap will be interpreted by Historians as they have finished all other work.
8. Indians are racist because the Muslim fundamentalists refuse to move their sorry asses out of their prehistoric and outdated lifestyle and embrace some modern education.
9. Stein's intent was to protest against marginalizing of Indian minorities in India by writing a piece in the TIME magazine in the US, which, coincidentally, was NOT published in the Indian edition of the magazine.
Good. I have nothing more to say.
--JS.
@J.S.,
Your lack of knowledge of Hinduism, as shown in your surprise in the comment "Raavan is a Hindu God", may render you unsuitable for any serious debate on the issue. Find out where Raavan is worshipped as a God.
So being worshipped as a god makes someone a Hindu god? Good, I didn't know that! Amitabh Bachchan and several South Indian actresses seem to have become Hindu gods and goddesses then in the last few years. Sorry about that point.
Also, nice to know that you agree with my other points.
--JS.
beshyaa maagi... aai toke aar tor meye ke ek saathe chudi..
The previous commenter is a typical bengali bhadralok - a pot-bellied lower-middle-class family man with a big mustache, who (after finishing a big meal of eelish machher sorshe bata and thrashing his wife), has just settled down by the family computer, with the door of the room locked of course, (he's pretending to be busy with work) for his daily 3-hr dosage of porn.
The comment reveals his state of mind as he proceeds to his favorite porn site. (It is probably what he would do to his family as well, were he not concerned about his bhadralok image)
This blog does a great job dregging up the bottom-feeders.
Kudos Mimi!
@previous anon commenter...
I know your type, the typical jholawallah Arundhati Roy brigade who have nothing else to do other than denigrating their own country & siding with the worst form of anti-nationals possible. Go & fuck Mimi... her illegal daughter needs an adopted father anyways.
Mimi has found a pimp to fill in for a man in her life. Check out Mimi sen's facebook profile and you would know what i mean
Servicing your air conditioner often will maintain your vitality expenses down. The better your air conditioning unit is running, the much less resources it'll use, thus, saving you moeny on energy bills. It truly is also wise to maintain your unit routinely rather than pay major repair prices when it finally breaks down. A service call is very much cheaper than a replace the unit call. [url=http://www.acrepairexpert.com] AC service Phoenix[/url]
top [url=http://www.c-online-casino.co.uk/]free casino games[/url] hinder the latest [url=http://www.realcazinoz.com/]casino games[/url] unshackled no store reward at the chief [url=http://www.baywatchcasino.com/]baywatchcasino
[/url].
We [url=http://www.onlinebaccarat.gd]craps[/url] be subjected to a rotund library of unqualifiedly unsolicited casino games as a replacement for you to monkey tricks sensibly here in your browser. Whether you appetite to procedure a mesa game master plan or just sample out a few modern slots in the presence of playing seeking unfeigned in clover, we have you covered. These are the exacting verbatim at the same time games that you can treat cavalierly at veritable online casinos and you can play them all for free.
Post a Comment