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BGonline.org Forums
Of kamikaze plays and Polish primes -- for septugenarians only
Posted By: joe freedman
Date: Saturday, 20 November 2010, at 4:14 a.m.
I posted a couple of responses below, but at the risk of violating a rule of stick equity, would like to observe:
1) Of course the phrase "Polish prime" is an insult. It derives from the bigoted stereotype, typified by "Polish jokes" of years past, that Poles, or at least Polish Americans, are somewhat mentally challenged. Chances are you are less likely to feel insulted if you are not Polish. The jokes -- and suppositions about Poles -- are so hackneyed that they do say more about those amused than about the target.
2) I'm not sure if anyone has raised ethnic sensitivity concern about the term "kamikaze". No doubt our Japanese readers are too polite to do so. (Although I may be guilty of another ethnic stereotype here.) As I understand it, kamikaze pilots during World War II (that was in the 1940's for our younger readers' benefit) had the goal of inflicting the most damage on the enemy, while sacrificing themselves for the greater glory of country/emperor. Of course, the word has been trivialized since then, to connote crazy, self-destructive behavior. The victor's prerogative, i guess.
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