Elizabeth Warren Ancestry Thread Part 2

[ThatGuy11200]

Where I am, "Caucasian" in reference to race just means "White"; it's employed because some people feel embarrassed about referring to white people as a race, given history.

When the word "Caucasian" is used in other contexts it's usually about geography, particularly the mountain range of that name.

I think it's disingenous for Americans, at least, to pretend confusion as to what "Caucasian" means when used in context of race. It means white people. What that includes or excludes is up to the reader of whatever they're reading it on, and it depends on the other choices available.

I'm from the UK and my understanding of 'Caucasian' has always been number two in this list of definitions:

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Caucasian

2. (anthropology) Of a racial classification; pertaining to people having certain phenotypical features such as straight, wavy or curly hair and very light to brown pigmented skin, and originating from Europe, parts of Northern Africa and Western, Central and South Asia.

Not that I think it has any biological validity.

 

[smartcooky]

Hahaha not even close.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caucasian_race

Where do you come up with these lies, Darat? Do you make them up yourself, or are they revealed to you by a higher source of "truth"?

My link says that Caucasian sometimes means means white, but doesn't simply mean white. In fact, it's not a simple word at all, and Darat is wrong to try to oversimplify it the way he has here.

No. Darat tried to force an oversimplification in order to win an argument. He can't unilaterally decide what simple definition applies to someone else's use of a complex term, just because it's rhetorically convenient for him to do so. Nor can he rebut someone's legitimate use of the term in reference to ancestry by asserting that it simply means something else instead.

Yet he attempted both those things.

Yes. My point is that you have to scroll down, because there's a lot meaning to unpack. It's not just "simply" what Darat claimed.

Darat tried to oversimplify that whole long history and complexity of the term, for spurious rhetorical advantage.

Interesting that you started out calling Darat's post "lies" and then quickly realising that they are not lies, you re-characterised them as "over simplifications" Nice bit of backpedalling!

Also interesting that one of the common uses definitions of "Caucasian" is describing a white person. The term "Caucasian" has long been (and in some cases, still is) used to officially describe a white person, for example, when LEO's put out a bolo for a while male suspect, they often use the term "Male, Caucasian" to describe him. While you might argue that this is technically incorrect (and you have a point with that) I nonetheless disagree with your accusation that Darat was lying or over-simplifying. The fact is that right or wrong, "Caucasian = White Person" is a definition in common use, and Darat correctly used that accepted definition, i.e. he did not change that definition to make his point.

 

[theprestige]

Interesting that you started out calling Darat's post "lies" and then quickly realising that they are not lies, you re-characterised them as "over simplifications" Nice bit of backpedalling!

My thesis is that the oversimplification was intentional and dishonest.

 

[Cabbage]

No. Darat tried to force an oversimplification in order to win an argument. He can't unilaterally decide what simple definition applies to someone else's use of a complex term, just because it's rhetorically convenient for him to do so. Nor can he rebut someone's legitimate use of the term in reference to ancestry by asserting that it simply means something else instead.

Yet he attempted both those things.

Interestingly enough, that's exactly the same reason neither you nor varwoche were ever able to prove Warren lied about her ancestry.

Glad to see you're finally catching on!

 

[Giordano]

Hahaha not even close.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caucasian_race

Where do you come up with these lies, Darat? Do you make them up yourself, or are they revealed to you by a higher source of "truth"?

Were you adding to the conversation or just taking a poke at another member? I suspect these two words highlight the true nature of your post: "Oh delightful. I can now knock around another poster while simultaneously demonstrating my superior knowledge."

Lies? Really? I am an American and indeed Caucasian was routinely used as a synonym for white during most of my life: on forms, in books, in newspaper articles, in political speeches, in normal conversations, etc. Still is in many contexts. Not worth remarking on, let allow finding amusing.

 

[kmortis]

There is no need to personalize this argument.

Replying to this modbox in thread will be off topic  Posted By: kmortis