Some humour among the European debt crisis, stimulus package etc.

[Mike Milovick]

`For 400 euros you can adopt a Greek. He`ll stay at your place, sleep late, drink coffee, have lunch and then take a nap, so you can go to work.`



Sub out "Greek" with Indian or Jew and then ask yourself how a reader could be offended reading this. Just because its in the paper, doesn't mean its right. Or that it should be quoted.



The joke doesn't say a guy from Greece, a guy from Ireland and a guy from Portugal. It says a Greek, an Irishman and a Portuguese. Its racist. And should be removed.

 

[invst4profit]

Let us all agree the "politically correct" card has been played.



The joke will now read:



For monetary compensation one may obtain a house companion that will live with you (non physical relationship), take sustenance as required and sleep when they chose while you continue with your normal routine.



"house companion" may be substituted with cat assuming animal lovers do not object.

 

[housingrental]

Thank you for the input Michael.



I'd like to highlight again I do not think it's appropriate for other posters to post topics that could be read by some as negative toward certain nationalities....I think it's fair that we can all agree people come here to learn and advance the quality of life, not be hurt... even if this was not the posters intention it can still hurt people..... What do you think?







[quote user=bizaro86][quote user=Nir]To achieve a Win-Win how about agreeing on everything: - that out of around 10,000 REIN members 1 person was offended by a joke, and - that it was legit to copy and paste a few jokes for the benefit of the remaining 9,999 members Sincerely





This post is a logical fallacy, you're assuming that the vast majority who haven't posted agree with your opinion.



Is it more likely that 100% of the silent majority agree with you or that they're split?



Adam could argue that only a few posters who have said so think it's a good idea, so by the same logic more than 9000 posters were offended.



Regards,



Michael

 

[housingrental]

Thank you for your thoughts Mike.



[quote user=MikeMilovick] `For 400 euros you can adopt a Greek. He`ll stay at your place, sleep late, drink coffee, have lunch and then take a nap, so you can go to work.`



Sub out "Greek" with Indian or Jew and then ask yourself how a reader could be offended reading this. Just because its in the paper, doesn't mean its right. Or that it should be quoted.



The joke doesn't say a guy from Greece, a guy from Ireland and a guy from Portugal. It says a Greek, an Irishman and a Portuguese. Its racist. And should be removed.

 

[housingrental]

Hi Greg

As Bizarro86 has pointed out just because certain people think it's OK and are vocal about this does not mean that the silent majority aren't hurt from it.

[quote user=invst4profit]Let us all agree the "politically correct" card has been played.



The joke will now read:



For monetary compensation one may obtain a house companion that will live with you (non physical relationship), take sustenance as required and sleep when they chose while you continue with your normal routine.



"house companion" may be substituted with cat assuming animal lovers do not object.

 

[invst4profit]

Ah yes the silent majority.

Adam I can respect you for vocalising your objections even though I am still contributing to that which you object to by continuing to post on this thread. The silent majority on the other hand I have no respect for what so ever.



I operate on the principal of consensus where by those that do not object to the prevailing opinion are considered to be in support of that opinion. This eliminates the need for assumptions and insures the opinion of all is known whether it be silent or vocal. Speak now or forever hold your peace.

 

[Pheenix]

[quote user=MikeMilovick] The joke doesn't say a guy from Greece, a guy from Ireland and a guy from Portugal. It says a Greek, an Irishman and a Portuguese. Its racist. And should be removed.



Mike this is clearly sexist!

Why does it have to be 'a guy from . . .', are women to be excluded from jokes, whether the butt of or otherwise.



As my late Auntie Bellum might have said 'a pox on all your houses [sic]'

 

[Thomas Beyer]

WOW.



I had intended to just share a joke that wasn't even mine .. it was a direct quote from the National Post. The intent was not to offend anyone person or any one nation.



It was a joke.



It is a blog where many different, often poor or uninformed opinions, can be vented. This may offend some folks in the vast sphere of people out there. This is not the intent .. but of course that could happen.



Free speech has that effect. Shall we therefore ban it ?



Are jokes about Newfies or Germans or Scottish or Jewish or Christian or men or brunettes OK .. but not about Greeks or the Irish or Muslims or women or blondes ? No jokes whatsoever ?



Please show me a link to a good joke etiquette, and I may adhere to it .. may (or may not) !

 

[Mike Milovick]

Hi Thomas;



Read this link.



http://www.wsws.org/articles/2006/feb2006/cart-f04.shtml



Note the governments and newspapers involved.



Because its a joke, I guess we should think its funny. Or because a newspaper or government deems it to be printable or acceptable then we should condone it.



The Ontario Human Rights Commission rolled into Waterloo in June on rental licensing and its discriminatory aspects. As such, I have my antennae up on these things.



I began telling the "joke" to my wife at dinner tonight. I didn't even get to the "punch line" when she cut me off saying, "Don't you think this is racist?" This is racist. Maybe something like this would have been acceptable in one of the southern United States earlier in the 20th century.



Hopefully we, collectively, have the ability to move on from that time period.



I think the post should be deleted.

 

[Thomas Beyer]

[quote user=MikeMilovick]Read this link.



http://www.wsws.org/articles/2006/feb2006/cart-f04.shtml



Note the governments and newspapers involved.

...



Hopefully we, collectively, have the ability to move on from that time period.



I think the post should be deleted.
I note your opinion and respect it. I also note the socialists' view from 2006 .. and happen to disagree with their view. That sets us in "the west" apart from the left leaning governments or dictatorships. We actually allow free speech and freedom of expression. It is the base for progress.



I might disagree with your view .. but I certainly welcome your right to voice it !

 

[housingrental]

Hi Greg

I'm not following

The process you are suggesting are based on the assumption someone who does not mention anything supports you. Is that a fair assumption?



[quote user=invst4profit]Ah yes the silent majority.

Adam I can respect you for vocalising your objections even though I am still contributing to that which you object to by continuing to post on this thread. The silent majority on the other hand I have no respect for what so ever.



I operate on the principal of consensus where by those that do not object to the prevailing opinion are considered to be in support of that opinion. This eliminates the need for assumptions and insures the opinion of all is known whether it be silent or vocal. Speak now or forever hold your peace.

 

[housingrental]

This is not a good post.

Instead of nitpicking someone's writing style lets focus on the content of posts - and specifically posts that are offensive to certain ethnic communities.

Do you as a REIN member feel good allowing this type of speech to be spread through a REIN forum? I do not.



[quote user=Pheenix][quote user=MikeMilovick] The joke doesn't say a guy from Greece, a guy from Ireland and a guy from Portugal. It says a Greek, an Irishman and a Portuguese. Its racist. And should be removed.



Mike this is clearly sexist!

Why does it have to be 'a guy from . . .', are women to be excluded from jokes, whether the butt of or otherwise.



As my late Auntie Bellum might have said 'a pox on all your houses [sic]'

 

[housingrental]

Hi Thomas



You just don't seem to "get it"



Free speech is desirable. Limitations so that speech does not single out certain ethnic communities is needed and desirable. If someone had posted a "joke" about where you are from - Germany - that you find offensive would you be happy with this? I do not think you would. And you should not have to be because it is not "no big deal" because someone else finds that "it was a joke"



Is there a reason you posted something relating to Greece as a joke instead of a German joke? I think there is and I think if you were honest with yourself you'd edit your original post, not make similar posts in the future, and apalogize to the REIN community. I know this is what I would do if I had done that.



It's OK to make mistakes - everyone does - but when made aware of them you should work to right them.



To directly answer your question the answer is NO jokes about all those communities are also not OK.









[quote user=ThomasBeyer]WOW.



I had intended to just share a joke that wasn't even mine .. it was a direct quote from the National Post. The intent was not to offend anyone person or any one nation.



It was a joke.



It is a blog where many different, often poor or uninformed opinions, can be vented. This may offend some folks in the vast sphere of people out there. This is not the intent .. but of course that could happen.



Free speech has that effect. Shall we therefore ban it ?



Are jokes about Newfies or Germans or Scottish or Jewish or Christian or men or brunettes OK .. but not about Greeks or the Irish or Muslims or women or blondes ? No jokes whatsoever ?



Please show me a link to a good joke etiquette, and I may adhere to it .. may (or may not) !

 

[Thomas Beyer]

Some years ago a small rural town in Spain twinned with a similar town

in Greece. The Mayor of the Greek town visited the Spanish town. When

he saw the palatial mansion belonging to the Spanish mayor he wondered

how he could afford such a house. The Spaniard said; "You see that

bridge over there? The EU gave us a grant to build a two-lane bridge,

but by building a single lane bridge with traffic lights at either end

this house could be built".



The following year the Spaniard visited the Greek town. He was simply

amazed at the Greek Mayor's house, gold taps, marble floors, it was

marvellous. When he asked how this could be afforded the Greek said;



"You see that bridge over there?"


The Spaniard replied; "No".

 

[bizaro86]

[quote user=housingrental]Free speech is desirable. Limitations so that speech does not single out certain ethnic communities is needed and desirable. If someone had posted a "joke" about where you are from - Germany - that you find offensive would you be happy with this? I do not think you would. And you should not have to be because it is not "no big deal" because someone else finds that "it was a joke"





I think humour based on ethnicity is tasteless and not funny, but I would fight for it to be legal. Limitations on free speech are a slippery slope.

 

[JimWhitelaw]

A man goes into a bar. The bartender looks at him and says "What is this, some kind of a joke?".

 

[markbrad]

A horse walks into a bar and the bartender looks at him a minute and says... "why such a long face???"



I hope there are no horse out there offended by this as no offense was meant



Mark

 

[housingrental]

This is a good joke

It does not offend

Thank you

[quote user=JimWhitelaw]A man goes into a bar. The bartender looks at him and says "What is this, some kind of a joke?".

 

[housingrental]

Now that's a funny joke!

See Thomas, was it really that hard to post something not offensive?



[quote user=ThomasBeyer]
Some years ago a small rural town in Spain twinned with a similar town

in Greece. The Mayor of the Greek town visited the Spanish town. When

he saw the palatial mansion belonging to the Spanish mayor he wondered

how he could afford such a house. The Spaniard said; "You see that

bridge over there? The EU gave us a grant to build a two-lane bridge,

but by building a single lane bridge with traffic lights at either end

this house could be built".



The following year the Spaniard visited the Greek town. He was simply

amazed at the Greek Mayor's house, gold taps, marble floors, it was

marvellous. When he asked how this could be afforded the Greek said;



"You see that bridge over there?"


The Spaniard replied; "No".

 

[housingrental]

Sorry I didn't properly note / get the last part of your post initially - a very deceptive and obscure reference Mr. Pheenix.

Your post is that much more offensive than initially assumed because of it.





[quote user=Pheenix][quote user=MikeMilovick] The joke doesn't say a guy from Greece, a guy from Ireland and a guy from Portugal. It says a Greek, an Irishman and a Portuguese. Its racist. And should be removed.



Mike this is clearly sexist!

Why does it have to be 'a guy from . . .', are women to be excluded from jokes, whether the butt of or otherwise.



As my late Auntie Bellum might have said 'a pox on all your houses [sic]'