[ocaml-biz] [OT] America's Pyscosis

[Brian Hurt]

I apologize to everyone on this list.  I feel a little bit like the family 
going "No, I don't think it'd be a good idea to let our Aunt out of the 
attic..."

On Wed, 25 Aug 2004, Tony Edgin wrote:

> >> Tony Edgin wrote:
> >> Since camels are associated with Perl, how about choosing a
> >> mascot related to camels instead?  For instance a medievil
> >> Arabian warrior could be used.  Arabian warriors have an 
> >> air of power and speed about them which are both traits of 
> >> Ocaml.
> >
> > Brian Hurt wrote:
> > I hate to say this, but in today's political climate of 
> > irrational fear and hysteria, picking as our mascot a person 
> > of middle-eastern descent would be a PR diaster. Personally, 
> > I find this racist, stupid, and a sign of a severe mental 
> > problem- but our hypothetical PHB whom we're trying to 
> > convince he should use Ocaml instead of C# is highly likely 
> > to have an advanced case of this neurosis.
> 
> I don't think this is true in New Zealand.  Is this true in
> other countries outside the U.S.?  How temporary is this
> hysteria?  If it is short term, would a mascot be able to ride
> out the storm, so to speak?

It's been three years, and not much noticable abatement yet.  

Hermann Goering had an interesting quote, from:
http://www.snopes.com/quotes/goering.htm

"[T]he people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is
easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce
the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger.
It works the same way in any country."

The irrational fear of people from the middle east is being whipped up to 
goad us into actions we wouldn't otherwise consider.  I don't see it going 
away anytime soone.

> 
> This is probably premature, but would a Moor, Indian or
> Mongolian be any better?

The people most likely to have a bad reaction to an Arab are also the 
people least able to distinguish an Arab from a Moor, Indian, or 
Mongolian.  For a global empire, we're astonishingly provencial.  
Actually, the phrase "dumb as a box of rocks" springs to mind.  There are 
Americans, and there are "durn feriners".  

-- 
"Usenet is like a herd of performing elephants with diarrhea -- massive,
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                                - Gene Spafford 
Brian