General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Sliding into the prototypical "Ugly American" mindset [View all]Scootaloo
(25,699 posts)You don't get to tell the people of Latin America what they are and are not offended by, what htey should and should not think, and how they should and should not feel. They were annoyed by Sec. Kerry's comment. That is their right, and it is not your right to tell them they're not allowed to be annoyed by it.
It's like the white people on this board who pat people of color on their heads here on DU and "explain" why something isn't racist, and they're silly for thinking so.
It doesn't matter what Kerry's intent was, whether he thought it was innocuous or not. it was not taken as an innocuous comment, and I just explained to you why that is. "Backyard" implies that these nations belong to the United States and that it has control over them.
A much more diplomatic - and accurate - statement would have been to refer to these nations as our neighbors, equals within a common territory, each with their own domains. Instead he said something that made him look like an asshole landlord. Whether he meant to or not, that's what he said, that's the message that was received, and it irritated the people in that "backyard" to a great degree.
If you can't get these simple concepts through your head, well I don't know what to tell you Prosense. But with your help, i'm starting to see what these posters lobbing the term "fan club" are on about. It's embarassing to watch, and I do wish you'd come up for air now and then.