I am not a racist but...

Originally posted by Wheely
I don't think this makes him racist. He's saying he never met an Israeli he liked and if he has only met easily disliked Israelis, then he's not lying. He hasn't said anything derogatory and, in fact, is asking for someone to tell him they are happy. He's not even asking for a debate so I suspect he might even have the right forum too.

I am not sure you are thinking at all. How do you know he is not lying? Saying that all Israelis are not nice, friendly can't have a friend more than one day, Saying nothing nice has ever happened in their life is not derogatory? Come on everything he said about then was derogatory. When he says "If there are any people from Israel here, prove me wrong." that sounds like he wants a debate to me.

You are kidding right. Sarcasm?
Yea, that's it. has to be.

Originally posted by 747skyjock
Let me just start by saying that I'm English, and my only foreign blood connection is that my ancestors probably include Danes and Vikings as well as Romans (I've got a big straight nose, red hair and long fingers and toes ...)

I have met lots of French people, and most of them I like. And Scottish and Welsh folk. Great people. The same can be said for ...[text shortened]... about a friend you've had for more than a day, about someone you don't want to eradicate.

I admire your honesty. There are many posters here who have written anti english posts (you know who I'm talking about) constantly rip the piss out of people who don't spell to well, use derogatory terms such as 'retard' and generally get up everyones nose...

Originally posted by 747skyjock
Australians (by far the friendliest people on

Then you have never met a Tongan. They are the happiest friendliest people in the world.

'E 'Otua Mafimafi,
Ko ho mau 'Eimi koe,
Ko Koe ko e falala 'anga,
Mo e 'ofa ki Tonga:
'Afio hifo 'emau lotu
'Aia 'oku mau fai ni,
Mo ke tali ho mau loto
'O malu'i 'a Tupou.

Originally posted by adramforall
Then you have never met a Tongan. They are the happiest friendliest people in the world.

'E 'Otua Mafimafi,
Ko ho mau 'Eimi koe,
Ko Koe ko e falala 'anga,
Mo e 'ofa ki Tonga:
'Afio hifo 'emau lotu
'Aia 'oku mau fai ni,
Mo ke tali ho mau loto
'O malu'i 'a Tupou.

Sounds friendly to me. Oh wait. Are they head hunters?

Originally posted by cashthetrash
I am not sure you are thinking at all. How do you know he is not lying? Saying that all Israelis are not nice, friendly can't have a friend more than one day, Saying nothing nice has ever happened in their life is not derogatory? Come on everything he said about then was derogatory. When he says "If there are any people from Israel here, prove me wrong ...[text shortened]... ike he wants a debate to me.

You are kidding right. Sarcasm?
Yea, that's it. has to be.

I think it is you that is reacting rather than thinking but that's just my opinion. If you had read my post instead of leaping to the keyboard you would have found an "if" in the offending sentence.

He didn't say any of the things you mentioned. He said that this was his experience based on the people he'd met. OK he did make a couple of borderline comments afterwards but asked someone to tell him something that negated his own experience. If more people did that we wouldn't have so many bigots on here.

Originally posted by cashthetrash
Sounds friendly to me. Oh wait. Are they head hunters?

They massacred all the unhappy people.

Originally posted by Sicilian Smaug
Shalom!!

Well [b]exactly how long are your fingers and toes?[/b]

His prehensile big toe is a giveaway.

Originally posted by FrenchQueen
How can you make such generalizations? You've never met a happy Israeli? I can't believe what I'm reading, here!

Maybe I'm being a bit pedantic but if this guy has met two Israelis and they were both miserable, it is not a genaralisation to say all the Israelis he has met were miserable. In fact it's the truth. He didn't even really go on to say that this means all Israelies are like that though I guess that is open to interpretation. In fact he asked to be shown that the impression he had been given is wrong.

I feel too many people are trigger happy when it comes to labeling other people bad.

Originally posted by Wheely
Maybe I'm being a bit pedantic but if this guy has met two Israelis and they were both miserable, it is not a genaralisation to say all the Israelis he has met were miserable. In fact it's the truth. He didn't even really go on to say that this means all Israelies are like that though I guess that is open to interpretation. In fact he asked to be shown tha ...[text shortened]... rong.

I feel too many people are trigger happy when it comes to labeling other people bad.

But his suspicions about the general character of Israelis still appear to be disproportionate given the size of the sample from which he has derived those suspicions.

But he is, at least, willing to have his suspicions disconfirmed.

Originally posted by Wheely
Maybe I'm being a bit pedantic but if this guy has met two Israelis and they were both miserable, it is not a genaralisation to say all the Israelis he has met were miserable. In fact it's the truth. He didn't even really go on to say that this means all Israelies are like that though I guess that is open to interpretation. In fact he asked to be shown tha ...[text shortened]... rong.

I feel too many people are trigger happy when it comes to labeling other people bad.

I quote: " I have met lots of French people, and most of them I like. . . blah blah blah.... Except Israelis".

So he has met two Israelis he didn't like and states he does not like Israelis. If this is not a generalization, then please tell me what it is.

Basically he is saying that he has not had any positive experiences with Israelis and therefore does not like them as a whole, unless he can be proved wrong.

Why should he ask to be shown that the impression he had been given is wrong?
Does he really not believe that there are some friendly Israelis out there until he's given evidence that there are? Can he not draw his own conclusions? It's like trying to reason with a child! This is absurd, coming from a grown man.

You can't base your dislike of a people/race on a couple of bad experiences/encounters.

In other words, are people out there bad until proven good?

Originally posted by Wheely
I think it is you that is reacting rather than thinking but that's just my opinion. If you had read my post instead of leaping to the keyboard you would have found an "if" in the offending sentence.

He didn't say any of the things you mentioned. He said that this was his experience based on the people he'd met. OK he did make a couple of borderline comm ...[text shortened]... ated his own experience. If more people did that we wouldn't have so many bigots on here.

Sounds like one hand washing the other to me.

Originally posted by Sicilian Smaug
I have been stung by 7 wasps. From this I conclude that all wasps are bad.. but if the first poster has met only 2 Israelis and has been stung by both then maybe he is justified in his mind of fearing more stings but really he should realise that other Israelis may not sting him.

That may not be a good analogy.

Suppose, visiting a new country, I get stung by two insects. The natives call them "wasps".

Would it be irrational for me to conclude that all wasps I subsequently can sting? Would it be irrational for me to ask others if they had similar experiences of wasps?