[LNH] The geo-politics of LNH Asia (was Re: REVIEWS: The Phippsian Reader)

[Jamas Enright]

On 6 Jun 2005 phippsmartin at hotmail.com wrote:

> When Asians (or at least Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, Filipinos and
> Thais) say "foreigner" (actually "gaijin", "waigukjin", "weiren",
> "foreigner" and "farang", respectively) they are actually talking about
> Westerners and not each other.  How do I know this?

Maori has something similar, namely "pakeha", which essentially just means
"non-Maori" but is often taken as something more racist and specific to
"white man". (If Jess is reading this, she might want to add more.)

> (Of course, Jamas, you may want to insist that Americans refer to you
> as a "foreigner" because you are not American but they would probably
> consider it a compliment.)

Actually, I'll insist that American's refer to me a "Lord High Enright"...
but that's another plan and I've said too much already... :)

I'm reminded on a story my friend told me of a time he was out with a
bunch of hish friends, one of which was an African American, and they were
all picking on him. He complained that this was because he was black,
which was amusing given that, for example, my friend is Maori (=dark
skin), and he was quickly corrected that they were picking on him because
he was American. :)

> My point?  It seems that Asians, as much as they may still hate each
> other following the second world war, are already thinking of
> themselves as countrymen, of a sort.

Somewhat tangentally I've noticed that people are as geographically
patriotic as they need to be to be against the other side (mostly in
sport). If it's England vs. Austrlia, then we're all Oceanic here, but if
it's NZ vs. Australia then stay on your side of the Tasman. (Which of
course scales down to 'my town against your town' or even 'my work section
against your work section'.)

> So, in the future, we have LNH America, LNH Europe and LNH Asia, each
> with their own distinct identities, representing not only the regions
> within which they operate but the people who live there.  I've tried my

Don't forget LNH Canada, eh?

> Anyway, I am being presumptuous: LNH Asia isn't deep and meaningful...
> but it is based on everyday experiences.  Such as for example, a few
> days ago I felt the bed move and it wasn't Imelda: it was an
> earthquake.  And when this happens you're wondering how far away the
> epicenter was and how strong it was at the epicenter and if the place
> is still standing.  That's a feeling I know pretty well now.

We had our own swarm of quakes recently which sent journalists scrambling
after the geologists...

-- 
Jamas Enright
"Answers answered and questions questioned."
Homepage: http://www.eyrie.org/~thad/
Blue Light Productions homepage: http://www.eyrie.org/~thad/blip/

"If a great state has decided by law that twice two is five, it would be
foolish to allow mathematicians to testify." - Comment during the Scopes
Monkey Trial.