[Freeciv-Dev] Re: Nations classification again

["SamBC" <sambc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Okay, clear up at least one misused word here :o)

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Saikat DebRoy [mailto:saikat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On
>

<SNIP>
>   SamBC> of Africa (ignoring the bit that becomes the Middle East) are
>   SamBC> black (Afrikaans are not natives btw)
>
> Mediterranean Africa (Morocco, ALgeria etc to Egypt) is not
> Negroid. The current population is a mix of Barber (Sp?) and Arabs.

Where I'd said 'the bit that becomes' I really meant 'the bit that is nearly
part of' - and that was the sort of area I meant, the areas that are nearly
the Middle East, and racially have similar makeup to that area.

>
>   SamBC> Also, I'd say most people from Asia are not Yellow!!! I've
>   SamBC> usually heard that description (racistly) applied to oriental
>   SamBC> persons, covered by the oriental description. Asia is places
>   SamBC> like India/Pakistan/environs. If you are going to describe
>   SamBC> them by colour, I suppose you'd say Brown. I'd prefer Asian
>   SamBC> personally.
>
> Brown was a derogatory term used in the Colonial days. I would preffer
> if it is not used.

That was my point - all of this skin colour business is most unsavoury to
myself. I would suggest that *if* people insist on doing it, that they use
more technical terms like Caucasian, African, Asian, Indian, oriental,
aboriginal, etc etc.

>
>   >>  Also I think most people aren't offended by calling their race
>   >> by color.  Of course if there are some offended people who play
>   >> freeciv, they should complain here.
>   >>
>
>   SamBC> I certainly know that it is considered impolite here, and it
>   SamBC> is considered more polite to describe by ethnic extraction.
>
> I think the safest course is to not to use the racial terms. Most of
> the colors (yellow black etc) were/are derogatory terms.

That was my point, and alas I expressed it badly :o/...

I would not categorise nations by skin colour, but if anyone insists on
doing it, use technical terms.


SamBC