Comments on: Joe…Doh!

By: Joe Biden Imitates an Indian Accent during NH Speech « Lakshmi Gandhi's Blog

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:59:25 +0000

[...] of course isn’t the first time Biden’s gotten into hot water with the desi community. Back in 2006, the then-Senator noted that “You cannot go into a Dunkin Donuts or a 7-Eleven unless you [...]

By: gatt

gatt — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 10:03:15 +0000

83 Â· MoorNam said

The whole point of globalisation is equalisation of remuneration for the same work.

moornam, with the copious volume of, er, "wisdom" that you so generously share, it is hard to surpass yourself, but this time you have. the "point" of globalization, as it were, is to leverage comparative advantage to maximize the value of your money, not to equalize remuneration or any such thing.

By: Snuggles

Snuggles — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 07:36:30 +0000

Actually people really should watch the lengthier clip – Biden does go on to mention that 30% of the CEOs in Silicon Valley are Indian-American: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fG8RUP31oIY While I agree that that the reference to 7-Elevens and Indian accents is stereotypical and offensive, it’s not as if Biden is unaware of the success and economic diversity of the South Asian American community.

By: Harini

Harini — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 15:54:08 +0000

This is two years after the fact but: hear, hear Prasad!

Another fellow Madrasi, H.

By: Prasad

Prasad — Sun, 09 Jul 2006 17:18:41 +0000

I really do not understand the big fuss about this whole issue.

Have you ever seen a Hindi movie which does not overtly ridicule the accent, mannerisms, clothing, skin color of a South Indian character? Every body laughs about it all over India eventhough the same bit or character may play to a silent audience in South India. So much for trying to search for racism in Joe's comments. Since when did we become so hyper senstive about it.

Have you ever heard an Indian song (regardless of the language) not praise the "gori" skin ladki or not ridicule the "kali" skin ladki. So much again for racism.

Have you ever seen a matrimonial ads from Men seeking brides which does not start with a "looking for a fair, slim...blah blah.. girl" or women describing fair complexion (as an asset/adjective) when they post the ad. Now tell me either one is really dumb if fair is not equal to white (in a relative term). So much hoopla about racism.

Why am I giving the above examples just to show that how racist we are in the first place and how we practice it so shamelessly back home in our day to day life and of course over here too. So why complain ? In fact Joe is not a racist as such and most of us know - wait now that is a stretch.. alright some of us know what racism is really about..

My advice therefore is to not get carried away by being hyper sensitive but start the change within before we complain about others....

That is my 2 cents and I will get off the soapbox now..

By: MD

MD — Sat, 08 Jul 2006 00:41:56 +0000

Fair enough, AK.

By: AK

AK — Sat, 08 Jul 2006 00:10:03 +0000

sorry, sentence in previous comment should have read “these kinds of comments really matter so much less….”

By: AK

AK — Sat, 08 Jul 2006 00:08:37 +0000

MD — I don’t recall defending Biden’s comment, and don’t necessarily disagree with your characterization of it at all. But the way in which Dr. Vijay has reinterpreted that comment is telling, for all of the reasons discussed by TheenPathi. And there is indeed a knee-jerk, half-baked quality to Dr. Vijay’s statement that is tool-like — these kinds of really matters so much less than substantive positions on real issues. But apparently Dr. Vijay has nothing to say about that. I’d frankly say the same thing if a desi Democrat fixated on a dumb comment by John McCain, rather than focusing on his lack of backbone on substantive issues that matter.

Incidentally, the guy actually goes by “Dr. Vijay”? Inevitably evokes an image of a desi Dr. Phil. Bleccch.

By: Saurav

Saurav — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 23:41:39 +0000

Having lived in NY for over 5 years when Guiliani made this city livable, I for the most part agree with you. But I think he tends to be a little rough around the edges. I like him as attorney general initially and President in 4/8 years. I don't think he is that old.

Yes, perhaps he could oversee the locking up of young Black and Latino men all over the country and install Manhattan Institute staff in the Cabinet.

By: MD

MD — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 23:27:14 +0000

I thought the point behind globalization was economic freedom, not equalization per se. That sounds awfully, er, socialistic for you Moor Nam