MacGuffin
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I have a book about the USA, which was originally written in 1958 or so but got re-edited over the years. My edition is from 1978. It was written by one of the most respected French journalists, Raymond Cartier, longtime chief editor of Paris Match, certainly not a racist.
Yet his book about America, which in its time was considered one of the best and most accurate books about the USA, would be considered racist, if you showed it to someone who grew up in our times of political correctness.
For example the word "negro" is used all throughout the book, together with terms like "negro habits" or "negro problems" and he isn't very prissy about naming those problems, where today you would always add an understanding apodosis to not hurt minorities. He considers black people not only victims of the white man but also names the errors they did and where they did or do things wrong.
The book would be a scandal today and I have to ask myself: Have we become better people or was racism just covered up in a friendlier language?
Yet his book about America, which in its time was considered one of the best and most accurate books about the USA, would be considered racist, if you showed it to someone who grew up in our times of political correctness.
For example the word "negro" is used all throughout the book, together with terms like "negro habits" or "negro problems" and he isn't very prissy about naming those problems, where today you would always add an understanding apodosis to not hurt minorities. He considers black people not only victims of the white man but also names the errors they did and where they did or do things wrong.
The book would be a scandal today and I have to ask myself: Have we become better people or was racism just covered up in a friendlier language?
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