Were you offended?

Had to read my own OP then.

You are right ana I did see that quote and I did use it. I had not attributed it to anyone in particular in my mind i had not registerd belini's name..I just saw the phrase. I am not sure why anyone who had not written it would think that they were included in my riposte ? If the hard-hearted and narrow thinking ( opposite of bleeding heart liberal?) chose to do so I can't be responsible for that.

Because your original post seemed to be implying that all those who felt the use of the word 'swarm' was not offensive fell into the same category as someone who would condemn those with the opposite view as being 'bleeding heart liberals'.

I'll ignore the 'hard hearted and narrow thinking' jibe.

In my post of Sat 01-Aug-15 18:37:47 I was saying what I thought DC was doing. I was not linking my comments to anything other than the OP. This unpicking of who said what when is not particularly constructive.

If you do not consider yourself the opposite of a 'bleeding heart liberal' then don't include yourself! Ignore what I am writing ..it is entirely up to each of us to take offence or not!

What an entertaining squabble you are all having.

farnorth you are of course right! I try so hard not to get caught up in squabbles which do not further debate!
I try to only post about the OP but sometimes get sidetracked.

As you know very well, I was referring to your post of 19.03 Penstemmon.

confused

Confused? really? Why so, look at the paragraph you have written of 19.03 it's clear to see after all. the last paragraph .Aimed at anyone and everyone who does not hold your views, even though it's not clear what your views are
on this .Perhaps you should take the time to read the thread?

If people comment on here, then they should read what others have posted before they jump in with their boots on, as this seems to happen a lot.

It is still a dehumanising term and I believe thoughtfully chosen.

Those who think language is powerless and 'it's just a word' are being duped.

I am confident in my 'bleeding heart liberal' convictions and am not offended by those who try to use it to undermine me and my opinions. Those who use the term 'politically correct' when they hear a view they are opposed to are also trying to belittle. They appear to feel unnerved by the idea that some members of society care about people's feelings and think about others, different to themselves, as human beings capable of the same feelings and emotions.

Great post Penstemmon.

See what rosesarered really thinks on the offendees thread!

I don't think any of us think language is powerless, pen, and if it were an erudite essay, a philosophical or political paper published in a proper journal then I'd think any amount of pickiness allowable. I think we have got far too picky, however, and object far too often to spoken words which obviously do not have as much thought behind them. In short I think people look for offence too much and that this is badly affecting the prinicple of freedom of expression. My worry is that so often people want to disallow certain words because they find them offensive. That, in my view, is dangerous.

You may be right and maybe Cameron did choose the word carefully for political reasons. Well, yeah, he would, and Harman'scomment were politically motivated too. I don't agree that swarm is dehumanising. It isn't complimentary either. Why should it be?

annieb is quite right when she says everyone can express their opinions and wanting to banish people to a country where there isn't free speech is silly at best, but wanting people to stop using words one doesn't like is not a good idea either. It is the thin end of the wedge against freedom of expression.

Obviously no study of logic took place before making your post Balini The "bloody bleeding heart liberals" are fighting for the very freedom of speech you seem so keen to use.

I have posted this before and no doubt I, or other "bleeding heat liberals" will do so again. All the groups of people who ended up in concentration camps and gas chambers were first diminished as groups by lumping them together and seeing them as threatening such as the word "swarm" does. David Cameron's Conservative party have already tried to make benefit claimants an underclass and I have no doubt this party is still the "nasty party" of old and will attack Socialists, Liberals, Trade Unionists ... and then who ... in exactly the same way they have in the past.

All those defending "swarm" - and I am happy to agree it is not the worst thing DC has ever said, - do not believe you could ever be led to behave like the people from the country of Niemöller and yet it has been proved over and over again that this sort of propaganda leads to far worse.

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me— and there was no one left to speak for me.

The quotation stems from Niemöller's lectures during the early postwar period. It seems little has changed.

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All this talk of Nazism is laughable.

Do you stand by your words on both threads, or dont you, rosesarered?

Rosesarered I seem to remember you once said you were a Lib Dem. I thought at the time you were making a joke. I am sure you would like to confirm there is not a liberal bone in your body and that you were just trying to raise a laugh by saying this.

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Actually GG what you say makes me laugh.

This OP is about a word..... A swarm. leave Nazism out of it, it belittles what they did to people and furthermore is idiotic.
GG...... Personal remarks like the one above from you are pathetic in the extreme.

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