"America has become an ugly place." (speaking of trash)

[donsu]

http://www.onlinejournal.com/Media/051905Madsen/051905madsen.html


American jingoism is creeping into every facet of our daily life

America has become an ugly place. It is anti-foreign in almost every aspect. There is no time for any religion other than a fundamentalist and uniquely American-created notion of Judeo-Christianity rooted in the belief that a white-bearded European God sent a fair haired and blue-eyed Aryan named Jesus Christ (not a black, curly haired, Aramaic, and probably, Greek-speaking Essene Jew named Yeshua ben Yosef haDavid) to Earth to die for the sins of a chosen few Southern white bigots, rich Republicans, and Christian crusaders wearing American military uniforms and private contractor fatigues.

This religious belief would be comical if it had not already reaped dire consequences of death, despair, and destruction–in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Palestine, in Africa, in Southeast Asia, around the world.

Make no mistake about it, America is a hateful nation bent on world domination in a modern-day religious crusade. Not all nations share our beliefs. The United Nations does not share our beliefs.

-snip-

A senior White House staff member recently told a colleague that since the United States dominates the world it can create its own reality. The staffer added that if the Bush regime does not like the reality they've created, in 30 minutes they can change it. What awesome power almost total control of the international media and popular culture can bestow on Imperial America!
-snip-
----------------------------------


the last paragraph says what we have been saying all along: it's almost too late to save america:

Americans continue to be conditioned by the neocon perception managers and spinmeisters. If America doesn't soon wake from its cathartic state and realize who and what have been allowed to take over our nation, it may soon find itself one day being governed by an international transition government made up of Euro "trash," Subcontinent "trash," Near East "trash," Latin American "trash," South Pacific "trash," East Asian "trash," sub-Saharan "trash," Pan-Sahelian "trash," "Afro-Caribbean "trash," and Australian "trash."

[Puzzler]

1. WP crossword puzzle

Regarding the WP crossword clue. I can assure the author of the article, that the clue reference to "trash" has nothing to do with politics. How do I know? I'm one of the editors of this crossword (see my name). However, the author has a point. And I've already taken up the issue with the other puzzle authors/editors (there are 14 of us).

-Puzzler

[donsu]

2. how interesting - please share why it was used in the first place

nt

[Puzzler]

3. Good question...

I didn't edit (or write) this particular puzzle... however, I've contacted the author and the rest of the editors. I will let you know.

What I can tell you right now is that the Euro-trash reference is to the old Cracker hit "Eurotrash Girl". This clue has been making the rounds in crosswords ever since the song.

-P

[donsu]

4. OK thanks

nt

[Puzzler]

5. no problem

I can assure you that any misunderstandings like with will be taken by us very seriously. Puzzle-constructors try and avoid this stuff like the plague.

-P

[donsu]

6. I'm a puzzle fan and once attempted to construct a crossword puzzle

gave it up :)

[Puzzler]

7. More on the puzzle

"I'm a puzzle fan and once attempted to construct a crossword puzzle"

If you'd like any hints etc. about puzzles, PM me and I'll send you some links to some useful sites.

Back to the topic though... a few more updates about the clue/puzzle in question.

There are two issues here:

1) Is the clue insulting in any sense? and...

2) Is (or was) the clue and the puzzle trying to get across some kind of neocon ideas about Europeans?


To answer the first question: yes, the clue is insulting. However, the meaning of Eurotrash has changed over the last few years. It was not derogatory 15 years ago. So why don't puzzle editors check these things? They do... a lot, and every once and a while (out of tens of thousands of clues) something slips by... like this. I should stress that puzzle constructors and editors go out of their way to avoid any kind of offense.

For the record, the clue has been published before: {Prefix with dollar or trash} in the NYT twice (Jonathan Schmalzbach's 5/21/96 puzzle and Stephanie Spadaccini's 8/26/97 puzzle), both Tuesday efforts. And he published {Prefix with trash} in Craig Kasper's 3/14/04 Sunday NYT.

OK, now to the second question: this puzzle was constructed before we (as a group) got the WP contract of daily in-print puzzles (which started May 8). So it was not in anyway part of any WP "agenda".


So to sum up: the author of the article is correct about identifying a poor clue. But is wrong in his other assumtions about the crossword.


-P

[NMMNG]

8. Creepy

A senior White House staff member recently told a colleague that since the United States dominates the world it can create its own reality. The staffer added that if the Bush regime does not like the reality they've created, in 30 minutes they can change it.


Welcome to Oceania. Doesn't matter if you enjoy your stay...you're f*cked either way. :scared:

[ixion]

9. this same conversation generated the term: "reality-based community"

(as though it were a bad thing. :eyes: )

Yes, BushCo has made being an uneducated barbarian fashionable, and further, they have made this into the national symbol.

It will take decades to repair the international damage done by these a** clowns. :grr:

[applegrove]

10. Oh - I think the delusional rovbots think they have made America

in their own ugly image. In reality..half of Americans are becoming internationals. And at a rate much higher than before the Kook-Aid drinkers got into power.