Re: Unamerican

> Date:         Mon, 1 May 2000 18:12:07 -0700
> From: DOUGLAS KOLLER <LAOKOU@...>
> I was watching part of the Gay Rights Rally in Washington yesterday on
> CSpan, and at some point, the term "unamerican" (by a gay speaker) popped
> up. "Unamerican" is, obviously, an extremely loaded political term which
> means "going against the American ethos", which might mean "being against
> life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" plus a surfeit of connotative
> layers (and -- I don't wish to open a can of politcal worms -- can be
> co-opted by *any*one trying to diss opposing political views).
>
> My question to non-English speakers -- Irina, Christophe, Carlos, BP,
> Lars... (and perhaps to non-American, English speakers, though "unenglish,
> unBritish" doesn't sound like a big reach to me [unAustralian?]):
>
> Does political rhetoric in your country play this card?  Is there
> "un-Dutch", un-French", "un-Argentinian", "un-Swedish", "un-Danish"....
> behavior?  How is it codified (by which I mean, what prized views of your
> country is it supposed to be antithetical to?), and what is the push-button
> term in your various languages? "osvensk"?
The word is 'udansk', but is mostly used about things that go against
accepted everyday morals/ethics and are evidently of foreign origin.

Not allowing union membership, compulsory drug testing and bans on
smoking when not at work were roundly disapproved of as 'udanske'
ideas when American firms tried to introduce them. Of course when
large Danish firms took up the latter two ideas, public opinion lay
down and rolled over as usual. (No Danish firm officially disapproves
of unions, and even 7-Eleven has signed with one now).

The word 'dansk' does play a large role in the very tasteless anti-
immigrant rhetoric employed by a number of rightwing parties. But the
generation of voters in whom that rhetoric evokes knee-jerk reactions
is now above 60, so I'm hoping that will play itself out in not too
many years.

Lars Mathiesen (U of Copenhagen CS Dep) <thorinn@...> (Humour NOT marked)