this post was submitted on 21 Sep 2024
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Greentext

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This is a place to share greentexts and witness the confounding life of Anon. If you're new to the Greentext community, think of it as a sort of zoo with Anon as the main attraction.

Be warned:

If you find yourself getting angry (or god forbid, agreeing) with something Anon has said, you might be doing it wrong.

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[–] Crazyblu@lemmy.zip 4 points 4 hours ago

Bro each time i laugh, look at the comments and remember its fake, Each fuckin time

[–] kittenzrulz123@lemmy.blahaj.zone 16 points 9 hours ago

Today: "erm akshurally did those kids condemn Hamas, obviously not therefore they deserve it"

Ireland (before independence): "erm akshurally did those kids condemn the IRA, obviously not therefore they deserve it"

[–] Eol@sh.itjust.works 3 points 9 hours ago

So many races employed...

[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 71 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

Insult someone, get insulted back with a good burn and threaded to go to HR. Loads of adults in that room

[–] mortemtyrannis@lemmy.ml 38 points 14 hours ago

There were no adults in the room because this story is fake.

[–] ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works 133 points 23 hours ago (4 children)

"Remember when a colonizing power tried to exterminate your people?"

Haw haw.

Though seriously most Americans think the potato famine was a natural disaster and have no idea why it is called the great hunger.

[–] Juice@midwest.social 30 points 19 hours ago

During the American War of Independence the reins were loosened a little. Further concessions had to be granted during the French Revolution. Ireland rose so quickly that her people threatened to outstrip the English. The English government drove them to rebellion and achieved the Union [390] by bribery. The Union delivered the death blow to reviving Irish industry. On one occasion Meagher said: all Irish branches of industry have been destroyed, all we have been left is the making of coffins. It became a vital necessity to have land; the big landowners leased their lands to speculators; land passed through four or five lease stages before it reached the peasant, and this made prices disproportionately high. The agrarian population lived on potatoes and water; wheat and meat were sent to England; the rent was eaten up in London, Paris and Florence. In 1836, £7,000,000 was sent abroad to absent landowners. Fertilisers were exported with the produce and rent, and the soil was exhausted. Famine often set in here and there, and owing to the potato blight there was a general famine in 1846. A million people starved to death. The potato blight resulted from the exhaustion of the soil, it was a product of English rule.

Through the repeal of the Corn Laws Ireland lost her monopoly position on the English market, the old rent could no longer be paid. High prices of meat and the bankruptcy of the remaining small landowners further contributed to the eviction of the small peasants and the transformation of their land into sheep pastures. Over half a million acres of arable land have not been tilled since 1860. The yield per acre has dropped: oats by 16 per cent, flax by 36 per cent, potatoes by 50 per cent. At present only oats are cultivated for the English market, and wheat is imported.

With the exhaustion of the soil, the population has deteriorated physically. There has been an absolute increase in the number of lame, blind, deaf and dumb, and insane in the decreasing population.

Over 1,100,000 people have been replaced by 9,600,000 sheep. This is a thing unheard of in Europe. The Russians replace evicted Poles with Russians, not with sheep. Only under the Mongols in China was there once a discussion whether towns should be destroyed to make room for sheep.

-- International Workingmen’s Association 1867 Record of Speech by Karl Marx

[–] 0laura@lemmy.dbzer0.com 24 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

honestly I just read it as Irish people liking potatoes, similar to the stereotype that Germans like sauerkraut

[–] TheSlad@sh.itjust.works 88 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (3 children)

Irish people were forced to eat potatoes because they were subjugated by british lords who took everything else they farmed. When the potato "famine" happened, they were actually still producing plenty of other food, just that the British lords didnt care and still forced them to hand it over.

Admittedly this is the extent of my knowledge on the situation, so you should look it up yourself if you want to know more.

The "Joke" at the irish guy in the greentext is actually pretty insensitive and rude, much moreso than asking a german why he didnt order sauerkraut.

Potatoes aren't even native to Ireland.

[–] Dasus@lemmy.world 33 points 21 hours ago (6 children)

Yeah about a million Irish died and a million emigrated.

Ireland lost a quarter of it's population.

If the story wasn't gake and fay, and if that joke about bombing hospitals gets someone into trouble, then the potato joke definitely should as well.

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[–] MehBlah@lemmy.world 74 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

Seems like everyone there but anon didn't understand the insult implied and got upset when it was returned in kind.

[–] linearchaos@lemmy.world 20 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

Like all other 4chan it's just fake news, but it would make a lot more sense to school them and what the potato famine was actually about rather than to assume they're getting in a pissing match.

Also, in any case where coworkers are worried enough about race and politics to go to HR they're not going to sit around and talk about ethnic stereotypes. If you're going to sit around and talk about ethnicity and stereotypes you've already made a social pact that everybody isn't going to get butt hurt and go to HR.

At my old place five of us got together once every few weeks and had a nice dinner out. It was America so nobody that was there was first generation anything. We were descendants, Irish Israeli, black, Vietnamese. If the Jewish guy would have made the potato famine joke to the Irish guy, and the Irish guy did come back with bombing hospitals, The worst outcome would be the Jewish guy would have said touche new subject and we would have continued bs about work, sports, or technology.

[–] ALoafOfBread@lemmy.ml 21 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago) (1 children)

If it were actually a true story, maybe autistic OP thought he was returning the joke in kind. "Lol shouldn't you be starving because the British stole all your crops but potatoes", "lol shouldn't you be bombing hospitals". Seems like a fair trade if you don't understand what was intended. Signed: an autist.

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[–] Superfool@lemmy.world 106 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I would have spat my drink out laughing.

Fuck them all if they deal it out but can't take it.

[–] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 42 points 1 day ago

That's the their entire MO...

Israelis are fuxking idiots if they think anyone is going to suffer them going forward.

No quarter for genocide enablers.

[–] pineapplelover@lemm.ee 35 points 22 hours ago

Man I thought that insult was golden.

[–] nycki@lemmy.world 16 points 19 hours ago (4 children)

i want to like this but I have to assume anyone still using pepe against the creator's wishes is a shitbag

[–] Soulg@sh.itjust.works 4 points 10 hours ago

It's a frog

[–] RIPandTERROR@sh.itjust.works 24 points 15 hours ago

Sir, you are on greentext. Idk what you're expecting.

[–] Good_morning@lemmynsfw.com 38 points 18 hours ago

I mean I'd wager vast majority of the internet doesn't have an inkling of who the creator was or his wishes, they see the format and make their own.

[–] Liz@midwest.social 51 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Who fucking reports comments made outside of work to HR? Learn how to handle uncomfortable social situations on your own you little tattler.

[–] Ferrous@lemmy.ml 31 points 1 day ago (3 children)

The fact that some event happened outside of work hours by no means disqualifies it as legitimate harassment. We should absolutely not be disparaging people for invoking this protection. Think of all the vulnerable groups who may be less likely to speak up after some shitty behavior if we start shitting on people for invoking this protection.

A hostile work environment claim may include conduct that occurs in a work-related context outside an employee’s regular workplace.[219] For instance, harassment directed at an employee during the course of offsite employer-required training occurs within the “work environment,” even if the training is not conducted at the employer’s facility.[220]

Example 53: Harassment During Off-Site Employer-Hosted Party Was Within Work Environment. Fatima’s employer hosts its annual holiday party in a private restaurant. One of her coworkers, Tony, drinks to excess, and at the end of the evening attempts to grope and kiss Fatima. Although Tony’s behavior occurred outside Fatima’s regular workplace and at a private restaurant unaffiliated with her employer, it occurred in a work-related context, the company-sponsored holiday party. Therefore, based on these facts, the harassment occurred in Fatima’s work environment for purposes of a Title VII sexual harassment claim.

https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/enforcement-guidance-harassment-workplace#_Toc164808037

[–] Bougie_Birdie@lemmy.blahaj.zone 23 points 23 hours ago

I agree, this is a work function so HR could be invoked.

That said, I'm with Anon on this one. His coworker started it, and while on the surface Anon's response sounds much darker, Anon is punching up and Israeli Coworker is punching down.

The potato famine was an economic genocide incited by colonial powers. You'd think if they get a laugh out of that they'd also get a laugh about currently ongoing genocides.

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[–] cybersandwich@lemmy.world 31 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

The only response to that should have been a "too soooon!" Followed by uproarus laughter

That's a hilarious retort imo.

[–] MBM@lemmings.world 1 points 5 hours ago

Maybe not if it's something you're sensitive about

[–] sp3tr4l@lemmy.zip 198 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (42 children)

Actual autist here: Took me a loooong time to figure out a whole bunch of social concepts when it comes to what neurotypicals basically deem as small talk.

Firstly, you basically just have to accept that for most people, a level of classist, racist, other kinds of stereotypical insults are socially viewed as basically acceptable, even though its usually quite obvious they are, in fact, insults.

Then you have to understand the concept of proportionality in small talk. You have to reply with something that's very obviously and directly relevant, and of the same magnitude.

(Jumping from an insult about dietary preferences to an insult about war crimes is not the same magnitude)

Encapsulating this entire social interaction is the setting: coworkers of mixed nationality likely and an after work dinner likely implies an expectation of basically corporate social etiquette, ie, back handed compliments to establish a social dominance hierarchy, where the name of the game us getting as close to breaching the invisible 'wow what an asshole' line without actually stepping over it.

To avoid looking meek, docile, awkward or antisocial, you have to figure out an appropriate small talk style reply, which actually requires a fairly detailed knowledge of the other persons you are conversing with. Their culture, personal history, personal beliefs, etc.

If you don't do this at least semi-regularly, then you are a pushover who will be given higher workloads with no extra compensation and likely will not advance very far in your career, as you seem to be fine where you are.

So ok, if you know a bit about Israelis, you might attempt to insult back along the lines of dietary preferences.

But, its a faux pas to escalate even within this realm of responses: If you retort that you 'prefer your potatoes with pork', well, that's probably going to be viewed as quite rude, as that's still a higher magnitude, as it references something that is commonly known to be forbidden to most Israelis.

What might be a proportional response would be 'Sorry, I'd make them (the potatoes) into latkes for you, but I don't have any eggs'.

But that may still be deemed as overly offensive, depending on the temperament of the Israeli and the level to which the other coworkers feel the need to be defensive toward perceived anti-semitism.

So, as an autistic person, you have to consciously have all this knowledge and think through it all logically in real time, all while your actual emotion is anger because you don't give a fuck that the potato comment was supposed to be a joke, because it was in actuality a racist insult that actually references a fucking famine and a dietary stereotype that exists largely due to imperialist exploitation of your ancestors.

In summary, yeah small talk is an absolute nightmare for autistic people who are in an aggressive, hostile social environment, which, at least in my experience, is almost all of them.

[–] areyouevenreal@lemm.ee 16 points 21 hours ago

(Jumping from an insult about dietary preferences to an insult about war crimes is not the same magnitude)

The potato joke is a joke about war crimes even if the person telling it doesn't realize this. They actually responded in kind.

[–] superkret@feddit.org 141 points 1 day ago (25 children)

(Jumping from an insult about dietary preferences to an insult about war crimes is not the same magnitude)

The potato joke is also a joke about a genocide, though.

Like "How many potatoes does it take to kill an Irishman?"
"None"

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[–] intensely_human@lemm.ee 25 points 23 hours ago

Most people are not aware, but potatoes are a reference to a holodomor-like government-induced famine that occurred in Ireland when the government of England made a policy of paying far over market rate for people to ship food out of Ireland.

This weakened the Irish food market, leading to a situation where many people subsisted on the one crop that they could grow on their own property (as collective farm output was put on ships to elsewhere), which was potatoes.

In that brittle situation, a fungus called a potato blight caused many people to starve to death because they were down to one last food source after the English mucking about.

It didn’t happen in a time of war so it wasn’t a war crime, but what the English government did to the Irish people was definitely genocidal.

[–] olafurp@lemmy.world 36 points 1 day ago

Also autistic here, I feel calling people out works pretty well for me. No need for extended knowledge except about your own culture, just point out the offensive part and make them regret.

Example: "Are you referencing the Irish potato famine?"

It forces the person to either back out or admit that it was offensive. Third option could be "Don't be so sensetive, it was a joke". Then you can say that you don't mind jokes but that you found that one offensive.

With knowledge about the person's culture you can always use it for a counter-attack with "I thought that Israelis would know that some jokes are off limits".

[–] JameUwU@lemmy.ml 48 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Imma be real most of the time I just say fuck it and act like anon. My defense with HR would be that Israeli guy stated a racist comment first, and if I get fired then I'll have a company to add to the list of neurodivergent discriminators. I don't have the patience to play that stupid back and fourth.

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[–] Letstakealook@lemm.ee 73 points 1 day ago (35 children)

I'm autistic and I've learned to stop trying to play this game. Instead, I just make assholes like this explain their sideways ass comments in a straightforward fashion for the group. Forcing people to explain bigoted comments and not allowing the subject to change has now made everyone uncomfortable. Not so fucking funny anymore. I usually don't have to do this more than once or twice within a specific group.

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[–] fibojoly@sh.itjust.works 38 points 1 day ago (3 children)

One thing I learnt in Ireland is you better have a thick skin because no quarter is given when it comes to slagging and taking the piss. And the more you take yourself seriously and the more they will gang up until you learn to shut the fuck up. Absolutely love it.

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[–] Flax_vert@feddit.uk 24 points 23 hours ago (4 children)

Once I had a teacher who was trying to boast to me that his uncle or someone worked in engineering some American bomber, and I responded with "how many iraqis did that kill?" I didn't get into trouble.

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[–] robocall@lemmy.world 215 points 1 day ago (5 children)

Report the Israeli to HR for the potato joke before anyone reports you. Also mention everyone else and say that they were all laughing and pointing at you.

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[–] olafurp@lemmy.world 36 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Gotta say, it's fun to read in-depth conversation explainers from other autistic people. As an autistic person myself I think it's quite fun and informative.

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The way I see it, don't dish it out if you can't take it...living memory or not

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