please remove my name from this list, if not i will begin to spam the list with files of 100 pages -----Original Message----- From: Tim Romano <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> Date: Monday, August 14, 2000 2:44 PM Subject: Tinned Fruit Diplomacy >Since we're telling anecdotes about "PC"... > >About 20 years ago, I was working as a lowly grad student in the offices of >the American Studies Assn at the University of Pennsylvania, and somehow >found myself giving a report at the plenary session of the biennial >convention in Minneapolis (while also doing odd jobs such as making sure >there was enough fruit cocktail to go around at the luncheon and helping >overseas members with travel connections). I had been the >moderator/amanuensis for several sessions attended by delegates from many >"third world" countries. The prevailing sentiment among these delegates was >that they did not want All Things American forced upon them but wanted to >take from this culture, society, and government only what was good, or what >they perceived as good for them, and to say no-thank-you to the rest. At >the plenary session, the main thrust of my little here's-how-it-went speech >was the desire expressed by the delegates for cultural autonomy and >self-determination. During the course of my remarks, I happened to refer to >these "third world" countries as "some of the poorest countries of the >world" or something like that. When I was finished speaking, a delegate >from some foreign country--I think it was Pakistan--but certainly not one of >the delegates at the sessions I had moderated--demanded that Dr. Romano take >back the word "poorest" and that it be stricken from the official record of >the proceedings! > >Tim Romano > >P.S. The British delegation in their journal thanked the president of the >American Association for hosting the convention, and me, in particular, for >my "ubiquity".