It's really hard to tell the difference between what is genuinely offensive and what is not.
No easy answers. In this case, maybe there is a relatively simple rule: Supporting democracy must not in itself be regarded as offensive...
replies(8):
No easy answers. In this case, maybe there is a relatively simple rule: Supporting democracy must not in itself be regarded as offensive...
That's because it's not up to the prankster or the offender or a third party to decide if one is suffering. It's up to the offended, mocked or bullied one who are the only ones knowing what they feel.
Of course, in the public political space, everybody tries to play the victim/innocent game to their advantage.
Feeling offended because somebody criticized a state is harder to make stick.
Coincidentally I stumbled upon a comment on imgur today that went like this:
- canadian guy is in saskatoon, in a bar
- chinese guy at the counter
- chinese guy backs away from the counter with beverage
- bumps into canadian guy he didn't see
- canadian guy blurps 'woops, sorry'
- chinese guy 'YOU APOLOGIZE TO ALL OF CHINA'
- canadian guy thinks it's funny, laught it off
- mates from chinese guy laugh and pull him away
Then imgur commenters: "Yeah, some Chinese tourists/expats/students can be very sensitive about China".
Feeling offended because somebody criticized a state is harder to make stick.
All that to say that in some parts of the world personal identity can be tied real tight to national/territorial origin. And we all meet on the intertubes.